The last two to three years have been a whirlwind, if you haven't noticed. It seems like it's been one challenge after another. From Covid to riots, supply chain issues to staffing shortages, more supply chain issues and major inflation. When will it all end? And just recently, we've been glued to the TV watching the invasion of Ukraine, knowing very well this will lead to some form of disruption, the first impact probably being oil and gas prices. But, how will this issue in Eastern Europe impact Main Street America and our businesses? I'll give you one guess, disruption. Disruption is the new normal, a phrase we've been throwing around since Trump's election in 2016. As I mentioned, the last two to three years have been nothing but disruptions for all of us, causing us to remain nimble and to adapt. Is there any good way to plan for disruption? If only we all had a crystal ball to stay prepared. There is a lot of uncertainty moving forward, but I can promise that the one consistent will remain disruption. So do what you need to do within your business to prepare. Be conservative in your projections, stockpile capital for lean times, think about ways to become more efficient, strengthen your critical relationships in the industry and lean on your two-step partners. Things may get worse, or they may get better, but we will surely face disruption in the future.
One way you may gain clarity on disruption is through improved data analysis. Over the last year, SCOPE has continued to grow and expand its offerings to help businesses. With the development of PLX and the ongoing additions of retail stores in CLX, SCOPE is becoming an essential tool in the shooting sports industry. With that growth, NASGW's mission is to make SCOPE more accessible to its members. If you haven't explored the new developments with SCOPE, I encourage you to reach out to the SCOPE team to schedule a demo. Learn how Distributor sales and inventory data, and/or retail sales data can help you make smarter decisions or create strategies to deal with disruption. Also, see how SCOPE PLX is standardizing data across the industry and assisting businesses to manage their product catalog for the entire industry. Big things have been and will continue to be in the works with SCOPE.
Finally, I can't help but think how fortunate we are to live and do business in America. Yes, we have challenges to overcome, but we live in the most prosperous time in the most prosperous country in the world. We take for granted so many privileges that people are literally risking their lives to have. I hope you all can take some time to reflect on how fortunate we are and how privileged our lives and the lives of our children are. I am so grateful for the opportunities that we have in this country, in this industry, and in this association. Despite the continual disruption, I hope we all maintain a good perspective as we progress into 2022.
All the best,
Chris Means
NASGW Chairman