Now that the economy has rebounded for some of us, does that mean there will be more mergers and acquisitions?

What happens if a few more major suppliers get acquired?

How many independently owned safety equipment distributors will be acquired in the next 12 months?

Those of you who have not updated your business technology in the past four years; when are you going make the investment?

As more industrial MRO distributors look to the safety channel as a way to increase their sales; what are you doing to compete?

Have your safety equipment distributorship “Core Values” changed in past two years?

Are you starting to look more like the industrial MRO distributor?

How many hours of training have you provided for your employees during the past 12 months?

Have you lost your focus?

Safety in “numbers”

Job 11:18-19 — You will be confident, because there is hope. You will look carefully about and lie down in safety. You will lie down without fear, and many will seek your favor.

Psalm 4:8  — I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me live in safety.

Map out your “Future State”

It seems as though everything is changing at a very rapid pace. If you are not willing to adapt, what will happen to your business? I think the independently owned safety equipment distributor must look at the “future state” of their business; what follows is just a few ideas that you might want to incorporate:

• How can your company bring significant value to human life? Your end-user customer employees need you! Elevate your role….reduce injuries….save lives!

• Develop a list of “Core Values” that your employees all agree on. Do your customers see your Core Values as a business asset to them?

• Develop a Value Proposition for your end-user customers. Find out from your customers what is important to them.

• Expand on your safety expertise; this can be a key value proposition to your end-user customers. Get your inside and outside salespeople trained on the safety standards and regulations.

These are just a few easy things that you can do to re-energize your company, your employees and your customers.

The Safety Marketing Group (SMG) is a buying-marketing group of 60+ independently-owned safety equipment distributors along with 50+ suppliers with “synergy,” resulting in improved distributor profitability and increased supplier market share. Through the first six months of 2011 SMG says it was 24.3% ahead of 2010