January 2009              return to newsletter contents page

Looking Forward: What Does AVDA Have in Store for 2009?

Many business people are hard at work planning for 2009 and trying to figure out how to position their companies to remain strong and competitive in these difficult economic times. Forecasting, budgeting and strategic planning are all part of the process.

A Special Report from Dr. Al Bates and Profit Planning Group (who conduct AVDA’s annual Profit Report), is essential reading for all distributors and suppliers. It points out that even modest changes in the terms of sale can have an extremely negative impact on the financial results of distributors. The report deals with cash discounts and datings on merchandise purchased by distributors from their suppliers. In addition, the Profit Planning Group has prepared an Excel template to help distributors understand how such changes would change the firm’s performance. It should be a useful starting point in discussions with suppliers. This report was emailed to members last week and is also included in this newsletter to help distributors and suppliers plan their future transactions.

AVDA’s Annual Profit Survey should be an essential part of every animal health distributor’s planning process. The annual Profit Survey gives you benchmarking data that you can’t get anywhere else to help guide your financial planning. All participating distributors receive a copy of the Annual Profit Report and a Profit Improvement Profile comparing your firm with similar businesses. The 2009 Profit Survey will be mailed to all distributor members in January. The fee to participate is $850 per member company. AVDA will once again discount the cost of participating in the survey to new participant member companies.

AVDA’s 2009 Annual Conference is designed to give you the tools you need to put you into a position of power and help you thrive in these dynamic times and changing economy. At the 2008 Annual Conference, speaker Alan Beaulieu from the Institute for Trend Research, provided an economic forecast for the conference. In 2009, Alan will once again provide economic information with practical applications to current and future business plans. This is your opportunity to hear specific forecasts and management objectives so you can plan and prosper through the ups and downs of every phase of the business cycle. General sessions will focus on how to maintain a position of resilience, strength and determination in today’s uncertain world.

Don’t forget to include AVDA’s Academy of Training in your 2009 plans. Designed for all levels of employees, from seasoned management to brand new customer service and sales reps, AVDA training is targeted, top quality and a great value. Here’s a calendar of AVDA events and activities for 2009 to help you plan your training budget wisely.
AVDA has worked with members in the past to help educate members on regulatory and legislative issues related to drug pedigree and drug distribution. AVDA will continue these efforts in 2009 by keeping members informed through news updates, list-serv postings and webinars from the State Monitor Service.

There’s much more to come in 2009. Don’t let another year go by without taking full advantage of your AVDA membership. Complete details on these and other programs can be found on your AVDA web site, www.avda.net.