Are you as glad as I am that another COVID year is coming to an end? I felt that way last year, 12 months later, still the same. Reading current news stories on the latest strain and talking to my daughter who works at a hospital in London and was a COVID long hauler (12 months suffering from COVID-19 and still plagued by aftereffects), it’s looking highly likely that turning the calendar page won’t dispel COVID-19 concerns anytime soon. Another lingering issue, as I mentioned in this column last month, is the supply chain.
On a positive note, despite the lingering public health and supply chain challenges, The Cannata Report is still standing, as are most imaging channel dealers and vendors. It’s anyone’s guess what 2022 will bring. But perhaps our WatchList, which identifies the trends, companies, and people we’ll be watching in the coming year offers a clue. Some of what’s included on our list will have a significant impact on the imaging dealer channel, others a modest impact, but all have the potential to drive the industry forward in one way or another.
We don’t expect everyone to agree with our selections. As CJ pointed out in a recent Tigerpaw podcast, the truth is we watch everybody, even those not included in our WatchList issue. If you think we missed a key trend, company or person to watch, please send me an email (scullen@cannatareport.com) with your selections, and we will publish them on or off the record on The Cannata Report website.
We are also debuting two new annual WatchList issue features that you might find interesting. First, we asked various vendors in the imaging channel to share their highlights of 2021. These highlights offer an overview of what these vendors introduced or accomplished in 2021. And because most dealers are interested in what their peers are doing, we are publishing the goals for 2022 from 20 different dealers. Perhaps those goals will give you an idea or two where to take your dealership in 2022.
Despite the challenges and ups and downs of the past two years, I remain optimistic for 2022. Towards that end, allow me to share the lyrics from The Kinks 1981 song, Better Things.
Here’s hoping all the days ahead
Won’t be as bitter as the ones behind you
Be an optimist instead
And somehow happiness will find you
Forget what happened yesterday
I know that better things are on the way
On behalf of The Cannata Report, Happy New Year and we hope tomorrow you’ll find better things.
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