If you don’t have a system to track critical shifts, you’re flying blind. A sudden regulatory change could force you into compliance chaos. A key supplier going under could grind your operations to a halt. A shift in customer behavior could leave you scrambling to figure out why sales are dropping. The businesses that fail to spot these changes early end up reacting in crisis mode. They make rushed, expensive decisions instead of calculated, strategic moves.

On the flip side, owners who actively track industry shifts stay ahead of the game. They negotiate better deals before prices spike, pivot before markets change, and turn risks into opportunities while their competitors are still playing catch-up. You're not just protecting your business by putting a simple system in place to monitor threats and trends. You’re positioning it to win when others are caught off guard.

⏳ Step 1: Filter the Noise—What’s Actually Worth Your Time?

Not all news is relevant to your business. Here’s a simple way to filter it:

✅ Pay attention if the news…

• Changes your cost structure (materials, labor, overhead)

• Impacts your customers’ buying habits

• Creates a supply chain issue that could slow you down

• Introduces a new regulation affecting your industry

❌ Ignore it if…

• It’s just speculation with no clear impact

• It doesn’t touch your industry or customers

• It’s a short-term trend with no lasting effect

Action step: Take five minutes to list the top three external risks that could hit your business (e.g., supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes, new competitors). These are the topics worth tracking.

📋 Step 2: Scenario Planning—Stay Ready, Not Reactive

Spotting a shift early isn’t enough. You need a plan before it hits.

Whenever a piece of news makes it through your filter, ask yourself:

1. How does this affect my costs, supply chain, or customers?

2. If this disrupts my market, what’s my Plan B?

3. How can I not just survive—but actually take advantage of this shift?

Example: A key supplier raises prices by 20%.

• Do you pass that cost to customers?

• Lock in a long-term contract before others react?

• Find a new supplier now instead of scrambling later?

The owners who plan ahead win. The ones who wait? They scramble and overpay.

 🔎 Step 3: Set Up a System to Track What Matters

You don’t need to scroll the news all day. You need a simple system to surface what actually matters.

Here’s how:

🛠 Google Alerts: Set up alerts for “[your industry] + regulation” or “[your industry] + supply chain.” 📬 Industry Newsletters: Find one or two that cut through the noise for you. 👥 LinkedIn & Twitter Lists: Follow 3-5 experts who track these shifts. 📊 Weekly Check-In: Block 10 minutes every Monday to scan for updates.

👉 Pro Tip: If you have a team, assign someone to track and summarize key changes for you. You don’t need to spend your time doing the research. You are the big dog doing the analysis.

 📅 Step 4: Update Your SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) isn’t a one-and-done exercise. Your business environment changes constantly, and your SWOT should, too.

Whenever you spot a major shift, update your SWOT:

• Strengths: What new advantages do you have?

• Weaknesses: What gaps could this expose?

• Opportunities: Is there a way to capitalize on this?

• Threats: What risks do you need to mitigate?

A business that updates its SWOT regularly isn’t caught off guard—it’s ready to move.

If enough of you tell me they don’t use this tool and are unsure how to do it, I’ll write an entire post on how. Let me know!

🤔 REFLECT: Your Turn

Take Action Today (Challenge for You)

Be different. Pick one of these actions and do it today: ✔️ Set up a Google Alert for your industry. ✔️ Subscribe to a high-value industry newsletter. ✔️ Block 10 minutes weekly to scan for meaningful updates. ✔️ Assign a team member to track and report key shifts. ✔️ Update your SWOT analysis with any new threats or opportunities.

Business owners who stay ahead of the curve don’t have crystal balls. They have systems.

Is yours in place?

Share your story at [email protected].

Stay awesome, stay confident, and keep soaring higher!

— Cheering you on, Nick