When running a business, you have to take care of multiple things simultaneously. You need to keep an eye on the competition, find your unique selling point, and focus on marketing your products or services, and lots more. In today’s hyper-competitive market, getting a strong foothold in the market and staying ahead of your competitors is essential.
Providing the best quality product or service at the best price can help you to stay competitive. So, you need to look for suppliers and service providers for your business who are going to give you the best products at the best price, within the right time frame to meet your business needs.
If this sounds like a mammoth task, don’t worry! We’re here to help you to make this happen with these handy tips for finding the best suppliers and service provider for your business.
Look Online
Like anything else, an online search is a great place to start to find a good supplier or service provider. Browse websites, read blogs, and look at online business directories like the Yellow Pages or Yelp to find info on suppliers and service providers. The wealth of information online these days means you can find companies operating in just about every area and niche.
Attend Events
Trade shows, conferences, and other events are a good source of information on potential suppliers or service providers. You should take every opportunity to attend these kinds of trade shows. You will meet many suppliers and service providers there who will be willing to work with you, and this is a good opportunity to look at their portfolio and discuss your business needs. These events are packed with companies ready to demonstrate their products and sell their services. Rather than making an impulse decision and signing up on the spot at a trade show, it’s a better idea to gather contacts and set up meetings with potential suppliers.
Use your Personal Network
Networking is useful in many aspects of running a business, and finding suppliers and service providers is no exception. Tap into your personal network – think about your former colleagues, friends, and social network – do you know anyone with the skills and products you’re looking for? Ask around your wider network for people who could be your supplier, or who can recommend someone.
Look at Trade Publications
Trade publications and website specific to your industry is another good source for finding new suppliers and service providers. These publications often have a list of potential suppliers and physical publications usually come out quarterly or yearly so you can get the latest info about new suppliers.
Online forums
Another good approach is to join online forums on suppliers and service providers, which will give you plenty of ideas for companies to work with. Furthermore, user comments will also give you an idea about their performance to help you find the most reliable suppliers. Go a step further and ask questions in the forums to find out the right supplier for your business.
Peers
You can also talk to your industry peers to find the best supplier or service provider. Your peers can give you valuable insights into their own experiences and useful feedback.
What to Look for in a Service Provider
Whether commercial laundry service provider like PHS Besafe or website maintenance, there are certain common factors that you should look for when choosing a new supplier.
Affordability
When you choose a supplier or service provider, cost is obviously a key consideration. You should look for suppliers who provide goods at affordable cost without compromising on quality. You don’t want to go over budget with exorbitant costs. However, if you go with the cheapest option, this will likely be reflected in the quality of their products and services, and this will hurt your business’ reputation in the long run. So, always go for value for money instead of going for the cheapest option.
Reliability
It’s also important that supplier or service provider you choose is reliable. A supplier who consistently delivers high-quality products on time, is essential for letting you run your business. If your supplier lets you down, you may also let your customers down, and this could be devastating for your business.
Long-Term Commitment
It is better to choose a supplier who can offer you a long-term contract. Finding a new supplier or service provider is not an easy task, so you don’t want to have to go through this process every few months.
Location
Another factor you should consider is the location of your potential supplier. If the supplier is too far away then you may incur huge transportation costs, longer delivery times, as well as being harmful to the environment.
Shared Values
It’s also important to look for suppliers and service providers who align with your business’ values. Shared goals will allow you to build a healthy and productive relationship with your supplier, and help your business to operate in the most genuine way possible.
