How To Find Suppliers as a Relatively New Business

Whether you’re starting a small business or have lofty dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur, one of the biggest tasks ahead of you is finding the right suppliers and securing long-term relationships with them. Even if your business is primarily based at home, you’ll likely be working with different suppliers across the world to get your products to customers. You may even use suppliers to get the raw materials you need to create something from scratch. Suppliers generally only sell in large quantities, so it’s not as easy as just looking at Amazon and buying the thing you need.

So in this post, we’re going to talk about some of the ways that businesses find suppliers for specific products that they might need.

Identify exactly what it is you need and try to locate a parts number if possible

One of the very first things you need to do is identify exactly what your business needs. This sounds obvious, but it can actually be a lot more tricky than you might think because the exact part or item that you need might not be readily available. In some cases, you might not even know the dimensions, measurements, or the technical name for a part that you’re looking for. Thankfully, it’s easy to do a Google search for something like a mild steel tube so that you can find the exact measurement, material, part number, or serial number for a specific item. This can help you locate the technical term for something which makes it much easier to find suppliers for that specific item that you need.

Of course, not everything has a parts number or a technical name. Sometimes, the thing your business needs could be something basic such as planks of wood or sheets of printer paper. In situations like this, you should try and identify exactly the type of item that you’re looking for and how it can lead to the best service for your customers or a high-quality product. For instance, if you’re looking for something basic like planks of wood to create your product, then you should look for a supplier that can offer it in bulk and you should also ensure the product itself is durable and of high quality. Wood comes in many different shapes, sizes, and qualities, so it’s best to sample products from multiple different suppliers and vendors before deciding on one.

So to summarise, here’s what you should be doing when identifying the exact product or item that you need:

• If the part is something that is manufactured, try and find the serial number and locate a supplier with the help of Google.
• If it’s a technical part that doesn’t have a serial number, try and find the industry-standard name for it and understand the naming convention so you have an easier time locating the item that you’re looking for.
• If it’s a regular item such as stacks of printer paper or readily-available hardware, then ensure that the supplier it comes from has a good reputation.

By following these tips, you’ll have a much easier time identifying the best suppliers for your needs. It makes getting quotes a lot easier, and it maintains an air of professionalism around your business.

Seeking out the right suppliers once you’ve identified the product that you need

Now that you’ve properly identified the item that you’re looking for, it’s time to actually seek out suppliers. There are a number of different ways to do this, so here are a few of the most common routes to finding a good supplier.

• If you have contacts within the industry, it might be a good idea to consider speaking to a bunch of different people to see if they have any recommendations. Not all suppliers are easy to find on Google because they don’t exactly have great websites or search engine optimization, meaning you might need to phone them or email contacts in order to get the best deals and gain access to their supply. Networking is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and it makes it much easier to find supplies if you’re pointed in the right direction by people you know.
• If you’re relatively new to an industry and don’t have contacts, then it can be worth just trying to search on Google or business directories to find suppliers. This can be a good option to start with but doesn’t necessarily grant you access to the best deals and pricing. However, it does help you get started which is the important thing for a relatively new company that’s just getting started.
• Traditional advertising is a good option for certain kinds of products. For instance, you might find trucks driving around town that advertises local delivery services for things like fresh produce, or you might find that a local lumberyard is willing to make a deal with you to supply certain kinds of timber for your products and projects. Supporting local suppliers is never a bad idea, especially if you want to secure much better deals.
• Attending trade shows can also be a fantastic way to find suppliers. Networking events are generally very good options if you’re looking to create contacts within the industry, but they can also pave the way to great deals with various kinds of suppliers. Don’t hesitate to attend virtual events too where you might be introduced to different companies that can help you get your business off the ground.

Once you’ve got your foot in the door, it’s time to start nurturing those relationships in order to further improve the deals that you get, but also to guarantee that your business can sustain itself. So whether you’re starting your own business or are looking to improve one that already exists, finding the right suppliers and working on long-lasting relationships can drastically improve your chances of success. This is especially true if you’re a relatively new company with few contacts in the industry.