Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Top Seven Tips on Finding a Supplier For Your Retail Business

Anyone running or planning to run a succesful and profitable business needs to have good suppliers. Everything you need to run your operation efficiently, from the till rolls for your cash machines to the goods you will sell, needs to be supplied by people who you can trust, provide a reliable service and charge a reasonable price which will not put a dent in your budget.

In order to help you find the right supplier for you, here are our Top Seven Tips

* Be sure of just what you need for your business. Identify the items you need for your company to run successfully. There is no sense in spending more cash than you really need to. So it is absolutely vital you only buy the kind of items needed for your retail business to run efficiently and successfully.

* Having identified what you need for your retail business to run successfully, you then need to do your homework to identify who your suppliers should be. Crucially they should be suppliers who you can trust and will not let you and your retail business down. Speak to other people you know in the retail business about who they might recommend as suppliers for your retail business. Also check on the internet to find about companies who could supply your business.

* After having picked likely suppliers for your retail business the next step is to contact them personally, either by visiting them or over the phone. If you are to enjoy success it is crucial that you check out how quickly they can supply you and the prices that will be charged. It is vital to the success of your business that you confirm the time it takes from order to delivery and price.

* Be prepared to haggle. Do not accept the first price you are quoted. If you are ordering in bulk and especially if you plan to order from the supplier on a regular basis then push for them to offer even further discounts.

* Don't be too proud to accept freebies. By doing this you will save yourself precious cash. They will leave more of your money in your pocket and put less of strain on your budget.

* Once your business is up and running it is good practice to keep faith with with a trusted supplier, even if another one can offer you cheaper goods and supplies. Other suppliers may be cheaper but they may not be as trustworthy. Using a good supplier could make all the difference between success and failure for your retail business.

* Should a previously trustworthy supplier let you down without good reason then be prepared to drop him. You can always find another good supplier and your profits will depend on regularly delivered supplies at an affordable price.

If you take the trouble to find a supplier who can be trusted, but who can supply his wares at a price your profit margin can stand, then you are on the road to success.

By Craig Ellyard

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