Your business, like every business, relies on a supply and demand model. You supply something for a consumer who has demand for your product.
If you can not supply your service, the consumer loses interest and may eventually take their business somewhere else. This is why it is so vital for you to have a consistent, reputable and honest supplier.
Your supplier is vital for your success to grow and continue offering positive services. You need to ensure they offer you high quality products, and that if there is any change in product quality, or any change in product accessibility they will inform you and explain why this change has occurred.
Your supplier should also be located in your area. This means you are much more likely to receive goods and services from them promptly as they will often be delivered directly rather than through a courier or third party company. This increases reliability as you are much more likely to receive your products on time and they will also be in better condition that if they had to travel hundreds of kilometers to get to your business. The length of time it takes between placing and receiving an order is also an important consideration. If your business works with food, flora or other perishable items then this timeframe needs to be short in order for your product to arrive to you in good condition. It also helps you plan your time and preparation needed.
A reputable supplier will try to build and maintain a solid relationship with you. They will care about your business and hopefully their business goals and vision will match up well with your own. If you provide wedding decorations for all types of couples, you want to ensure your suppliers support your stance. If they don’t this could tarnish your reputation.
Mistakes will happen, this is a rule in business. It may be your mistake, or theirs, but whoever made the mistake needs to apologise and move on in a professional manner. If you fill out a purchasing order wrong and contact them to fix it, your supplier should be mature enough to accept it and help you move forward, provided you got on top of the mistake straight away. If you are brought the wrong goods, a reputable supplier will apologise and offer some form of assistance, if not compensation.
Reputable suppliers are best found through word of mouth. It may be popular to assess a businesses capability through online reviews but these can often be outdated and there is always a risk that they are fake. If other businesses in the real world find the same supplier to be trustworthy, on time and likeable, it generally means the supplier is reputable and will be an asset to your business.
Remember that the quality and reputation of your supplier can directly affect your bottom line, who your clients are and the calibre of your business and its services. Make sure that any suppliers you use will only help your business thrive.