What to Look For in a Wholesale Industrial Supplier
Maybe you’ve recently broken up with your former wholesale supplier, or you’re a new business looking to build a long-lasting business relationship with one. Whatever your situation is, finding a wholesale supplier is a job that needs to be approached with research and careful consideration.
If you’re a business that orders wholesale industrial supplies in bulk, it’s important to build and maintain a relationship with a wholesale supplier in order to have quality and consistent products. Take a look at just some of the things you should keep in mind when looking for an industrial wholesale supplier in order to protect and grow your business.
Transparent & Knowledgeable Experts
If you’re in the business of buying industrial supplies, you want to make a connection with a supplier who is transparent about their dealings. You should feel comfortable asking as many questions as you want and expect great responses in a timely manner. If for whatever reason a supplier doesn’t know the answer to your question, a good sign that they’re transparent is that they will tell you they’ll do some research and get back to you. Lack of transparency or slow response times is a red flag. Of course, once in a while is fine, but if you find yourself constantly confused or without answers, take note.
You also want to ensure that the business is knowledgeable about the industry. This is especially true when it comes to complex machinery. Find a company that offers additional resources and makes a point to offer more than one product or solution. If you have any questions about the products that a supplier offers, trusting that the answers are honest is incredibly important—because it’s not just that your business could be at risk, safety could be as well!
Focuses on Quality & Service
While it’s wonderful to have an industrial supplier that is knowledgeable about the industry and transparent about the products that they offer, it’s also crucial that they focus on the quality of service. Great products and quality materials are wonderful, but if a company is unable to provide the bare minimum of service, is it really worth working with them?
Some of the things you’ll want to consider while shopping around for a new supplier include shipment times, communication, and reliability. First, being able to trust that your shipments can come in on time is a must. While everybody is feeling the weight of shipment delays these days, any supplier is responsible for managing customer expectations and giving reasonable timeframes.
They should also be able to address any concerns you have and offer solutions to any problems that arise. Ask a potential supplier what they would do if a shipment was delayed. What would be plan B? What are they doing to mitigate the risk of this? For example, local suppliers might respond by saying that they rarely experience shipping delays for their clients in Canada because they’re not relying on international orders. If reliable shipments are important to you, these are the questions that you should be asking during your search. If they show that they’re willing to invest in you, then you know that it’s safe to invest in them.
Find Someone You Can Build a Relationship With
Some great advice when looking for an industrial supplier is to look at their track record. Do they have a reputation for building long-lasting relationships with their clients? It’s really important to find a company that you can build trust with and create a long-lasting business relationship with because this is truly the only way you’ll find someone who can learn and anticipate your company’s needs.
What are some other advantages to having a strong business partnership? You’ll save money in the long run because you will have fewer suppliers to manage. You’ll also increase the quality of your product supply because the supplier will feel comfortable suggesting certain products to you and will know to continue ordering certain products due to your shopping patterns. This is a massive advantage that will keep your business running like a well-oiled machine.
Quality Products and Lots of Stock
Beyond just the reliability of the supplier and the quality of their service, you want to make sure that they offer products that are relevant to your business and they have a decent stock. You might find a handful of suppliers that each offer something to your business, but it’s better to find a “one-stop shop” as much as possible. Too much of one and not enough of the other will always lead to heartache. If you find a supplier that has high-quality products but is always running low on stock, you will struggle. On the other hand, be mindful that some suppliers boast huge listings, but the quality might be iffy.
It’s important to ensure supply is consistent and high-quality. One of the worst things that can happen is believing that you can trust a company’s product supply, and then being told that they can’t deliver. Once in a while, this of course will happen—some things are just out of our control. But if you’re finding that a supplier is consistently out of stock or their products are lemons, this is a red flag.
Do Your Research and Shop Around
Building a long-lasting relationship with a supplier, finding one that has high-quality products, and ensuring that they’re transparent are crucial to running an industrial business. Take your time to do some research and shop around. Talk to other people in the industry and ask who they use.
If you’re in the market for a new industrial wholesale supplier, and your business runs out of Canada, consider looking into eGrimesDirect. They will be happy to answer any of your questions or concerns and offer some advice that pertains to your business needs.
