ILLUSTRATION BY ELEANOR DAVIS
A r e y o u r v e n d o r s
w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d a n d
f i n a c i a l l y s e c u r e ?
A c r e d i t c h e c k c a n
t e l l y o u .
WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK
FOR IN A SUPPLIER
R e l i a b i l i t y
Remember, if they let you down, you may let
your customers down.
Q u a l i t y
The quality of your supplies needs to be con-
sistent. Your customers associate poor quality
with you, not your suppliers.
Va l u e f o r m o n e y
The lowest price is not always the best value.
If you want reliability and quality from your
suppliers, you'll have to decide how much
you're willing to pay for your supplies and the
balance you want to strike between cost, reli-
ability, quality, and service.
Strong service and clear communication
You need your suppliers to deliver on time, or
to give you fair warning if they can't. The best
suppliers will want to talk with you regularly
to find out your needs and how they can serve
you better.
F i n a n c i a l s e c u r i t y
It's always worth making sure your supplier
has sufficiently strong cash flow to deliver
what you want, when you need it. A credit
check will help reassure you that they won't
go out of business when you need them most.
—Tracy Allen
85
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