How important are your key vendors?

What do you think about your suppliers?  Do you see them as the evil empire or a blessing to your business?  I speak to small business owners from across Canada and there is one key separator the companies who continue to grow and prosper even through the economic mess 2009 has been over those who have struggled.

It is the direct relationship with their suppliers.  There are other things, but this is one of the common formulas across almost every successful small business owner and entrepreneur.  Now, for them, I am a supplier, a vendor, a partner – they turn to Bulletproof for IT products, savvy IT advice on how technology impacts their business – do you not think I want them to appreciate us. OF COURSE…so why do so many of the mainstream businesses hold their IT partner, their milk guy or other suppliers in the “evil empire” light?

How do you view your suppliers?  For me, my suppliers are equally as important as our clients almost like a life line on “So You Want To Be A Millionaire” (Wait, maybe this is the secret sauce to success in business).  Our suppliers are critical to our success and having them in our corner daily, engaging, offering support, learning how we do business and sharing insight helps us with the daily grind.  Suppliers and Vendors are equally as important as clients and peers.  What a noble concept…there was a reason I got up at 3:30 in the morning (This paragraph was added after the initial post was done).

In the IT world, there are many IT companies who basically see their vendors as the evil empire, every time the phone rings the dark force music from Star Wars is played in the background.  Even worse, the only time they speak to the vendor reps is to scream and yell at them.  I make a point of speaking with my suppliers almost weekly, many of them are my friends and people I trust.  Is this a key differentiator in the success of our IT firm vs. some of our peers.  How can you help me and even more importantly, how can I help you succeed?

For the long time followers of my blog, you will know how important our company sales people, technical support specialists and partner managers are in my life.  When we need a laptop for a prize  or $50,000 in product to give away to a lucky small business, our vendors are right there to help and support us.

Not getting what you want in your relationship with Microsoft or the gas supplier down the street, you may need to check your approach and how you deal with things.  One thing Arlin Sorensen has taught me is vendors or suppliers are people as well, they have lives, they have families and they have debts to pay.  They are human beings with the same wants and needs as you do.  What gives some people the right to scream and yell when things don’t go their way.

I cherish all of our vendor partners, clients and those who serve them everyday.  Thanks for being there and supporting us.