In the daily grind of running a small business, it can be easy to start thinking about suppliers mostly in a two-dimensional way. If this is left unchecked, we run the risk of reducing our partners to the simple arithmetic of ‘what have you got, when can you get it here, and what will it cost?’
If the relationship with your suppliers is starting to feel transactional and a little stale, it might be time to step back and reassess. Your suppliers are valuable partners for your business and could potentially play a bigger role. whether it’s helping you offer something new or streamlining your processes, there’s a lot they can offer. Here are
four ideas to help freshen up your supplier relationships and grow both businesses in the process.
Unique products
You might know all about your suppliers’ products, but you probably only know about those you already sell in your store. Sometimes it pays to think outside your vertical and consider product lines that might entice a whole new genre of customer into your store.
‘Bundling’ products is another great approach taken by many convenience stores. Talk to your suppliers about what products go well together, and whether they have any ideas in mind for their own bundles.
Ask your suppliers what product developments they have in the pipeline and keep an open mind about how they might work in your store. You’ll be surprised at how a single conversation can open a whole world of possibilities for the future of your business.
Delivery capabilities
With the demand for online shopping showing no signs of slowing down, it’s important for small businesses to find the most efficient ways to deliver directly to customers. Convenience stores and newsagents are uniquely placed to offer regular delivery of everyday items for fast local delivery.
It’s likely that your supplier has the ability to deliver from their warehouse directly to your customers, cutting out the go-between and saving everyone time and money. Your supplier should offer a much more attractive deal than services such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo, which take a decent cut of the sale.
Marketing tools and content
Do your partners seem to have their marketing processes nailed down? Maybe they’ve implemented a new system that’s working well for them, or they have a talented team member who creates killer content for their social channels.
Sharing marketing knowledge, tools and content is a win-win scenario: by helping your business with your own marketing needs, they’ll simultaneously be helping to sell their products.
If your supplier already has great digital assets and marketing material such as photos, videos and descriptions, don’t be afraid to use them. You’ll save the time and effort of creating them yourself and can spend that saved brain space on other marketing activities.
Staff training
Staff training and professional development are incredibly important, and who better to help you than a supplier who already knows your business inside out? Consider what staff training they can help with.
Can they come into your business and train your staff on their products? Or perhaps they have an online training course that your staff could attend? Again, this is a win-win, giving your suppliers a chance to impart more knowledge to your staff about their products, and helping your team gain a better understanding of your store’s inventory.
If your suppliers are well versed in a certain system that you’ve been meaning to implement, such as Xero or Square, why not invite them into your business to give a demonstration?
Of course, there’s a chance your supplier might not be able to provide many or any of these benefits, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Think carefully about what you need and consider who might be able to provide it for free.
You’ll often be surprised how far a little creative thinking can go.