Ten signs you may need to change supplier

Having a good relationship with your suppliers is essential when starting a business.

A supplier provides the groundwork for your start-up to expand and grow.

They are responsible for routinely delivering affordable, quality goods and materials so that you can create or offer your customers high-quality products aligned with your brand and reputation.

If a supplier repeatedly falls short of your expectations, it can disrupt your business operations, creating problems with your ability to meet customer orders or provide high-quality goods and products, and could potentially harm your start-up’s reputation.

That can negatively impact sales, leading to lost revenue and less money available to invest and grow.

Regularly assessing your supplier’s quality, service, and communication can be a good idea so that if any problems arise, you can work to overcome them or find a new supplier if needed.

Read our guide on how to choose the best business supplier.

Ten warning signs that you may need to switch supplier

If you’re wondering whether you need to change suppliers, some factors to take into consideration are:

1. A sudden rise in prices

If your current supplier isn’t transparent about their pricing strategy and they increase their prices without providing reasonable justification – such as more than the rate of inflation or due to supply constraints relating to shipping and raw materials – you could consider researching and comparing other suppliers.

Suppliers need to provide their customers with stability and certainty in pricing, as rapid, unexpected price increases can eat into profits.

2. Delivery delays

Suppliers delivering too late or too early can negatively impact your ability to meet customer orders or increase your costs through additional warehousing requirements.

For example, if you own a small events business and your delivery of party supplies arrives late, customers may be lost, and they may leave negative reviews, potentially harming future business.

Likewise, if you own a catering business and a food delivery arrives too early, there could be insufficient storage for the early arrivals, causing the food or ingredients to spoil, potentially leading to wastage.

Read our guide to supply chain challenges and how to overcome them.

3. Changes in market demand

If your current supplier doesn’t keep up with market trends, they could face challenges when dealing with shifting buyer expectations.

For example, if there is a sudden surge in demand for a specific product and your supplier doesn’t have the capacity or ability to meet demand quickly, your business could lack stock for an in-demand product.

New and innovative products are constantly being introduced into the market, too.

Suitable suppliers will be agile in adapting to innovations, such as new materials or products, allowing you to refresh your offering to customers and keep your business on trend.

4. Products, goods, and materials lack quality

If your supplier prioritises quantity over quality or has poor quality control, you could receive products, goods, or materials that aren’t up to the standard your customers expect.

Poor materials and goods mean your start-up might be unable to manufacture or create products to the required standard or incur costs when customers return defective products.

If your customers regularly complain about quality, it’s a strong indicator that you may need to consider switching suppliers.

5. Lack of consistency

Inconsistent service from suppliers can cause you to lose confidence in their service, which could leave you worrying about whether your deliveries will be on time.

Consistency applies across all services from your supplier.

It can be a good idea to ensure that supplied goods, and materials are consistent in quality, that deliveries are consistent in frequency, and that communications are consistently of a high standard.

6. Invoicing or billing issues

If your start-up regularly receives incorrect invoices or billing information, that could be a signal that your supplier lacks organisation and efficiency.

Incorrect invoices will require your time to rectify, leading to less time available to you to operate your business.

7. Poor communication

If you find it difficult to contact your suppliers, this can be frustrating and affect your trust in their commitment to your business.

Check your supplier can respond when you need an answer.

Assess the different routes to contact your supplier – from online chat to telephone – and get an estimate of their average response time.

If they consistently fail to meet this and the lack of communication is negatively impacting your business, it could be time to look elsewhere.

8. Relationship breakdown

If you can’t communicate candidly and clearly with your supplier about any issues, it can be challenging to resolve issues, which could result in a complete breakdown in the relationship.

It’s typical for both suppliers and customers to seek to resolve disputes – such as delivering damaged goods – to both parties’ satisfaction and maintain a good working relationship.

Sometimes supplier issues happen.

If your supplier isn’t responsive or doesn’t take steps to rectify an issue that is their fault, that could be a sign that the relationship has broken down and you need to change supplier.

9. Your employees complain

If your employees alert you to issues with your suppliers, you may need to investigate further.

Your employees may flag up the poor quality of products and services, incomplete or inconsistent delivery, or other issues such as health and safety concerns.

It can be a good idea to collate a list of the concerns and work with your supplier to resolve them, or you may consider moving your business elsewhere.

Read our guide on creating a healthy work environment for employees.

10. Better competition

If another supplier offers a more favourable deal, such as more innovative products, greater reliability and affordable prices, and better customer service, it may be worth considering switching suppliers.

In this case, always research potential new suppliers, checking customer reviews, service level agreements, credit terms, and communications.

It may be worth talking to your existing supplier about your intention to switch to see if they can improve their offering to your start-up instead.

Where to find a new supplier

If you can identify with some of the issues above, you may want to re-think whether you’re getting the best service from your current supplier.

As a start-up, building and maintaining a good reputation to attract and retain customers is essential.

If you can’t meet your customer’s expectations due to a lack of materials, poor quality products, or inadequate customer service that is the fault of your supplier, your business may suffer as a result.

Writing a pros and cons list of your current supplier may be a good idea to see if issues can be identified and resolved with clear communication.

However, it may be time to consider switching suppliers if issues can’t be resolved.

Read our guide on how to choose the right supplier for your business.