No matter what your niche is, when your business is the production of raw materials, parts, or consumer goods for market, you need robust supply line vendors to make sure you are ready for an order from any of your existing customers or from new business that comes through your door. That means understanding your consumption rates for important supplies like the hydraulic grease and other lubricants you need to keep your machines operating in peak condition. Here’s how to figure out your best deal when you’re looking for new suppliers for practically any regular supplies.

Consider the Opportunity Costs of Remote Orders

When you build a relationship with a lubricant supplier VA whose business is near enough to dispatch orders to you quickly, you save on the cost of shipping long distance, which can sometimes produce out the door savings. Even when a nearby supplier is slightly more expensive in the end calculation, the ability to order on shorter notice and receive goods faster is often worth it. If your business can send a driver to the supplier for pickup, you can even negate the cost of delivery entirely, saving even more.

Build Relationships With Local Companies

There are a lot of intangible benefits to working with local suppliers. If you’re involved in local business associations like chambers of commerce, you can reinforce those connections and increase your word of mouth marketing by building healthy supply line relationships locally. The benefit of dealing with a known quantity can even lead to beneficial terms for invoicing or even credit arrangements over time, it all depends on how your business matures and what kind of relationship you form with the suppliers and subcontractors you come to rely on.

There’s no replacement for a solid local support network when you’re building a company that’s meant to stand the test of time. Keep that in mind as you choose your suppliers.