Suppliers

Consignment stock: agree what happens between the delivery and the sale

Holding a supplier's goods without buying them immediately can be useful, but it creates a separate ownership and reconciliation process. Agree the rules before the first delivery.

How to set up a wholesale account

Learn how to open an account with a wholesale supplier, what business details to prepare, how approval works and why trade access is different from credit terms.

Supplier bank details have changed: build verification into the payment workflow

A genuine invoice can carry fraudulent payment instructions. Treat supplier bank-detail changes as controlled account amendments, with verification before the next payment run.

A backup supplier is only useful after you have tested the order

Keeping another supplier's phone number is a start. A usable second source needs tested specifications, realistic capacity and a workable activation plan.

Supplier scorecards: measuring delivery, quality and claim resolution fairly

A useful supplier scorecard explains the work behind the price. Measure real deliveries and claim resolution, then agree something concrete to improve.

How to approve a manufacturing sample before placing a production order

The sample looks good. Can the factory reproduce it? Turn approval into a clear reference for the batch you are about to buy.

Managing backorders without losing wholesale customers

Customers can sometimes work around a delay. Give them clear choices, credible dates and a next update they can rely on.

Dropshipping supplier service levels: what to agree before you launch

Someone else sends the parcel, but you own the customer conversation. Test the dropshipping service before promising it on your website.

How to read a supplier stock list without misreading the deal

Fifty available, but fifty what? Read the units, conditions and availability behind a supplier’s spreadsheet before calculating your margin.

How to write a wholesale purchase order that prevents avoidable disputes

A short purchase order can leave a long argument. Give the supplier, warehouse and accounts team enough detail to get the deal right.

How to check a wholesale supplier before placing your first order

Before paying a supplier you have never used, check the offer, test a small order and find out how problems will be put right.

How to negotiate better deals with suppliers