Awesome, you are an online business! But it is not thriving. It could be a shop on Shopify or knitting and crocheting boutique on eBay, a Walmart section or your eshop better access to qualified suppliers faster matter. It saves store owners, inventory managers or supply chains employees time and cash by ensuring you have a comprehensive supplier network to source the products, prices and stability it takes to keep customers satisfied. It can be slow and difficult to source the best suppliers, especially as you grow or move into new markets.

Our crew gives you easy, practical tips for finding suppliers in no time. You can network with the right partners and build a supply chain that helps support your mission. And whether you forage locally or around the world, we cover tools, guidance and examples to do it.

Why You Need a Strong Supplier Network

Without engines, cars cannot move. The suppliers are the lifeblood of your e-commerce business. You’re stuck without it. In a strong network, you have reliable partners that provide you with high-quality products on time, let you control your costs, and enable you to grow without continuous headaches. Companies have difficulty assessing whether they are being well served by their suppliers, according to a 2023 Gartner survey. If you have an online store, a poor supplier network can lead to delayed shipment, bad reviews, and customers moving to competition.

This is why it is important to have a strong network of suppliers:

• Reliability: Reliable suppliers mean you don’t have to deal with out of stock notices or reverse quality products every single time.
• Cost Saving: It’s possible to negotiate for lower prices and thus save money if you have multiple suppliers.
• Growth: Thanks to a varied network, you can enter new markets or launch new products without starting from scratch.
• Happy Customers: Good on-time vendors mean less complaints and faster deliveries.
• Sustainability: Working with the right suppliers can enable you to deliver on growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products.

For example, perhaps you have a small home decor venture under the name Home Decor on Instagram. Your wax supplier cancels on you suddenly, with no goods to sell. However you can make a u-turn on that and keep running your store as long as you get your product from 3-4 good wax suppliers. That is the power of a strong network.

Step 1: Know Your Business Needs

Before you go off on the hunt for potential suppliers, pause to think about what your business really requires. This will save you time AND keep you organised. Do you sell one-of-a-kind items that you design yourself, as custom T-shirts? Or are you reselling things in bulk, such as phone accessories? Are your customers concerned with environmentally friendly/ organic products? Knowing this in advance helps you can search for suppliers that fit your particular needs for better procurement efficiency.

Define Your Goals

Consider the following important questions:

1. Which products do you sell? (For instance, apparel, gadgets, and household items)
2. Who is your intended audience? (For instance, budget-conscious and environmentally conscious consumers)
3. Do you need quick-shipping suppliers to meet demand?
4. Does your brand need certifications like cruelty-free, fair-trade, or organic?

As an illustration, suppose you own a Shopify store that sells environmentally friendly kitchenware. You may require suppliers who offer organic cotton dishcloths certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or bamboo utensils certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Being aware of these specifics enables you to focus your search on vendors who fit those requirements.

Make a Supplier Checklist

Using a checklist expedites your search and helps you stay organized. Here’s a basic one to get you going:

• Speed of Production: Can they produce and deliver goods to your clients in a timely manner?
• Cost and Minimum Purchases: Are their prices within your means? Do their minimum order quantities (MOQs) make sense for the size of your company?
• Certifications: Do they possess the certifications that your clients or online marketplaces (such as Amazon) demand?
• Location: Do you accept lower prices from foreign suppliers, or are they close enough for quick shipping?
• Experience: Do they have prior experience working with e-commerce companies, so they are aware of your needs?

As an illustration, if you sell pet supplies on Amazon, you may want to include Amazon staff vendors who have certifications for pet-safe materials and provide quick shipping in order to satisfy Amazon Prime requirements. This checklist serves as a guide to help you avoid wasting time on unsuitable suppliers.

Step 2: Use Tools for Fast Supplier Discovery

The internet has made it easier than ever to locate suppliers. Numerous platforms and tools are available to help you connect with suppliers worldwide. Here’s how to use them to expedite the process.

Examine Online Directories of Suppliers

For suppliers, websites such as Thomasnet, Alibaba, and Supplier.io function as enormous phone books. You can sort the thousands of manufacturers and wholesalers on their list by certifications, location, or product type. Because they concentrate on suppliers who are compatible with online stores, platforms such as Oberlo or Spocket are particularly beneficial for e-commerce companies.

Example: Suppose you are launching CustomClothesClub, an Etsy clothing store. For quicker shipping, go to Alibaba, search for “wholesale graphic tees,” and then filter by US suppliers. You’ll have a list of possible partners to get in touch with in a matter of minutes.

Find Contact Info the Easy Way

It can be difficult to contact suppliers if you don’t have their phone number or email format. This is very easy with a tool like SignalHire, a super useful tool to find any contact. It allows you to contact decision-makers directly by pulling verified contact information from websites like LinkedIn.

Using SignalHire:

1. Visit SignalHire’s website to sign up for a free trial.
2. Install the extension for their browser.
3. Look for supplier profiles on websites such as LinkedIn.
4. Get their phone number or email address by using the extension.

Example: As you browse LinkedIn, you find a great supplier of sustainable packaging, but you can’t find their contact to get in touch with them. When you open the SignalHire extension, you get their email. You cut hours of research by sending a short message and getting an answer the same day.

Use Smart Matching Tools

Platforms like Tealbook and Scoutbee use A.I. to match you with suppliers that meet your specifications. They take into account factors such as pricing, certification, and reliability, so you don’t need to spend your time interacting with hosts of suppliers. You can also use these tools to keep everything in order and connect it to yours e-commerce platform (like Shopify).

Scoutbee could recommend vendors that specialize in yoga mats or resistance bands, along with reviews and performance data, if you are the owner of a Walmart store that sells exercise equipment, for example. For finding suppliers, it’s like having your own personal assistant.

Table 1: Tools for Suppliers Sourcing

Tool	What It Does	Best For	Cost
SignalHire	Finds verified contact details	Reaching out to suppliers	Free trial, paid plans
Alibaba	Huge directory of global supplier contacts	Wholesale products	Free to browse, paid options
Supplier.io	Lists suppliers with sustainability info	Eco-friendly sourcing	Custom pricing
Oberlo	Verified contact database for e-commerce sourcing strategy	Online store owners	Free and paid plans

Step 3: Reach Out to Suppliers Like a Pro

It’s time to get in touch with the suppliers on your list. A small effort here can make a big difference—friendly, transparent communication can help you stand out from the competition in the B2B supplier outreach.

Write Simple, Friendly Emails

Your initial email correspondence with a supplier should be brief, courteous, and direct. Talk about yourself, your needs, and the reasons you believe they are a good fit. To make sure your message doesn’t get lost, use a tool to confirm their email address.

Sample Email:

Subject: Let’s Team Up for My Online Store

Hi [Supplier Name],

I’m [Your Name], and I run [Your Brand], an online store selling [product type, e.g., handmade jewelry]. I’m looking for suppliers who can provide [specific need, e.g., sterling silver charms with fast shipping]. Your company caught my eye because of your great reputation for [specific reason, e.g., quality materials].

Could we hop on a quick call to talk about working together? I’d love to learn more about your products and how we can partner up.

Best, [Your Name]

For example, if you have a Shopify store, you’re reaching out to a supplier that provides organic skincare products. You find their sales manager’s email on SignalHire and send a personalized mail following the pattern mentioned above and you will watch a prompt response in 24 hours. They are so excited to work with you because you showed genuine interest in their products.

Use Supplier Portals for Easy Communication

For instance, in Jaggaer or SAP Ariba, suppliers can share documents, quote prices and execute orders in one convenient place. That way, both sides can avoid the back-and-forth emails. Busy e-commerce owners will find this very helpful.

So if you’re running a shop with fifty different products, you will have loads of supplier emails to keep track of. You will be able to send messages from within the SAP Ariba platform, see all of your supplier quotes and log in. It’s like having your suppliers share an office space with you.

Step 4: Prefer Sustainability and Compliance

Today, customers aren’t only interested in price; they also want to know if your products are environmentally friendly and ethical. Choosing vendors that embrace these values will enable you to stay in compliance with e-commerce sites and to build your brand.

Pick Eco-Friendly Suppliers

Find companies who are sustainable – whether that be reducing waste, using renewable energy or sourcing ethical materials. People who share your values as Supplier system makes it easy for you to find partners. io, which showcase suppliers with a good sustainability track record.

Counterexample: You sell water bottles on Amazon that are reusable. To find a supplier based off a solar-powered factory and recycled plastic, you use Supplier. io. All because your products are eco-friendly, customers love it and give you better reviews.

Verify Certifications

Consumers and online marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon highly value certifications like organic, fair-trade or cruelty-free. You can verify that a supplier meets your needs with tooling like SupplierGateway and validate a supplier’s certifications immediately.

For example, you have an organic baby clothing shop on Etsy. You can market your products as organic with peace of mind and without the risk of consumer complaints, because SupplierGateway ensures that your fabric supplier is GOTS certified.

Table 2: Sustainability Checklist for Suppliers

Factor	What It Means	Why It Helps E-Commerce
Carbon Footprint	How much pollution the supplier creates	Appeals to eco-conscious customers
Renewable Energy	Uses clean energy like solar or wind	Boosts your brand’s green image
Fair Labor	Treats workers fairly with good conditions	Avoids ethical controversies
Certifications	Organic, fair-trade, or other standards	Meets customer and platform expectations

Step 5: Build Relationships That Last

Locating suppliers is only the first step; maintaining a solid network requires building strong relationships. Suppliers are more likely to prioritize your orders or provide better deals when there is good communication and trust between you and them.

Stay in Touch Regularly

Every couple of months check in with your suppliers and find out how things are going, if there are any issues or maybe even discuss potential new projects. A short phone call or email can make a big difference.

For example, you partner with a supplier who creates custom mugs for your ecommerce store. Few months later, you call us regarding new patterns. Since you got to know each other, they suggest a latest trendy style that eventually becomes the next bestseller.

Track Supplier Performance

Rate your vendors on a simple scale, considering things such as product quality, pricing, and delivery. For a more advanced way to track results, consider using a platform like Kodiak Hub, or create an easy scorecard in Excel.

For example, you notice that some supplier always delivers late. You can chase this down the sooner the better via your scorecard and quickly find a better partner before it starts to negatively hit your clients.

Step 6: Streamline Your Supply Chain Management

Having a strong supplier network is only half the fight; effective management keeps everything functioning properly. To save time and maintain organization, use systems and tools.

Keep Supplier Info Organized

Store all your suppliers information in one place, contact, contract, and performance. You can use a simple spreadsheet or a tool like Specright, which has more features.

For example, you are working with ten suppliers in your Walmart store. No more hunting for information as you can instantly access a supplier’s contact info, past orders and performance history in Specright.

Automate Where You Can

Tracking orders, processing invoices and onboarding suppliers are all tasks that easily can be automated with products such as SAP Business Network or Jaggaer. Less error, and less of the manual process is needed.

For example, you can use Jaggaer to automatically check supplier documents for conformity. The tool flags issues so you can focus on growing your company, rather than spending hours poring over paperwork.

Conclusion: Build a Network That Grows With You

Building out a network of suppliers for your online store doesn’t have to be hard, or take a long time. By understanding what you need and using platforms such as SignalHire, Alibaba, or Supplier, you can build a network that is reliable, inexpensive, and flexible. io, focusing on sustainability, and organization. Whether you sell electronics on Amazon or hand-thrown pottery on Etsy, these steps will allow you to find the best suppliers quickly and please your customers.

Check out AMZ Prep’s inventory management guide for additional advice on how to manage a thriving e-commerce company, or explore through blogs on platforms like Shopify for additional tactics. Regardless of how competitive the marketplace might be, your online store has the potential to thrive with the right supplier network.