Category: Contributed Posts

Small Changes To Create A Dramatic Impact

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. One of our biggest investments is our primary residence. There are subtle changes we can make to our homes that greatly increase their value and their livability. The following contributed post is entitled, Small Changes To Create A Dramatic Impact.

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Photo from Pexels.com

If you feel your home needs an upgrade without breaking the bank, it can be overwhelming to decide where to start. With this guide, we can show you five easy ways to make a significant impact by changing the smaller details in your home.

Upgrade your plumbing

Upgrade your plumping by switching your plain white pipes to an eye-catching style. Which is popular for many bathroom styles using parts such as sanitary tubing. Many trends include pipes that are visible as you walk into the room to create a feature to the sink and bath area. There are multiple ways to uplift your pipes, but opting for a stainless steel version can be easy to keep clean by leaving a shine. If your home is more of a vintage style, this can be a great option as you could use a different color or texture to adapt to your liking.

Switching your light switches

Small details in your home should not go amiss either, such as your light switches. They are items in your home that get used loads of times throughout the day, yet we forget to modernize them. Rather than a white plastic covering, you could change this to match the metal items in each room, such as door and drawer handles or kitchenware. You could have a different cord on your string lights as well.

Modernize your windows

Grey windows are very popular at the moment as they look cleaner for longer. They also create a modern style for your home from the inside and the outside. If you want to make your home stand out from the rest of the street, then changing the color of your windows can do just that. It is advisable to match the color of your windows to your door or plastic cladding because it brings the whole house together.

Radiator coverings

If you do not like the look of radiators or are living in a smaller house, then looking for a cover for them can transform your space. They often come in various patterns and colors to suit your style as well as hiding any pipes underneath. Many people choose this option to create an extra side to put items such as plants and keys on the top. It can be a quick and easy project and be very useful.

Change your flooring

You could change your flooring by opting for a different texture such as slate, wood, or tile for a dramatic effect. They are hard wearing choices that stay at a high quality for years. If you are not in a situation to change all your furniture, you can change the floor to provide you with the illusion that you have changed more than you have.

Hopefully, with this guide, you will be able to transform your home by changing five small things, such as switching your pipework to bring more of a feature out. Your guests will think you’ve had a full renovation with these small changes.

How To Utilise Your Green Space For Business Success

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you have green space, it might make the ideal location for your business. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Utilise Your Green Space For Business Success.

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You’ve either chosen to invest in a vacant plot of land or you’ve inherited a plot of land, either way you are most probably feeling unsure about the potential options for utilising that land. Coming into a high-quality piece of land in a great area gives you the opportunity to launch a business from the ground up. It won’t be easy, however if you are serious about making a success of a new venture, then you might want to consider getting creative and coming up with a unique business concept.

The good news is that for a free plot of land, there are plenty of business ideas that you could leverage to build a highly successful brand. In need of a little inspiration? Below are a number of business ideas that should allow you to utilise your green space and craft a business from the ground up.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Farm Shop

If your piece of land gets a vast number of passersby, then a good option to consider is to launch a farm shop on the plot of land. There’s a great call for high-quality, luxury farm shops selling local, organic and unique produce, from fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy, and everything in between. You could always opt to start out small with a produce stand or shack, and then as the business grows, move into a larger venue.

Build a golf course

Are you someone who is passionate about sport? If you are, then you might want to consider converting your green space in a beautifully designed golf course. Yes, this would require a lot of hard work, and a lot of investment, but the potential for success is incredible. You would need funds for building the course – you’d need to hire a specialist landscaper, you would need materials funds such as to buy high quality silica sand, for instance, and you would need a strong and well throughout business plan in place.

Create a campsite

Perhaps your plot of vacant land is located in an area that’s popular with tourists, if so then you could consider creating a camp ground. Of course, if you want to create a camping experience that is successful and beats out competitors, you would need to think carefully about the approach that you take. Right now, luxury campsites are extremely popular, as is glamping, so it could be worth investigating what going down this route would cost.

Run summer camps

If you are someone who has experience working with young people, then you might want to consider the idea of running summer camps from your plot of land. Whether it’s a sports-focused summer camp or something more diverse, it doesn’t matter – if you get the design aspect of your summer camp right, you could create a highly successful business.
There you have it, a few simple ideas for how you could utilise your plot of green space to launch and run a highly successful business. Take the time to think your options through carefully, and map out your route to success, before you start investing in your business idea.

Finding Your Business Niche in an Increasingly Competitive World

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Business is as much about competition as it is about generating profit. It’s thus important to think out your niche to give yourself the best competitive advantage. The following contributed post is entitled, Finding Your Business Niche in an Increasingly Competitive World.

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When people start businesses, they tend to have a couple of good ideas that tend to fail after a bit of serious thinking. This is fairly normal; it shows that we’re optimistic as entrepreneurs, but it does highlight a fatal flaw in our approach to developing business ideas; they’re simply not realistic. If they are, they demand a lot of money, exposure and time to flourish. Unfortunately, “time” is difficult to gauge when it comes to business success. You could plant the seeds of a promising business idea, only to realize that it grows into a world that no longer needs it.

As such, finding a business niche can be incredibly difficult these days. Trying to apply your set of skills to something unique that draws in customers can be challenging, and there’s often no safety net for you to fall back on when it comes to investing your hard-earned cash into something unknown. So how do you find a niche these days? Or is it better to forever stay in the shadows of a larger business doing something that can guarantee enough success to live off?

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/KdeqA3aTnBY (CC0)

What do you really want from your business?

This is perhaps the most important question to ask yourself; what do you want from your business? One of the most common answers is money. The other is because you’re passionate about something. Someone might want to start a clothing business because they’ve identified a niche, but in reality, they’re not exactly passionate about it; they’ve just found an opportunity that makes them more money. On the other hand, someone might start a business because they’re truly passionate about a subject, but they ignore the fact that it might be a niche with not enough exposure or active consumers.

So we have to ask the question; what do you really want from your business? Are you willing to do something you’re not passionate about for the money, or are you going to chase your passions and accept the fact you might be making less money than something more generic?

The solution is simple; do what you do passionately and you’ll find a niche

No matter what you want from a business, doing it passionately and reframing your approach is the key to success. If you’re in the business of senior care, then high-quality aged-care refurbishments, vetting and hiring the right employees and taking an active approach to caring for your clients is going to show that you’re passionate. If you’re a fashion company, focusing on things such as sustainable production, low prices and avoiding any morally-questionable activities (such as cheap overseas labor) will reel in the customers and show that you’re truly passionate about the subject.

On the other hand, if your passion is for success and money, then that’s perfectly fine too. Use every strategy that you can to build a large audience, identify opportunities as soon as they appear and optimize your approach to business to feed your hunger.

Goal Setting 101: It’s Not Too Late to Pursue Your Resolutions

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. Many of us start off the year with specific goals in mind but fall off the wagon somewhere. Despite losing focus, it’s never to late to retool and continuing on your path. The following contributed post is entitled, Goal Setting 101: It’s Not Too Late to Pursue Your Resolutions.

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If you are like most people, then you made your resolutions at the beginning of the year. However, now that we’re halfway through the year, you don’t have to wait until next year to kick start your goals, why not start now? Below are a few steps that can help you achieve your career resolutions.

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Learn a new skill

Regardless of the field you’re in, there are other skills that you can learn, and that can help your career. Is there a specific skill that you have always wanted to learn? Make it one of your career goals of the year and get started. If that skill can enhance your performance at work, your employer may even be willing to pay for it.

Examine your areas of growth

Of course, you had already set your resolutions at the beginning of the year, but you may want to revisit them. Unfortunately, some goals, like getting a raise, can backfire. Instead, focus on resolutions that are tied to your values. The bottom line is that your resolution isn’t as important to the reason why. When your resolutions are tied to your values, you will have the intrinsic drive to pursue them. Perhaps you truly love helping people improve their smiles by providing them with excellent dental services. Let these values drive your resolutions and partner with Medifit Design and Construct to make your resolution a reality.

Stay healthier at work

Most people set health resolutions, including losing weight. You spend most of your time at work, and it’s important that you do what you can to improve your health. Some of the simple healthy things that you can do include packing a healthy lunch, getting up to stretch after every hour, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and switching your office chair for an exercise ball. All these small things will help to improve your health.

Create a professional network

There’s nothing wrong about increasing the size of your professional network. In the line of duty, you meet several people, but do you take the time to listen or connect with them? This year, try and find at least one person every month who you can add to your LinkedIn connections and gradually grow your network.

Set yourself up for success

While this may sound like an obvious way to go about your career resolutions, building a strong foundation for your career is important. Ensure that you have an up-to-date resume and improve your LinkedIn profile. Just like your resume, your LinkedIn profile also matters. Regardless of whether you’re searching for a new job or not, having an active LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and professional image will boost your confidence.

It’s Never Too Late

Just like Napoleon Hill said, you shouldn’t wait because the time will never be just right. Therefore, whether you’re afraid of progressing your career or you’re just waiting for next January to pursue this year’s resolutions, you may end up spending a lifetime sitting on the bench. There is nothing like the right time when it comes to pursuing your career goals. Remember, procrastination is the mother of failure.

Shocking Ways A Storage Unit Can Save You Money

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. While usually only thought about in terms of moving from one personal residence to another, storage units can actually save you money in other contexts as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Shocking Ways A Storage Unit Can Save You Money.

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Image credit.

Not enough storage is the bain of most people’s existence. Homes and offices may be stuffed to the brim with things accumulated overtime or things that are never used. When you realize this cannot go on any longer, you are then left with the heart-wrenching decision to let things go whether you sell them, give them away or throw those things away altogether. That can be tough and extremely time-consuming. Though it is good to go through your stuff on at least an annual bases, it may still be difficult to find space for the things you hold dear and the things you may need in the future. Renting a self-storage unit may be the best way to go.

You may think renting a self-storage unit will be just another added cost that you cannot afford but on the contrary. A storage unit can save you money in a lot of shocking ways.

When Downsizing, A Storage Unit May Be More Cost-Effective

Let’s say you are now an empty-nester or maybe you have had a career change that may require you to downsize. Maybe you are changing your lifestyle and you are downsizing by choice. Either way, it can be crushing to let go of your sentimental items. This is why getting a self-storage unit is a great way to downsize without having to let go of the things you do not necessarily need but want to keep for sentimental value.

Downsizing is a great way to save money because you can save a ton of money on rent, mortgage, maintenance, and heating and cooling by moving into a smaller space. Moving into a smaller space does not mean you will now live a cluttered life. Moving your stuff into a self-storage unit close to your new digs is a great way to let go of your things that simply will not fit into your new place.

Save Money For Your Business By Getting A Storage Unit

Maybe you are a small business owner who is starting to get things off the ground. Maybe your business is expanding and you do not want to uptick your overhead costs just yet. You want to keep the overhead costs down, but you do not want to compromise. This is where getting a storage unit can come in handy and save you money. Off-site storage units give you the flexibility to store your business’s surplus of inventory or supplies without having to physically expand to a bigger location.

Getting A Storage Unit Can Mitigate Moving Costs

Instead of doing the move all at once, making multiple trips and spending money on gas or hiring a professional moving company, you can get a storage unit. This option allows the move to be less encompassing and making it easier for you to complete on your own or with a few friends. It also provides you with the opportunity to do the move at your own pace.

Storage units are a great way to save money. Visit https://storagechoice.com.au/ to browse your options.

Smart Strategies to Grow Your Construction Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A business sector that will likely endure is the construction sector. A with any business though, you have to have a strategy for growth. The following contributed post is entitled, Smart Strategies to Grow Your Construction Business.

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Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Do you want to expand your existing construction business or get through the first year of the new operation? If you’re not sure quite where to start, these strategies are ones to consider:

Create a Client Prospect List

Let’s say that someone calls your business asking for a quote. Ask for their contact details, including their name and their preferred method of contact, such as email or phone.

Add them to your list of prospects, along with setting up an email list on your website. At the same time, put a contact form on your list so that it’s easy for people to reach you. Also, when you are networking at events, ask those who you speak with if you add them to your email list.

Then, send weekly updates of value to the list, such as industry news or an award your company recently earned. Customize messages and offers, as appropriate, all with the strategy to build long-term relationships that can increase sales over time.

Finance Equipment

The right equipment is essential to the growth of your business, but you might not be at a point yet where you can afford to purchase new or upgrade the existing equipment. In this case, equipment financing can be a great way to stay competitive in your industry, whether you need bulldozers, forklifts, tractors, or other type of gear.

If you decide to buy used heavy equipment, ensure it has clear title, and test and inspect it before purchase, if possible, to ensure it’s in good condition. Get heavy equipment keys and key sets for OEM and aftermarket ignitions from a reputable seller too.

Strengthen Your Website

Take a serious look at your website. Is it responsive (mobile-friendly), and does it have an intuitive design? If not, then it’s time for an update.

Also, make sure that you have photos of completed construction projects you have completed on the website to showcase your team’s abilities. Photographs can often be more powerful than words. Make sure too that your site indicates clearly how to contact you and what is the best way to place an order so that the visitor can take that initial step.

Call Monitoring

By looking at the inbound and outbound calls your employees are making, you can boost customer levels dramatically. Call recordings can indicate where you need to invest in staff training to get more leads, as well as how to grow your repeat customer rates.

Of course, always be transparent with your team that calls are monitored and have them explain that at the start of any phone conversations. Call monitoring can help strengthen relationships with customers.

You might see more up-selling successes down the road, too, as you build brand loyalty. If sales training courses are needed, it is well worth the investment.

Growing Your Construction Company

From improving client communication to building a stronger online presence, your construction business now has insights into ways to grow and evolve. Now you have to create a business plan that details what steps you will take and when so that you stay on track. Wishing you all the best with your organization.

Is Your Business Premises Disability-Friendly?

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The amount of traffic visiting your business could be impacted by whether or not your business is disability-friendly. There are a couple of accommodations you must make to achieve this. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Your Business Premises Disability-Friendly?

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Pixabay. CCO Licensed.

Businesses need to take steps to ensure that their company is inclusive to all. By not considering the needs of disabled customers and employees, you could be missing out on business opportunities – plus it could cause damage to your reputation if somebody complains.

There are many improvements that businesses can make to their premises to make it more disability-friendly. Here are just a few improvements to consider.

Add ramps and lifts

Those with mobility issues may not be able to use stairs. It’s worth considering the option of adding wheelchair ramps and lifts where possible. This could be particularly important if certain essential facilities cannot be accessed without taking stairs. If adding a lift isn’t possible or is too expensive, consider whether it might be possible to relocate certain facilities (such as placing toilets on a ground floor).

Include a disabled toilet

If your premises has a toilet on site, make sure that this is accessible to people with disabilities or consider building a separate toilet. Disability-friendly features could include adding grab bars, adequate space for wheelchair access and easily-accessible flushes and taps. You could even add an emergency cord that people can pull if they are in trouble. Having such a toilet could be essential if you are hiring disabled employees.

Make sure doors are easy to open

Heavy doors may be difficult to open for people with certain disabilities. Consider whether you can make improvements to make doors easier to open. This could include adding automatic doors or push buttons on the side of doors. Alternatively, you could have a separate entrance for people with disabilities.

Make sure corridors are clear enough

Tight corridors that require people to squeeze past or step over objects could be impossible for people with disabilities to negotiate. If it is likely that people with disabilities will need to use these corridors, you should consider clearing enough room for these people to get through. This may not be possible in old buildings with narrow corridors – in these cases, consider whether there is a way of moving vital facilities to more accessible areas or using alternative routes.

Set up easy-to-reach tools for disabled employees

If you are thinking of recruiting an employee with a disability, you may want to consider if any improvements need to be made to your premises. This could include providing desks at a certain height with enough room for wheelchair access. Certain equipment or tools that are currently located on high shelves may need to be placed somewhere lower so that these employees can easily reach these tools. When it comes to hard-to-reach plug sockets, you could even consider adding extension cables with power outlets that can be placed in a more accessible location.

Include disabled parking bays

If your premises has a car park, you could also consider adding priority bays for people with disabilities. This ensures that if the car park is full, any people with a disability are still likely to get a bay so that they don’t have to park elsewhere and travel a huge distance. These bays should be located near the entrance to your premises to limit the amount of distance these people have to walk.

Tips For Re-Opening Your Business After Lockdown

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There’s a lot of talk opening businesses back up but it’s not so simple. Business owners must be very astute about re-opening. The following contributed post is entitled, Tips For Re-Opening Your Business After Lockdown.

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If there is one thing that we can be sure of, is that the pandemic has changed the way that we will all work – perhaps forever. As the world slowly comes out of lockdown, more and more businesses are getting ready to re-open once more, but with re-opening comes the challenge of navigating through an array of health and safety issues to ensure a safe working environment for all.

Here are 4 issues that you will need to address to help you get your business open and back on its feet again.

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Carry out a risk assessment
Before you can even think about re-opening the space for employees and members of the public, you will need to carry out a detailed assessment first to identify potential risk areas. Consult and engage with your employees, and trade unions if they apply to you, and share your results and findings with them. This will allow everyone to have their say and let you know what steps and measures you can take next to make everyone feel safe and reassured enough to happily come back to work.

Deep-clean
Employees and members of the public will, understandably, want assurances that workplaces are clean and safe. Invest in a good quality deep cleaning service to thoroughly disinfect your office, shop or manufacturing floor, and any other space that you and your employees use. Even if no one has been in the building since lockdown officially started, the area has been closed for months without any fresh air, and inevitably, collecting a lot of dust. As you probably didn’t have a chance to disinfect before your business closed, having a thorough deep-clean to ensure that all traces of bacteria and viruses have been destroyed should be your first point of action after the risk assessment. If you can, obtain certification as evidence and provide copies to your colleagues and partners for transparency.

Introduce hygiene procedures
With many still feeling anxious knowing that the virus is still circulating, introducing strict and vigorous hygiene procedures in-house shouldn’t be met with much opposition. Encourage people to follow the official rules regarding hygiene and handwashing and provide hand sanitisers that are easily accessible to everyone. Make them available throughout the entire workspace, with particular focus on high-traffic areas such as entrances and reception areas, as well as bathrooms and kitchens. Keep supplies stocked with various hygienic wipes, sanitisers, paper towels and cleaning equipment and motivate your employees to be proactive and frequently wipe down their own work areas and surfaces.

Maintain social distancing
While there are notable difficulties with social distancing at work, people should still be encouraged to maintain a distance wherever possible. Think about layouts and rearrange floors and work areas to create more space if at all possible, arrange one-way traffic flows through corridors and avoid sharing desks and other workstations at all costs. Where possible, continue to have appointments with visitors and clients via the phone or platforms such as Skype or Zoom and allow workers to keep the option of working from home more often. To further remind workers of social distancing rules and regulations, put up signs in rooms and corridors and mark out areas on floors using removable tape.

Things To Consider When Investing In New Commercial Property

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Investing in residential properties in to the only form of real estate investing. Another aspect is commercial real estate investing which can be very lucrative. The following contributed post is entitled, Things To Consider When Investing In New Commercial Property.

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Whenever you develop the need to seek out new commercial property, whether this be down to relocation or expansion, there’s often a considerable amount of money at stake. The likelihood of losing this money can be reduced by following certain steps to complete your project in the most productive, secure manner, and it’s essential that you can acknowledge these tips and tricks to ensure that you can really make the most of your experience. Luckily it needn’t be difficult to get started, as the information below perfectly summarises the right pathway to follow for the best results. So, if you would like to find out more, then read on to uncover some of the most handy hacks that you can implement today to achieve your commercial property goals with little stress in no time at all!

Image Source – Pexels

Enlist Professional Help

Though you may be under the impression that you (and possibly your team) can complete the project independently, the process will likely be far smoother and faster when you decide to enlist professional help. Each step of your journey can be supported by a specialist, and there are so many reputable companies and individuals ready and waiting to offer superb guidance and assistance. Whether you decide to visit a commercial estate agent to start your search for the ideal property with your best foot forward, or find a trusted real estate lawyer to cover the legal side of things, simply allowing other experienced people to take over will relieve such a huge weight off your shoulders. It’s a good idea to perform a little bit of research on the companies and services which are available to you, remembering to check reviews posted by previous customers for an unbiased opinion on the true quality of what could be provided.

Always Utilise A Surveyor

One of the most important steps that you must follow to reduce the likelihood of considerable money loss is to utilise the services of a top rated surveyor. A property surveyor will assess your potential premises from top to bottom, aiming to identify any kind of current or future faults that could affect the overall price and structural integrity amongst other factors. Failing to enlist a surveyor could mean that you purchase a property riddled with issues that you might not have been able to spot at first glance, and once the papers have been signed it’s too late to go back on your purchase. A surveyor can detail which faults have arisen in their assessments, and recommended the best fixes as well as how much these will cost – you can factor these into your offer if you still want to invest, as this is an extremely reasonable request that will most likely be accepted.

Investing in new business premises can come with a whole host of major risks, but if you take the time to implement the top tips and tricks detailed above then you can guarantee a safer, more secure purchase. Always enlist the help of professionals to support you throughout the process.

How to Choose the Best Supplier for Your Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business that you’re running you may need to think about a supplier and who will perform that function the best for you. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Choose the Best Supplier for Your Business.

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The relationship a business has with its supplier(s) is extremely important for everyone’s success. As a business, the management you have over your suppliers can reduce costs and foster innovation within your company, and beyond.

Having the right supplier on board can also help you to streamline your business, since you know what to expect from them and you don’t have to worry about unnecessary waiting or a lack of communication.

Unfortunately, not every supplier is transparent and communicative, so it’s important to choose the right ones for your business needs. But, how can you make sure you’re choosing the best supplier?

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Make Your Criteria Clear

You can save yourself a lot of time, hassle, and stress by setting out your own personal criteria that your suppliers need to have before you even start looking. By having a concrete list, you can eliminate certain suppliers right away and, again, streamline the process. Some examples of what your criteria might be could include common issues like:

● Minimum/maximum order quantities
● Lead time
● How items are stored and handled
● Frequency of communication
● Payment terms
● Return policies

Having a list like this makes it easy to narrow down your suppliers and gives you the opportunity to ask them all the right questions when you’re trying to decide on someone new. In some cases, you’ll be able to learn a lot about specific suppliers by comparing the information on their website to your criteria. For example, James Duva Inc. offers a lot of straight-forward information right on their website when it comes to alloy industrial products. Look for suppliers who aren’t afraid to tell you what they offer upfront.

Create a Concrete Process

Once you have your criteria in place, you can put together a process that you will use each time you’re looking for a new supplier.

Will you make your list of criteria public to your potential suppliers? Will you call for bids or approach companies directly?

One of the easiest ways to create a process and put it in motion is to delegate experienced members of your team to handle these tasks. Think about the people who could best handle proposals or interview potential suppliers, and either give them the opportunity to make the decision or narrow down the list.

Monitor Supplier Performance

Remember, whether you accept a bid or approach a supplier yourself, you’re not necessarily stuck with them forever. That’s why it’s so important to understand the terms of any contract you sign into with a supplier.

Make it known ahead of time that you will be monitoring progress. As a business, you should have the right to bow out if your supplier isn’t meeting your expectations.

This is, once again, why it’s so important to have a direct line of communication with your supplier. If something goes wrong, you should be able to contact them at any time and get the answers you deserve. The best suppliers won’t have a problem being transparent and committed to fixing any issues as quickly as possible.