Week 12: Suppliers

This week you're going to find the companies that are going to supply you with the goods and services that you need in order to serve your customers.

These could be stock, raw materials, specialist knowledge, specialist skills, or even just carrier bags!

A good place to start searching for suppliers is Kelly's Directory. You can also search in your local Yellow Pages, or just ask around.

It's also highly recommended to find out about any specialist trade websites for your industry/marketplace. There will be useful recommendations there.

You need to find out about the products and services in detail - and about the payment terms. You'll find that the book guides you through this.

Don't be afraid to ring up the suppliers, or go and see them. It can really help to establish personal contact.

Write the Suppliers section of your plan

With everything you learn and decide, write the Suppliers section of your business plan.

Finding out about VAT

Value Added Tax is something that you will come across in the quotes from your suppliers, and you may need to charge it yourself if the value of your sales exceeds a certain amount.

You can find out more from HM Revenue and Customs.