Brenda's Business Advice

Whether you want to install new shelving, a row of cabinets, or a shiny new work surface, there are many ways that you can use steel around your business premises. If you are a manufacturing business, then you may also want to use steel in your products, either as an outer casing or as one of the component parts for your product. However you want to use steel, you must locate the right steel sales company for your business.

Do they offer all the steel you need?

If you want steel for one than one purpose it is possible that you will need several types of steel. You could use more than one supplier, but it is usually more convenient to purchase all of your steel from one company. Working with multiple suppliers is a lot of extra work and creates multiple opportunities for something to go wrong with your supply lines. Working with a single supplier allows you to establish long-term relationships and to build trust with your steel sales company. The better your steel supplier gets to know your business, the easier they will be to work with and the more effectively they will be able to customise their business practices to serve your needs.

Does their business model suit your company?

There are many different companies offering steel sales. Some focus on small businesses and ship small batches to a select group of clients. Other steel companies concentrate on shipping large volumes of steel to big manufacturing companies. Some steel suppliers will specialise in providing a particular type or shape of steel. It is important that you find out exactly how your steel supplier works and whether their business model is right for you. Your business should be important to the steel sales company. If you are by far their smallest customer, then you may find that your orders do not receive the attention you would like. If you are their biggest customer, you may need reassurance that they are able to provide the quantity of steel that you need.

Get some feedback

The most effective way to discover whether a steel sales company will make a good partner is to talk to those who are already partnering with the company. Talk to their existing customers and find out how happy they are. If you receive positive feedback, then you can go ahead and place your own orders with the steel sales company, and start a long and positive association that will benefit both companies.