Business expansion: the challenge of being small

     Protecting relationships with current suppliers
When I began the retail business I approached many suppliers of goods that I wanted in my store and some of the big manufacturers of what I needed refused to make me a dealer.  Some of the reasons given were that other dealers were too close to my location.  Some had a mandatory waiting period, and many had big minimum order requirements.  Most refused to give any credit to a new dealer.  The suppliers that did accept me and especially those that gave me a credit limit I have worked hard at maintaining a good relationship with.  Making regular payments and placing even small orders have often been difficult.
     When Selmer refused to make me a dealer I was discouraged as this company has bought out so many other brands and I so wanted to participate in school bidding but that was not to be.  I did find some other suppliers at least for the student line instruments.  I have continued to have some contact with the Selmer representative and hope someday I will be able to add them to my supplier list.
     The other thing that is easy to neglect is marketing and advertising.  Keeping your name out there requires continual effort at finding new places to market and advertise as well as identifying the places that advertising has worked in the past.  When you go into retail and you are not able to hire a lot of help attending networking events and making physical contact with potential customers becomes a big challenge.