Published on October 15th, 2019 | by Sumit Bhowal

Why you should shop around for B2B IT Equipment

Setting up in business on your own has never been easier in this online age. While it is straightforward to get started on a shoestring, working out of your home and using your trusty laptop, if you want your business to grow into a successful money-spinner, you will need to start investing money in staff, facilities and equipment.

As far as the latter is concerned, there is a fine line to walk between controlling costs and providing your burgeoning business with the tools it needs to thrive. Going out and buying a whole host of range-topping equipment might be impractical, but trying to get by on groaning equipment that is not fit for purpose will simply have the effect of weeds wrapped around your ship’s propeller, and you will struggle to get anywhere.

Plan to succeed

We’ve all heard Benjamin Franklin’s famous aphorism about the importance of planning. If you take your business seriously, you have probably spent long hours working on a business plan that has ambitious, yet realistic, medium term projections. How strange that many businesses throw the plan into a desk drawer and forget about it as soon as they are up and running. Instead, use it as your guiding light and the basis for understanding your medium-term IT needs. Then explore the market to find the best way of procuring what you require.

Use a B2B marketplace

Visiting an IT warehouse is a good way of examining the products that are available, but it is seldom the most cost-effective way of procuring them. One of the best places to find good quality equipment at a reduced price is on an online marketplace. This is a platform where you can buy B2B computers along with a host of other equipment from sellers within the industry. Don’t mistake it for some B2B version of Ebay, however. This is a platform that is run and managed by professionals, so you get all the sales support and advice that you need. It also has the benefit of showing different prices that are available from different suppliers, so saves you the time and effort of shopping around.

Start as you mean to go on

Getting the procurement processes right is as important as the items you procure. When you are just starting out, things like levels of authority and sign-off processes might seem unnecessary, but it is far easier to have them in place from the start. If not, you have a disorganised and ad-hoc “non-system” that will ultimately trip the business up and lead to costs. And when you try to implement a process retrospectively, it means forcing changes on people that will be met with resistance and suspicion.

Build relationships but keep comparing prices

Relationship building is vital to ensure a smooth supply chain. When you use the same supplier, you can often get additional benefits such as discounts and the ability to jump the queue in times of emergency. But getting too relaxed can have its downsides, as prices can creep up – just look at what happens with things like your domestic insurance premium if you don’t shop around. Ultimately, this is why an online marketplace can bring the best of both worlds.

Tags: B2B, IT equipment, shop around

About the Author

Sumit Bhowal An Internet addict and a MASTAN , Also a lazy Freelancer . I don't try to reinvent the wheel I just like to soak things in Steroid's :p Thanks (y)