I’m a new business owner based out of Mesa Arizona. I’d like to know how to get on vendors list and how I find them and basically how they work.
What I find is when we acquire the first contract for a large management company they enter us into their company vendor list. This is the best vendor list to be on.
Other lists , like ones used for government bids you can apply to get on. We dont do government work, they “appear” to be great paying jobs as the required employee pay starts at a mandatory $24+ per hour but many shady companies abuse this, tough to compete.
Many companies require or recommend to hire from the approved company vendor lists.
Getting on one initially can be tough but by getting your name out there, developing a respectable reputation and simply time in business all helps.
So there are many forms of the lists and methods to get on them, apply, purchase or earn your way on.
I doubt that many people will chime in on this as this is the secret sauce for doing commercial work.
This may be something that you, like myself and others, will need to figure out on your own.
Methods will vary slightly from one region to another, but primarily will remain the same. If its blasted on the internet, it kinda (in my opinion) makes all the work I’ve done meaningless. People will disagree with that, but personally I don’t feel comfortable with giving that away.
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Smh
And why’s that?
Helping newbies
Some things you just gotta fight and figure out yourself.
Will do
Check my posts, this is the first time.
Don’t you find it strange that nobody has posted anything on this thread? Why do you think that is?
I understand your view, being as this is a for forum where all of us learn after all. Thats true.
Does it mean that someone just starting don’t have to do anything just because someone else has? How does that help the new guy? If I were the only one who thinks like that, this thread would be off the charts with replies.
I wasn’t trying to be rude, I was trying to help believe it or not.
The reason nobody’s posted on this is majority of people here don’t do the type of work to get on a vendor list.
90% + residential solo operators here
There’s no real secret to get on these lists
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Ok well I’m in Pa. far away from you help me out pks if u can. Take me under the wing…
And the ones that do are stingy with the info when it matters. No surprises there.
What I’m saying is that when there’s a will there’s a way.
What I’m saying is; 9 times out of 10 a vendors list is worthless. Just because you’re on it don’t mean you’ll be used.
The same ways you got the clients you have right now, will be the way you get good relationships with people who give you commercial jobs.
Whatever it is that people find about you that they love, is something unique. Something I can’t copy. Experience is ok. You do need to know what you’re doing, that simply comes with working. Safety? All you need to do is really get into it. Grab that title 8 and STUDY IT. Not just on paper, when you go do estimates, take pictures and mentally walk yourself thru how you would tackle the job.
I’ll still be stingy I guess.
If you are just starting out, just remember this; when you go to look for something to buy or a service to use, what do you do? How do you find what you are looking for? What’s a better way than to ask?
It don’t hurt a bit to ask. I promise you, they WILL tell you.
And no, jeff is right about there not being a secret to get on the lists, but he ain’t exactly answering your question tho either. In his type of work, he don’t get them from being on a list. I won’t go any farther than that, cuz I won’t do that to him either.
It ain’t a secret, but it also ain’t out on billboards either.
I had to figure all that crap out, and even if it don’t sound like much that its nothing to hold to my chest well, frankly it don’t really matter. I’m happy with how things turned out and the effort that went into it.
Once you figure it out, what works for you, will be a breakthru that might not mean much to someone else but you may feel the same I do about it.
Worry about being the expert in your field. Go above and beyond and you’ll be the guy newspapers or people looking for information call for advice. There’s no quick way to get there. I’m still working at it too. There’s no end to education.
I hope this makes sense. I’m not gifted with writing skills.
Sorry, I don’t know how else to explain it. I ain’t trying to offend anyone. With time it will come. Unless its worth the time and effort tho, you might wanna stay right where you are at.
Where I am, right now with the financial climate the way it is here, it’s much better with residential BY FAR than with commercial. Don’t do it for bragging rights, cuz in the end nobody cares. Allot of headache go’s with large scale commercial.
You won’t be able to complete the jobs on your own. You will need help. At that point you will be responsible for the safety of someone other than yourself, so you have to make sure nothing happens. Can of stress.
You need to estimate the job right, cuz your help needs to get paid. And so do you.
You’ll see.
All of that will simply come to you in time. Just be patient. Put your name out there and be a stand up guy. It will come to you. Don’t worry so much about running to find it. You won’t. Thats the secret.
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Go after residential to cut your teeth. Do you want a dollar a pane, or fifty dollars an hour? You have to hit the streets and meet people. Network. Meet realtors. Talk to the manager. I gave up on store front. I do only residential. Are you insured yet? Do you have a WFP? Get residential jobs and make money now.
Getting on a vendors list…
It’s more about your contact needing you to do some work for them than any sort of magical entrance into a customer’s database of potential vendors or “recommended vendors” or “vendors in our system”.
You can say that for every company that you service, you are on their vendor list. We’re probably on a thousand vendor lists and those lists almost never cause the phone to ring nor the emails to come in on any regular basis.
You have to go door to door and sell, plain and simple. Plus, if you can somehow swing the front page of Google without spending 3 thousands dollars a month for SEO would be nice. Nothing beats pounding the pavement, putting prices quotes in decision makers hands, or at least trying to.
Jhans -
Your post said 90% plus on this forum are Residential Solo Operators. Are you SURE about that ?
If so, where did that stat come from ?
It is obvious, there is an extremely low commercial mid-highrise presence here with employees.
The majority with no doubt is residential solo guys.
@WDW, what would you estimate the percentage to be since you find mine incorrect?
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I agree with you Jeff, that here, it’s 90% plus solo. I’m sure the crews and high rise people are on IWCA or someplace similar. This forum and store cater to more the solo people, then they do high rise.
I’m not solo, but I’m not at the point of “crews” yet either. I’m taking things more serious this year about growth. I’m meeting with someone about growing commercial (mentor) and I’m getting some help from anther organization about growing my business. Also writing a formal business plan, for the first time.
I don’t think 90%+ of the people here, even write a business plan. I know I didn’t.
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To add, there is nothing wrong with the percentage of people here who perform at different levels.
Actually it can help look at things from a different perspective and generate thought and exchange ideas and methods.
The comment wasn’t meant to offend but if it did and hurt your feelings @WDW, you are likely not achieving at a level you think you should be.
The whole point was when some threads dont have much discussion it’s not because people dont want to give away “secrets” or their knowledge, it’s because no members here with the experience to comment.
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Jhans I agree with your post that it is a majority. I was simply questioning that weighted statistic of 90%. Which is probably high. And no " Feelings aren’t hurt ". At 57, it takes a whole lot more than that thank goodness.
As you said in your Nov.17th post entitled " Sensitivity Training " where you said,
" We are not trying to prove you wrong but just looking at things from a different perspective ". That’s all…I was simply considering that we are probably not that lopsided as far as our scope of work. It would be interesting to know the split though but that’s way off topic.
