For building material suppliers, the tariff problem isn’t going away. Last July, higher tariffs lifted the prices of lumber, aluminum, steel and other products. Then came tariffs on more than $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that began to affect the market for materials such as plywood, roofing slate and air conditioning parts. Suppliers that… Read more »
For nearly a decade, the U.S. economy has been trending upward. But economies go through regular cycles of growth and recession, and many analysts agree that businesses should expect a downturn within the next couple of years. “The economy will probably start slowing down in the second half of 2018,” says Alex Chausovsky, senior consulting… Read more »
On May 17, 2018, BlueTarp presented a webinar hosted by the National Association of Wholesalers. They shared results from a recent survey of the NAW members about how they are planning their digital investments in 2019. Watch this webinar to see where you stand among your peers in planning and executing new technologies and learn… Read more »
In many companies, credit and sales goals aren’t totally contradictory, but they’re not perfectly parallel either—a dynamic that can cause unproductive friction that hurts the whole business. The sales team wants potential customers to be approved quickly and seamlessly—receiving a generous line of credit that they can start using immediately. Meanwhile, credit staffers want to… Read more »
Although there are distinctions between the B2B and B2C buying experience, more and more B2B customers expect their suppliers to mirror the interactions they have with retailers in their personal lives. Today’s B2B buyers are self-sufficient and digitally focused, and they expect easy-to-navigate digital platforms that allow them to complete tasks without disrupting their workflow.… Read more »
The learning curve can be steep when entering a new market segment: How long is the sales cycle? How loyal are customers to their existing suppliers? And—most importantly—does your existing credit model address the specific risks of this new segment without discouraging new sales? Time and test marketing will provide answers to the first two… Read more »
Success is no longer just the absence of problems. Sure, customers expect you to have the product they need, have it delivered promptly, have the order be accurately fulfilled, and be billed without error. However, in the world where Amazon has set the standard for convenience and speed, saving customers’ time will earn you a… Read more »
Competition for new customers is fierce in the B2B landscape. Price, quality and online convenience are common factors that can influence a sale. One commonly overlooked area is the credit process. A manual, one-size-fits-all approach to credit can turn away prospects, create inefficient sales targeting and distract your sales team from selling. Consider these three… Read more »
The scam started simply: Someone took the information of a Canadian company that had been inactive for several years, renamed it and began placing orders with building supply companies. But whoever placed the orders never intended to pay for them. Before anyone realized what was going on, the scammer had ordered from more than 180… Read more »
By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce. This staggering statistic means that recruiting Millennial talent—and understanding Millennials’ buying habits as customers—are critical for business growth. As companies focus on this tech-savvy, mobile generation, they must look beyond the stereotypes to uncover what millennials truly value. The disconnect between employers’ perceptions and… Read more »