Your preferred vendor and contractor list can go a long way to ensuring you deliver a top-notch experience for all of your clients. After all, if your clients trust you, they’re more likely to act on your recommendation. Which makes it paramount that your list is current and up to your standards.

And as a new year approaches, now is the perfect time to do just that. Below, we’ll explore some ways to make sure you’re still partnered with the right vendors and how to go about finding new vendors if needed.

Are You Current? 

First things first, it’s important to ensure your list is up-to-date. Have any of your vendors retired recently? Switched careers? If so, we suggest reaching out and asking if they recommend a replacement. Especially if you have a lot of trust with them. That’ll make finding a replacement easier and quicker. Plus, the last thing you or your clients need to happen is a last-minute scramble to find a new vendor.

Are They Still Top-Notch?

You’ve built your list with professionals you trust. You expect them to deliver excellent service for your clients. So, the moment it appears they might not be producing the quality of work or service you expect, it might be time to drop them. That’s never an easy decision, but if they’re no longer top-notch, it’ll be the best decision for you and your clients. If you are concerned about the quality of their work, we recommend asking your clients and other parties who have worked with them. This will either validate or alleviate your concerns.

Is The Price Still Right?

Along with quality of work and service, you want to work with vendors who deliver great value. And that value should justify the cost if they are not a low-cost provider. Now, we understand you shouldn’t work with someone because they’re dirt cheap. Ultimately, it’s important to deliver your clients the best value. Most people have a range of vendors on their list, checking in from time to time on price of service can make sure you still have the right ratio.

Finding New Vendors

When the time comes to find a new vendor, it’s important to make the right pick. It could be as easy as picking someone a client or friend has used and highly recommends. More importantly, once you’ve found a possible vendor it’s important to vet their experience. Asking for personal references and reading online reviews can paint a pretty clear picture on whether or not they’d be good to work with.

This business is built on trust and personal relationships. And offering suggestions of quality resources your clients can use is a great way to add value to the relationship. As you prepare to wrap up the year, do a quick check on the vendor lists. Chances are, you’re already doing this and working with the best vendors you know.

But if not, now’s the perfect time to make sure your list is up to par.