Part of The RFQ process and supplier quotes · 1.4
How to find new suppliers (when you already have some)
Last updated · 8 min read
The short answer
The quickest way to find new suppliers is to start from the ones you already use. Group them by what they supply, then search by product code and place, not by your own name for the item. Before you add a new supplier:
- Check they really make or stock what you buy.
- Check they're a registered business with a real address.
- Ask them to quote on a real order, next to your current suppliers.
If you buy something only once, a quick web search is usually enough. This method is for goods you buy again and again.
The manual way to find new suppliers, then the same search from an uploaded supplier list.
Read the transcript
If you already have suppliers, start there. Group them by what they sell, then look for more companies that sell the same thing near you. Here's how to do it by hand, and then a faster way.
First, ask the suppliers you already use. Ask who else makes the things they don't. A name that comes from a supplier you trust is a good place to start. Second, look up the product code for each thing you buy. It's called an HS code. Bolts and nuts, for example, are heading 7318. Suppliers, customs and trade data all use these codes, so you find the same goods under any name. Third, search trade directories and customs records under that code. They list companies that make or ship those goods, and where they are. Fourth, search by product and city, like hex bolt supplier, Dayton, Ohio. Open each website before you write. Check that they make or stock what you need, that they deliver to you, and that there's a way to reach them. That works. But it takes hours for each thing you buy. Here's the shortcut.
In SourcingHQ, open Suppliers, then Suppliers found. Drop in the list of suppliers you already use. Excel or CSV, in any layout. Names and emails are enough. It shows what it read from your file. Click Process file. It works out what each supplier sells, from your list and your past auctions, and gives each one a product category. Check them. Quillfield sells cartons, so change its category. You decide what gets searched. Type where to search near, then click Find more suppliers.
It searches one category at a time. Suppliers like yours fill in as each search finishes. Each one links to the page the search found, so you can look before you reach out. Pick one and click Find email. When an address turns up, click Add. Nothing joins your suppliers until you do.
Then ask them to quote. On your dashboard, click Invite them to an auction. Add what you're buying. Your new supplier is already filled in. Add your usual ones too, so everyone quotes on the same items. Uploading your list is free on every plan. Searching uses your monthly AI credits. Start free at sourcinghq.ai.
SourcingHQ can do the grouping and the web search for you. Upload your supplier list in Excel or CSV. It groups your suppliers by product category and finds more like them near a place you choose. Uploading your list is free on every plan.
Most buyers look for a new supplier when something goes wrong. A supplier is late, raises prices, or stops making an item. Then the search starts from a blank page, under pressure.
Your current supplier list is a better starting point. It already tells you:
- What you buy. Each supplier stands for a group of goods you need.
- Where you buy it. Your suppliers' locations show which regions work for delivery.
- What a good supplier looks like. Size, type and service level you're used to.
So the job isn't "find suppliers". It's "find more suppliers like these, for these goods, in these places". That's a much easier search.
Open your supplier list, or make one from your purchase records. Next to each supplier, write the main things you buy from them.
Then group the suppliers by product type. For example:
| Product group | Current suppliers |
|---|---|
| Bolts, nuts and screws | 3 |
| Bearings | 1 |
| Packaging film | 2 |
Groups with only one supplier are where you're most exposed. Start your search there.
If you don't keep a list yet, our supplier list template has the columns to start with.
Every traded product has a code in the Harmonized System (HS), the numbering customs offices use to classify goods. It's used by more than 200 countries, and the first six digits are the same everywhere.
The first four digits (the heading) are usually enough for a supplier search:
- 7318 is screws, bolts, nuts and washers of iron or steel.
- 8482 is ball and roller bearings.
- 3920 is plastic film and sheet.
The code matters because suppliers don't use your words. You call it a "hex bolt". A supplier calls it a "hexagon head fastener". Customs records, trade databases and many directories sort by code, whatever name each company uses.
To find a code in the US, search the USITC tariff schedule or the Census Schedule B search with a plain description. Your current suppliers' invoices or customs papers often show the code too.
Now search for each product group, using the code and the product words together. Work through these sources in order. The first ones are free and quick.
Search for the product plus a type of company and a place. For example: "hexagon bolts manufacturer Ohio" or "7318 fasteners distributor Texas".
- Use the supplier's words. Check your current suppliers' websites for the names they use, and search with those.
- Add "manufacturer" or "distributor". It filters out shops and blogs.
- Try nearby places. A supplier two states away may deliver faster than one overseas.
- Use quotation marks for exact names. "hexagon head" finds that phrase only, not pages that mention hexagons.
- Leave out marketplaces. Add
-amazon -ebayto skip consumer shops. - Search one site.
site:.de fasteners 7318searches German websites only, if you buy from a country you know.
Directories list companies by product category, often with the HS heading or a similar code. In the US, Thomasnet covers industrial suppliers. Kompass covers many countries, and IndiaMART covers India. A listing tells you a company exists, not that it's good, so treat each one as a lead to check.
If your goods are imported, trade records show who ships them.
- US import records. Bills of lading (shipping records for goods arriving by sea) are public in the US. Sites like ImportYeti let you search them by product or company, so you can see who supplies the importers in your field.
- Country-level data. ITC Trade Map shows which countries export a product, by HS code, and has a company directory. You need to register to use it.
Every industry has an association and at least one yearly trade show. The exhibitor lists are a ready-made supplier list for your product group, and most are online. Associations often keep member directories too.
- Your current suppliers. They know who else makes what they don't. A supplier who can't take a big order may tell you who can.
- Buyers in other trades. A buyer at a company that isn't your competitor will often share a name.
- Your sales reps' customers. Customers sometimes name the supplier they wish you used.
A name on a list is a lead, not a supplier. Before a new supplier gets a real order, check:
- They make or stock the item. Look for it on their website or catalog, with specs.
- They're a registered business. Look them up in the company registry for their state or country.
- The contact details match. An email on the company's own domain, and a phone number and address that match the registry.
- They can meet your quantities. Ask about minimum order, lead time and how much they can supply each month.
- They have the certificates you need. For example, a quality certificate or a material test report.
- Other customers can vouch for them. Ask for one or two references, and call them.
- They pass a small first order. Start with a sample or a small order before you move a big one.
Record what you find in your supplier list. Next time, you'll know who you checked and who passed.
The best test of a new supplier is a real price on a real order. Send the same request to the new supplier and your current ones, with the same lines, quantities and deadline. Then compare line by line.
How to ask several suppliers for quotes covers writing the request and comparing the answers. To get them competing, see How to get your suppliers to bid against each other. If you already have quotes in hand, our free quote comparison tool puts them side by side.
| Method | Good for | What it misses |
|---|---|---|
| Web search | Quick local leads | Suppliers with weak websites; your words may not match theirs |
| Directories | Many companies in one place, by category | Quality: a listing isn't a check |
| Import and trade records | Seeing who really ships the goods | Domestic suppliers, and goods that aren't imported |
| Trade shows and associations | Meeting suppliers and comparing them in one day | Time and travel |
| Asking people | Trusted names | Reach: you only hear about who people know |
| Upload your list to SourcingHQ | Searching for every product group from one upload of your own list | Contact details aren't always found, and you still do step 4's checks |
SourcingHQ is an AI sourcing assistant for businesses. It does the grouping and the web search from your own supplier list.
- Upload your supplier list. Excel or CSV, in any layout. Company names and emails are enough to start.
- It groups your suppliers by what they sell. SourcingHQ works out each supplier's product category (the HS heading).
- It searches the web for more like them. By product and place, near a place you choose.
- You choose who to add. Nobody joins your supplier list until you add them.
Every company it lists is named on a page the search found. The search from your list never includes your company or supplier names.
Contact details. For a supplier it suggests, Find contact searches that company's name. It reads the company's own website and search results for emails and phone numbers, and you tick which to keep. Contact details aren't always found. They come from public pages and aren't verified, so check them before you rely on them.
Uploading your list is free on every plan. The search uses your monthly AI credits.
When you're ready, send one request to the new suppliers and your usual ones, so they all quote on the same lines. Suppliers quote from a link in the email, without creating an account.
SourcingHQ has a free plan with 3 RFQs and 1 seat. It isn't a trial and it doesn't expire, and the 3 RFQs are a total, not a monthly allowance. Paid plans are a one-time payment that covers 12 months. Suppliers never pay, and every request can have as many suppliers as you like. Each request you send counts as one RFQ, live auction or not, and if you cancel it before it starts, you get the RFQ back. See plans and pricing.
Upload your supplier list and see who it finds.
How many suppliers should I have for each item?
At least two for anything you can't do without. One supplier is a risk if they're late or close. For goods you buy often, three to five suppliers who quote regularly keep prices fair.
What's an HS code, and how do I find mine?
It's the number customs offices use to classify a product. The first six digits are the same in more than 200 countries. In the US, search the USITC tariff schedule or the Census Schedule B search with a plain description. A past invoice or customs paper often shows it too.
More guides
- How to ask several suppliers for quotes, fast
Ask several suppliers for a price in one go: what to put in the request, an RFQ email to copy, and a free tool to compare the quotes line by line.
- Your supplier book: which suppliers actually bid, win, or never reply
A free supplier and vendor list template in Excel for one-off buying. Record who you asked, who replied, who bid and who won, then pick who to ask next.
- How to get your suppliers to bid against each other
Three ways to get competitive quotes from your suppliers, from one deadline to a live reverse auction. What to tell them, and how to keep the relationship.
- How to turn a customer's enquiry email into an RFQ
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- Reverse auction software for businesses
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- RFQ software for distributors and resellers
How distributors and resellers get supplier prices for a customer inquiry, when RFQ software is worth it, and what to look for in a tool.
- A cheaper SAP Ariba alternative for businesses
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- Email, Excel or ChatGPT: do you need a sourcing tool for supplier quotes?
When email and a spreadsheet are enough for supplier quotes, how an AI chat compares with a free quote comparison tool, and when a sourcing tool pays off.
SourcingHQ is a sourcing assistant for distributors, resellers and buyers who need quotes from their suppliers fast.