MBSTL Business - Running a Business - Working with Suppliers, Distributors & Customers: Home

Customer Relationship

Find your Customers

• 95 Ways to find your first customers for customer development or your first sale; for an organization customer, refer to the business directories at suppliers section.

Lead Generation

• Marketo Lead Generation
• An introduction to lead generation

Customer Relationship Management

SBA Courses

• Understanding Your Customer (SBA)
• Relationship Marketing (SBA)

Webinars

• How to Connect with Any Potential Customer, Referral Partner, or Influencer (SCORE)
• The Culture Imperative- Drive Growth with Customer Obsession (SCORE)
• Create a Seamless Customer Experience Across All Your Customer Channels (Netsuite)
• Fusion Marketing: The Next Generation of Marketing (SCORE)
• Expert Tips to Keep Your Online Customers Excited and Engaged (SCORE)
• Create a Winning Customer Experience (SCORE)
• Hug Your Haters: How to Retain Customers by Embracing Complaints (SCORE)
• Unlock the Mysteries of Your Customer Relationships (HBR)

Customer Relationship Management Systems

• CRM Done Right (HBR)
• Best CRM Software(Tech Radar)

Supplier Relationships

• Build Deep Supplier Relationships (HBR)

Find Suppliers:

• Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Purchasing and Supply Sourcing Guide
• Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Domestic Supplier Directory

• ThomasNet
• Makers Row
• MFG
• MacRae’s Blue Book
• Industrial Quick Search (IQS) Directory
• Mectronic
• The Software Network

Overseas Supplier Directory

• Fair-trade.org Wholesale Supplier List
• The Egyptian Trading Directory
• Alibaba
• AliExpress
• IndiaMart
• Kompass

Distributor Relationships

• How Suppliers Should Manage Their Distributors (Gallup)
• Turn Your Industrial Distributors into Partners (HBR)
• Industrial Distributors—When, Who, and How? (HBR)

Find Wholesalers

• Wholesale Central
• Wholesale Network
• Worldwide Brands
• Alibaba
• TopTen Wholesale

Find a Distributor

• National Association of Wholesaler and Distributors and their free reports and white papers. 

Or Search the national retailer or distributor association for your industries.

Find Tradeshows

• TSNN
• 10times

Maine Business Directories

Online Sources

• Maine Business Listing
• Maine Chambers of Commerce
• Retail Association of Maine
• Maine Corporate Name Search (Department of the Secretary of State) 
• CareerOneStop  

Print & Online Sources in Fogler Library

• Maine Business Directory
• Maine Business and Professional Directory
• Maine Manufacturing Directory
• Harris New England Manufacturers Directory 

Contact Us

Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469
fogler.mbstl@maine.edu
Reference Desk: 207-581-1673