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)
• Customer Service (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)
• Personalization Strategies to Attract and Retain Customers (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 2020 (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

• Small Business Supplier Directory from the American Small Business Chamber of Commerce
• 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
• World Access Network Direct
• Asian Sources On-Line
• 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 (link is external)
• Wholesale Network
• Worldwide Brands
• Alibaba
• Wholesale Hub
• TopTen Wholesale

Find a Distributor

• Top Distributors in 15 business sectors (Modern Distribution Management)
• 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 – Member Search
• Retail Association of Maine – Member Directory
• Maine Corporate Name Search (Department of the Secretary of State) 
• Employer Locator  

Print & Online Sources in Fogler Library

• AtoZdatabases
• D&B Regional Business Directory - New England
• 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