What comes to mind when you think of a Vendor . . . a coin operated snack dispenser, a sidewalk food service, or perhaps someone selling flowers or hand made jewelry on the corner? In fact these are all vendors as well as the local bakery, the service station or corner store and the door to door vacuum salesman. Read on to get our definition of a vendor when it relates to purchasing.

A Vendor is defined as a company which supplies parts, materials or services to another company or individual, also referred to as a supplier. This includes all companies that you do business with and help you bring your project to completion or provide you with a service to help you accomplish your tasks. They may provide uniforms or a cleaning service, prepare payroll, accounting or financial statements, deliver office/shop supplies, produce graphic layouts or manufacture tools, parts and equipment, provide transportation of goods or international relations assistance. Some Vendors you may deal with on a daily, weekly or monthly basis others you may do business with only once a year.

Vendors can and do many things which can make your business successful. These