How startups become attractive to suppliers and achieve preferred customer status: Factors influencing the positioning of young firms
研究了初创企业吸引大型供应商、改善业务关系并获得优先待遇的策略，识别出七个关键因素，对创业者和采购管理者有参考价值。
Achieving preferred customer status with suppliers helps startups to mobilize suppliers' resources. However, in purchasing, startups also compete against large buyers for suppliers' resources. Furthermore, their newness is a liability that suppliers find unattractive. Consequently, attracting and maintaining relationships is a challenge for startups' procurement. This paper investigates the strategies that startups use to attract large suppliers, improve mutual business relationships, and receive preferential supplier treatment. Based on the preferred customership literature and world café data from 15 startup buyers and suppliers, we identified seven factors that explain how startups attract suppliers, maintain relationships with them, and achieve preferred customer status. These factors are strategic compatibility, innovation potential, startup network, credible growth opportunity, profitability, memorable experiences, and purchaser sellership.