In the business world, no one operates completely on their own. Businesses of all sizes rely on vast networks of vendors and contractors for everything from IT service to sales booklet printing. But vendors come and go. That company that provided great service last year, may serve up trouble this year.

Companies that are going to thrive in the long run know when to hang with a vendor and when to head for the hills. But how do you find new service partner for your business?

One of the best ways of finding new partners is by talking with other vendors. The company that services your photocopiers has business needs just like yours. So why not ask them who they use for business card printing? (Just dont ask them who services their photocopies!)

If youre not comfortable asking your business partners these types of things, sites like Yelp! can be a big help. These sites give their audiences an opportunity to give unfiltered reviews of businesses from computer repair to restaurants. Just watch out for those reviews that seem a little too good to be true. Some unscrupulous businesses actually pay writers for good reviews.

Businesses rely on their vendors, and the better they are, the better your business will be.