10/16/2026
📢 PSA and I’m probably going to ruffle some feathers with this one, but it needs to be said because things have gotten absolutely ridiculous lately.
If you are a wholesaler or distributor supplying small businesses, but you cannot consistently meet your promised turnaround times, ship orders correctly, or even send the right items, STOP taking new orders until you can get caught up and get things running properly. And if you cannot fulfill the responsibilities that come with being a supplier, maybe it’s time to reconsider being in the business altogether.
What I don’t think some wholesalers understand is that their lack of organization, communication, and accountability doesn’t just affect THEIR business. It directly affects every small business that trusts them with their money, their orders, and ultimately, their reputation.
When we are normally ahead of turnaround times, consistently provide quality products, and work incredibly hard to build trust with our customers, situations like these make US look irresponsible, unreliable, and even shady when we have absolutely no control over what is happening behind the scenes.
And for newer small businesses just starting out? These situations can genuinely make or break them.
We are the ones having to repeatedly tell customers when their items are supposed to arrive, that something has shipped because that’s what WE were told, or that there’s yet another delay. Eventually, customers start thinking we’re making excuses, being dishonest, or simply not doing our jobs. Meanwhile, we’re sitting here just as frustrated, trying to get answers ourselves.
We’ve been in business for a few years now, and I can confidently say this has been the absolute worst year we’ve experienced when it comes to supplier issues.
And I want to make something very clear: We have worked with some absolutely AMAZING wholesalers and distributors who go above and beyond, communicate, stand behind their products, and genuinely care about the small businesses they supply. Those relationships mean the world to us, and I am incredibly grateful for them.
But on the other side of that, we’ve also dealt with wholesalers who have been so unreliable and unresponsive that I’m now at the point of potentially having to file chargebacks just to recover money we’ve paid for orders that haven’t been properly fulfilled. That is absolutely ridiculous. No small business owner should have to chase down merchandise they’ve already paid thousands of dollars for, much less have to fight to get their money back.
Delays happen. Mistakes happen. Life happens. As a small business myself, I understand that things don’t always go according to plan. I will ALWAYS have grace for situations that are genuinely out of someone’s control.
But there is a HUGE difference between an occasional mistake and a repeated pattern of missed deadlines, incorrect orders, lack of communication, and empty promises.
When another small business has trusted you with THOUSANDS of dollars, and you disappear, fail to communicate, continuously push back deadlines, or send incorrect merchandise on top of everything else, that is no longer just an inconvenience. That is a serious problem.
Communication and accountability are not optional when you’re handling someone else’s money and livelihood.
And to the customers who support small businesses, please don’t automatically write off a small shop because of situations like these. I promise you, so many of us are doing absolutely everything in our power to get your orders to you within the promised timeframe and with the quality you deserve. We’re following up, sending emails, making calls, tracking shipments, and sometimes spending even MORE of our own money trying to make things right for situations we didn’t create.
Your frustration is completely valid, and you deserve honesty and communication. But please understand that sometimes the person you’re frustrated with is fighting just as hard behind the scenes to get your order into your hands.
Small business owners deserve reliable suppliers just as much as customers deserve reliable small businesses.
At the end of the day, we’re all trying to build something, support our families, and provide products we’re proud to put our names on. When one business fails to hold up its end, the consequences ripple through so many others.
If you want small businesses to continue trusting you with their business, you have to give them a reason to. Your customers’ reputations and livelihoods should matter just as much as the money you’re collecting from them.
And to the wholesalers who consistently do things RIGHT, please know that you are appreciated more than you realize. You’re the reason so many of us can continue doing what we love. 🩷
