Most designers will contract out their print work, database development, hosting services and more. Do your research on every vendor you plan to do business with. Get a list of referrals that you can call on, and get sample work such as printed projects or URLs of Web sites they have worked on.
You should always take a tour of a vendor's facilities. Find out what equipment they are using, how long they've been in business, and how fast they can get the job done. Look for a lack of organization and sloppiness. If the vendor doesn't take care of their own facility, more than likely, they will not take good care of your project either. When working with a vendor, keep in mind that a big vendor may seem to be able to handle your project, but that doesn't mean they'll handle your job correctly. Sometimes small vendors will do a better job and consider you a more valuable client than the larger vendors.
Always talk with your sales representative and get to know them. The better friends you become, the easier it is to get your job pushed to the front of the line when needed. Make sure your sales representative understands your business and what you expect of them and their services.
