Goal · Find suppliers and sourcing partners

Find suppliers through people you trust

A recommendation from someone you trust is the best first filter. TapForNetwork shows who in your network may help with what you need, and keeps your shortlist moving.

Map supplier referrals in my network See how it helps

01How it helps

What TapForNetwork does for you

The work of remembering, spotting and timing, done for you. You stay in charge of every message.

Finds who can recommend Opening soon
The people in your network most likely to know good suppliers.
Keeps your findings together
Requirements, samples and vetting notes for every supplier.
Moves your shortlist forward
Stages and reminders for each supplier you are talking to.
Remembers who helped
Thank the people who referred you and keep them in the loop.

02Who it is for

Made for people like you

Small manufacturers and food producers looking for materials or co-packers.
Operations and procurement people who need a vetted shortlist fast.
Founders sourcing their first production partner.
Traders and brokers who work through relationships.

Sample data: a made-up small food brand looking for a co-packer for a new sauce.

Today · Find suppliers

Sample

1Ask which co-packers he has worked with
Tomás Ortega · Head of Procurement · Casa Norte Foods
- Procurement in your industry
- Connected in 2022
2Thank her and share how the sample went
Ingrid Karlsson · Operations Director · Nordfresh
- Your note: “referred Harvest Pack”
- Reminder due
3Request a second sample and lead times
Harvest Pack (supplier) · Referred by Ingrid Karlsson
- On your shortlist: stage “samples”
- Follow-up due

03Your playbook

Write down what you need first

Four steps. Each takes minutes, not hours.

1
Write a one-paragraph requirement
What you need, how much, by when, where, and which certifications matter. People can only refer well if you are specific.
2
Ask the right people Opening soon
TapForNetwork suggests who in your network is most likely to know good suppliers.
3
Vet what you hear
Record each referral with who suggested it and what you learned: samples, references, capacity, lead times, terms.
4
Keep a shortlist and follow up
Move each supplier through simple stages, with the day of the next step. Today reminds you when it is due.

04Messages

Ask with specifics

Examples to adapt, not to paste. Make the details true for you and the person you write to.

A referral request

Hi Tomás, we are looking for a co-packer for a new sauce: about 20,000 jars a quarter, glass, hot-fill, organic certification needed, ideally within a day's drive of Madrid. Have you worked with anyone you would recommend? Even a name to avoid would help.

Specific requirements get specific answers.

First contact with a referred supplier

Hello, Ingrid Karlsson at Nordfresh suggested I contact you. We need a hot-fill co-packer for about 20,000 glass jars a quarter, organic. Could you share your minimum order, lead times and whether you can send a sample?

Mention the referrer only with their permission.

Closing the loop

Ingrid, thank you for the Harvest Pack introduction. Their sample passed our tests and we are discussing a first run. I owe you one.

Tell the person who helped how it turned out.

05Rhythm

Keep good suppliers close

Small and steady beats big and rare.

While sourcing: a few steps every day across referral asks, supplier follow-ups and vetting tasks.
After each supplier call: record capacity, lead time, terms and your impression.
Monthly: review active suppliers and the people who referred them.

Mistakes to avoid

Asking for “a good supplier” without a specification.
Treating a referral as due diligence.
Forgetting to thank and update the person who referred you.

06Plans

Free, or with AI help

Free with an account and a verified e-mail. Paid plans add AI message drafts and conversation practice, from Basic up.

Free, no AI

Free includes the import, search, notes, tags, reminders, a supplier shortlist with simple stages and up to six explained steps a day. Referral suggestions open soon.

Paid plans, optional AI

Paid plans add AI drafts of referral requests and supplier questions and Find new people: people on the public web who fit your goal, each with their public page, so you check them before you write, within a monthly credit allowance.

Good to know

A referral is not due diligence. Check licences, references, capacity, quality and contract terms yourself.
TapForNetwork is not a supplier directory and does not vet companies.
Your connections export has no location field; record regions yourself where they matter.

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Questions

Can it find suppliers directly?

Free shows people in your network who may help with what you need, from your own export. On paid plans, Find new people also looks on the public web for people who fit your goal, each shown with their public page so you can check them before you write.

Can I track samples and quotes?

Yes. Use stages and notes for each supplier, with reminders for every next step.

Does it check whether a supplier is reliable?

No. It helps you organise what you learn. Verification is yours to do.