Many entrepreneurs assume that only big companies such as warehouses and manufacturing plants need industrial supply products. The truth is, though, that many smaller companies need such products, too. Here are a few examples of small, every day companies that use or could use industrial supply products.

• Painters - Paint guns and paint sprayers are industrial supply products. Most painters will do the bulk of their work using sprayers, so that they can maximize the number of jobs they can complete in a set amount of time. Paint sprayers allow painters to work faster and more efficiently, maximizing their earnings.
• Contractors - Contractors are part overseers, part jack-of-all-trades, usually on big jobs such as remodeling or adding onto a home. As a result, they are often in a position to need industrial supply products such as paint sprayers and other equipment. Many contractors are also sole proprietors and small business owners.
• Auto mechanics - Many mechanics will never handle anything more than oil changes and minor repairs. However, if you want to focus your business on engine repairs and performance upgrades, you will need to invest in some pretty heavy-duty equipment. Boring out a cylinder or even resurfacing a brake disc requires specialized equipment such as a lathe. If you are going to be doing a lot of this kind of work, you will want to invest in your own equipment, rather than sending the parts out to a machine shop every time.
• Web hosts - A web hosting provider is a company that offers server space and IP addresses for other people’s websites, both personal and business related. Because one of the criteria that website owners often look for in a web host is minimal downtime (time when the server hosting their website is not connected to the Internet), it is vital for any web host to have redundant power sources, such as a power generator, in case of a power outage.
• Data centers - Data centers are servers where individuals and businesses can store their data via the Internet. For instance, when you back up the data on your computer with a service such as Mozy.com, your files are being transferred via the Internet and stored on the data center’s servers. In order to be able to save or retrieve data at any time, the data center must have an alternate source of power, such as a generator, that will kick in during a power outage.

Industrial supply products are obviously not just for big businesses and manufacturing plants. There are many smaller businesses that have need of these products on a daily basis. If you only need certain equipment on an infrequent basis, you might be able to get away with just renting it. However, keep an eye on your costs — at some point, it will make more sense to buy the equipment than rent it.

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