Small businesses assume they have no leverage with suppliers and so do not ask. Price is genuinely difficult to move at low volume. Several other terms are not, and some matter more.
Payment terms
The most valuable and most negotiable. Moving from payment on order to thirty days changes your cash flow materially and costs the supplier little if they trust you.
This is where to focus first.
Minimum order quantities
Frequently set by policy rather than economics. A supplier who wants the relationship will often flex, particularly for a first order or a trial.
Delivery and stock holding
A supplier holding stock for you and delivering on call removes your storage cost and your capital tied up in inventory. Worth asking about even when not advertised.
Price breaks and commitment
Volume discounts usually exist and are not always published. Committing to a quantity over a period, rather than per order, can access them without holding stock.
How to ask
Directly and without apology. State what you need and why it helps you place more business with them. Suppliers are running a business too and a reliable growing customer has value.
Getting quotes from alternatives is legitimate and worth doing before the conversation, not as a threat during it.
What builds leverage over time
Paying on time, every time. Predictable ordering. Being easy to deal with. Suppliers give better terms to customers who cost them less to serve, and that is entirely within your control.
The mistake
Squeezing a supplier to the point where you are their worst account. That relationship fails at the moment you need a favour.