Two lists shape the vendor directory: the categories vendors are filed under, and the levels that say how prominent they are.
Categories
Categories are how a tribe browses for a supplier. Name them after what a tribe needs — "Signage materials", "Insurance", "Vehicle leasing", "EPOS" — rather than after supplier types.
- A vendor can sit in more than one, so do not force a single home for a supplier who genuinely spans two.
- Keep the list to something a tribe can scan.
- Retire categories nobody has a vendor in — an empty category makes a directory look thin.
Levels
A vendor level is the tier they sit at — the visible half of what a subscription package buys. It is what makes a higher tier worth paying for, so keep the difference real: better placement, more announcements, a badge tribes recognise.
A LEVEL THAT CHANGES NOTHING IS NOT A LEVEL
Set these up before recruiting vendors
Changing categories after fifty vendors have chosen theirs means fifty listings to refile. Agree the list while the programme is small.