Imagine a small business that has long bought its office supplies from Staples. It reads about Lendio and considers whether to solicit a loan. What kind of buying situation has this small business entered? STAPLES: THE BIG-BOX RETAILER THAT’S REALLY A B2B POWERHOUSE Probably every reader of this book has visited a Staples store or its website at least once, needing to stock up on back-toschool supplies, grab a roll of packing tape, or take a look at the newest printers available in the market. Clearly, selling to individual consumers is important to Staples. But some of its greatest growth, and some of its most important marketing efforts, relate to its Staples Advantage division, which provides business customers with services and support.

This support may be most valuable for small businesses, which often lack the resources to manage all their various functions on their own. Most straightforwardly, Staples Advantage provides companies with the behind-the-scenes supplies that are necessary to keep the doors open: coffee machines, sugar, and creamer to stock employee break rooms; janitorial supplies and floor mats that keep the place looking clean; paper towels and soap dispensers in restrooms;

and office equipment to ensure that workers can keep their files organized and their workspaces productive. To facilitate these offerings, Staples has begun equipping all its B2B sales associates in the field with iPads that are loaded with a virtual assistant. Thus, rather than relying on their recall or a bulky product catalog, they can depend on the virtual tool to determine which type of furniture polish will save their business clients the most money while still enabling them to keep all their surfaces free of dirt.