I use the first letter or each letter of the company name.  Best Business Strategies is now BBS.  Since you can sort by name and ID, it makes it really easy to find the vendors and customers most of the time. 

I guess you could also just sort by Company name, too.

My problem with using the letters is typically a MYSQL or SQL database gives company records numerical IDs. If I want to import invoices rather than manual enter invoices, it's not possible unless the company ID's match.

Do you import invoices or create them manually in Sage 50?

Yes, with cartspan.com.  Also manually.  What I didn't want to do is type a city name before I got to the real company name.    example.  City name flower, city name plumbing, city name water etc.   It so much easier to you first letter of each word in name.   

You can also use phone numbers, but that does not work for me.  I usually look up the client to get his phone number.  

Shirley Byard, 

Best Business Strategies

Just tried emailing cartspan. The owner sounds a bit strange. Came off as very combative on the phone. Then apparently when I emailed him, he mentioned we tried to work together in 2013 and because we didn't stick with his solution then, he wanted to pass on our business. Very bizarre way to run a business. I'm assuming during this pandemic he is flooding with business options. Good for him.

Numeric is better because you can guarantee it will be unique identifier 

I think I will go the numerical route. It will provide a rock solid unique identifier that I can match up with my MYSQL/e-commerce data.