How/Where can I find out more information about being a distributor for a beverage company?

**Keven** · 04-22-2009 09:57 PM

If I wanted to buy/sell a beverages to stores, bars, clubs...is this possible on a small operation? What do I need? Specifically in another country.

**theduderoom** · 04-23-2009 01:20 AM

Yes it is possible. There are lots of micro breweries that just distribute locally. You should probably start by taking your product to the owners of these places and talking to them.

**Will** · 04-23-2009 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by theduderoom

Yes it is possible. There are lots of micro breweries that just distribute locally. You should probably start by taking your product to the owners of these places and talking to them.

^^ I think he meant he wants to buy other people's products and sell to businesses.

I am also looking to start a distribution business (not for drinks though). You really have to look at a few things.
1. Is your product already sold to the areas you want to distribute to?
2. Are there already distributors for your area? (these are usually legally binding contracts, so distributors keep their own territory)
3. Can you get confirmed buyers of your product before you take stock from the manufacturer?

Number 3 is important as you do not want to be holding large amounts of stock that no one in the end wants to buy. It is best to have buyers willing to buy from you before you commit to buying it yourself.

What did you mean about the 'in another country' part? Products coming from another country?

**Keven** · 04-23-2009 10:13 AM

Yeah I want to buy other peoples products and sell to businesses.

1. Yes, but I was thinking more of specialty type (like a locally brewed beer vs miller)....and not really(for product 2) (energy drinks). And I think I can do it cheaper then others
2. Not exactly
3. I can work on that.

How can I find out more about minimum purchases, how to even be able to buy at wholesale, and legal issues? And the in another country means I would sell product A/B from the states to country XXX, and then take product C from country XXX and sell it in the states on the return trip.

It started with an idea to sell appliances but then I realized that once I do my first couple trips no one is going to need them anymore so I was trying to think of something more disposable.

**Will** · 04-27-2009 08:54 AM

Keven,
How do you know you can do it cheaper? If you want to distribute a drink for example, the only way to find out information on it (minimum order quantity etc) is by calling the company who makes/imports the drink to your country. You will find that for most products already sold, you doing it cheaper will not work. They have contracts and therefore even if you undercut the price, you will not be able to push the other distributor out. You need to find products not already sold and try and get them in, specially as a startup, as you do not have a lot of pulling power against the big distributors yet.

Secondly, buying/selling in other countries does not mean you need to go each time you make an order/sale. How do you find that after a few orders no one will need more appliances? Are you only thinking of only selling to a small country town? The world is a big place and a lot of people need a lot of things, try to start with smaller or cheaper items (a friend of mine used to import earrings from China at very low cost per earring and supply to local shops). It was cheap to get into (less than $1 Australian per earring) and he got some nice profits. Starting out small will teach you a lot of what you need to know to get into more serious, bigger money dealings.