Start Your Own Cell Phone Service Business

Did you know that you can earn an unlimited income from your cell phone provider? There is a new company growing at an astounding rate called Solavei that will pay you money. You already share the things you like with people – now you can earn income doing it. When you sign up for Solavei and share it with your friends and family, you have the opportunity to save money, earn income, and help others do the same.

Solavei offers a no contract, $49 unlimited data, text and voice service and a way to earn residual income by referring people. Just think, you can start your own business and make an unlimited income telling people about something that will save them money. Save up to $500 a year without signing a phone contract at Solavei.

Solavei is a social commerce platform built on the belief that even a single relationship can make life better for many. Our mission is to make commerce less expensive and even profitable by helping people earn income on the products and services they use and enjoy every day. The company was founded in 2012 and is still in its infancy - meaning it is a ground floor opportunity if you act now!

Check out Solavei today!

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Beverage Trends for 2009

I am going to pull out my crystal ball and give you a quick glimpse of the top ten events that will occur in our beloved beverage industry in 2009 and beyond. In light of recent trends in our economy and the official announcement of an actual recession (a few months late I might add), next year will not be as bad as everyone thinks. There will actually be a few highs to go along with the multitude of lows:

1. AB/Inbev will still be King. Best products, image, quality, focus.

2. Sales of Energy drinks will begin a long, though not steep, decline. The pipeline of new energy drinks will start to close and the entrenched players will began a war of attrition that will have many casualties.

3. Miller/Coors will precariously hold market share through the manipulation of its distributor network. I just love the term "independent business person." MCBC's conduct over the last few years has been disgraceful and unethical. Watch your back guys and don't forget to document everything.

4. Pepsi just keeps looking better and better to me.

5. Coke should have saved a few of those billion$.

6. We still want healthy alternatives to all this sugar. I find myself drinking more and more water instead of junk.

7. The big beverage companies will make just as much money in 2009.

8. Fuel will be reasonable (if you call $2.25 diesel reasonable) and insurance will not.

9. It will be tougher to make those debt payments if you're a beer distributor, though not because of lower sales. You'll sell more and make less. Your suppliers are going to squeeze every bit they can from you in the form of more expensive POS, fuel surcharges, dunnage increases, margins, marketing co-op, advertising. You name it, they're going to take it.

10. The hot selling flavors will be coconut, cocoa/chocolate, and blueberry.

Now that you know the future, get ready those business plans...2009 will be here before you know it. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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Beverage Distribution Employment Opportunities

Even though I am no expert, I firmly believe that our country is in the midst of a "great recession". Feelings of hard times ahead abound. With our sagging economy, employees in the beverage industry are becoming more and more unsatisfied with their present employment. Many face cutbacks in salary and deductions in their paychecks from the rising cost of fuel, freight, insurance, and products. Beverage distributorships are facing tough times. Many are carrying a large amount of debt and others are trying to take added costs out of their systems. We will find in the future that a large amount of new beverage company suppliers will start losing distributors because of the higher costs of keeping inventory and low turnover of these smaller brands. Large beverage distributors today want brands and packages that turnover quickly, have decent margins, and are not labor intensive (or brands we don't have to hand sell). This is a tremendous opportunity developing for entreprenuers wanting to enter the beverage business.

If you are an employee with a beverage distribution company and you are unhappy with your present employment, you have a few decisions to make:

• Stay in your present position and be glad that you at least have a job.


• Go back to college and get the education you need to better yourself.


• Find employment in another field of work.


• Be proactive, go out on your own, and start your own beverage business.

I have some employees that do nothing but complain. Complaining gets in the way of progress. They are offered sales incentives and extra cash for driving results, and most can't (or are too lazy to) meet simple quotas. Why stay in a position that you are not happy in and waste not only yours, but everyone else's time? Is it a level of comfort, is it the only skill you know, are you lazy, do you like to be miserable and make the people around you miserable. I think it's a combination of all the above with a high level of insecurity and unsuredness about themselves mixed in. If you don't want to be a part of a team in a sales-oriented, results-driven business then you need to seriously consider the other three decisions I mentioned above.

Going back to college to learn a new technical skill or get an advanced degree will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Go into a field that you are passionate about and excel. I've always liked the quote that "you should find a job that you would like to have if you were a millionaire". This can be defined as doing something that you love, enjoy, and feel good about.

The third one about finding another line of work goes without saying anything.

I love the fourth one though. The opportunity for small, nimble beverage distributors that hand sell products and build small, niche brands is exploding. If you want to stay in the beverage business and believe in yourself, why not start your own beverage distribution company? You can do it better than anyone else can, can't you? The best source for information is the total beverage package. Everything you need to get started in the beverage business is in there and it will save you a ton of time and money. Why not let a beverage industry professional give you the direction you need to start your own beverage distribution or production company?

Remember everyone has choices to make as to whether they better their place in society. When you don't take the opportunity of getting or doing something better for yourself, you make sacrifices. Your decision to make these sacrifices determines your job position and title. In other words, if you don't take the time to learn and be the best at what you do, then it's your own fault and not anyone else's.

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Build a Marketing Plan or a Business Plan for a Beverage Company

Whether you're a seasoned beverage industry professional or an entrepreneur with an idea for a beverage company you will need a business plan or a marketing plan for the advancement of your go to market strategy.

The distinct differences of the two are, mainly:
-Business plans are for banks, lenders, and borrowing money.
-Marketing plans are for suppliers, retailers, and making more money.

These plans are also fundamentally different, in that:
-Business plans should be based on factual data that embody your entire business architecture or conception yielding precise information about your company or proposition.
-Marketing plans should pertain to certain areas of focus of an existing brand or package, new product agreements and rollouts, and new ideas to help secure business alliances.

But, they both contain similar and essential components:
1.Pre-planning...information and fact gathering time.
2.You, your skills, and your company...remember you are selling yourself.
3.Historical data...anything pertinent to past performance.
4.Sales figures, projections, and trends...everyone wants to know what you've done, what you think you are going to do, and how you think you're going to do it.
4.Geographics...know the territory and the accounts inside and out.
5.Competition...the more you know about them the better.
6.Demographics...what the population looks like in detail.
7.Estimates...tell them how much money you are going to make them.
8.Responsibilities...who is charge of what.
9.Organizational...job titles and functions.
10.Funds...everyone is all about cash flow.
11.References...throw some names around.

Now you know the difference about beverage company business plans and beverage company marketing plans.

I've been getting many emails about starting new beverage companies and beer distributors lately, so I wrote down some new ideas about business plans for some of you budding beverage entrepreneurs out there. I've helped a few guys and gals get started in the beverage business, so if you want to pick my brain feel free to send me an email.

If you need some business plan and marketing plan examples about starting your own beverage business, please take a look at the Total Beverage Package.

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Freight Allowances and Fuel Surcharges for Beverage Distributors

Freight Allowance or Fuel Surcharge? I find these terms going through my head twenty-four hours a day. A freight allowance is usually passed down to beverage distributors from their suppliers to alleviate the financial burden of high freight rates. Freight Allowances are also used to equalize FOB’s for beverage distributors located long distances from where the products are produced and shipped. A fuel surcharge is an incremental charge added to the total invoice from a beverage distributor to a retail establishment. If your company is not receiving freight allowances or passing on a fuel surcharge to your customers, you need to ask yourself some serious questions.

Freight Allowances

Many beverage distributors receive freight allowances from their suppliers. If you are not receiving them, you need to demand an allowance from your suppliers. I have heard and seen instances of beverage distributors in California, Texas, and Florida receiving substantial freight allowances from many well-known suppliers. If your suppliers are doing this for one distributor, they should be doing it for all.

Fuel Surcharges

Some distributors, including myself, have added $1.00 and $2.00 fuel surcharges to retail invoices. There has been some backlash from the suppliers and major chains, but overall many retailers have come to expect a fuel surcharge. I am considering changing my surcharge to a percentage of the total invoice. It will probably be 2% to 2.5% of the total invoice cost.

With rising diesel and gasoline costs to beverage distributors, make sure you start asking for freight allowances and adding fuel surcharges now. Fuel for our trucks will never be cheaper than it is now. And that causes many sleepless nights for me.

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100 Resources Needed to Start Your Own Soft Drink Beverage Company

I am compiling a checklist for aspiring beverage company distributors. Included in the checklist is everything you will need, in the form of resources, to start your own soft drink, new age, beer, or energy drink beverage distributorship:

1. Warehouse/Storage              51. Cell Phone
2. Van/Delivery Truck             52. Voice Mail
3. Uniforms             53. Route Book
4. Two Wheeler             54. Distribution Channels
5. First Aid Kit             55. Company Policy
6. Route Accounting             56. Employee Policy
7. Point of Sale             57. Fuel Supplier
8. Route Sheets             58. Electricity
9. Tape Gun             59. Gas/Water
10. Build To Lists             60. Blade Cutter
11. Pricing/Label Gun             61. Tape Strips
12. Products             62. Cleaning Supplies
13. Shelf Strips             63. Breakeven Analysis
14. Customers             64. Receiving
15. Insurance             65. Legal Ownership
16. Cash Flow             66. Organizational Chart
17. Glide Racks             67. Filing Cabinet
18. Imagination             68. Stapler
19. Patience             69. Security
20. Health             70. Inventory Controls
21. Banker             71. CMA Programs
22. Calculator             72. Discounting
23. Invoices             73. Rebate/Return Policy
24. Fork Lift             74. Promotions
25. Static Stickers             75. Damaged Product Procedure
26. Pallet Jack             76. Forecasting
27. Computer             77. Ledger
28. Suppliers             78. Petty Cash
29. Street Sheets             79. Budget
30. Presentations             80. Long Term Plan
31. Wallet Chain             81. Margins
32. Honesty             82. Laid Ins
33. Internet             83. FOB’s
34. Pen/Pencil             84. Order Staging
35. Notepad             85. UPC’s
36. Printer             86. COD or Credit Terms
37. Humor             87. Rotation
38. Mission Statement             88. OSHA Guidelines
39. Goals             89. CDL
40. Business Plan             90. Balance Sheet
41. Excel Spreadsheet             91. Franchise/Contract
42. Fire Extinguisher             92. Brand Programming
43. EDI Capabilities             93. Merchandising skills and Tools
44. Word             94. Dependability
45. Power Point             95. Versatility
46. Space Management             96. Laptop Computer
47. Enthusiasm             97. Briefcase
48. Comfortable Shoes             98. Business Cards
49. Samples             99. Back Brace
50. Dealer Loaders             100. TIME

Please let me know what I've left out!

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Building a Foundation for the Distribution of New Beverages

When expanding your portfolio in the beverage distribution business, a distributor must understand and follow certain guidelines that affect the rollout of a new beverage line. I believe that additional groundwork, preparation, and sales presentation tailored locally for a new beverage introduction will pay considerable dividends in the establishment of new brands in your market. Many distributors assume the brand programming developed by the supplier will be automatically successful in their local market. Many times this is not the case. A one-size-fits-all approach will not always work. Exceptional distributors that build brands will take the brand programming and revise it with their local intricacies, pricing influences, and vernacular to help establish an enduring foundation for the brand.

An example: My company focused on initial Red Bull distribution in the on-premise on our own at our own expense, not only for its undeniable reputation as a mixer, but because all the support we received from Red Bull NA for the first year was product. We supplied the bars with personalized point of sale that we did in house and sampled it extensively. In fact, we didn’t even try to place it in the off-premise for the first two months. I firmly believe that a beverage consumed and asked for in social situations will translate to acceptance on a convenience store shelf and floor. I also believe that Red Bull has created a bureaucracy it doesn’t need. The brand’s mystique and distributor network should’ve been sufficient. An arrogant sales force will be its demise.

There are three parameters a beverage wholesaler should abide by when establishing a foundation for new product distribution:

1.Product and Supplier Knowledge. Extensive research must be conducted on the product and supplier by the distributor. Know every ingredient. Have a list of benefits, nutritional information, and product specifications. Know company contacts, advertising slogans, and all of its uses. Its imperative to know what the supplier’s mission is, what it stands for, and its beliefs. Due diligence is an absolute must before you sign the contract.

2.Local Geographic Brand Programming. You will always receive a new brand or package introduction sales presentation from a supplier. If you don’t, be worried. Anyway, once you get this ask your supplier representative to help you tailor it to your local market, if he doesn’t ask you first. Always ask for extra funding for incentives. When building your local programming, build it in language your sales force will understand and give them the tools they need for the rollout to be successful. Train them extensively. Have signage already produced, sufficient inventory of glide racks and ice bins, street sheets printed and ready to go, plenty of product, iced down samples, straightforward objectives that are not overcomplicated and confusing, and an attainable incentive that creates excitement. Try to design and convey to your sales force the exact message and look you want to see in every account. Make your employees compete…track sales, distribution, and display execution. A cookie cutter approach that designates the slightest details in the introduction is the optimum tool for a successful product rollout.

3.Convince the Retailer Beforehand. People love to buy and shop, but they hate to be sold. I am a salesman, but I hate to be sold something. I can’t stand a cold call. I want my retailers to be convinced that they need my products. I want my customers to shop from me. I want my products to be the retailer’s idea. I want my retailers to be creative with my products. A soft sell where the retailer is convinced in the product’s benefits and contributions to his own business is wonderful. Start a campaign a month before the rollout. Gain placement of teaser point of sale. Give away samples and merchandise. Talk to your customers early and tell them what you need for the brand to be a success. Make people want and ask for the product before the introduction.

Following these three brand programming guidelines for beverage distributors when introducing new beverage products will help you in building an informed and knowledgeable sales force, retailer and customer satisfaction, and trust and dependence from your suppliers.

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Conceptualization of New Beverages at Retail

With a new beverage product introduction, you must establish your presence at retail by using imaginative and ingenious methods that focus on key attributes of your product. This should be easy, one would think, for large companies with seemingly unlimited capital (i.e. Coke, Pepsi, AB, or Miller), but I write this from the outlook of a small emerging beverage company. A company that may have one new, niche beverage in the process of building their brand from the ground up, market by market.

As a wholesaler, I am inundated with new beverage opportunities. Many of these brands are viable, great tasting products that could contend in my market. Many are concoctions thrown together with a high margin. Some even have great POS and beautiful packaging. Most all miss the boat on the conceptualization of their new product in go-to-market retail strategies.

The definition of conceptualization when applied to a new beverage is complex. The term loosely means to form by concept, which, for us, is very broad and vague. I define beverage conceptualization as the formation of beverage strategies through the consideration of multiple economic impressions. These economic impressions include, but are not limited to: originality, accessibility, availability, acceptability, dependability, positioning, and marketability.

Now when brainstorming and building your beverage concept you have an outline to help build your go-to-market strategy. Ask yourself questions based on all the economic impressions I have listed above. Some example questions are:

1.Is my product original? Is there a need for it? Has it been done before? Am I jumping on the bandwagon?

2.Is my beverage easy to use? For anyone?

3.Where do you find my beverage? Can it be bought in retail easily?

4.Is my product worth buying? Why does anyone buy it? Is it beneficial to the consumer?

5.Is it a quality product? Can you guarantee its proclaimed virtues? What about imperfections in manufacturing?

6.Do the wholesaler and retailer understand my market blueprint? Is my plan too ambitious? Do I have set, easy to achieve distribution objectives?

7.Can my product be sold profitably for everyone involved?

If you can answer these questions easily and positively, you are well on your way to marketing a successful beverage. You have an outstanding product that fulfills a need in the marketplace. But don’t start having dreams of huge wealth and success. History is cluttered with beverage companies that developed unique products and then squandered their opportunity with arrogant management, excessive spending, and idiotic policy. Many of these companies believed that the retail tier is where their fortunes laid. When in fact it is the wholesale tier. First and foremost, you must take advantage and develop good relations with wholesalers. Build your programming with language the distributor and his sales force can understand. Give equal incentives to all distributors, big and small. Never, ever penalize a distributor because his market isn’t very large, you must understand he is just as important as the largest. Treat the wholesaler as you would your best customer. Once distributors believe and trust in you and your product, you will find your beverage in the cooler and on the shelf everywhere.

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Start a Beer Distributing Company

So you came up with a wonderful idea on how to get rich by starting a beer distributorship. Are you crazy? Are you drunk? Or.... do you have what it takes to work 16 hour days, seven days a week to be your own boss? Do you like pushing one of these things in the picture on the right? Do you enjoy setting your own goals, interacting and conducting business with many different people with multiple demeanors and diverse backgrounds, and analyzing progressive consumer trends and habits in the marketplace? I enjoy teasing the folks that think beer distributors just deliver beer and make tons of money. Nothing is further from the truth. Beer distributors are entreprenuers that evolve everyday. Change is eminent and constant. Believe me, the breweries change marketing focus and organizational structure every few months. To be a beer or beverage distributor, you have to be able to go with the flow and always do what you say you'll do.

Following is some basic information to see if you've got what it takes:

First you need a federal license to sell alcoholic beverages and a federal permit so you can store them.

Second you need a state permit for the counties you service. Once you get a state wholesaler permit you will receive a tax roll of all the accounts that hold a retail license for the area you service. This roll is important because it will be your universe to which you can sell alcoholic beverages. Its also where you will keep up with taxes collected from retailers.

Third you need an operational strategy. This means vehicles and warehouse space. You will also need a decent route accounting software system to keep up with your invoicing, distribution and sales reports.

Fourth you need products and customers. Call and email every supplier you can find...from alcohol to non-alcohol. Check the margins they offer, terms, pos, support, etc. A good starting point is BevNet.com.

Fifth you are going to work your tail off. Do you have a sales force? If you can do all this on your own...you are my hero. I consider owning and operating a beer distributorship with no employees to be the Holy Grail of the beer wholesaling profession. That is, if it could be done.

I hope that doesn't scare you off. I admire that you want to do this. It is a rewarding business and can be very fulfilling, but you have to know that it can also be excrutiatingly painful, depressing, and all-time and all-thought consuming. I know a lifetime of answers to any questions...feel free to email me at any time, my knowledge is at your disposal. For more information online, see how to start your own Beverage Distribution Business.

Now make a list of questions to ask yourself, your retailers, and prospective suppliers. Some examples:

• FOB's and laid in's for different brands and packages.
• Rising fuel, freight, insurance, taxes, and supplier demands and their effect on the beverage business.
• Your location and your competitors.
• Demographics of your territory.
• Service level expectations and payment procedures of various retailers.
• Laws affecting transportation and distributing alcoholic beverages in your area.
• Credit terms with suppliers and retailers.
  

And now a little cheat sheet to wet your appetite:

1. Contact all of the beverage distributors in your area. Don't tell them all of your plans, just say you are conducting research. Ask about the brands in their portfolios and see if they handle the full package line from some mid-major brewers. Start with the Pabst supplier. If the distributor is not carrying some Pabst packages you can request these brands. A few other breweries to contact are Gambrinus, Pittsburgh, Cold Spring, or any small regionals in your area. It will take time to build a product line. Also, you will have to be ready to order and deliver as soon as you start getting the product....remember beer is perishable.

2. Ask about their non-alcohol portfolios...there is more margin in soft drinks and you don't have to pay sales taxes in most states. The only drawback is some retailers will ask for credit terms (larger ones) and Coke and Pepsi control the cooler sets. But sometimes we get lucky with these new niche products..many did with Snapple, Red Bull, and Vitamin Water. Try to get a few of these beverages. A couple to look at are Cocio Chocolate Milk, Hat Trick Beverage's Pumped Fitness Water, and IrnBru. Go to BevNet and research some of these brands. Don't be afraid to call or email them. They will send you samples and pricing.

3. Contact the National Beer Wholesalers Association and ask about your State Association and who the local distributors are. You can also find a wealth of information about starting a beer distributorship on the NBWA website, as well as your state association's website.

4. Never pay for any franchise from anyone in the beverage business...you get the rights from a supplier based on the expectations of your performance at the levels agreed upon in the beginning of entering a contract with a supplier. Any payment to a supplier should only be for inventory and promotional items that help you sell more product. At least, that is my conviction.

5. It would be best to start off with some non alcohlic drinks first, unless your market is heavily skewed to the on premise. Many breweries nowadays let you order small pallet quantities to help with cash flow. So do the smaller soft drink companies.

6. You need to make at least 25% margin on beer and 30% plus on soft drinks.

7. Look in to adding beef jerky, cups, or salty snacks to your routes.

8.It is imperative that you have a superior understanding of computers, the internet, excel, word, and power point. You wouldn't be able to order or sell the first case without 'em.

Hope that helps a little, at least you have a starting point now. Anyway, feel free to email me with any questions. I believe that with consolidation of more and more beer distributorships, there will be breweries and beverage companies that will welcome smaller wholesalers. There is a niche for small, nimble wholesalers...you just have to patient, hardworking, and lucky. Just remember, the beverage business is about making friends...that is forgotten when you're trying to sell 500 sku's.

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Happy Holidays: Five New Beverage Distributor Opportunity Products

I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and pass on a few beverage distributor opportunity products. These companies are actively pursuing distributors and would make a welcome addition to a beer distributors bottom line:

1. Viso Beverages...Vitamin, mineral, and electrolyte enhanced beverages packaged in very sharp blue bottles designed to protect their precious contents.


2. Primer Energy Spray...Primer is a caffeinated breath spray that is sweeping the nation. The distributor margins are 33% plus and it has an eighteen month shelf life.


3. Hango...Get the minerals, vitamins and energy you need while fighting off alcohol's deadly byproducts. In addition, Hango makes a great mixer with an extra kick. What are you waiting for? Got a hangover? Grab a Hango.


4. Google Gulp...Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drink™ technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex. You can pick up your own supply of this "limited release" product simply by turning in a used Gulp Cap at your local grocery store. How to get a Gulp Cap? Well, if you know someone who's already been "gulped," they can give you one. And if you don't know anyone who can give you one, don't worry – that just means you aren't cool. But very, very soon, you will be. I have 50 Google Gulp caps to give away to the first 50 people leaving a comment below!


5. Suck and Blow...The Suck and Blow concept is solely based on the popularity of alcohol shot sales worldwide. Suck and Blow offers this new and exciting concept in ready-made packaging to consume and play.

Thanks and enjoy! Hopefully, your company will benefit, profitably of course, from these brands.

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How to Develop Your Own Energy Drink or Start a New Age Beverage Company.

The energy drink and new age beverage category is delivering phenonemal growth year in, year out. Especially the growth of New Age Beverages like Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Vitaminwater, Fuze, Sobe and others. As a beverage distributor, I constantly look for new opportunities that compete across the entire beverage spectrum. I need to constantly update my portfolio with new high margin beverages in order to drive consistent, profitable growth to sustain my investment in manpower, infrastructure, inventory, and technology. I keep detailed files of new beverages, beverage distributors, pricing, marketplace trends, development, merchandising, marketing, positioning, and promotion. I get calls and emails daily on how to start a beverage company or who to contact with a new beverage idea. Learn the secrets to starting your very own beverage company today.

The Total Beverage Package includes the following and more:

• 38 Pages of Articles and Case Studies about Energy Drinks and New Age Beverages.



• How To Get Started in the Beverage Business and Distributor Business Plans.



• Beverage Production and Bottling Costs.



• How to Sell to Beverage Distributors.



• Bonus - Free 15 minute Beverage Company Consultation.

Now you can benefit from experience and sales to learn about the New Age Beverage business. Get the advice you need about how to go into the business, get more market share, more sales, more distributors and lower production costs. This package will save you money and months of research on the internet and calling distributors and bottling plants.

Click here to get all the information you need to start your own Energy Drink Company or New Age Beverage Business.

Now you can begin the rewarding challenge of starting your own beverage business. Let a beverage industry veteran give you the advice and intellect you need in starting a beverage company.

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New Product Opportunities for Beverage Distributors

This is a hot list of new brands that will add value and revenue to your beverage distributorship business. Who knows, the next Red Bull or Vitaminwater could be one of them. These companies are actively pursuing distributors and the territories may be available in your area. Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas to help grow your business.

1. Ayala Herbal Water -- No artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and no additives of any kind. Ayala is infused culinary herbs in pure water.


2. Cocio -- My favorite chocolate milk. Two year shelf life is wonderful.


3. Mix 1 -- A balance of complete nutrition, great flavor, and convenience. Nine month shelf life and gluten-free.


4. Syzmo -- Organic energy drink with vitamins and antioxidants.


5. Pumped Fitness Water -- Pumped Fitness Water is an all-natural fitness beverage, packaged in unique 15 and 30 oz bottles shaped like a dumbbells.


6. Crayons -- Less sugar than other fruit drinks and no high fructose corn syrup.

These are viable brands with nice margins, good luck on the streets.

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Distributor Opportunities with Cott Beverages

As a beverage distributor, I constantly look for opportunities to partner with established suppliers that bring extensive knowledge and expertise to my market, as well as terrific products. Many new beverages are from start-up companies that, either, don't have incremental dollars to invest in my market or don't have the manpower to help drive the business. Many of these companies have trouble getting chain authorizations in national accounts and suffer out of stocks due to the contract production of their beverages. To my surprise I have recently found that Cott Beverages is agressively pursuing independent distributors to partner with and carry their exisitng lines, as well as new product introductions.

To those who may not know, Cott Beverages is the fourth largest soft drink beverage company in the world and the world’s largest private label soft drink producer. Cott has 17 manufacturing facilities and one concentrate house in North America. Cott Beverages manufactures private label product for the world’s largest retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Loblaws, SuperValu, and Safeway. Cott has recently launched Throwdown Energy and Emerge Water, and is diversifying their portfolio as we speak.

For more information you can visit Cott.com or send an email to Cott. Type WHOLESALE BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTOR as the subject.

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New Products That Enhance Your Beer Portfolio

Have you seen this scenario before? A new product bursts onto the beverage scene. Wholesalers rush to get the distribution rights. Everyone makes obscene amounts of money. This happens everyday...except the getting rich overnight part, of course. It takes time, hard work, patience, and a little luck to grow rich. Nowadays, we beer wholesalers are looking for different products to enhance or profitably grow our large and ever-changing portfolios. And you know what? We love products that will help increase our drop size in all accounts. A constant increase in drop size is how you maximize profits in the wholesale business.

Beer wholesalers have sold non-beverage items for years. Matches, napkins, equipment, straws, beverage cups, etc. In fact, during the sixties when Falstaff was having major declines, our salesmen became the "cup man" instead of the "Falstaff man". There was the Bud man, the Schlitz man, and the cup man. We sold a lot of beverage cups and survived a difficult time in our company's history. So, beverage cups have a special place in my heart. I think cups are overlooked by beverage distributors. I don't think they will be overlooked anymore:

Etch-It Cups.....Have you seen them?

Etch-It has been praised by "The Big Idea" on CNBC and Rachel Ray from Food Network. Etch-It is currently offering distributors a margin of up to 30% and retailers a margin of up to 42%. The product is unique and offers consumers many benefits. Freight is included in FOB and the minimum drop is only 84 cases. The tubes of cups are also packaged in a nice shelf display piece for easy merchandising. The cups are already a top ranked item in many Liquor Store chain accounts. But, this scenario is what sold me:

On premise accounts go through many, many cups in a single night, why not switch to an Etch-It and cut down on waste. Also, there is another added benefit in the on premise...Etch-It Cups will aid shy men and women everywhere: I can here it now, "I was checking out your Etch-It cup and......". Just think, Etch-It will change the course of human history.

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The Beer Distributor is the Vehicle of Choice for New Beverages

After a long summer, I like to start looking for new, exciting brands to add to my portfolio. Usually, I take two to three months to decide which new beverage brand I’m going to add. The decision process starts in early fall and lasts to the end of the year. I make my mind up in December and make contact with the different companies. At the first of the year, we start setting goals and objectives, training our sales team, and adding infrastructure around these brands. Once Spring gets here, we can concentrate on sales leading into the Summer months. Then we start all over again. This process has been very successful for our company in the past with brands like Snapple, Sobe, Red Bull, Fuze, and Vitaminwater. In fact, our non-alcohol division was on track to pass our beer division in gross profits by mid-2008. Now the bomb has dropped, everyday Red Bull wants me to spend, spend, spend. Fuze and Vitaminwater will be going to Coke by the middle of next year. Snapple is giving away the ship. What in the world am I going to do? The first thing is not worry too much. I understand that this is the beverage business and these things happen everyday. Brands come and go. One thing I’ve learned is that you have to remember where you came from. I think many companies forget that and get to big to fast. The brands I mentioned above were built by hard working distributors case by case, not by corporate sales executives. When I lose a brand I always know there will be another company that is hungry. There are literally hundreds of beverage companies that will offer my beer distributorship a nice margin, a good beverage brand, and an incentive to sell their brand. After all, my company is just a vehicle to get their brand on the shelf. Some brands I am looking to add are as follows:

·Irn-Bru - A mixed fruit flavored soda made with 32 flavors. Can be used as a mixer.
·Metromint - Purified water flavored with natural mint.
·Hint - Pure water, nature's original refreshment, accented with a hint of natural flavor.
·Essn - One hundred percent natural sparkling juice beverage.
·Luvli Juice - All natural, low sodium juices.
·Function - Make your drink work for you.
·Bawls - Guarana-based soft drink has been out for a while, but the new cherry flavor is terrific.

I will keep you informed of my decisions on these beverages and how they are doing in my market.

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So You Lost Vitaminwater to Coke...

Add Vitaminwater to a long list of brands that are built from the ground up by hard working distributors only to be taken away once the brand gets its legs. Clearly Canadian, Snapple, SoBe, Fuze, Corona, and now Vitaminwater. These brands offered distributors added margins and helped fill drop size. Hopefully, the former distributors will receive a nice buyout package once they sell the brand and I am hearing many distributors with "so called" perpetual rights agreements, will. Anyway, you've lost another important brand to your portfolio, what do you do?

It's time to look for the next new thing. Try searching for products in new beverage categories. Get agreements with companies that offer different brands competing in different segments. The best segments an independent wholesaler can compete in today are as follows:

1. Energy Drinks---They keep coming and they keep selling.
2. Enhanced Water---You won't find the next Vitaminwater, but you may be able to hold space with another brand.
3. Infused Teas---Get new teas loaded with antioxidants.
4. Enhanced Juices---The next big one will come from this category.

That is my two cents.

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Niche Brands That Will Add Value to your Distributorship.

Niche Brands That Will Add Value to your Distributorship.

I have compiled a list of my favorite brands that could add value to your beverage distributorship business. These brands might be old or they might be brand new. They are actively pursuing distributors and the territories may be available in your area or they may not be available. Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas to help grow your business.

1. Vitaminwater -- Huge investment by Tata Group insures independence from Coke/Pepsi.
2. Fat Tire -- Newest cult beer out of Colorado. Must have beverage of any beer distributor east of the Mississippi
   
3. Beer Nuts -- Talk about an easy sell in the on premise.
   
4. Fuze -- Has aesthetically beautiful packaging, healthy flavors, and very nice margins.
   
5. Cocio -- Two year shelf stability and unbelievably delicious.
   
6. Wild Joe's Beef Jerky -- Voted #1 Jerky on Food Network.
   
7. Fiji Water -- Packaging is everything.
   
8. Jolly Rancher Sodas -- Don't know much about the company and fairly expensive for kids drinks, but very cachy packaging.
   
9. Sol Mate -- It's organic, high in antioxidants, and profitable.
   
10. Green's Beers -- Gluten-free beer, 100% natural, suitable for vegetarians.

Hope these products will add extra cases and dollars to your routes. Tell them you heard about it at Wholesale Beverage Distributor. I will add other products as they come available. Enjoy.

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Uncovering a Niche in Beverage and Beer Distribution.

Uncovering a Niche in Beverage and Beer Distribution.
To be a success in any business you must understand that while everything around us changes, everything somehow remains the same. We have to study the past to comprehend the present, which in turn will help us try to predict the future. Products (in any industry) that were popular years ago seem to always come back in style. Just like the world is round, what goes around comes around. Ideas that have been successful; whether they be price driven, in advertising, in new packaging or branding, in innovation, or by sheer luck, that worked historically can be adapted to work today. I have never been smart enough to invent or design anything, but I have always been able to take something that already exists, tinker with it, and make it better. Uncovering niches in beverage and beer distribution is important to all wholesalers. I will keep up the following list and make sure it is updated on a timely basis. Your input is very important, feel free to leave comments.

• As a wholesaler, don't limit your horizons. Compete in as many segments as possible. In other words, your truck is already stopping at an account, try to sell the account more. Drop size equals more dollars. Examples:
  

1. Small soft drink bottler adding energy drinks and malternatives, maybe some craft beers.
   
2. Beer Wholesaler with heavy on premise clientele adding salty snacks.
3. Grocery Wholesaler considering regional wines and spirits.
4. Becoming a Mega-Wholesaler competing in all segments: Soft Drinks, beer, wine, spirits, energy, milk, coffee, tea, juice, water, isotonics.

• If you want to compete against Red Bull in the on premise and you don't have a major label, forget trying other energy drinks, do it with water, mixers, cups, juices, even salty snacks. While spirits are booming on premise, beer is declining (as of the present). Offer your bars and restaurants something new.

• Use nostalgic marketing with older brands that have small points of distribution. Entice the consumer with the feelings of yesteryear. We have seen a resurgence of PBR, High Life, and Schlitz. My favorite is a 2 for $10 pick a pack deal we do in neighborhood grocery stores. Your choice of two Schlitz, High Life, Old Mil, PBR, Keystone, Best, Schaefer, Old Style, or Olympia 12 packs for $10. Bundle some older graphics on a sign with your sign machine and there you go. It's an easy sell, easy display, and the retailers love it.

These are just a few ideas, I will update more in the coming days. Enjoy!

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