Distributor Business

[wyattearp]

Thinking about starting a Distributor Company for Cigars in the next 6 months or so...anybody have any advice or tips that might make this process a littler smoother?
All comments are appreciated!

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

[ggiese]

Thinking about starting a Distributor Company for Cigars in the next 6 months or so...anybody have any advice or tips that might make this process a littler smoother?
All comments are appreciated!

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

Yep - don't ask that kind of question when you first sign up on a cigar board before people get to know you!

[wyattearp]

I thought this was the Business Advice and Tips forum? I introduced myself to everyone already and am now just looking for some feedback from people who have done this or know someone who has. Thanks again for any information that might be helpful.

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

[ggiese]

I thought this was the Business Advice and Tips forum? I introduced myself to everyone already and am now just looking for some feedback from people who have done this or know someone who has. Thanks again for any information that might be helpful.

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

I know people who have set up a "Distributor Company for Cigars". Lots of hard work with little reward other than you get to travel quite a bit and smoke cigars.

My advice - get your passport up to date, and smoke lots of cigars to get a sense of what it is you want to carry/offer and know why you want to carry/offer the cigars you're distributing.

Does that help?

[wyattearp]

Any information helps and I appreceiate the feedback. I was looking to obtain the Distributor License, Tobacco License, and Business License, start a website selling other Manufactures Cigars such as Drew Estate, etc...

I've contacted some Manufactures and have been told by them that they have a pricing guide for it's distributors so kind of moving in that direction...

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

[ggiese]

Any information helps and I appreceiate the feedback. I was looking to obtain the Distributor License, Tobacco License, and Business License, start a website selling other Manufactures Cigars such as Drew Estate, etc...

I've contacted some Manufactures and have been told by them that they have a pricing guide for it's distributors so kind of moving in that direction...

Enjoy your Smoke!

Mike

That info varies from state to state, and locality to locality. You might find it very challenging in today's environment where many jurisdictions are going "smoke free" and taxation on tobacco products is at an all time high.

Start out with creating a solid business plan - you'll need that to "sell" any perspective investors or banks willing to lend capital. It should also identify the risks you'll need to overcome to be successful.

Good luck!

[mrtr33]

My advice - get your passport up to date, and smoke lots of cigars to get a sense of what it is you want to carry/offer and know why you want to carry/offer the cigars you're distributing.

Expanding on this idea, figure out what your strategy is early on, and who your primary target demographic is. Are you going to be pushing Swisher Sweets and Acids? Or Davidoffs and Tatuaje's? While there may be consumers in both categories simultaneously, I would imagine they would be in the minority.

Once that's established, everything else about your business should represent that mindset. From your website design, company name, who you advertise with, everything. Figure out what kind of distributor you want to be, and then pursue it!

[wyattearp]

Exactly the idea! I took down a list of Manufacturers of what I like so far. Don't really think I will be offering the Swishers or anything of that sort...more so targeting the premuims, the trend Cigars, sampler packs, boxes, accessories and so on...

Maybe in the future offering a Magazine to all members with some advertising opportunities to manufactures...

Thanks Again!

"Enjoy your Smoke"

[craig]

I think that is covered in Article I , Section 8 , Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, but I'm a Canadian, so YMMV.