A retail distributor is a person or business that purchases goods from a manufacturer or wholesaler and sells them to the general public. Without formal education or training, a person can usually become a retail distributor. However, if he goes to college and earns a business degree or at the very least takes some business management courses, he may have a better chance of succeeding in this field. In general, a person who wants to work as a retail distributor will need a business plan, a location to store and sell his products, business licensing, and some money to invest.
Consumers are rarely sold directly by manufacturers. Rather, they sell their products to wholesalers and retail distributors, who then distribute them to end users. A retail distributor may stock thousands of items or only a few. Some retail distributors, in fact, work from home, selling their wares over the internet.
A person who wants to work as a retail distributor can get a college education or take a few business courses to learn how to run a company. However, this business can be started without any formal education. A person can also read books on how to start a retail business or trade magazines to gain valuable insight into the retail industry.
When a person is ready to take the next step toward becoming a retail distributor, he must first decide what products he wants to sell. For example, he could choose to specialize in a single product line, such as cosmetics, or he could branch out and take on a variety of product lines. If you have limited funds and business experience, you might want to start with one type of product and then expand after you’ve gained some experience and a steady profit. He’ll need to find a manufacturer or wholesaler who can supply these products at a reasonable price after deciding on a product or group of products.
A person who wants to become a retail distributor will typically need a business plan that outlines what he will sell, who will be his suppliers, how he will market his products, and what he hopes to accomplish. A business plan can help him not only stay focused on his business goals, but also if he needs to apply for a loan.
An aspiring retail distributor will almost always require business licenses as well as a location to store or sell his goods. Some people may only sell on the Internet and thus require less storage space. Others may cater to walk-in customers and require a space large enough to sell, display, and store merchandise. Furthermore, even if they have a physical location, some retail distributors sell over the Internet.