How Does One Become An Authorised Pelikan Retailer?

[Sach]

Just out of curiosity, if I wanted to start a business selling Pelikan Pens, how would I go about it?

[benincanada]

Call the distributor in your country

[JimCouch]

I can't speak directly to pens as I have never retailed them, however I have been in retail the majority of my working life, 17 years owning my own bike shop.

 

The post above is correct, your first stop is contacting the distributor for your country. In most cases you will need to sign a dealer agreement of some sort which will stipulate certain business practices often including stipulations regarding handling of warranty issues, pricing, and marketing. Usually the distributor will require a minimum purchase and may even dictate minimum presentation (quantities and models to be carried.)

 

You will also probably have to provide proof that you actually run a business. For some of my accessory lines a copy of my business license was enough, some bike lines required information on brick & mortar square footage, photos of the store, business volume in $. Some would only sell after a sales rep visited the store.

 

Most of the time these agreements run for a year and will be renewed each year.

 

As a new dealer you will be expected to pay COD or prior to shipment. for all your purchases in the bike industry, I would assume pens will be the same. In many industries established dealers will often get payment terms, usually 30 to 90 days to pay.

[Ron Z]

As Jim said, it's a bit more than just contacting the distributor, even if the distributor is pretty relaxed.

 

In Pa and most states you have to file a DBA (doing business as) or as Pa calls it a "fictitious name" registration, get a Federal EIN (employee identification number), and then a sales tax registration for your state. Fees and costs related to the applications vary from state to state. You should have the EIN even if you will never hire employees and are a sole proprietor. Then you are a business, with all of the privileges and obligations.

[Runnin_Ute]

1.Contact distributor

2. Call attorney & accountant or others (bank/state dept of commerce/dept of revenue all come to mind. You may want to consider LLC/Sub S registration-even as sole proprietor)

 

Distributor will let you know what they require.They may require bonding in addition to business ins etc.