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Distribution* Join the Mr. Checkout Distribution Network!!* Do I have a protected territory? Would I have to compete with other distributors carrying the same pork rind and jerky labels?* How much time is required to service 100 customers? * When do I need to operate from a warehouse? * After I build my first route of 100 customers what can I do to continue growing my business? * What's an Independent Route Service Driver? * Who makes the best Route Driver, and how do you find them? * What's a Sub-Distributor? * What the best signs to use and what should they say? * What kind of promotions can be run to increase market share? * What is a Cardboard Pork Barrel? Do I have a protected territory? Would I have to compete with other distributors carrying the same pork rind and jerky labels? Yes, you have a protected territory. You are a Master Distributor and have the exclusive right to distribute the Mac's pork rind products in a protected territory. This territory could consist of a complete city metroplex and all the counties surrounding the city. You will be the only Master Distributor in this territory and can establish Sub Distributors throughout your territory, if you choose. Back to top How much time is required to service 100 customers? The majority of accounts are serviced every other week, so 50 accounts would be serviced one week, and the other 50 accounts the next week. Working 5 days a week, 10 accounts would be serviced each day, or working just 4 days a week, 12-13 accounts each day. The best time to service accounts is between 8 am and 3 pm. So 100 accounts could easily be serviced over a 2 week period working 4 days each week from 8 am to 3 pm each day. This is only 28 hours a week. Of course servicing some accounts weekly would require more stops and maybe a 5-day work week. Back to top When do I need to operate from a warehouse? You can start your distribution business operating from a warehouse, but it's not required. When you are ready to expand your business with independent route drivers it is time to lease a 1,000 to 1,500 square foot warehouse. You don't need any office space or storefront. You simply place one or two sturdy worktables in the warehouse to support a phone, fax machine, small desktop copier, desktop computer and printer. The phone, fax machine copier and printer can all be one unit now (Brother & Lexmark), which conserves space and saves money. You can operate a computer from home or at the warehouse. When signing a lease make sure you can leave your distribution vehicles parked overnight on the property close to your warehouse. Also, there must be room for a 18-wheel tractor trailer to back up to your warehouse's overhead door. Back to top After I build my first route of 100 customers what can I do to continue growing my business? Get help running your routes. Train Independent Route Drivers how to properly service a route of accounts. This training also includes teaching and demonstrating how to prospect and setup new accounts. All drivers must know how to build up their own routes and must be challenged each week to increase sales by adding new accounts and selling new products to existing accounts. Once you have delegated your existing routes you must immediately start building a new route until you are ready to hire another route driver. Never stop building routes for yourself and your drivers. Back to top What's an Independent Route Service Driver? These are people you hire to service your accounts. They sign an Independent Contractors Agreement with you and operate one of your delivery trucks or use their own. Their compensation is based on a percentage of net sales. A 15% commission is typical if they are using your truck and a 20% commission if they are using their own truck. Sample Independent Contractor agreements are included in your Starter Package. Back to top Who makes the best Route Driver, and how do you find them? Your account owners and their employees will be very interested in your distribution business. Once you have 50 accounts you will have people inquiring about becoming delivery drivers. These are the people working behind the counters checking you in. They are qualified and experienced at running a store and can easily make the transition to a route service driver. The incentive you can almost guarantee is that they will make more money each week, working less hours, distributing pork rinds. Plus, they will help you expand the route you assign them by setting up new accounts. Try and recruit a route driver who has a network of friends running and working at convenience stores. You can also run a small classified ad that says Route Drivers Needed. You will get a lot of calls and have to spend time prescreening and meeting interested callers. Most will be retired route drivers who have experience distributing bread, pastries, and products to large supermarket chains. Back to top What's a Sub-Distributor? When servicing accounts you will be approached other distributors inquiring about carrying pork rinds. As a Master Distributor you control the distribution of these products within your territory. If this distributor is established with many routes, you could set them us as a Sub Distributor and sell (wholesale) them the product from your warehouse. You can also approach other distributors you see servicing accounts. This is one way to build your business and gain market share quickly. Of course, your profit margin is much smaller selling product to a Sub Distributor. Sample Sub Distributor agreements are included in your Starter Package. Back to top What the best signs to use and what should they say? It is very important to have your product displayed properly and in the best locations available in the store. You need to attach large color star burst signs to each rack and display strip that say New Low Carb Product - Try Me, New Product - Try Me, Hard Cracklin - Try Me, or just Try Me. They come in very bright colors and many different sizes. Use a big black marker to apply your message. Star burst signs are included in your Starter Package and can be purchased over the Internet from Specialty Store Services, Inc., items 4055, 4056 and 4057. Sometimes an Office Depot will have these signs, but you have to look hard to locate them. Back to top What kind of promotions can be run to increase market share? It depends on the market and the competition for similar pork rind products. If the pork rind retail pricing in a market is over 99 cents then you have an automatic promotion with your 99 cent pre-marked products. If the prices are the same you could promote your pork rinds at a lower retail price, like 89 or 79 cents per bag. Then customers would pick up your bag because it has a lower retail price. The reason for a promotion in this business is to build up demand for a new product being introduced in the market. If customers try and like the product they will buy it again and again. The trick is to get the customer to pick up the new product, and this is done with pricing, display location and signage. Some business owners will ask for a promotion and some others will even insist on a one time initial discount. Decide how much of your profit margin to give up on the initial order. 10% to 15% is the norm in this business. Remind the owner that you have to pay for the new rack being placed in their store (you always own this rack). The profit on the first initial order goes towards covering rack costs and any promotional discounts offered to customers. Back to top What is a Cardboard Pork Barrel? It's a cardboard barrel you put together yourself. It serves as a temporary display to highlight new products. Use them, because they are provided at no cost (free) with your pork skin shipments (when ordered). These barrels are white with bright red lettering and attract attention. You should also hang display strips of cracklin on the sides of these barrels. They are only temporary displays and the top part that holds the product is not very large. You can dump 1 to 2 cases of mixed pork skins in one of these barrels and hang 2 to 6 display strips of cracklin on the sides. Back to top Join the Mr. Checkout Distribution Network! If you are starting a new distribution business, or already running a distribution busienss, your should consider joining an established network of successful distributors. Their are more than 200 Mr. Checkout distributors operating all across the country and many have recently started distributing our pork rind products. Please click on the banner below to learn about the Mr. Checkout network and all the benefits of becoming a member. 
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Home :: Products :: Displays :: FAQ's :: Contact Us
