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Old October 14, 2002, 12:05 AM
Dennis Bevers
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Reducing entrepreneurial risk

Everyone's heard about using OPM (Other People's Money) to leverage their profit margin.

But have you ever heard of a business opportunity that let's the individual dealer take advantage of OPM to reduce the dealer's overhead and risk?

The company I sell for, represents over 3800 manuafacturers, printers, and miscellaneous suppliers of promotional advertising. The advance the commissions to the dealer at the time the order is placed on all pre-paid or open-account orders. So I can sell a 2003 calendar in January of 2002, receive my commissions in January, with the customer taking delivery 7 to 11 months later, but paying me up front.

On the occasion where the buyer fails to pay for their order after delivery, K & B charges the dealer back their commision, but covers all of the remaining loss on the order. Just one bad account can cost the independent thousands of dollars in lost commissions and the supplier's in

They also handle all the credit, billing, sales tax and collections duties for their dealers, leaving us more time free to market the products and opportunity.

K & B also provides order forms and pre-addressed envelopes "Free" of charge to every independent agent/dealer. In addition, every call or fax to K & B for whatever department is via toll-free numbers.

Another way to consider the value of the opportunity is to compare it to the independent distributor in the specialty advertising field.

The independent member earns 100% of the gross profit on every sale, but also bears all the credit costs and other overhead for their orders. They also carry all the risk for every order they write.

K & B pays the highest commissions in the industry of any national distributor.

Their plan is the reason why as a 108-year-old company, they were able to more than triple their sales volume in the past 10 years, from $18 Million in '92 to over $61 Million in 2002.

And, this is partly because every dealer owns their own accounts. They work as 'free agents', able to take their accounts with them if they ever find a better opportunity. With such a policy in place, K & B has to deliver for the dealers, or see their revenues decline if they don't.

Several of K & B's Top 1% dealers, were either independent agents, or selling for their competitor, before switching to K & B. Having experienced this business from another viewpoint, once they switch to K & B, there's no going back. The enhanced "bottom-line and increased respect they experience by affiliating with K & B tends to make them associates for life.

It's almost a parallel of emigration/immigration to the United States. Freedom loving people with the desire to have a better life (via capitalism and democracy) pour in to the US at a faster rate than those who choose to leave.

So, this is how K & B has used the concept of "shared risk" to grow their business at a fantastic rate.

Dennis Bevers


For advertising that produces results!