How to Become a Vitamin Distributor

The health, diet and supplement industries have exploded since the 1990s. Vitamins are a big part of this marketplace. This increased attention on fitness and health by so many people provides a potentially profitable business opportunity for the entrepreneur who wants to sell vitamins.

Instructions

1

Make a trip down to the state taxation and revenue department and apply for a resale tax identification number. Most times you can get this number on the spot after providing some basic information about your business. This number is important because it is what the state government uses to identify you as a tax-paying business, it is what allows you to buy products that are for resale with no tax and is also almost always required by wholesale vitamin sellers.

2

Go to the city department that issues business licenses and get one for your new business. Take your state tax identification number and be prepared to answer some simple questions about the nature of your business and its location. This is usually done to ensure compliance with zoning regulations. Pay a small fee and they will issue the license. You will also need to provide a copy of this license to vitamin wholesalers with which you are applying to set up an account.

3

Visit the IRS website to apply for a federal tax ID number. This number is officially referred to as an employer identification number, or EIN. This process registers your business as a federal business taxpayer and is yet another item that will be needed when getting set up with vitamin companies. The resources section below has the IRS website address.

4

Decide which vitamin brands you want to sell, and thus which companies to which you will need to apply. Your interest in vitamins has probably already led you to have certain brands in mind, but do some more research and keep an open mind. You may be denied an account by one company and need to move on to another. This is sometimes because the company feels they already have plenty of distributors in the area and don't want to anger the current distributors by giving them more competitors. You may even choose to purchase vitamins at wholesale that can be labeled with your company branding. This is known as "private labeling." There is a resource for this also in the section below.

5

Compile all the licenses and documentation from the above steps and make contact with the vitamin companies that you have settled on. Ask to speak to someone who can assist you in setting up a new account for distributing their products. Many of these companies will have an online application process, and then you will be asked to submit your business license, tax IDs and other documentation via fax or mail. Finally, you might receive a call from the company's area sales representative asking to set up a meeting in person. If you are approved for an account, your new business is ready to start selling vitamins.