Business Opportunities

Business opportunities cover a broad spectrum of careers. These are some popular ones: Turnkey operations: a business model where a product or service is ready to be sold or provided immediately after the purchase without additional input by the purchaser. Distributorships: an independent agent has the right to sell and market another company’s products to dealers, but cannot use that company’s name as part of their own. Dealers: similar to distributorships, except the sales are to consumers and retailers. Network/multi-level marketing: an agent sells products directly to consumers and recruits others into the program as well. Usually, a commission is paid to the agent on their own sales and the sales of the agents they have recruited into the program. Trademark/product licenses: a company grants a licensee the right to use the seller’s trade name along with their methods, products, equipment and/or technology. Rack jobbers: a company sells their products through store racks that an agent services. The company maintains the racks, and the agent is in control of the inventory and how to display the merchandise. Periodically, the agent will notify the company of what was sold, and the company will send a commission check. Vending machine routes: similar to rack jobbers, except the agent (vendor, in this case) must pay for the machine and the product. The agent also has to service the machines him- or herself. Work from home opportunities: a company contracts an agent to do work remotely, most often by computer. Examples include taking surveys from home, data entry work, affiliate marketing, and many more. Traditionally, with the purchase of a business opportunity, the buyer owns the business outright and can customize many aspects of the business to their tastes. When a potential business owner contacts a person (or entity) selling a business opportunity, they are contracting with that licenser for a business system including training, equipment or a service method that the licenser has been through the growing pains with and has made profitable. Traditionally, once the purchase is finalized, and training—if applicable—is completed, the relationship is usually over. Costs: Typically less expensive than a franchise, with few requiring royalty payments. Structure: Less structured operations allowing for owners to implement the systems that work best for them along with easier customization of the business. Ongoing Support: Usually there is little contact between the seller and purchaser of the business opportunity after the business is set up. Any support is usually informal and not based upon a contract. Legal Regulation: Varies from state to state. Usually the licensee must provide some sort of disclosure to the purchaser. If you’re simply looking for a jumpstart and desire more flexibility, a business opportunity is probably the route for you.