How does selling through a distributor work?

Selling through a distributor, huh? It’s kind of like… imagine having a really well-connected friend, right? One who knows all the shop owners and can get your homemade cookies into their stores. You bake a giant batch, sell them the whole lot at a decent price (though, let’s be real, probably less than you could get selling them individually at the farmer’s market, sigh). But then – and this is the kicker – they do all the legwork. They schlep the cookies around, convince the store owners to stock them, deal with the displays, the whole nine yards. You just bake.

Sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? I mean, think about it – suddenly your cookies are everywhere! Like, maybe even in that fancy deli downtown! Remember how I tried to get my granola bars into that place? Nightmare. They didn’t even return my calls. A distributor could’ve handled that, no problem.

But then… there’s the flip side. What if they stack your carefully crafted, organic, gluten-free, vegan, triple-chocolate-chip cookies next to…gasp… generic brand oatmeal raisin?! Or, what if they mark them up so high that no one buys them? It’s a trade-off, you know? Less hassle, wider reach, but… less control. Kind of like letting your younger sibling babysit. They might do a great job, but…you’re still kinda nervous, aren’t you? It’s your precious cargo, after all! These are your cookies we’re talking about! (Or, you know, whatever product you’re selling. ????) I read somewhere that something like 70% of B2B transactions involve distributors, so it’s clearly a popular model. Still makes me think twice, though. So much to consider…