How to Become an AGD Dealer

[SlartyBartFast]

Locally, there are no requirements for individually owned businesses to have either a business licence or a federal or provincial sales tax number unless a minimum value of annual sales is attained. So I will not need to register a company unless I foresee surpassing the annual sales level as set by the federal and provincial governments.

And some of the info on the Aigun website is seriously outdated.
Please Note: Airgun Designs does not sell any of its paintball markers on a retail basis (or factory direct). A pePlease Note: Airgun Designs does not sell any of its paintball markers on a retail basis (or factory direct). A person interested in purchasing any of our paintball markers should contact a dealer. If you need help finding a dealer in your area, you may call us during regular business hours. rson interested in purchasing any of our paintball markers should contact a dealer. If you need help finding a dealer in your area, you may call us during regular business hours.

[Kevmaster]

You have to provide one of the former as proof of business as recognised by your local.

You have to provide one of the latter also to prove your a ligit business. Can you not take a picture of your store? Have you not printed one flier?


The object is to prevent people (likely such as you) who are not a "real" paintball retailer from attaining dealer status. They want people like you to call them and pay full MSRP.

The AO-AGD dealers are ligit storefronts.

[BlackVCG]

He's got a point. I'd like to know what the real answer is to all of this.

For example, I know Roguefactor doesn't have a retail store that people come walking into. He's just an online dealer. So how did he surpass the "provide visual proof of your business"?

Same goes for Shartley and Tunaman. They are both AGD dealers and as far as I know they just sell stuff online.

From what I gather and I could be completely wrong, but it sounds like Slarty wants to stock AGD stuff to sell to people in his area to get more AGD products out, but doesn't want to be a full time dealer selling all the other manufacturers stuff because all the other stores in the area already sell that stuff.

[Bad_Dog]

Well from talking to Tunaman; I know that his business is technically Mail Order...

but the fact that hes also an AGD Tech (can flash boards and such) and an AO Moderator... maby they pulled some strings for him :) He also told me that he has over 50 mags in stock on any given day... kinda cool if you ask me...

[cphilip]

I can tell you that I had to obtain a Business license, construct a store and ally with a field. By constructing a store I had to convert almost half of my lower home structure (24X36 feet area) to accomadate it, and therefore pay taxes as a home business on that portion as well. Not only that but file monthly Tax reports on income and sales and yearly file a total tax report for the property taxes as a business. Finaly I just got to the point it was not worth it. And I can tell you that MANY of the people out there that claim to be dealers do not do it according to all rules and law. cutting corners to cut overhead and therefor making it impossible for people who do the overhead correctly to make any profit. There are plenty of ways to make MORE money for your effort than Paintball. Most of them involve you having a skill into the mix. Reselling and reconfiguring some bolt on paintball equipment and farming out stuff is not what I am referring to here. The profit margin is slim when you don't really do much to it but slap a few things on it and ship it out.

So for me its a rather lost cause. I just don't do it anymore and have not for some time now. I do some serious mechanical restorations on Vintage vehicles now that bring me GOBS more money than paintball equipment ever will. And do it at my leasure and all that. And it brings me MUCH more satisfaction because its all my work. Not just unbolting this and bolting on that. I mean its all artistic and problem solving. Work that is done with your hands that brings something back to like is way more valuable and satisfying than simple retailing ever will be. And this is purely that most times. However I must say we do have a couple of people here that work with thier hands and actualy do that artistic things. Thats cool. But selling as a dealer and just reconfiguring? Or just taking stuff other actually make and slapping it on and calling it yours? Not so much fun at all to me. Easy to do but... just not satisfying at all. And not very profitable for you time. Want to make like 3 bucks an hour? Sure.... do it then.

But I seriously doubt most internet online dealers are completely legit in their dealings with their local authorities and the IRS as well. But thats their problem to deal with some day. In the mean time I can advise you to stay out of the Paintball business. It's nasty. Peoples true uglyness shows through in this one more than most. However those few you meet that are honest as Abe are worth it if you ever can find them. There are a few good peps out there. And AGD dealers include some of them.

[cphilip]

He's got a point. I'd like to know what the real answer is to all of this.

For example, I know Roguefactor doesn't have a retail store that people come walking into. He's just an online dealer. So how did he surpass the "provide visual proof of your business"?

Same goes for Shartley and Tunaman. They are both AGD dealers and as far as I know they just sell stuff online.

From what I gather and I could be completely wrong, but it sounds like Slarty wants to stock AGD stuff to sell to people in his area to get more AGD products out, but doesn't want to be a full time dealer selling all the other manufacturers stuff because all the other stores in the area already sell that stuff.

Shartley is not an AGD dealer as far as I know. I think your confusing AGD with AO. And knowing Sam I can tell you he is straight with his legal stuff. He was in busness on his own before he dabbled in any AO stuff.

Tuna is part of PBX. And I also know he keeps his stuff straight.

I dunno Rouges situation at all so I will not comment on that. He can.

[Mastema]

There already is a AGD reseller in the Montreal Area.

It's "Centre Recreatif Les Patriotes"

Call them if you need anything.

1-877-743-4977

[CoolHand]

In the mean time I can advise you to stay out of the Paintball business. It's nasty. Peoples true uglyness shows through in this one more than most. However those few you meet that are honest as Abe are worth it if you ever can find them. There are a few good peps out there. And AGD dealers include some of them.

Truer words have never been spoken.

When I run across a good contact, or a subcontractor that will actually hold up their end of a deal, I am absolutely tickled ****less. Mostly because I've had to get screwed by ten others to find that one great guy. When money is involved, people get less than cordial, real quick.

My advice to you is this:

#1 - Don't do business with anyone you like. Ever. This includes extendend family, and friends of family. There will always come a time when a disagreement will force you to choose between letting them screw you, or making them angry (and by extension several other people you like too). Now, before you get up in arms, I'm not talking straight up retail, I'm talking about partnerships, and real "Business", not sales.

#2 - Don't try to be everyone's friend, but don't be unlikeable either. If you're too easy going, people will eventually feel the need to take advantage of you, but people would rather deal with people they like (in a casual sense), so don't be too grumpy either. Firm but polite is the way my dad always put it.

#3 - Don't always take people at face value. I generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but once I see a few tell tale signs, I brace for impact. Every once in a while I get it wrong and end up with egg on my face, but usually, I save myself from getting it put to me.

#4 - Do follow the rules as best you can. There is an old saying - "Only two things in life are constant - Death and Taxes." You can dodge neither forever.

#5 - Don't ever under any circustances come to existing dealers looking for advice on how to start up a business (or in this case an account) that will ultimately compete with them. We will tell you how the business really is, and ruin your outlook on paintball as a whole.

[BOOMING VOICE] You read it! You can't UNread it! [/BOOMING VOICE]

Advice

[shartley]

[SlartyBartFast]

Thanks for the replys everyone.

You must provide 1 of the 3. Not a difficult task. And actually easy to provide all 3 if you are legitimate and wish to.

Well, actually you're not correct on that one. In Quebec you can be a completely legitimate and legal "business" as long as it's single owner and generates less than about 30,000 a year. You just fill out all income and costs on an attachement to your personal income tax report. After that point, you need to register with the two levels of government for sales tax ID numbers and collect sales tax and file sales tax reports.

And Mastema, thanks for the pointer to "Les Patriotes". When did they start? I've only started looking at www.paintballmontreal.com and had noticed them mentioned.

[rkjunior303]

that's one thing everyone needs to look at, before even answering the questions. Quebec laws are different than US laws, when it comes to businesses (i assume). Although, the input could be good guidance, it may not come into play at all when it boils down to the actual business law of it.

[SlartyBartFast]

#5 - Don't ever under any circustances come to existing dealers looking for advice on how to start up a business (or in this case an account) that will ultimately compete with them. We will tell you how the business really is, and ruin your outlook on paintball as a whole.

True. But I figure that I wouldn't really be competition to any AO Dealers as there are currency, customs, and shipping issues taht make it difficult for them to deal with Canadian orders.

I'll be calling "les patriotes". I might be too late in my quest...

[SlartyBartFast]

As for SlartyBartFast becoming a dealer...that's great! AGD needs dealers now more than ever so power to ya! Let me know if you need any help with it!

I'd probably need all the help you'd like to give.

Guess I got to start with a call to AGD though.

[GA Devil]

wow funny sometimes how a simple question can form such a debate between people who are trying to do the same thing and honestly shouldnt be fighting each other but helping. The 1 totally true thing ive read in theis tho is how ugly the industry is. Things happen between people that are unheard of and make no sense but fact of the matter is it gets real ugly real fast. Ive had my outs with a few people even here in AO but again ive made very good business deals here in AO as well. Just my 42 cents worth.

[SlartyBartFast]

You can be a totally legitimate business in the US as a individual doing business as sole proprietor by those factors, doesnt mean you are a legitimate retail(or paintball) business. Paintball manufacturers wish to sell to businesses, not individuals.

I think you are confusing "legitimate paintball business" with "legitimate and legal business". Technically, running a booth at the flea market or a corner hot dog stand is a legitimate business. Just not ones that Paintball Manufacturers want to sell to. Which is why the rules are what they are.

There's a bit of arguing semantics in there. You're legitimate "retail" the moment you sell a product to a consumer (Retailer: An individual or firm that sells goods and services directly to the consumer).

I understand that a paintball manufacturer doesn't want to sell just a marker or two to an individual. So I can understand having sales level requirements or basing the wholesale price on rebates calculated by sales volume. I've seen wholesale catalogs that base unit price on the size of each order as well as on accumulated orders.

If a paintball manufacturer only wants to have the product sold by someone selling a complete range of paintball products, then that may be to their advantage. Obviously for AGD it has not worked as no store in the area even seems to know who they are. Given their current standing in the market, a specialised and enthusiastic seller will do far more for them than the insider controlled bigbox distribution networks.