Energy Drink Business
In June 2007 I started an Energy Drink business. There is this amazing stuff make in Europe called XL Energy Drink. At the time I was a Red Bull fanatic, but when I tasted XL, I WAS HOOKED. It tasted very similar to the leading brand, but was smoother and didn’t have that bitter aftertaste that I’d grown accustomed to.
BOTTOM LINE, I had found a better product than the “market leader.” I then figured that if I could get hooked on it so quickly, I could get everyone else in town excited about it too. My next step was to import thousands of cases of the stuff. It goes from Europe to New York, then from New York to Michigan, then from my trunk to store shelves.
It took off quickly, and within less than a year I was one of the best selling energy drinks in South Central Michigan. My next step was to find the best beer and wine distributor in SC Michigan do enter into a Joint Venture with me to help me grow my route. I found Anderson Distributing and the rest was history. They took over the sales and delivery, I oversee the marketing, local promotions, and relations with the corporate office in New York. This cut my profit, but freed me up to focus on the aspects of the business that I really loved…getting others to try the worlds best energy drink.
I tell you all this because I think it is a great time in history to just get out there and start a business. If you work hard, all the details will fall into place. Be smart, and surround yourself with smart people. NO ONE has all the answers (even though most of us think we do). Also, check out the website that I’m building to promote my product here in Michigan… http://www.xlmichigan.com Let me know what you think! Send me an e-mail if you want more information!
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April 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I just started a business. I do everything myself because it’s fun. At some point, however, I may have to consider taking on a partner. This post reminds me that I need to take a look at my weaknesses and consider how partnering or outsourcing could turn them into strengths.
Mark Lewiss last blog post..Interview with Sailor Geoff Holt
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
The best thing you can know when starting a business is what you do not know. Don’t try to be an expert at everything. Sub-contract!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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Mark Lewis Reply:
April 4th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
It’s hard to give up control!
I suppose my argument is similar to that of time versus money. Right now I enjoy and have the time to learn new things versus subcontracting that that must be learned.
Mark Lewiss last blog post..Interview with Sailor Geoff Holt
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April 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Amost Millionaire,
Your site certainly helped me to ‘excite my senses’ as you put it, and I like how your brand is featured so strongly within your site design.
Your story reminds me of the story a few decades ago of Victor Kiam, who, as described in his book, ‘Going For It’ described how he liked Remington shavers so much that he bought the company when it came up for sale.
He became known as ‘The man who bought the company.’
Andrews last blog post..Fighting Genocide through Funds Management
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Thanks Andrew. I’ve heard of Victor and am honored to have my story compared with his!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 3rd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
You know that I love XL! Looking forward to the new Sugar Free can design.
Matts last blog post..Another Episode of Writers Block…
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April 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Yes, it is great stuff. I need another case actually.
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I’ll make sure that I get my butt to BEAUTIFUL Chesterland SOON! Miss ya brother!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
So how do we get some? Will u ship it?
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April 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Dude, I have ALWAYS wanted to do something along these lines.. I may shoot you an email over the weekend..
Jake
Jakes last blog post..It’s Friday! Let’s Rock!
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Let’s hook up brother!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 3rd, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I have never heard of this brand. I have drank almost all types of energy drinks, but none come close to red bull. Great going Brandon, you surely took the right steps.
Make Money Onlines last blog post..How To Make Powerful Presentations
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April 3rd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
That is so cool! I will check out the site. I appreciate the inspiration you have given me with the franchise idea as well as this energy drink idea. While I am not interested in energy drinks, there are a lot of other products I have interest in where the same concept can work.
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
You are correct, the energy drink could be substituted for anything. Find a problem…Energy Drinks have gotten expensive! and then try to Find a solution…Great tasting drink for a better value to the end user.
Repeat with something else. That is what I’m doing with the Natural Gas Distribution business.
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
It’s a great time to follow your passion and start your own business or freelance company if you’re looking for a career change. There are a lot of opportunities out there for motivated entrepreneurs, and your story proves that!
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Amen to that! It is a great time to take the bull by the horns (no pun intended…if you even felt like that was a pun)
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 4th, 2009 at 3:20 am
I love your spirit! Good luck to you in this fanstastic endeavor!
I’d love to check it out… do you ship??
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April 4th, 2009 at 3:23 am
Ya man, I mean I never have, but I’m willing to give it a whirl. Send me an e-mail with your shipping info and I’ll get a quote from UPS or the post office to see if I can hook you up on the cheap! You’ll love it!
Brandons last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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April 4th, 2009 at 4:16 am
I’ve never heard of it and it’s not something I’ve seen advertised here. I know that the milk company whose products I distribute introduce a coffee flavoured energy drink. It was really good shit but they never marketed it properly and gave up on it way too soon for my liking, which really sucked because I liked it.
Sires last blog post..747 Rudd Rage Reduces Flight Attendant To Tears
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Brandon Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 3:54 am
You would love this stuff Sire! No coffee flavor, but it does put a little pep in your step!
Brandons last blog post..Energy Drink Business
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Sire Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 4:23 am
Pep in my step, yep that sounds good. Send over a case
Sires last blog post..The Differences Between Male And Female
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April 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I plan to start a business myself but not yet got the time to do so. I am student so its heavy on me.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Agent 001s last blog post..Warning: Optimize Your Blog ASAP!
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April 5th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Hey if you can make money while doing just basic work that’s not too bad. The best have tons of people doing work for them.
The Blogger Sources last blog post..Friday Mix – Number 3
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April 6th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Wow, you’re a super entrepreneur. How did you learn about doing imports like this? I wouldn’t have a clue where to start, or who to go to for the import, etc. even if I did find a product like that. How did you know it wasn’t somewhere else in the U.S. already? Great job…. I’ll check out the site.
MoneyEnergys last blog post..US Dollar Collapse – More Looking For Answers and Updates
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April 6th, 2009 at 4:15 am
I think maybe you should start a blog just about entrepreneurship… you have a gold mine of experience there!
MoneyEnergys last blog post..US Dollar Collapse – More Looking For Answers and Updates
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 6th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Thanks for the kind words!
That may be just the prompting that I need. Starting businesses is truly what I think God made me to do!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Pure Michigan
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April 7th, 2009 at 6:51 am
The problem with “product better than the market leader” is that it’ll always cost you a lot of money to even make people aware that there’s something else than the leader. People just associate Energy drinks with red bull and it’s relly hard to change that perception.
Gry dla Dziecis last blog post..Kolorowanka Motyl
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May 1st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog.
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June 8th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Specifics.
When you approached XL Energy drink did they tell you that a minimum order was thousands of cases. Did you suddenly start the business, if so what were the costs? How did you get the retailers to give you space and what were the terms? Did you just call the retailers and say I am selling XL how many cases do you want? (I’m sure you had a clever way to get the retailers to buy into the product) What were the break out between cost of the cases and your revenue stream?
These are the facts that can really make the story intersting. How you mananaged to make money and succeed where so many others fail. Thanks.
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June 8th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Yeah, What Richard said
Jakes last blog post..It’s Friday – Ebay Daily Deals – Come a Little Closer!
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June 9th, 2009 at 2:20 am
One other very important question, what about liability insurance?
It is my understanding that places like Safeway require manufacturers to have at least $20 million in insurance. Where can you get it and how much does it cost?
These are the real mechanics of business. I enjoyed reading your story, I just like the details too. Thanks.
Richard Sanchez
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June 12th, 2009 at 2:06 am
No Reply: maybe this whole thing was not true?
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Sorry Richard, I work quite a bit and am not a professional blogger. I generally reply when I can. That being said, your comment lists your e-mail as 123@yahoo.com I’ve sent you an e-mail there, but you never replied…is that not your real e-mail? Let me know.
Thanks,
TAM
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Why does the Stock Market Keep going up?
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June 13th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Sorry here is my email.
Your story sounds very interesting and business success stories where someone rises above the crowd, are always the best. Thanks.
Richard
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June 13th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Turnaround is fair play so here is an interesting bit about how I had some success in promoting a movie.
Several years back, I wanted to try out for a major motion picture with John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman. Rather than wait in a line all day for an audition, I arrived at the last second. There was a huge pile of actors headshots over 8,000 had tried out for the parts. Since I was one of the last I was one of the most remembered. Consequently, I had won a small part in the movie.
When the movie was released I could not get anyone to write a story about it. Consequently, I wrote a story about my experiences in making the movie and meeting the actors and sent it into the newspapers. Afterall, newspapers are looking for interesting stories and I had one. I also was able to structure the story to reflect me, I mentioned how I felt as if I had accomplished something great like Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and it was only me Richard.
Also, I got the news channel to show up at my work to do a story about the movie release on the day it was first released. I was interviewed on a local tv news show for the same reason they were looking for news and I let them know I was it, news.
Finally, the former great Tom Snyder (famous coast to coast talk show host) his producer wanted me to be on his show (it never happened due to a contractor publicist who would not give me a one minute tape of the movie to air on the show, he did not like the fact I was doing more promoting than he was doing).
I had parlayed a few shots in a movie to a newpaper story (with my picture), local tv news inveriew, and an opportunity to be on a coast to coast tv talk show on right after the Tonight Show (although, this one never happened but it should have happened). If I would have had more time (the movie was only out for about a week, it was real bad). And, the knowledge that I had learned I could have done a lot, lot more.
The key to all of it. I found is to learn how to shine above the crowd and once you do it the rest is just riding the surf.
Hope you enjoyed a little insight into the way I promote…
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November 15th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I had to give up on energy drinks…they just wasn’t cutting it for me.
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July 8th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Energy shots are the only things that give me any energy, the normal drinks don’t do anything for me.
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March 19th, 2011 at 7:24 am
I always love reading about how entrepreneurs make things work. It’s just amazing. I’m trying to train my mind to think like an entrepreneur too.lol As always great post. I’ve had my share of energy drinks when I did a lot of dancing.
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April 6th, 2011 at 7:45 am
i think each country has its specific for investment opportunities. cultural customs are also with their own specifics. few years back real estate investing was a hit, now it seems everywhere, in all countries, it dropped. when will european echonomy revive? thanks, i`ll be back for more.
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April 10th, 2011 at 8:37 am
Hello! Good work!I will definately refer to this post again! Your story very interesting and useful. Thank’s a lot.
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July 6th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Great site! Good luck for your energy drink business and thanks for the positive advice.
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September 9th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Hello there,
Really inspiring and congratulations!
I always have the same idea you had, importing energy drinks.
I live in Brazil and there´s a lack of energy drinks here.
But tell me, did you hire the NY Office to make the contract with XL in Poland?
Or did you make a contract with XL directly?
Thanks.
All the best.
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September 20th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story with us. A lot of us would like to do something similar for sure. I have a lot of products in mind that I know would be a big hit if marketed properly but the fear of it not working out keeps stopping me from going ahead.
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