From the web page http://www.nfb.org/buyers.htm THE NATIONAL BUYERS GROUP 1800 Johnson Street Baltimore, Maryland 21229 Contact John Martin at (410) 659-9314 www.nbg.org 1. What is the National Buyers Group? The National Buyers Group (NBG) was organized to assist blind vendors everywhere to take advantage of their collective buying strength. The purpose is to support individual operators in obtaining any allowances, discounts, rebates, marketing programs, national and/or reduced pricing for which they are eligible if identified with a larger multi-unit organization. When fully operational, the National Buyers Group will have the purchasing power of one of the top foodservice companies in the United States and the ability to negotiate even better terms for vendors from the nation's largest suppliers. The National Buyers Group will let you capitalize on your participation in this tremendous opportunity program. 2. Who is eligible to participate in the NBG program? Any blind person who is a licensee in the Randolph-Sheppard Vending program. The National Buyers Group's discounts, rebates, national pricing, marketing programs, etc. are available to blind entrepreneurs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to entrepreneurs in the Randolph-Sheppard program, blind persons in business not licensed in the Randolph-Sheppard program may also participate. 3. What does it cost to join? There is no membership fee or obligation to take advantage of the discounts, deals, and rebates available to the NBG. To participate we need to know your name, your business name and address, home phone, and business telephone. 4. What does the NBG do? The National Buyers Group negotiates with the hundreds of manufacturers and distributors, of quality made foods, beverages, tobacco, and other products to arrange rebates, discounts, and national pricing opportunities that the individual vendor cannot. 5. Why would I be interested in joining the NBG? You can take advantage of national pricing and volume pricing, which is determined not only from your purchases but also from purchases made by blind vendors everywhere. One of the best features of the NBG is that you do not have to change suppliers. 6. How is the NBG funded? By utilizing a proprietary database program written exclusively for the NBG, we will be able to achieve rebates from the already low or national pricing you pay. These rebates are available only through the National Buyers Group. Fifty percent of the rebate will be distributed to participating blind vendors.=20 Fifty percent of all rebate money will be retained by the NBG to pay for staff, salaries, rent, telephone, business expenses, maintenance of a database, and publishing of a national merchandising magazine. 7. How will you keep track of sales? We are creating a proprietary software program that will include the names and addresses of approximately 3,500 blind business people nationwide, as well as the names of 1,200 suppliers and more than 6,000 different products. The database will be used to track the history of sales, sales comparisons from month to month and year to year, descending value cases and dollars, cyclical sales and other valuable information. With this hard data, the National Buyers Group can approach manufacturers, brokers, and distributors with actual proof that the program works. 8. Do I have to buy exclusively from the NBG? No. Since most of the discounts and national pricing are the results of negotiation with manufacturers, you will realize the benefit of the NBG even though you are still purchasing from your current supplier. 9. Can I drop out of the program? Yes, although it is difficult to understand why one would want to avoid discounts, special deals, rebates, and refunds. It is possible to refuse them simply by notifying the NBG. 10. How will the NBG keep in touch with vendors and manufacturers? We are developing a bi-monthly magazine that will be circulated free to all vendors, state-licensing agencies, and manufacturers in the program. The magazine will feature news of interest to blind entrepreneurs in the food and snack business, including such things as new products, recipes, merchandising tips, vendor success stories, and management strategies. The magazine will provide display advertising space for manufacturers and classified advertising space for individual vendors. We are also developing an audio Internet web site that will allow us to communicate--almost instantaneously--with members of the program. 11. How will the rebates be distributed? Once you have registered with the NBG program it will take about three months to receive your initial check. After the initial waiting period, distribution will take place each quarter.=20 Checks will be issued automatically each quarter, made out to the vendor and sent to the business address you have provided. 12. How are you going to keep track of my account? The extensive database program developed for the NBG will permit us to track, on your behalf, purchases made from most national food dealers and from regional or local dealers from whom you advise us to purchase. If you will provide a list of current suppliers (optional) it will permit us to do the most accurate tracking possible. 13. What if I receive a better price on a product from my current supplier? You should continue to buy from the current supplier. However, if you contact the NBG about your good deal, we will try to negotiate that same discount for all blind vendors. 14. If I join, do I have to give up my membership to any organizations for the blind? No. There are no membership requirements or exclusions to participate in the National Buyers Group. ---------- End of Document VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List. To join or leave the list, send a message to [log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations. VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html