Hi everybody
I am interested in selling my juice at the local B&M and perhaps online eventually. I am wondering if there are any business licenses/permits one needs to acquire before doing so. Thank you in advance and it's been a pleasure lurking, hopefully I can contribute in the future
Shouldn't need anything license wise but at a very minimum I would set up an LLC and purchase Product Liability Insurance.
Without it, if anyone ever sues you due to some bad thing happening with your juice (and given the unknown health consequences of vaping, especially to ex-smokers) I would highly recommend it.
Will run you between $5000-7000 a year depending on who you go through. It's the last step remaining before I take my line to 5 B&M's that are waiting, but I'm probably holding off until end of first quarter 2015 hoping the FDA will decide what the hell they are going to do.
> I'm probably holding off until end of first quarter 2015 hoping the FDA will decide what the hell they are going to do.
Regardless of the result, you have 3-5 years before anything will take effect.
Sounds expensive, as I should have expected. I'm a college student with little savings so this is probably far into the future, if at all. I'm friends with the owner of the B&M is it possible for me to operate under his insurance/put his shop name on the juice? Thanks for the thorough responses everyone
You will need insurance. If you accidently kill someone with a nut allergy becuase you didnt understand that the chems in caramel contain nuts, you habe ruined your whole future, either with money or prison. the industry has got off easy so far. It is only a matter of time before frivilous, but life-ruining lawsuits to start.
It's as legal as opening a Lemonade stand. Go have fun.
...spiked with Nicotine.
I'd drink it.
Seriously though. You can buy, sell, and trade nicotine as easily as you can a bag of sugar. There's no issue or restrictions in doing so. Tobacco on the other hand is governed by a strict rule of law. Just because nicotine is in it, doesn't mean that it's the sole reason that governance exists. If that were the case, there are plenty of other products that would be affected (potato for instance). So, technically yea, ejuice can be sold just as easily as a glass of lemonade. Hell, in most places there aren't even laws against selling to minors (it's purely restricted upon preferences and call to responsibility) of that gives you any perspective. For now, it's fine. In a few years, if the current body of legislation changes (and the most recent proposal was turned away by the White House because they didn't agree with banning flavoring, etc) then maybe it will be something to take into consideration.
I don't worry about legislation as much as I worry about justified and frivolous civil lawsuits. They will come, and they will be expensive. It's why every mature market carries liability insurance. If you have never been sued, you aren't in business, you're just trying it out.
I don't sell vape products, nor do I intend to. This is just common business practice and sense.
Limit your liability and get insurance when you can afford it. It isn't a joke.
Botboy gave you good advice. I'll add that you are going to want to check out the ordinances of your county. You will most likely need a business tax license and a zoning certificate for a home based business. At least in my county, the price of all that is cheaper than 1 fine for not having them.