Reading the Vendor Contract By: Tyler Hunter, Spirit Box Alum
Reading the Vendor Contract
By: Tyler Hunter, Spirit Box Alum
Whether you already have a Spirit Box, are looking to get one, or you are looking to grow, the first thing you should always do is read your school’s vendor contract. A vendor contract is an agreement between the school and a company essentially saying that the school will only buy certain products from this company. For example, many schools have contracts with Coke or Pepsi. Some schools have rules about food, drinks, both, or neither.
Why it is important to always read a contract
Contracts typically expire every couple of years and need to be re-signed. During this period, the contract is reviewed and changes are made if necessary. If the contract is almost expired, find out when your school will be re-signing it and identify the changes they are making, if they are making any. By staying on top of the changes in the contract, you will ensure that your team is not breaking any rules and you will also be able to identify loopholes sooner rather than later.
Tips on reading your schools vending contract
When it comes to contracts, the first place to start is reading the contract with your team. Within the contract, there will be a lot of information that does not pertain to you. However, there will be information that you and your team need to know. What I recommend is getting a physical copy of the contract and highlighting any information that may be vital in the future. It is always a good idea to ask questions about the contract.
Ask questions. If my team did not get the answers we were looking for, we would ask to have a meeting with staff that were higher up. Eventually, we had a conversation with the superintendent. One of the best places to go to ask questions is the company itself. My team and I had numerous phone calls with Coke. Coke made themselves available when we had questions and all other companies will do the same thing. We did not stop until we got answers because our business depended on the answers. They are business and trust me, business people love talking to young adults interested in business.
What TO Do:
Read the contract very thoroughly to ensure you do not sign on something you will regret in the future
Triple check with your school administration and food representatives for your school to make sure you’re not crossing any lines, including loopholes
Make sure the entire Spirit Box team is on the same page and reads the contract and understands it well
Stress the importance of the contracts to future team members
ALWAYS be polite if you have questions or concerns with the contract
What NOT TO Do:
Argue and fight the school
Argue and fight the company
Find loopholes without asking permission first
Building strong relationships
As long as you're professional to your school and the company, they may let a few things slide. These little things will make the biggest difference in your Spirit Box. On top of that, the school and the company will be much more lenient about things in the future. How cool would it be to have a professional business relationship with a company like Coke as a high school student? One of the only reasons my team and I were able to accomplish so much was because we built a relationship with our vendors.
Final thoughts
Contracts can be intimidating and confusing. Don’t let that deter you from diving into them. Reading your schools vendor contract will help you stay in compliance and avoid a lot of frustrations from trial and error.