Vending Machine Business Fundamentals

Look around you and you’ll see vending machines in several places. Customers like to use vending machines rather than going to a local store or a restaurant these days. Most people like the convenience and time-saving capability of the vending machines so that they can minimize the time spent away from their work desk.

The best part is that customers can do it themselves. There is no need for a vending machine company to appoint personnel for making sales. The vending machines are their own salesmen. You’ll find them in malls, hospitals, doctor’s clinics, offices, airports, hotels, convenience stores, schools, colleges and other high traffic locations.

In this article, we will underline the basic elements of a vending machine business.

#1: Vending Machines
To run a vending business, it is obvious that you require vending machines. For beginners, the most popular kind of vending machines include bulk vending machines. You can choose from small products like candy, gumball, toys, stickers and bouncy balls that sell well and get reasonable profits too. Another option will be full line vending machines like Planet Antares vending equipment that allows users to buy snacks and beverages. These are very popular and in demand at various locations. If you are ready to invest a larger amount of capital, you can go for customized vending machines also. They feature state-of-the-art styles and technology to give best possible service to the customers.

#2: Vending Products
There is a wide range of vending products to choose from. To name a few, you have the option to fill your vending machines with beverages, toys, snacks, tissues, cigarettes, newspapers, medicines and even digital items like iPods. Planet Antares vending products include all sorts of snacks and beverages, both hot and cold. People of all age groups and fields always demand for snacks and drinks as quick hunger and thirst fixes.

#3: Vending Machine Maintenance and Servicing
The performance of your vending machines will have a direct impact on the performance of your vending business as a whole. So, you must ensure that the equipment is in good working condition. Set your time schedule to include effective maintenance and servicing of vending machines on your vending route. This may include cleaning the inside and outside of the machines, lubricating parts and repairing of any components that are malfunctioning.

To start as a vending machine operator, you can buy or rent one or two vending machines. This helps you in judging whether you are keen and capable of being a vending business owner without excessive investment in the same. If you plan to continue, the next step will be finding good vending locations and convincing the location owner to keep your vending machines in their premises. Once this is done, it’s time to open shop and get started!

Ingredients Of Vending Machine Business

The vending machine business is one of the best ways to get started on the path to financial independence. Even though its benefits attract many people to enter this $40 billion industry, only a few are aware of the various aspects of a vending business.

In this article, I will chalk out the most important elements of the vending machine business.

Risk
There is not much risk involved in starting a vending business. If you invest a small amount in a few vending machines, you can always sell them easily and get out of business if you don’t want to be a vending operator or incur losses. It is recommendable to begin with a small scale vending machine business so that you can get a feel of the business.

Return
There is good profit in vending business as you can buy the products for a nominal price while the selling price can be fixed at a much higher price. For example, gum balls can be bought for $0.02 each while these are sold for $0.25 each.

Machines
You need to buy vending machines from a reliable vending company like Planet Antares Inc to get value for your money. There are different types of vending machines available for meeting the feature and price requirements of different customers. Make sure that the vending machines match the locations and target customer demands.

Locations
Choose the potential locations for vending machines according to the vending machines and customers preferences. Check the various places in your area that can keep your vending machines. Also, make sure that there is heavy customer traffic and easy accessibility of vending machines at places selected for locating the equipment.

Vending commission
You will need to pay a vending commission to location owners for keeping your vending machines in their premises. If the location owner waives off the commission for a charity, you can save in this respect. However, most vending business owners will charge commission of about 10-30%.

Maintenance
You will need to set a proper schedule for servicing and maintenance of vending machines. There may also be several problems with the equipment which can be solved on your own or with help of technical support staff of the vending machine company. you must ensure that the vending route is well maintained an the machines are up and running at all times.