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Operating a vending machine business has its rewards: high profit margins, and relatively little to do but refill machines and make sure they’re in good condition. Because you don’t have to police your machines, and indeed, will likely sell more if you don’t stand near them, there is a certain risk in leaving your machines all alone to be vandalized or damaged by inconsiderate customers. The best way to prevent this from occurring is to take care in placement of the machines. Placing them outside or in areas with little foot traffic or with high incidences of gangs or crime will almost certain …

People have been chewing on gum for a long time. Well, stuff that somewhat resembles gum as we know it today. The Ancient Greeks chewed on resin from the bark of the mastiche tree, the Native Americans used resin from spruce trees and got settlers into the habit as well. The settlers commercialized it and sold spruce resin lumps to others, spreading the idea. In 1884, Thomas Adams developed Adam’s Black Jack, which was a licorice-flavored chicle gum, made with resin from a sapodilla tree. Shortly thereafter, William Wrigley began working on the mass production of gum, and after developing Wrig …

Starting a vending machine business is a viable opportunity for anyone who has some business sense and a bit of cash on hand for the initial investment. It isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, nor is it simply a hands-off investment. A vending machine business can be fun and provide a flexible schedule, if you’re willing to put in a little time and effort. Vending machines come in all shapes and sizes and at all different prices. The general rule of thumb is to avoid cheaply made machines and make sure the coin mechanism (the most used and thus, most vulnerable part) is metal, not plastic. You don’t …

So you took the plunge and you now have your very own vending machines on location. Now, you have to service them! The first month is always both exciting and nerve-racking because you can count how much or how little money you have. If you discover a machine has done poorly in its first month (50 cents would be considered poor), don’t pull it just yet! Re-evaluate the placement within the location: is it where most customers would travel? Is it hidden or next to packaged candy? (many people would rather just buy a bag of candy and take it with them then dig out a quarter and have to hold cand …

Many vending route operators donate a portion of their profits to charities in order to make it easier to secure locations and encourage location owners to allow them in. It’s a twist on commissions vending, where the route operator pays the location owner a percentage of sales each month. If you choose to do “charity vending,” you first need to find a charity you’d like to support. Simply call to places you’d be interested in helping out and ask if they have programs for vendors to donate money, and if they have stickers available to place on the machines. It’s always going to be easier to pl …