Starting a Vending Machine Business

Starting a vending machine business

When I first started out in the vending machine business I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought choosing the machines I wanted was the hard part. Little did I realize that there is a science to picking the right places to put my new machines. Then there’s the sales part of the business, convincing the business owner that having a machine would increase their sales and make their customers want to return over and over again.

I thought that locations with the most foot traffic would always be the most profitable, but I’ve found that with few exceptions it’s the employees of a business who are the ones who use the candy machines the most. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s true.

However this doesn’t apply to sticker, tattoo and capsules machines. Those seem to do better in high traffic locations like supermarkets and convenience stores. I’ve found that the only real way to tell if a location is good or bad is by trial and error. I leave my machines at a business for a few months and then I know whether it’s the right place based on the amount of money the machine generates.

Then there’s the issue of where in the business the machine would be best located. You don’t want it hidden in a dark back corner where there’s no traffic. I had one convenience store owner whose only available space was in a dark hall by the restrooms. After three months I had only made $5.00, so I took the machine out and placed it in another business. It was a big waste of my machine.

That brings me to the selling part of the business. I’ve found selling a business owner on having a vending machine in their business can be easy if you approach the owner by just starting a conversation. I’ve found you really don’t need a script, the most important thing is being honest, confident, genuine and look the person in the eye. If the business owner says no, there’s always the option of offering to pay the owner a percentage of the sales. I’ve found that 10 percent sometimes changes the owner’s mind about having a machine in their location.

Placing machines is just like any other sales job. It’s a numbers game. There are always going to be a percentage of business owners who will say yes. If you talk to enough people you will get all your machines out in the world.

For more information about machines and the best locations to place them do like I did and contact the experts at candymachines.com.