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The Mage

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Instead of repeating myself by giving the same advice over and over I have decided to make one general post for everyone, and post the link when I am responding to an introduction.

Welcome new VENDiscuss members.  You have found a great source for learning all about the vending industry.  There are plenty of experienced vendors here willing to give their advice.  I remember being the new guy, (2009) and was welcomed with open arms. 

Priority 1.  Avoid Biz-Ops.

The term Biz-Op is our term for business opportunity.  It refers to the companies that push inferior machines at inflated prices with outrageous (implied) promises.  They attempt to sell you an entire business as a kit, and even set it up for you.

Listen to the members here, and you can start for a lot less, and even make your money back a lot sooner then with the Biz-Op route.

Bulk or full line?

There are 2 basic directions to go with vending.  Bulk, and full line.  They are two different animals, and you may find one fits you better then the other.  Some do both.  Some do mostly one, with a little of the other on the side, for example a bulk vendor who also supplies beverage machines, but may not venture into snacks.

I would say that most vendors start out in bulk vending.  It is generally cheaper and easier to get into.  Then later on some make the transition to full line.

I am a bulk vendor.  I have looked into full line, and even discussed buying a full line route with a couple of vendors who were selling.  But in the end I decided it was not for me.  What I want to avoid in full line is probably what draws others to it.  It is a very personal choice.  Generally when I give my opinions, it is often centered more around bulk then full line.  I admit that I forget too easily that others do, and even prefer to do, full line, or both.

Start small.

Some of you are wondering why I am saying this when you may not even have the resources to start any other way.  But there are plenty of people who decide to get into vending, take on an extra mortgage, and end up with a garage full of machines that will never be used, or a giant route where they discover they are over their heads, and are not even sure where all the machines are.

If you just get one, or a few, the investment can be quite small, especially if they are used.  Or you could purchase a small route already running.  (Run the numbers by the members first, and they can help you figure out if it is a good deal or not.)

The next step is to actually run the business with what you have.  Learn how the machines work, and how to fix them.  You will have problems, and have to learn how to deal with them.  Once you learn how to deal with the problems with just a few machines, it will be easier to deal with those issues when running a lot of machines.

This actually is work.

Yes you are going to have to actually do work.  Many people get turned on to vending, thinking you just sit back, and the quarters come rolling in.  Well, it kind of can, but it doesn't happen by magic.  You don't just buy a machine, and suddenly it starts spitting out quarters.

This is a business, and must be treated as such.  Lots of people dream of being an entrepreneur, but don't realize the amount of work, dedication, and motivation that needs to be put into a business.  There are a lot of abandoned machines out there just because somebody found out they actually had to work.  Unlike employees, you will decide the entire direction of your business.  If your not successful, it is on you, and you won't have a boss to point your finger at.

You will also be the repairman, salesman, janitor, accountant, and delivery guy.    And your significant other will start asking you what your going to do with all this crap all over the house/apartment, and when the living/bed/dining room or garage isn't going to be full of machines and product.

If this makes you cringe, have second thoughts.  But if your like me, you would probably get a kick out of all this.

My suggestion.

No disrespect for the full line guys, (okay... you full line chicks too,  ;)) unless you know you want to get into full line, I recommend getting a couple bulk machines.  (Research the ones discussed on this forum, then decide what you want.)  Take them apart and put them back together so you understand how they work.  Clean them inside and out if they are used.  (Not a bad idea if they are new either.)  Get them into a location or two, and start servicing them.

You will quickly find out if this business is for you or not.  Like it so far? Then you start building, slowly at first.  You have the benefit of the profits from your current locations helping you fund this little project.  And as you get more and more machines, you have that much more coming in to expand further.

This is where you do what I call moving up the vending food chain.  You slowly begin to add different types of machines and products, moving into just one new type at a time.  Maybe you add sticker machines, or start testing the waters of full line with a beverage machine here and there.  At this point if you find you like full line, then bulk will help you fund getting into full line.

The point is that you take a step at a time, testing the waters each time, and find your niche.  And you build it up exactly how big you want it.  Weather you just want to add a supplemental income, build a vending empire, or do something in between.

What I love about vending is that you can have just one machine, hundreds, or any number in between.  As big or small as you want it.  You can also decide if you want to invest plenty of your hard earned money into building this enterprise, or after starting up, building very slowly, only using the revenue resulting from your first machines to expand.

Good luck, and don't forget to thank Steve C (W) for starting, and working hard to maintain this forum.  And notice the little donation bar on the left.  Even if you don't donate now, once you start benefiting from this forum, it is nice to give a little back to help keep this forum running.

If other more experienced members want to chime in and give their advice, maybe even disagree with me, or tell me where I am wrong, I encourage this.  I know I only scratched the surface, and honestly I still feel like a newbie. 

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  • 1 month later...

I can't begin to thank you enough for all the free downloadable ebooks regarding the vending business.

As someone that is trying to diversify their product portfolio, I truly appreciate it. I hope to be a valuable member soon.

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  • 2 months later...

I've been enjoying these forums and want to thank the hosts for maintaining them. I've been in vending for a short time, but I've had a few rapid spurts. I started a little over 3 months ago and since then have acquired closed to 250 accounts (I actually need to count the exact amount of clients but it is close to that). I've been lucky enough to have acquired 150 by acquision, and 100ish by adding my own accounts. I operate in both bulk toy and crane equipment areas. I have not invested a lot of money into this program I built, so I've been lucky. Most of the equipment I own is less than 5 years old, and was purchased from a colleague who was unable to work any more. My biggest expense was upgrading coin mechanisms to 50 cents or 1.00 vends.

I am considering going into the full line field, since that is where I originally was looking to build my business. I don't know much about it and hope to learn some more here in these forums. I plan on buying more accounts that match my growing routes and welcome my friends on the forums to ask questions. I've learned a lot and continue to learn more daily.

My background is in service and I'm very strong at lead generation which is why I'm able to get accounts quickly. I also have relatives in a similiar field so getting started has been easy for me.

I am extremely strong with computers and have worked as a project manager for years.

Ray

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for your advice. I just bought my first 2 machines used yesterday and I have a full head of grey hair now. I thought that it was as simple as put product in move some knobs to set the prices and as you say quarters start coming in. It took me 2 hours to realize this is not true. Both machines have problems and I feel that it is simply because of my lack of experience. I had a guy come by my house he actually just stopped by because he seen the vending machine outside and offer help and told me about this website. Thanks bishop you where allot of help and came right before I lost it. If anyone has any advice for me please give it. Regardless of how much work this may be to start up or even to keep it up I have the motivation and determination to keep it going. So I need every bit of advice that anyone can give.

Steve

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I had a guy come by my house he actually just stopped by because he seen the vending machine outside and offer help and told me about this website.

This is the second time today that I've read about a new member who was referred by an existing member. (In person) This is great!

Welcome sflint!

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Thanks for the welcome! I am brand new to this as I don't even own any machines yet but the advise in this forum has already helped me greatly. I am personally looking into starting in full line, but I may offer bulk as an additional service for any indoor locations I get since I will already be stopping in weekly to biweekly to fill the soda and snack machines. My background is in customer service and sales (although boy, do I hate sales!)

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Sales is the most profitable aspect of what you do.

But since you have experience with sales, what specifically do you dislike about sales? There are plenty of businesses that are horrible at training salesmen, or have rules that really are not conductive to sales. Or rules that are great for their short term success, but horrible for long term success.

For our business, the sale does not end when the machine is placed. You will be entering the place of business regularly, and often interacting with these people. You want them happy to have you and your machines there.

Being attentive to customer needs, taking good care of the machines, and being friendly, presentable, and approachable while doing the job is part of the sales. It is keeping the location.

I know some have mentioned when you have a charity location, you are supposed to be on pins and needles about servicing the machines. That you want to get in and out, and hopefully not be seen while servicing the machines. But I have never done that myself. I want to make sure that if they do think about kicking me out, the people there would miss the "candy guy" that took such good care of the machines, and was so nice to everyone.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello All,

I'm completely new to vending and also live in a country where vending is a new business. Therefore I'm looking for all the help and guidance I can get.

Looking forward to learn and share from everybody here.

Nice welcome post.

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  • 2 months later...

I came into this from a very different way. I work in a small public library. We are thinking outside the box for ways to raise revenue and stay open. I found a used DN machine on Craigslist and took a chance. Our library is located right next to a park that holds a skate park and soccer fields. There is no drinking water source except for our bubblers in the lobby. I saw an opportunity and took it. I bought a machine that does both bottles and cans. Before I even bought the machine I had started doing research on the web (I am a librarian), about what to buy, replacement parts, etc. I was able to find a forum post where a gentleman said he posted the manual for my machine, but the link failed. So, I am working to find solutions to the problems my machine has. It's like a giant puzzle. It's fun and frustrating. My machine works, kinda. When i drop in the coins, it says "use exact change" then spits out my quarters. The young guy I bought it from said it needs a "relay". But, I have already figured out what button is what slot, and how to stack the products. So out of my league, but I must forge ahead in order to make this work for my library. Any help would be appreciated especially how to get my hands on the manual. Dixie Narco machine. Thanks for allowing me to read/learn. Jselm

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Everyone! I'm excited to be apart of your forum. I'm new to the bulk candy business. I just purchased 35 vendstar 3000 triple heads and 2 Uturns. I will be locating in the Savannah Ga area. I am in the military, wanting to try this out part time. I have already read through several topics which is cheaper than buying an ebook. I'm also looking at maybe 10 honor boxes.

Thanks

Simple Southern Vending

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Instead of repeating myself by giving the same advice over and over I have decided to make one general post for everyone, and post the link when I am responding to an introduction.

Welcome new VENDiscuss members. You have found a great source for learning all about the vending industry. There are plenty of experienced vendors here willing to give their advice. I remember being the new guy, (2009) and was welcomed with open arms.

Priority 1. Avoid Biz-Ops.

The term Biz-Op is our term for business opportunity. It refers to the companies that push inferior machines at inflated prices with outrageous (implied) promises. They attempt to sell you an entire business as a kit, and even set it up for you.

Listen to the members here, and you can start for a lot less, and even make your money back a lot sooner then with the Biz-Op route.

Bulk or full line?

There are 2 basic directions to go with vending. Bulk, and full line. They are two different animals, and you may find one fits you better then the other. Some do both. Some do mostly one, with a little of the other on the side, for example a bulk vendor who also supplies beverage machines, but may not venture into snacks.

I would say that most vendors start out in bulk vending. It is generally cheaper and easier to get into. Then later on some make the transition to full line.

I am a bulk vendor. I have looked into full line, and even discussed buying a full line route with a couple of vendors who were selling. But in the end I decided it was not for me. What I want to avoid in full line is probably what draws others to it. It is a very personal choice. Generally when I give my opinions, it is often centered more around bulk then full line. I admit that I forget too easily that others do, and even prefer to do, full line, or both.

Start small.

Some of you are wondering why I am saying this when you may not even have the resources to start any other way. But there are plenty of people who decide to get into vending, take on an extra mortgage, and end up with a garage full of machines that will never be used, or a giant route where they discover they are over their heads, and are not even sure where all the machines are.

If you just get one, or a few, the investment can be quite small, especially if they are used. Or you could purchase a small route already running. (Run the numbers by the members first, and they can help you figure out if it is a good deal or not.)

The next step is to actually run the business with what you have. Learn how the machines work, and how to fix them. You will have problems, and have to learn how to deal with them. Once you learn how to deal with the problems with just a few machines, it will be easier to deal with those issues when running a lot of machines.

This actually is work.

Yes you are going to have to actually do work. Many people get turned on to vending, thinking you just sit back, and the quarters come rolling in. Well, it kind of can, but it doesn't happen by magic. You don't just buy a machine, and suddenly it starts spitting out quarters.

This is a business, and must be treated as such. Lots of people dream of being an entrepreneur, but don't realize the amount of work, dedication, and motivation that needs to be put into a business. There are a lot of abandoned machines out there just because somebody found out they actually had to work. Unlike employees, you will decide the entire direction of your business. If your not successful, it is on you, and you won't have a boss to point your finger at.

You will also be the repairman, salesman, janitor, accountant, and delivery guy. And your significant other will start asking you what your going to do with all this crap all over the house/apartment, and when the living/bed/dining room or garage isn't going to be full of machines and product.

If this makes you cringe, have second thoughts. But if your like me, you would probably get a kick out of all this.

My suggestion.

No disrespect for the full line guys, (okay... you full line chicks too, ;)) unless you know you want to get into full line, I recommend getting a couple bulk machines. (Research the ones discussed on this forum, then decide what you want.) Take them apart and put them back together so you understand how they work. Clean them inside and out if they are used. (Not a bad idea if they are new either.) Get them into a location or two, and start servicing them.

You will quickly find out if this business is for you or not. Like it so far? Then you start building, slowly at first. You have the benefit of the profits from your current locations helping you fund this little project. And as you get more and more machines, you have that much more coming in to expand further.

This is where you do what I call moving up the vending food chain. You slowly begin to add different types of machines and products, moving into just one new type at a time. Maybe you add sticker machines, or start testing the waters of full line with a beverage machine here and there. At this point if you find you like full line, then bulk will help you fund getting into full line.

The point is that you take a step at a time, testing the waters each time, and find your niche. And you build it up exactly how big you want it. Weather you just want to add a supplemental income, build a vending empire, or do something in between.

What I love about vending is that you can have just one machine, hundreds, or any number in between. As big or small as you want it. You can also decide if you want to invest plenty of your hard earned money into building this enterprise, or after starting up, building very slowly, only using the revenue resulting from your first machines to expand.

Good luck, and don't forget to thank Steve C (W) for starting, and working hard to maintain this forum. And notice the little donation bar on the left. Even if you don't donate now, once you start benefiting from this forum, it is nice to give a little back to help keep this forum running.

If other more experienced members want to chime in and give their advice, maybe even disagree with me, or tell me where I am wrong, I encourage this. I know I only scratched the surface, and honestly I still feel like a newbie.

Great post!

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  • 3 months later...

Hi everyone. My names brian and I'm 18. I'm just getting started in bulk vending and bought 5 seaga double head candy machines and am really excited to try to get my first locations. I have just started reading this forum and already learned a ton. thanks for the great info!

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Hi Everyone!

I am just getting started in Bulk vending. About a month ago, my husband and I took a 7-hour, spur of the moment trip to buy our first 13 UTurn vending machines that had been stored in someone's basement for the last several years. We got a good deal if you don't count all the time, cleaning supplies & paint that we spent fixing them up. A month later, and we finally have them repainted and looking nice enough to place! I also got my first location today at a bank! I really wish I would have found this forum sooner because I think I would have made better choices to begin with. I look forward to learning from others on here who have been in the industry for a while. Thanks for this great site! : )

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Instead of repeating myself by giving the same advice over and over I have decided to make one general post for everyone, and post the link when I am responding to an introduction.

Welcome new VENDiscuss members. You have found a great source for learning all about the vending industry. There are plenty of experienced vendors here willing to give their advice. I remember being the new guy, (2009) and was welcomed with open arms.

Priority 1. Avoid Biz-Ops.

The term Biz-Op is our term for business opportunity. It refers to the companies that push inferior machines at inflated prices with outrageous (implied) promises. They attempt to sell you an entire business as a kit, and even set it up for you.

Listen to the members here, and you can start for a lot less, and even make your money back a lot sooner then with the Biz-Op route.

Bulk or full line?

There are 2 basic directions to go with vending. Bulk, and full line. They are two different animals, and you may find one fits you better then the other. Some do both. Some do mostly one, with a little of the other on the side, for example a bulk vendor who also supplies beverage machines, but may not venture into snacks.

I would say that most vendors start out in bulk vending. It is generally cheaper and easier to get into. Then later on some make the transition to full line.

I am a bulk vendor. I have looked into full line, and even discussed buying a full line route with a couple of vendors who were selling. But in the end I decided it was not for me. What I want to avoid in full line is probably what draws others to it. It is a very personal choice. Generally when I give my opinions, it is often centered more around bulk then full line. I admit that I forget too easily that others do, and even prefer to do, full line, or both.

Start small.

Some of you are wondering why I am saying this when you may not even have the resources to start any other way. But there are plenty of people who decide to get into vending, take on an extra mortgage, and end up with a garage full of machines that will never be used, or a giant route where they discover they are over their heads, and are not even sure where all the machines are.

If you just get one, or a few, the investment can be quite small, especially if they are used. Or you could purchase a small route already running. (Run the numbers by the members first, and they can help you figure out if it is a good deal or not.)

The next step is to actually run the business with what you have. Learn how the machines work, and how to fix them. You will have problems, and have to learn how to deal with them. Once you learn how to deal with the problems with just a few machines, it will be easier to deal with those issues when running a lot of machines.

This actually is work.

Yes you are going to have to actually do work. Many people get turned on to vending, thinking you just sit back, and the quarters come rolling in. Well, it kind of can, but it doesn't happen by magic. You don't just buy a machine, and suddenly it starts spitting out quarters.

This is a business, and must be treated as such. Lots of people dream of being an entrepreneur, but don't realize the amount of work, dedication, and motivation that needs to be put into a business. There are a lot of abandoned machines out there just because somebody found out they actually had to work. Unlike employees, you will decide the entire direction of your business. If your not successful, it is on you, and you won't have a boss to point your finger at.

You will also be the repairman, salesman, janitor, accountant, and delivery guy. And your significant other will start asking you what your going to do with all this crap all over the house/apartment, and when the living/bed/dining room or garage isn't going to be full of machines and product.

If this makes you cringe, have second thoughts. But if your like me, you would probably get a kick out of all this.

My suggestion.

No disrespect for the full line guys, (okay... you full line chicks too, ;)) unless you know you want to get into full line, I recommend getting a couple bulk machines. (Research the ones discussed on this forum, then decide what you want.) Take them apart and put them back together so you understand how they work. Clean them inside and out if they are used. (Not a bad idea if they are new either.) Get them into a location or two, and start servicing them.

You will quickly find out if this business is for you or not. Like it so far? Then you start building, slowly at first. You have the benefit of the profits from your current locations helping you fund this little project. And as you get more and more machines, you have that much more coming in to expand further.

This is where you do what I call moving up the vending food chain. You slowly begin to add different types of machines and products, moving into just one new type at a time. Maybe you add sticker machines, or start testing the waters of full line with a beverage machine here and there. At this point if you find you like full line, then bulk will help you fund getting into full line.

The point is that you take a step at a time, testing the waters each time, and find your niche. And you build it up exactly how big you want it. Weather you just want to add a supplemental income, build a vending empire, or do something in between.

What I love about vending is that you can have just one machine, hundreds, or any number in between. As big or small as you want it. You can also decide if you want to invest plenty of your hard earned money into building this enterprise, or after starting up, building very slowly, only using the revenue resulting from your first machines to expand.

Good luck, and don't forget to thank Steve C (W) for starting, and working hard to maintain this forum. And notice the little donation bar on the left. Even if you don't donate now, once you start benefiting from this forum, it is nice to give a little back to help keep this forum running.

If other more experienced members want to chime in and give their advice, maybe even disagree with me, or tell me where I am wrong, I encourage this. I know I only scratched the surface, and honestly I still feel like a newbie.

I started in the candy vending business 2 years ago with my daughters. I started with just one tri-vend candy machine, and now up to 3 candy machines and 1 sticker machine. Like you stated above, it is work, monthly we go and service the machines, refill if needed and socialize with the business owner's that gave us permission to place our machine there. I just wanted to test the waters before I would invest in many more machines. So Far So Good...

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Thanks for the welcome. I just joined the forum today and I'm super excited to learn about vending. My husband and I are interested in the coffee vending business. We were introduced into the industry by the barista mini cafe company (canmart) at a franchise expo. I'm glad that I read up on them on this forum and didn't pay the $11,000 "dealer business program fee" which does not include 1 machine. We were scheduled to come up with the down payment in 3 days. Thanks to you guys we didn't get ripped off. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to learning more.

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Glad to see people still like my post. These are things I mostly learned after coming here.

Welcome everyone, you found the right place.

Good luck building your vending businesses.

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