Local Vending Outreach Program- Is it worth it?

[andyrosen]

[/b][/b]I partner with one of the common national charities we all use.  Recently I met with a local charity that’s quite interested in partnering with me.  I’m wondering if it’s worth my time?[/b]

[/b]My perceived pros and cons:[/b]

 

Pro-The national charity I use is very easy to work with. They provide replacement stickers any time I ask them.  They also provide other items, like brochures, and ID card at a very reasonable cost.[/b]

[/b]

Con- I operate in a very saturated market where my charity and all the others you list on this site are being used.  It’s quite common for me to be prospecting only to find my charity already being at a prospective location![/b]

[/b]

Pro- My reasons for considering using a local vendor is having a local charity that everyone knows in my area will make it easier to locate my machines and offer a charity no other competitor is using, at least for now.[/b]

[/b]

Con- This local charity, while very well established and popular, does not have a vending outreach program, so I’d need to foot the costs of the machine stickers. [/b]

[/b]So, it worth my time and if it is, what do you think is reasonable for me to pay them?[/b]

[/b]

Thanks, in advance, for your wise feedback, ladies and gents![/b]

 [/b]

[West Coast Vend LLC]

Andy,

It sounds like you have really thought this out, ie. (Pro's vs. Con's) I think you note some very good points for the local program and the National program. I think your key words are-it's local and the people around your area know about this local outreach. I think that the customers that use the machines to buy your products are more interested in their "local" outreach. If you go with the local outreach you could be their exclusive partner for vending. Maybe they will help with the cost of stickers if you are advertising for their cause.

I don't know if I helped but I favor the local outreach.

Gary

[caserri]

Andy,

I think that if you were able to go with a local program, that is always your best option. Locating will be so much easier because the locations may already be very familiar with the program. They may even already donate to the charity.

I also am very attracted to the fact that they do not currently have a vending outreach program. That will give you added value as a vendor in your area.

If it were me I would gladly foot the bill for stickers. If it is a program that you believe in and truly want to help, then I think this is a no brainer.

I am currently switching my affiliation from NCCS to my local chapter of the ACS Relay for Life. My family and I have participated in, and financially supported, the Relay for Life on a personal level for a number of years. I don't know why it has taken me so long to realize the potential of aligning our business with a local event. The Relay does not have a formal vending outreach program but they do give participants a personalized webpage to solicit donations online. I will use that webspace to make donations to the cause in the name of my locations on a quarterly basis. That way, if they are interested, the locations can actually go online to see the donations being made. It gives them a sense of security knowing their machine is actually generating revenue for the relay. They can see it and track it.

Steve

[kcinnick]

Did you get permission to use their logo on your machine?  I was going to go with local hunger, but I absolutly cannot stand their sticker.  I would like to do something with our local food banks, they have been in overdrive since Katrina. 

[acvending]

I went with a local non-profit animal rescue organization that rescues retired Greyhounds from racetracks around the country and gets them ready for adoption. I adopted my Greyhound from them. They had no vendor program or any sort of formal donation program. Most of their money is thru organized events and private donations. So I am the first. I made up the stickers myself and the agreement. They were fine with that. I simply cut them a quarterly check for 10% of whatever my total take is from the machines. I might even give em more depending on the revenue we end up with for that quarter.

[G-man422]

Andy,  I use as local charity and it works great.  It's the homeless shelter.  A lot of businesses in my town (which is not exactly a large one) like the fact that its local.  It hits home. 

One idea to consider is putting something like this on your business cards.  " Helping out the (your city's name) community."  Just something you may consider.

[AmuseStar Vending Co]

Local. You will get: "The money stays here in our community, and does not go to some place far away". That is a great way to get people with the nationals kicked out of locations. It will be much easier to place machines.

Kyle

[Beer980]

I have to vote for local as well. I use the local Humane Society and they even have one of my machines in the lobby. I make my own stickers and the cost is very low. The local charity is a good selling point to say when you are trying to locate a machine.

[andyrosen]

Thank you all for your support on going local.  You are wonderful!

Andy