Bridgetender Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I've been seriously considering getting into vending the last year or so. The main reason is because my wife and I had our first child last year and we'd like for her to be able to stay at home, rather than continuing to work part time. This seems like a good business to replace her income, with fairly minimal work. I have a great job that I have fairly flexible hours with. Is vending like I envision in that it's not that time consuming with 1 or 2 machines? Is it possible to earn around a $1,000 a month on one or two machines? (I realize that pretty much depends on location) Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I've been seriously considering getting into vending the last year or so. The main reason is because my wife and I had our first child last year and we'd like for her to be able to stay at home, rather than continuing to work part time. This seems like a good business to replace her income, with fairly minimal work. I have a great job that I have fairly flexible hours with. Is vending like I envision in that it's not that time consuming with 1 or 2 machines? Is it possible to earn around a $1,000 a month on one or two machines? (I realize that pretty much depends on location) Any advice would be appreciated. Short answer, probably not. You would need to gross 25-30 K to net that and the kind of accounts that generate that kind of revenue are far and few between. A realistic range would be 6-10 locations doing soda and snack to make that kind of income. Of course, like real estate, its location, location, location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkhusker Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 What mission said! and, not to be rude, but I always have to laugh at people that think this business doesn't require a lot of work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgetender Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 Short answer, probably not. You would need to gross 25-30 K to net that and the kind of accounts that generate that kind of revenue are far and few between. A realistic range would be 6-10 locations doing soda and snack to make that kind of income. Of course, like real estate, its location, location, location. Thank you for your response. I figured 1k was probably too lofty of an expectation for just a couple machines. There's nut/candy machine that is broken down in my office building. I think I may start with that. Fortunately my income is basically doubling with my job, so we wouldn't have to rely on any vending revenue. It is an extremely intriguing business to me, though. Any feedback in terms of types of businesses that have successful vending endevours would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen watson Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 You'd be lucky to break even. Most likely the cost of the product plus the cost of the machines will put you in the hole every month. Not to be negative, but I wish someone would have told me this when I started. I would have started out with more than 2 or 3. Now if you want to give your wife something to do, go for it. If you need the income from it, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I've been seriously considering getting into vending the last year or so. The main reason is because my wife and I had our first child last year and we'd like for her to be able to stay at home, rather than continuing to work part time. This seems like a good business to replace her income, with fairly minimal work. I have a great job that I have fairly flexible hours with. Is vending like I envision in that it's not that time consuming with 1 or 2 machines? Is it possible to earn around a $1,000 a month on one or two machines? (I realize that pretty much depends on location) Any advice would be appreciated. The easiest way to get into vending is to start with soda machines as they're easier to stock and don't require a lot of maintenance. Soda machines can be profitable to run in places larger vendors would not consider - this is important because the largest hurdle you'll encounter is finding accounts and the premium accounts are all taken. You could easily clear $1000 per month with five machines in places like tire and muffler shops that full time vendors don't have the time to fool with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawksfan9325 Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Give the soda machines a shot in smaller locations. Look for $100-$250 a month sales per machine, and go from there. Don't look at it like easy money. I am 2 years in and have lost lots of money still. I am slowly turning the corner, but lots of mistakes. It's not just loading soda and chips! For me, the hardest part has been vandalism and finding good locations. Look to craigslist for cheaper machines in your area. You can find really nice snack machines for $500-$600, and nice soda machines for $600-$800. Post pics of machines you find and we will tell ya what we think. Get some business cards and cold call the h-e-l-l out of a roughly 30-35 mile radius from your home. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 In my area - Coke and Pepsi are taking all the shops. No idea how they're doing, but they're getting those accounts and servicing themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawksfan9325 Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 In my area - Coke and Pepsi are taking all the shops. No idea how they're doing, but they're getting those accounts and servicing themselves. No worries. Ask Allen Watson, he knows what's up with getting his own machines in where Coke and Pepsi once were. The thing that I use is, "Why not let me in, and I'll sell more than a single brand... I can do Coke, Pepsi, Pepper, etc, all in one machine. More variety, more sales, happy customers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen watson Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 In most cases, they get those accounts because the shop owner calls them to bring in a machine. The coke and pepsi accounts I have taken over were due to poor service and a sliding commission scale that seem to not pay any commissions out at all. Just ask those locations if they are happy with the service and selection they are currently getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgetender Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thank you for all of your responses. I really do appreciate the feed back, and I don't mean to slight the amount of work that goes into running a business like yours. What I really would like to have is a soda machine that takes credit card payment. I know they're expensive as hell, and it would probably take a while to break even. However, in doing the bit of research that I have, it seems to boost revenue significantly. I know from personal experience that I would've bought more soda/snacks if machines took cards, since I never carry cards. Thanks again for the responses. My wife isn't totally on board yet, but the more I learn, the more intrigued I become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QualitySelectionsJ Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thank you for all of your responses. I really do appreciate the feed back, and I don't mean to slight the amount of work that goes into running a business like yours. What I really would like to have is a soda machine that takes credit card payment. I know they're expensive as hell, and it would probably take a while to break even. However, in doing the bit of research that I have, it seems to boost revenue significantly. I know from personal experience that I would've bought more soda/snacks if machines took cards, since I never carry cards. Thanks again for the responses. My wife isn't totally on board yet, but the more I learn, the more intrigued I become. It's a lot of work: logistics of it, finding locations, buying equipment/products, driving, repairs, keeping customers (happy), reading this forum, etc... Card readers work for large locations. I'm hardly ever asked about readers in my locations, and they're just inquiries. I don't see the need considering the cost and extra work, especially with few machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Bridgetender, you are mistaken to think that card readers will "boost sales significantly." There are instances of locations whose sales are more than 50% card sales, but they are rare. Most would be locations of young people such as an Apple store, in my experience. Most card readers will generate a modest sales lift of up to 20%, but normally less. Being new in the business and not adept at obtaining high volume locations or even being able to discern what could be a high volume location, you need to keep things simple until you have a good understanding of the financial aspects of the industry. A complete understanding of how this business works is needed to avoid throwing money at machines and accounts that you might never be able to recoup. It's hard enough for the experienced vendors to predict sales at a location, let alone how difficult it will be for you. Again, keep it simple and begin with commonly found single price can soda machines until you know whether you like the business and know you can make money in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgetender Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 Bridgetender, you are mistaken to think that card readers will "boost sales significantly." There are instances of locations whose sales are more than 50% card sales, but they are rare. Most would be locations of young people such as an Apple store, in my experience. Most card readers will generate a modest sales lift of up to 20%, but normally less. Being new in the business and not adept at obtaining high volume locations or even being able to discern what could be a high volume location, you need to keep things simple until you have a good understanding of the financial aspects of the industry. A complete understanding of how this business works is needed to avoid throwing money at machines and accounts that you might never be able to recoup. It's hard enough for the experienced vendors to predict sales at a location, let alone how difficult it will be for you. Again, keep it simple and begin with commonly found single price can soda machines until you know whether you like the business and know you can make money in it. Terrific advice. Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J and T Vending Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 To piggyback off of this post, how many machines can a part time vendor really handle alone with working a full time job. I saw mission vending post for having 6-10 locations which equals to 12-20 machines (snack and drink per location) in order to make the income that bartender wants to earn. Is this considered doable to service this many machines as a part time vendor who works a full time job as well? Just curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 It depends on the accounts if you have one that needs service daily, once a week, once every 2 weeks....and your full time job hours...if your a finance manager at a dealership and work 8 to 12 m to sat then no. If your a teacher and work from 8 to 3 then u have more time...it all depends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I work shift work, two days on, two days off and work every other weekend in a large oil field related plant, 12 hour a day when I work. On my days off from work I work my machines 12 snacks and thirteen cold drink machines, with one snack and cold drink at home, need a place for them. I still have time to cut grass, crawfish, and grab a couple of cold ones at the best bar in this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J and T Vending Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Good point TKK.....Cajun you have a good workflow system.....I work 8-5 with every other Friday off. I have been in business for 1 year and I currently have 2 snacks, 1 drink, 3 candy machines, and 1 honor box. My goal is to get to where you are with around 5 drink machine and 5 snacks within the next two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feral Vending Mechanic Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 The things that you have to keep in mind with Credit Card readers: 1 ) They generally have an upfront cost of 1-200$. 2 ) They generally have a monthly maintenance fee. 3 ) They generally charge you a fixed percentage of all Credit Card sales. These costs all add up. And eat into your revenue. And make you have to raise prices. TANSTAAFL. Additionally, with some kinds of machines, adding a CC Reader is a permanent modification, so if sales tank, you can't just remove it to save money. ( I mean, you can just deactivate it, but that looks tacky. ) I personally don't carry cash around with me, so I like seeing vending machines with Credit Card readers. But I realize that I'm an outlier, who is not afraid of technology. ( But, honestly, you know how pissed off regular people get when vending machines take their money? I get three times as pissed off. Because IF I HAD THE KEY FOR THAT MACHINE, I COULD FIX IT, DAMNIT! ) The sales guys at the big company that I work for have suddenly discovered vending machine Credit Card readers, and now they're out there trying to get them installed at a whole bunch of their accounts. It's just not that easy, though. These things cost money, and increase our costs. They are not a magic way to increase sales without consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryChris Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I've been trying very hard to consolidate my route. I can get it down to 3.5 days each week and have the time for another job. I could use the extra income right now to pay down my debt. I want to be debt free by 2016 but I keep investing back in the business lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchligVend Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I've been trying very hard to consolidate my route. I can get it down to 3.5 days each week and have the time for another job. I could use the extra income right now to pay down my debt. I want to be debt free by 2016 but I keep investing back in the business lol I have the same issue every dollar I make I put right back into the business right now, I Started off with a days worth of vending about 21 machines at 15 locations i planned to do on my days off from my full time job, now a year later I am at over 3 times that (I guess I am not part time anymore I really have two full time jobs) mostly acquired accounts from locating myself and a few more purchases. I am still hanging onto my full time job by a thread but as soon as they say anything i don't like I will thank them for giving me healthcare for the kids and walk out a full time vendor and I will be able to grew a lot quicker once this happens I feel my "full time job" is holding me back from a lot of missed opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfdogs Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I have the same issue every dollar I make I put right back into the business right now, I Started off with a days worth of vending about 21 machines at 15 locations i planned to do on my days off from my full time job, now a year later I am at over 3 times that (I guess I am not part time anymore I really have two full time jobs) mostly acquired accounts from locating myself and a few more purchases. I am still hanging onto my full time job by a thread but as soon as they say anything i don't like I will thank them for giving me healthcare for the kids and walk out a full time vendor and I will be able to grew a lot quicker once this happens I feel my "full time job" is holding me back from a lot of missed opportunities. What will do for healthcare? I am fortunate my wife provides it for my family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchligVend Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 What will do for healthcare? I am fortunate my wife provides it for my family. Not exactly sure, never thought I would say this but may go the Obamacare route i've started to look into it and it looks like it will be cheaper then what I am paying now thru my job but just not as good. I hope someone can chime in on this and let me know what everyone else is doing..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrybrooks vending Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I am working pretty much 7 days a week..I have 2 snack and pop machines and 4 bulk gumball machine customers..nowhere near 1000.00. You also have product changes...product changes...product changes...I've been to sams so much..its a wonder they didn't ask if I wanted a job. Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen watson Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 When I was working a full time job and vending I would call in sick to set-up a new account. Then one day I got an account that took 10 machines and had 250 employees. It took 2 days to set-up and 1 day to recover. After day 4 of calling in sick I just stopped calling in and never went back to my full time job. The best part was I also had a soda machine there and they didn't want me to take it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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