noved1 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I am in the planning stages for a new website for the vending industry. I don't know if you guy's have heard of hoovers.com it will be just like hoovers but it will be geared towards the vending industry (bulk and full line). So say for example you are placing a new machine and there is already a machine there you would be able to go to this website and see if this vendor has a profile. It will help with knowing who your competition is, weather they have 1 machine or 500 machines and what areas they service. I am looking for some opinions and ideas to add that would make the site cool. It is not going to be a forum but more of an informational source to help you know who all the players are in your area and state. There will also be a ranking system per state based on the number of machines you have on location and monthly revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacho Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 From what I'm understanding about your idea is that your competition will have knowledge of where you have machines placed. That would not be very good in my opinion. I had a web site for my business and listed the locations when I first started. Next thing I knew, someone was either putting a machine in there with me or stealing the location completely. Just food for thought. It may not go over too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I was really digging the idea until I read farther than this line... So say for example you are placing a new machine and there is already a machine there you would be able to go to this website and see if this vendor has a profile. Based on my experience running this forum, I wouldn't think that there would be very many operators willing to add their "profile" and list their locations. However... I do like the idea of an "anonymous" location database. One where operators can report the locations of other machines. Be it their own or someone else's. Details could include how many machines, what type, what is being vended, etc. The benefit to this would be a great resource for locating machines. For example, when a locator gives you a location, you may be able to check out the database to see if anyone else is there and/or what they are vending. This would save you a trip if you didn't want to place a machine with 50 others. I can't tell you how many times a locator secured a location for me only to find out that every other vendor in the area already had 3 machines there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noved1 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 No they will not know where your locations are just what areas you service. Let's say you want to place some machine's in a small town you would be able to go to this website and see how many vendors are already servicing machine's there and the size of there fleet and other service areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noved1 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 That is why I asked for opinions because I would like to know what is a good idea and what is a bad idea. So that I can build it to be an informational source that is it. For example I'm in the Indy area I would like to know how many other bulk vendors are placing machine's in my area besides me (probably a ton). Or like you said where other machine's are placed so that I don't waste my time at that location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 From what I'm understanding about your idea is that your competition will have knowledge of where you have machines placed. That would not be very good in my opinion. I had a web site for my business and listed the locations when I first started. Next thing I knew, someone was either putting a machine in there with me or stealing the location completely. Just food for thought. It may not go over too big. I don't think you lost locations because you listed your locations. Machines are well most every where. So why would anyone sit at the computer search for vending operators hoping to find one in their area, then hoping you have your locations listed. Locations are lost for many reasons but not this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacho Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I don't think you lost locations because you listed your locations. Machines are well most every where. So why would anyone sit at the computer search for vending operators hoping to find one in their area, then hoping you have your locations listed. Locations are lost for many reasons but not this one. Ah, that's where you are wrong. I am a personal friend of the owner of a couple locations. He placed them without permission of the my friend. When he contacted him to remove the machines, the fool actually confessed that he gets a lot of his locations from my website. My statement was just my opinion. I didn't need anyone to tell me the legitimacy of it. I speak from experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noved1 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 I just wanted some opinions. And I guess I have a bad idea so I will tweak it and go in a different direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Why would any vendor want to share any data of any kind that a competitor could see? Sounds like the squishland finder that Brand has. A great locating tool for your competition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I had a similar idea with a website like this. But it had some differences. I envisioned a website that would help me to get locations easier. I would have a website that was in essence a directory of various stores to shop from. Restaurants, hair salons, etc. Businesses could only get listed on the website if the agreed to host one of my machines. The more machines they hosted, the higher up on the ranking list they would be. I would then place some branded machines, with big labels that advertised my website. This had the benefit of giving something back to the location, so that they had a vested interest in keeping my machine in the location, and keeping out all other machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I had a similar idea with a website like this. But it had some differences. I envisioned a website that would help me to get locations easier. I would have a website that was in essence a directory of various stores to shop from. Restaurants, hair salons, etc. Businesses could only get listed on the website if the agreed to host one of my machines. The more machines they hosted, the higher up on the ranking list they would be. I would then place some branded machines, with big labels that advertised my website. This had the benefit of giving something back to the location, so that they had a vested interest in keeping my machine in the location, and keeping out all other machines. Hmmm. Where's my note pad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Ah, that's where you are wrong. I am a personal friend of the owner of a couple locations. He placed them without permission of the my friend. When he contacted him to remove the machines, the fool actually confessed that he gets a lot of his locations from my website. My statement was just my opinion. I didn't need anyone to tell me the legitimacy of it. I speak from experience. Hang on a sec. I wasn't judging the legitimacy of your statement. I was just saying that i have never seen this to be an issue. In my 16 plus years in the business. It sucks that it happened to you but trust me its not the norm. If some wants you location they will go after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacho Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Hang on a sec. I wasn't judging the legitimacy of your statement. I was just saying that i have never seen this to be an issue. In my 16 plus years in the business. It sucks that it happened to you but trust me its not the norm. I misunderstood your statement then and apologize for being blunt with mine. I guess you service your machines in a trustworthy area. If some wants you location they will go after it. Which is the exact reason I commented on this thread. Why compound the problem with a website that lists the locations you have machines in? The idea would be a good one if we lived in an honest society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I tend to be very protective and quiet about my locations and what area I service, but in reality all my machines are located in public places for everyone to see, when I am out servicing I pay close attention to my competition and I am sure they are doing the same with me. So it might not make a difference if all my locations are listed on a website, but I would never volunteer that information, after all why would I compile a list for my competition to cherry pick? I get nervous enough sharing some info here on TVF! If you are servicing your locations well and paying a fair commission then it will be harder for the competition to bump you out, but not impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I agree with the above.it is easier to share some of the info on TVF imo because we are mostly all far away from each other or can co exist in the same area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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