How to be successful in the vending machine business

"Location! Location! Location!" We've all heard that expression many times when it comes to the value of real estate. But is something that many of us in the vending business also know well.

That's because the profit to be experienced from your vending business will be directly affected by the value of the locations for your vending machines. It sounds obvious of course. But is not quite that simple.

That's because while vending machine placement and location are the keys to success in your vending business, there are no ironclad rules that apply to locations that can determine for sure if a particular vending location will be profitable.

I've had locations that at first looked great. They were in a good part of town. They had a lot of employees. I had high hopes that this vending location would be a great one, only to find after the first few times servicing the machines that they were very slow producers.

On the other hand, I have placed machines in run-down salvage yards in more suspect parts of town that were hugh moneymakers! And so the old saying applied to vending should be, "You can't judge a vending placement by its appearance."

What we need to look at when evaluating a vending location is not just the number of employees, but the big picture. By that I mean ask yourself, "Are there customers at this location that need to stay a while who could use my machine?" This would apply for example to Tire stores and oil changes places where people have to sit and wait for their cars to be serviced.

What about vending locations that are more geared to women? Well if you have a bulk candy or snack machine, chances are that vending location will be less productive. The same is also true of locations that have a convenience store very close by like a 7-11 that offers a much wider selection that any vendor could.

The fact is to be successful in vending you will usually need many locations and lots of equipment. And they will need to be in a variety of types of businesses.

So in conclusion, when picking a vending machine location, try to have an open mind and an open eye for the little things that can make a high difference in your profits. Then you'll be sure to get the most from your vending machine placements.