A vending machine business
In the U.S., most vending machines are operated either by store owners, or by individuals who buy or rent several machines, stock the merchandise, and keep some of the profits. Other machines, such as U.S. Postal Service machines are maintained by governmental or quasi-governmental entities. An independent vending machine business attracts people who have never been in business before. These vending machine businesses operated by these individuals can be divided into two broad categories: bulk candy and soft drink/snack vending.
Any type of independent vending operation requires the entrepreneur to be willing to act as a salesman in persuading locations to accept the machine. Operators typically report high rejection rates, in the order of 9 times of 10. Bryon Krug's book
Vending Business-in-a-Box advises:
"The key is not being discouraged when people tell you no. Unless you are a natural-born salesman, you'll get turned down many more times than you are told yes – . . . 90% of the time, people tell me no or I find out that the person with decision-making authority isn't there. However, that's okay, because there are thousands of businesses within forty minutes of me and each location that says yes is worth $50 to $1,000 or more to me. So, even if I only get five or ten good locations per day (and a large number of "no's" to go with them), it's still well worth my time to find locations."
The area in which a machine is placed at a location can make a difference in sales. Krug lists several possibilities:
- Next to the entrance
- Near to the exit
- Next to the water fountain
- In front of the restroom
- In the break room
- By the coffee maker
- Next to the other vending machines
- By the receptionist
- Next to the cash register
- Next to the listening station at a music store
- Next to the change machine
- In the waiting area (e.g. at oil change places).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vending_machine
http://www.vendweb.com/
