Thursday, August 9, 2012

Power Tips I Used to Locate Over 100 Bulk Vending Machines in One Year

We have all heard in real estate that, "location, location, location" is the most important thing in selling a house. For bulk vending, the location you put your machine is equally important to your business cash flow.
Here are 15 of my favorite places to put gumball, candy, and/or toy vending machines:

  1. Restaurants
  2. Repair shops
  3. Clinics (of all kinds)
  4. Hair salons
  5. Farm supply stores
  6. Oil change and lube stores
  7. Auto parts supply stores
  8. Trucking companies
  9. Car washes
  10. touchless car wash equipment for sale
  11. Car dealerships
  12. Salvage yards
  13. Hardware stores
  14. Tanning salons
  15. Day cares
  16. Lumber companies

Keep in mind that a good location for your machine does not always mean a place with lots of traffic. High traffic areas give you a higher probability of getting sales. The problem you run into with high traffic areas (like many of the ones above) is higher competition from other vending operators which bring down your sales.
In my opinion, one of the things which decreases the value of a location the most is high competition. Therefore, the list above does not necessarily contain the best places in every given city. If your machine is one of six or eight others on site, you tunnel car washing machine may only get average or below average results from the location. This may be good enough to retain the account, but keep in mind the saying, "there's more fish in the pond."
I love to go to places where other vendors don't go. This means other cities as well as other types of accounts. Don't be afraid to experiment with non-traditional places to put your machines provided the location seems safe for the machine. It only takes one employee to support a bulk vending machine! I have accounts where one person spends twenty dollars a month. It's your job to find that "one person" where no other competitor has thought to put a vending machine.
A good rule of thumb I have found in securing locations for machines is that for every ten machines:

  • Six machines will produce "average" results and will be good "bread-and-butter" accounts
  • Two machines will have poor results and will have to be relocated
  • Two machines will have excellent results and will motivate you to find even more accounts!

After locating over 100 machines in the last year, these numbers above have held up accurately. These numbers have also stayed consistent over the five-year period I have been involved in this business. In many ways, vending is a numbers game. Be encouraged and motivated in your efforts to secure new locations. You next account may be that incredible account that puts $100 in your pocket every time you collect!
Cash flow, gumball machine, vending machine, bulk vending, locating, candy machine, vending business Good locations produce good cash flow for your vending business. In this article I share 15 of my favorite places to locate vending machines for maximum cash flow.

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