How to Start a Candy Machine Business

We packed 10 years worth of experience into this guide to teach you how to start a vending machine business. Start your vending route full or.
Table of contents

More than likely, you will be encouraged to set up your business as a legal entity, get licenses and inspections which will cost more than your initial investment goal.

However, it's important to operate legally to protect your personal assets. Once you have licenses and tax information in order, you can expand the business by adding more machines and products. Maintain your machines regularly. Empty the coin boxes and refill the candy. Be unobtrusive, and be sure to service them when the business isn't busy. Keep bulk candy that won't melt in your vehicle to refill the machines as needed.

Product Specials

Locate a source for parts to make repairs as needed. In most states, the answer is no for "bulk candy. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Already answered Not a question Bad question Other. Sources and Citations http: Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 9, times. Did this article help you? We recommend you start with the business you frequent yourself building on already established relationships in your community.

Many small business owners are eager to earn extra income and you may find very willing to negotiate a fair percentage with you. Match the vending machine products to the place where it will be placed. Choosing the right vending machine and products is a very important step. You want to appeal to the people who frequent that particular establishment.

Each location is very different and may find that vending toys may not be the best fit for a place frequented most by adults. Test the vending machine before starting the business. Test your vending machines to make sure they are dispensing the products properly and the right amount of product. As an example, make sure your adjustable candy wheels are set to dispense the right amount of candy. A misconfigured candy wheel can have a major impact on your profit!

Visit the vending machines twice or more in a week to check. This will help you maintain fresh items and help you learn what is selling well at that particular location. Optimizing your vending machines is an important step in your continued success as a vending operator! Place a change machine near you machines. Whenever possible, we recommend you place a change machine near your vending machine. Allowing potential customers quick and easy access to exact change will give you a huge boost in sales! Properly maintain and repair.

Cleaning and maintaining your machine is a crucial step in ensuring your machine is functioning as it should. A properly maintained machine also prevents damage to your machines from customers who may bang or hit a machine that did not dispense properly. Gumball Machine A gumball machine can be one of the best ways to get started in vending.

Gumballs and Bulk Candy. Vending Stickers and Tattoos. Triple Combo Vending Machine. Machines with conveyor belt dispensing technology can give you greater versatility and prevent the dreaded snack caught on the coil. With conveyor belts, you can change the width between products to fit a wider variety of packaging types.

Digital LCD screens can help your machines stand out and give you the opportunity to generate extra income by displaying ads. Want to learn more about the vending machine equipment you need to run a successful vending machine business today? Locations with a lot of foot traffic like schools and large offices are the best locations to target for your vending business.

When tied together and used effectively, setting vending machine placement meetings with qualified locations will be as efficient as possible. You are in the lead generation business—specializing in vending. Would the location be interested in a coffee vending machine? Time is valuable and you should only take meetings with locations that meet your basic criteria. These are all of these vital pieces of information should be collected during the discovery phase.

Avoid asking open-ended questions. Rather, ask questions that help you collect the simple, yet vital information pieces that are fact-based. Variety creates novelty, and your outbound communication model should be geared to capitalize on that one very small, yet very important concept. The goal is to cultivate real, meaningful relationships that lead to customers wanting to do business with you because of who you are, not feeling obligated to do so because of what you offer. Make sure every piece of communication you have with potential locations includes this message.

Once you get them on the phone, the best strategy to set the appointment is to come prepared to deliver information that is highly personalized, relevant, and powerful. When done properly, there should be no reason for your customer to hesitate.

There are plenty of people in this world who can sit down at a desk and talk to a stranger about a vending program. Getting there requires you to activate the second level of questioning, which is known as Iceberg Questioning. During this line of questioning, you are able to get to the core of what any customer truly desires, and what they cherish. This will provide invaluable insight into what pain point your vending business can solve. This can come in very handy for objections down the line. Make sure to come with all the appropriate material. Social proof also provides you with a network of success stories to fall back on when growing your business.

Use those successes as much as possible! Ask questions throughout the meeting. Make sure they understand your proposal, and get small confirmations that they could benefit from each aspect. Referrals are often the quickest and easiest way to expand your business.

There is no better marketing than word-of-mouth having someone else rave about and recommend your vending services to a potential location. In general, the location leads that sign agreements with the least amount of effort and time spent in the sales process are from referral programs. There is no better form of marketing for your vending business than referrals Click To Tweet Key Takeaways Lead generation is one of the most vital parts of your business. Referrals are some of the best and easiest ways to generate new location leads from your existing accounts.

How to Start a Vending Machine Business

It should go without saying that determining the right vending machine products for the customers at your location is essential to the success of your business. Perhaps this is easier said than done. Every location is different — with different customer demographics, traffic patterns, and unique requirements — and must be treated as such. Success depends on finding a mix that balances these factors in a way that meets the needs of your location. The days of stocking your machine with sugary candy, soda, and gum and watching the cash roll in are long gone.

Consumers these days are more health conscious than ever, and demand products that not only taste great, but are better for them as well. That being said, here are the biggest factors to consider when sourcing products for your machines. In June of , the USDA announced the Smart Snacks in School initiative, new federal guidelines that limit the amount of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium in snacks sold in the more than , schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program.

Where you can find the best products When it comes down to it, how you choose to source products will depend on the product type, availability, and your preferences. When you start purchasing enough products through a certain distributor, you can leverage your pricing at other distributors to negotiate better pricing. Here are some of the most popular ways to source products: Order directly through the manufacturer.

Most product companies have regional Sales and Marketing representatives that want to get their product in more retail outlets like your vending machines. You will need to order large volumes to order directly from the manufacturer. These superstores generally have cheaper prices than at most retail locations. Equally as important, a sampling event gives you the opportunity to gauge the taste profile of your average consumer.

Key Takeaways Increased health consciousness means people are demanding more healthy options. To get your vending machines into schools, you have to adhere to the strict Smart Snacks In Schools guidelines. You may have to use multiple channels to get the best prices for your products. Want to learn the Top 10 Best-Selling healthy vending products of all time? Besides continuing to find more locations, the real work has just begun! When your customer service exceeds expectations, asking for referrals becomes easy. There are 4 areas where you should be providing above and beyond service for your customers.

Vending machines are like cars. Take care of them and do preventive maintenance, and they will last a long time. When you first start your vending machine business, you might want to lean on the expertise of an experienced vending professional, to help you out. As you learn the business, you will become that vending expert. So, when you decide which manufacturer you want to purchase machines from, see if they offer machine training.

They may not publicly conduct training courses. Or if you decide to join a business opportunity, make sure they have machine training available. Rotate out the poor sellers for new products. Try different brands, placements within the machine, types of food or drinks, etc. This is good for your pocket AND helps keep the location happy. You could do the bare minimum and just keep your vending machines stocked. Try bringing a whole case of that snack to the school lunch period and hand out free samples of it.

Students go nuts over this!

Smart Snacks in School

Instead of waiting for your location to reach out to you with feedback or comments, reach out to them. Ask them what requests they have just a few weeks after you launch. Check in with them periodically and put systems in place that make it easy for them to get in touch with you with any questions or concerns. Treat your customers like business partners. Be proactive in your communication. Click To Tweet Be responsive. Answer them in a timely fashion. A good rule of thumb is to let your locations know you will get back to them within 24 hours of them contacting you.

As decision makers are very busy though, be sure not to overwhelm them with your good intentions. There are a lot of people that want to see them each day. Make it clear that you want feedback in order to make this the best fit possible.

How to Start a Cheap Candy Machine Business: 6 Steps

That said, when you do receive feedback, respond to the reasonable requests in a timely fashion. Feedback is the easiest way to learn more about what your accounts want. Hand-deliver your commission check to the decision maker and include a hand-written thank you note.


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Great customer service is the key to building lasting relationships with your location. Become a master of your machine equipment so you can reduce down time and keep your accounts happy. Find creative ways to engage with your customers. The question you need ask yourself is which option makes the most sense for you. Your goals — are you trying to create a vending empire or is it a side gig to earn some extra cash? Without experience in vending, this process may take up to a year before you get up and running with a couple of machines. Look through craigslist, bizbuysell.