Minimum Efforts-Maximum Rewards

Have you ever heard the phrase you can’t get something for nothing?   Or, if something sounds too good to be true it usually is.  These are words of wisdom that are probably pretty safe to live by.  Unfortunately some people are attracted to our industry with the minimal efforts owning and running a vending business requires when compared to other industries or fields and they translate that into: if I put no effort into my vending business it will still make money.  That just simply isn’t true.  While it is true that operating a vending route does require much less of a time commitment then most ventures it still holds true as anything else does with the adage, you reap what you sew.  If  the time and energy you invest into your vending business is put in the right places you will be successful.  If you put no time or energy into your vending business you will not be successful. 

Over the years at U-Turn we have seen a common factor in those customers we have had that did not reap the rewards of vending they thought they would.  The common factor: a lack of effort.  It seems every time we encountered someone who was dissatisfied with their return on investment they simply had not followed the simple steps we had outlined to be essential for their success.  While vending does require an average of  85% less time and effort than a job with comparable income.  That 15% is still very important.  Here are a few places to focus your effort to ensure your success.

• Get and keep your machines on good locations.  The fist step to success is acquiring good locations.  The second step is keeping them.  If for some reason you loose a location, get a new one. Don’t put your machine in a box in your garage - we promise it won’t make you any money there. 
• Service your machines regularly.  The fastest way to loose a good location is for a location owner to see an empty vending machine sitting there for a couple of weeks.  When you’re not servicing your machines your not serving a locations customers.   Your machine then looses all of its value to the owner of that location.  Also a clean machine with good product levels is much more appealing to a prospective consumer.
• Listen to location owners.  This can save you time and money.  Talk to them about product to place in the machines, when the best time for them to have the machine serviced is, if they know of any other locations that need a vending machine etc… As relationships are built you much more likely to maintain good locations.  Remember it is always cheaper and easier to maintain a good location than to get a new one.
• Keep accurate and timely records.  You need to run your vending business like a business.  Make sure your are tracking income, product consumption, location information, etc..  We recommend a software program that can be purchased through our company called Vending Essentials that simplifies book keeping and other aspects you need to track for your vending business.  It is important to know if its time to change a product selection or even a low producing location.  Accurate record keeping will help you make these decisions.

While in vending we encourage you to let your machines do most of the work and you enjoy the rewards, it is still important that you put in the required effort however minimal that will enable your machines to generate optimal income.

Call on of our vending coaches today for more tips on how you can be a successful vending business owner.  1-800-584-8887