Vending: Start Cheap, Start Today
There’s no need to over think starting up a vending business, it’s not brain surgery. You really don’t need a business plan, experience, or any special skills. What you do need is drive, ambition and a commitment to make it work. Don’t make the mistake that a lot of new people make in thinking that just because a vending route is easy to start this means that it’s easy to be successful, the two are totally separate ideas. As long as you are realistic in your goals and expectations, there is no reason to think that vending wouldn’t be a good fit for you, but until you do vending, you really don’t know. The best way to learn about vending is to do vending, so, don’t let analysis/paralysis keep you from getting started today.
The key to starting now is to start cheap. You don’t need to buy an established route or buy a huge amount of brand new machines when just starting out. In fact, until you get a feel for vending you should really keep your expenses as low as possible. Although vending is an excellent business, it’s not a good fit for everyone. Some people end up not liking it, so there’s no reason to dig yourself a big money pit until you get a little more experience. For about $500 – $2,000, it’s easy to build up a small sized vending route. The key is to buy used vending machines and do the locating yourself.
One thing to keep in mind when starting with used machines is to try to buy machines from the same manufacturer; this makes it easier to swap out parts. I learned this the hard way, having only 1 or 2 brands of each type of machine can be a complete nightmare. Also, try to buy at least 20 machines, this way you are keeping your expenses low but it’s still enough machines to get a good feel for a vending business. Starting this way allows you to finally get started today, so stop over thinking things and get started already.
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