A vending business is all about location. Where you choose to put you machine can dramatically effect your profits. Let's look at the energy gum craze. In the right location, (such as a hospital where doctors and nurses are in need of energy but unable to carry around soda or coffee), this could be a real moneymaker. However in the wrong location, (like a school - yesI have seen this happen), it probably would not last very long, (who wants a school full of hyper kids or teenagers?) I would personally be gunning for a hospital break room. Doctors and nurses can't work with a soda in their hand, but energy gum is easily hidden, and has the same effect. I personally think this would be a killer vending location for energy gum. In this business, it is all about knowing how to find the vending locations.
When you are first learning how to find vending locations, it is important to try to step away from what you want, and try to look at what your surrounding community of customers needs. I know what you may be thinking, "you're nuts, I have the coolest new interactive vending machine and I love it and I know they will love it." Believe me, I have been there. But being successful in this business generally means putting yourself into your customers shoes. Figuring out how they will view the product. Let's take for example the supermarket. Once I started looking at this business I noticed that the candy machine never seemed to empty as quickly as the toy machines. So I started thinking about this. And I realized, when parents take their kids to the supermarket those kids are usually pretty bored, making the trip stressful for everyone. Candy would do nothing to fix this, but a toy, well that is enough to keep a kid occupied through most of the shopping trip.This probably all seems like common sense to you right now, or it may be a little confusing. Whether you are experienced in this business or just learning how to find vending locations, I challenge you to do this; while you are out, whether it be shopping, eating, or filling up your car, take a quick glance around to see if there are any vending machines there. If not, think about two things:
1 - Would the customers here benefit from a vending machine, and if so, what product would they benefit from, (candy, stickers, dvd rentals, etc).
2- Would the workers here benefit from possibly having a vending machine in their breakroom and if so, what type of products might be beneficial, (I realize that you may not be able to determine this for sure until you get to see the breakroom, but it's good to have a few ideas when you talk to the manager about placing your machines).
At first, it may take a conscious effort to do this whenever you are out in public. But it will become a habit for you, and through trial and error, (which stinks but we all have to go through it to some degree or another), you will be able to look at a storefront and a flood of ideas will just come to you. Learning how to find vending locations will almost become second nature, and you will start to see vending opportunities in places you may have never noticed before.
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