Work From Home Business Ideas: Start your own vending machine business.
Have you thought of starting your own vending machine business but don’t know how or where to begin? In the United States, most vending machines that you see out in public places are either owned or operated by store owners or by individuals that start their own business by buying or renting the machines, stocking them and keeping some of the profits from the sales.
You might do either of these depending on the situation. If you are not a store or business owner, you will have to keep in mind that you need locations to place your machines. This will involve being a bit of a salesman and calling locations to ask them to let you put your machines there on their property. Sometimes this can be a little difficult. You have to be able to show them what is in it for them for most businesses to accept.
So what is the best way to start your vending machine business? Well, first you need to be absolutely sure that this is what you want to do and not be just trying to find a quick way to make a buck. Then, when you are sure of your decision, you need to make a business plan. Every successful business needs a good business plan.
You need to be aware of common vending machine business scams and how to avoid them so that your venture doesn’t end in disappointment. Don’t buy into “investment opportunities” or get rich quick schemes.
Make sure that you look the company up with the Better Business Bureau if you are considering going with someone to help get you started in the business.
An independent vending machine business is a great opportunity for the aspiring entrepreneur but remember you will have to get out there and work for it. You will have to buy the machines, buy the product for inside the machines and then convince businesses to let you place them at key locations. You also have to have a solid plan for maintaining and checking on the machines such as set times that you restock them and remove the money.
When you have a solid plan, you simply need to be persistent and stick to it and you should see your business becoming successful. You should also get trade magazines and subscriptions on the industry to help you learn as much as possible so you can be better and profit more.
Vending Machine Business: Maintaining Your Machines
When you have your own vending machine business, you know that the hardest part is usually getting started.
You have to plan the business, buy the machines, buy the product, stock the machines and even find places to put the machines. Its hard work and you will feel very happy when you finally have your vending machines in place and being used by the public.
However, it doesn’t stop there. You aren’t finished with your work as an independent vending machine business owner. While you’d probably like to just sit back and watch as the money pours in, there are still responsibilities that need to be taken care of to keep your business going smoothly and being profitable.
Maintenance
But once you have your machines in place and your products stocked, you will need to maintain the machines. It is important that you check them for product, restock when needed, remove the money regularly and also keep a look out for malfunctions. You want your machines running in top shape so you get the maximum income from them.
You need to stay on top of your machines and be sure they are not malfunctioning. This is a leading cause of both loss of profit and damage or vandalism to the machines which results in you having to pay to have it repaired. You should also have a telephone number on the machine for people to report malfunctions. Jammed coin slots and other common problems can save you loss of profits when fixed right away.
Restocking
You should have a plan and a set time for when you will restock the product in your machines. In time, you will learn when there are busier times and when your product runs out quicker, etc. These are key times to make sure you get product back in your machines. An empty machine means loss of profit for you.
Take the time that is needed to maintain your machines properly and you will see people continuing to use them, business owners continuing to allow you to keep your machines in their premises and more money coming into your pocket.
Ken Mathie
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Roving M/C
Submitted by James Y.
How about this for a business idea? Roving M/C in shopping centres. Stand at the front of shops using a microphone to advertise specials. Talked to a guy at a shopping centre today who makes very good money. He owns the portable PA system with a radio microphone and contracts to individual shop owners in malls and indoor centres. Need permission from the shopping centre manager in some cases. Attributes? Good voice with variable pitch. Ability to deliver good strong sales messages. No real dress code other than smart casual. Rates are negotiable but usually by the hour or half-day. Can sell to other shops and sometimes can move from one show to the next!
Editor’s Comments: What a neat and unusual idea. I can see this being done at a different mall or shopping centers each week so as to not “wear thin” the uniqueness of it. You could probably make $200.00 — $300.00 per appearence. Another idea would be to incorporate jugglers, magicians, camedians, etc into the act to create more of a fun interactive atmosphere.
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Computer Dictionary
Submitted by Chris
I am thinking that somebody should do a computer dictionary with all the terms and explanations of terms such as search engines, ezines, popups, paypal, and all the jargon used in computer correspondence. I am sure there are many computer illiterate people out there just like myself.
Actually you could do it in the form of a newsletter and in each newsletter add a new word and explanation. It could be something with a very minimalcost however if there are a lot of people out there that don’t understand a lot of this they wouldn’t mind paying a little bit for it.
Editor’s Comments: Not a bad idea for an information product. I know of a lot of newbie ebooks being sold that deal with specific topics (such as ebay, paypal, clickbank) but I cant’s think of one that incorporates them all into one ebook. That together with a comprehensive glossary of terms could be a great product for newbie internet users. At the very least it would make a great free giveaway book that you could use to sell other products such as hosting service, merchant accounts, autoresponders, etc.
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E-book Creator/Coordinator
Submitted by Joseph M.
Contact web site owners and offer to write an original e-book that they can sell on their web site, to their existing and prospective customers. You can charge the owner a flat fee to write the e-book or you can spltthe commission with them for every e-book they sell. To obtain your content for the e-book, simply ask the web site owner what subject they’d like their e-book to be about. Then, simply research the subject online, go to your local library, or ask the web site owner a series of questions to obtain your content. When people place orders, the e-book can be e-mailed to them, you can send them a hard copy through “snail mail”, or both. You can process payments for the e-book through paypal (free) and simply add a paypal order button to the owner’s site. Using a 3rd party order processor like paypal is an especially good choice if you’re doing a commission split on e-book sales, because it allows you and the owner to monitor sales from a neutral source. If you’re working strictly off a commission split, make sure the web site owner agrees in writing to offer your e-book on their web site and/or to their mailing list. You wouldn’t want to invest your time into writing an e-book for free without being guaranteed specific marketing and exposure by the site owner. In return, you should guarantee the site owner will have ample opportunity to proof and request changes to the e-book before offering it on their site.
Writing just a few e-books for just a few web sites with large followings can result in a significant number of sales. This opportunity will allow you to profit off of the existing relationships that web site owners have with their customers and web site visitors. All of the selling is done by the owners of the sites you write e-books for.
Editor’s Comments: I think Joseph has really hit on a great idea here: Go to the people who already have an established market andcreate a product specifically for their customers. You could also use ClickBank to process the orders.
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Resume Lead Broker
Submitted by Joseph M.
Sell contact info. (i.e. name, phone number, address, etc.) of resumes that employers are interested in.
As opposed to “head hunters” or “employment recruiters” who only make money if and when one of their clients get placed in a job, you can charge employers $5-$100 up front, by selling them the identity and contact information of resumes that meet their criteria for employment. You can set your price based on the starting salary of the position. You would initially provide employers with “anonymous” resumes (no contact information).
Even if you were to charge $100 per name, you’d still save employers a great deal of money as compared to what they’d normally pay a headhunter (typically 20%-30% of the job’s first year salary!) you can sell the contact information for one resume to as many employers as you’d like. Your only job would be to collect resumes and fax them to interested in employers with your rate sheet. Resumes can easily be collected by placing a few inexpensive classified ads in the help wanted section and by posting some flyers around your area’s college campus. You can also sell your contacts to traditional employment recruiters in bulk.
A good add-on to this business would be a resume writing service which can be started by simply obtaining some inexpensive (or free) resume writing software.
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Dog Toenail Clipping
Submitted by Mary D.
Here’s something I wish someone would do for me: Dog toenail clipping is a 2 person job for my dogs and I’d gladly pay someone $5-10 to drop by my house and help me every couple of months. For a warm hearted dog lover that’s good at doggie cosmetic duties this might be a nice little part time endeavor. (and check ears for ear mites too!)-
Editor’s Comments: I have the same problem with my dog. She hates 2 things: Baths and Toenail Clippings. Why not combine the 2 andstart a Mobile House Call Doggie Wash and Manicure service?
Here is a related idea for infants:
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Baby Bubbles
Submitted by Deborah R.
We have salons (grooming services) that are mobile for pets, how about a service that provides bathing and massages for newborns? May have one central location or perhaps make appointments to visit. Carefully file nails, give a gentle soothing bath, wash the hair, supply a pert little bow or neat hair style. May supply a tshirt with your company logo once the bath is done. Warm moist baby lotion is applied after the bath is done. And if that is too much to imagine maybe supply a gift basket with baby supplies for such a bath to do at home with information on infant massage.
Each visit at home could cost $30 an hour and the same may be charged for the do-it at home gift basket.
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Top Secret Recipes
Submitted by Bill M.
Here is a business I thought up myself. I thought it would be good for your contest.
The idea is to teach a cooking class. But not just any cooking class. In this class, students will learn how to cook versions of dishes from their favorite restaurants.
They’ll make dishes like Boston Market Meatloaf, Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, IHOP Pumpkin Pancakes, Lone Star Steakhouse Chili, Outback Steakhouse Bushman Bread, Tony Roma’s Baked Potato Soup, and even the Soup Nazi’s Mexican Chicken Chili! (Remember the Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi?).
They’ll make sauces like TGIFriday’s Jack Daniel’s Grill Glaze, Arby’s Sauce, and Big Mac Sauce. They’ll make desserts like Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip cookies, Nestle’s Baby Ruth Candy Bar, and Girl Scout Cookies Thin Mints.
The draw for the class should be large with the Top Secret angle and the fact that you will be making restaurant favorites. People love secrets! Put an ad in the local paper mentioning that the class will be making Soup Nazi soups. People will love it! (By the way, I made a couple of the Soup Nazi soups, and they were amazing! And I’m no cook…)
At the end of the class, you could have everyone make a dish on their own time, and have a feast at the last class.
If the class is really popular (it should be) you can either take on more students, or raise the prices higher to fit the demand.
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Trash Can Transporter
Submitted by James Jenner
Being 16, I needed a means to earn money that would not interfere with my school work and extra activities but would give me spending money for school supplies and other activities. In our neighborhood we have wheeled trash cans to place trash in for weekly pickup. The city law requires that they must be put out at the curb no sooner than 7pm the night before pickup and taken back in by 7pm the day of pickup. The homeowner is subject to a $200 fine if they are out too soon or left out too late.
Since many people were not getting them put up, I started offering a service where I would pull the can from the curb back up beside their house for $5/month. I printed flyers out on the computer and placed them on doors where the cans were still at the curb when I came home one day.
Right now most of my customers live between where I get off the school bus to home, so I simply do it as I walk home. At the end of the month I will leave a reminder with a preaddressedenvelope where they can send the next months payment.
One customer, who works third shift, has even offered me $15 to put out and pick his up each week. With only 20 customers, I can make enough to pay for what I need each month, and my 2 sisters are picking up people who call from different parts of the neighborhood to be their customers. And the best part was it didn’t cost anything to get started anda pack of envelopes has been my only expense.
Editor’s Comments: I asked James a couple of followup questions:
How many customers do you have?
Do you have any trouble getting paid?
His reply: I started with 10 homes the first day of signups but just by word of mouth it was up to 20 at the start of my first full month of service and this is in just 5 blocks (from bus stop to home). Since I am starting to get questions from other parts of the neighborhood, my sisters are going to divide them up and start their own ‘routes’.
I haven’t had any problems on getting paid because of keeping the price low enough that anyone can afford my service. I put out the envelopes to send payment on the pickup day before the end of the month, so far all have arrived within the 2 weeks I allow (If it isn’t here by the 2nd pickup week then their cart will remain on the street.)
I actually came up with the idea on a rainy day that my mom was complaining about having to dodge all the trash cans that were floating down the street!
I really like James’ idea. In fact, in the area I live we have the same problem. If we don’t get our trash cans wheeled back by a certain time we are subject to a $175.00 fine. James does this as a was to make some part-time money. But, in my neighborhood there are probably 1000 houses within about a 2 square mile area that use the roll out containers. You could probably get 100 or so of them to pay $10.00 a month for such a service. That’s $1000.00 a month for work you only have to do once a week. You could also earn extra money by charging $5.00 — $10.00 to clean, sanitize and deoderize the cans.
Editor: Ken Mathie
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