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Are you ready to become a Vending Operator?

June 3rd, 2016 | Posted by DT in Vending machine business - (Comments Off on Are you ready to become a Vending Operator?)

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Vending is very much an entrepreneurs business. Vending operators essentially run their own small businesses. As a vending operator you must become a jack of all trades as you will be taking on a lot of responsibilities. You will be managing things such as product restocking, service calls, machine maintenance, finances, travel between locations, and administrative duties. While entering the industry as a vending operator may seem overwhelming, do not be discouraged as becoming a vending operator can be quite rewarding.

You may be wondering if the vending business is right for you. Let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages. As an operator owning your own vending machines, you will enjoy higher profit margins and will be allowed greater flexibility in pricing and product offerings. To enter the industry as an operator you will need money up-front to purchase the machine. Plus you will need to buy product to stock your machine.

As the factory direct supplier of vending machines, eVending in one of the only manufactures to provide in-house financing for machines purchases (based upon credit approval). eVending offers a variety of accommodating financing options, ranging from six (6) months to 48 months. Plus eVending offers no monthly payments for the first 90 days. With an average item profit of $0.50, your vending machine could pay for itself with sales of just seven to ten snacks or drinks per day. eVending’s financing options are ideal for operator entering the vending industry to be more affordable and profitable than ever.

As you prepare to put your business plan into action, you may want to make a list tailored to your needs as the operator. The following are several tips to help you prepare to enter the industry as a vending operator.

  1. Have a business plan – It pays to plan. Have you thought about what your goals are or how the math works out? With vending profit is not immediately obvious, there will be a significant delay between your actions and financial results. If you want to get an idea of what your machines will bring in, eVending’s profit calculator is a useful tool. The calculation takes in to account the number of machines you have, vends per day, the cost of the product, and the vend price of the product to give you the most accurate prediction of your future profits.
    Be sure to align your business plan with your financial as well as lifestyle goals.
  2. Select the vending machine type – Over the years vending machines have evolved beyond cookies and crackers. Today, you can vend anything from gumballs to a full meal. Decide which market you want to enter then find the machine that best suits your needs.
  3. Get the proper licenses – Before you get started, check with your local licensing office for requirements in your area.
  4. Buy the machines – Now that you have decided what type of machine is best for your location, you will need to purchase the machines. eVending offers a full-line of machines that are 100% manufactured in the USA. Our new machines come with a one year limited parts warranty and are specially designed to provide maximum energy output with minimal electrical requirements which help keep your expenses as low as possible. Additionally, our new machines can be managed remotely due to their cellular based designs.
  5. Buy or lease a vending truck – You will need a vehicle to move products from machine to machine and even to move the machines themselves. The size and type of vehicle you need will depend on the size of your operation.
  6. Find a supplier – Buy your products in bulk through stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco or a site that sells candy in bulk. Be sure not to buy quantities so large that they expire before you can sell them.
  7. Secure your locations – When selecting a location look for places with high foot traffic. Think along the lines of an office, mall, bowling alley, or hotel. Be sure to check out each site in person before approaching the owner to secure a deal.
  8. Service your machines – Now that your machines are placed you will be in charge of upkeep. This will involve keeping the machine functioning, clean, and well-stocked. Depending on your machine’s popularity, this may need to be done more than once a week. When you purchase one of our machines you will have access to eVending’s complimentary phone customer support as well as to Vendnet— your one stop source for parts, service, and vending products, with online support for vending machine manuals or parts ordering.

Finally, the National Automatic Merchandising Association’s (NAMA) Vending101 article is a good resource for a more in depth look at the industry.

If you decide you’re ready to make your way as a vending operator, visit www.evending.com to learn more or contact eVending today at 1-888-915-7572.

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The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) Awards Art Wittern Allied Member of the Year

June 2nd, 2016 | Posted by DT in Vending machine | Vending machine business - (Comments Off on The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) Awards Art Wittern Allied Member of the Year)
DES MOINES, IOWA – Art Wittern, Chairman of the Board for eVending’s parent company The Wittern Group, has been named NAMA’s Allied Vending Member of the Year.  The Allied Member of the Year award, presented lifve at the OneShow on April 13th, is one of three NAMA Industry Awards that recognize the most widely respected leaders in the industry, as nominated by their peers.  The OneShow is the nation’s largest vending and refreshment services trade event, which will be held April 13–15, 2016 at the Lakeside Center McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
An industry veteran as a C-level executive for over 55 years, Mr. Wittern held the position of President and CEO of The Wittern Group until 1990, when he was named Chairman and the company transitioned to its third generation of family ownership.  For over 20 years, Mr. Wittern was the driving force behind The Wittern Group’s strategy as it diversified and transformed its product and service offerings to adapt to advancements in technology, shifting markets, and changing customer needs.
At The Wittern Group, Mr. Wittern fostered a culture that empowered those around him to think beyond the status quo and dream the impossible.  This modus operandi and Mr. Wittern’s hands-on approach to product research and design was instrumental in creating the multi-zone frozen vending machine which was revolutionary for the vending industry.  Presently, Mr. Wittern’s efforts are focused on strengthening the company’s position among professional vending operators and the distributors who supply them.
“The Industry Awards are a beloved element of the OneShow, recognizing leaders who have served our association and the industry as innovators and advocates,” said Dan Mathews, NAMA Executive Vice President and COO.  “Art has performed above and beyond, helping The Wittern Group achieve success while devoting his time and talent to NAMA, overall industry efforts, his colleagues, and the community.  He is a true inspiration and I congratulate him on this well-deserved honor,” commented Mr. Mathews.
“I am greatly honored for the recognition from NAMA in the form of this prestigious award. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues who work every day to make The Wittern Group successful and most importantly, to our customers and distributors,” commented Mr. Wittern.  “As we introduce our next generation vending machine, the Evoke series, at NAMA 2016, we look forward to continued innovation and growth within the marketplace.”
Mr. Wittern cares deeply for the vending industry as well the community, which is evident by his founding of The Wittern Family Foundation that supports various non-profit organizations including NAMA, the Mayo Clinic, and United Way among many other organizations.  Mr. Wittern also founded The Wittern Family Scholarship Foundation which provides post-secondary financial assistance to children of The Wittern Group employees.

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How to Drink More Water Daily

March 30th, 2016 | Posted by DT in Vending machines - (Comments Off on How to Drink More Water Daily)

Drink More Water

 

With the health and wellness trends quickly becoming eminent in all our lives today, we have constantly been reminded of the importance of water. Everyone has been told once in their life to “Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!”. But, why are we still constantly being reminded if we should already have this ingrained in our heads by now?

Shocking Fact: Just 5 years ago, Americans consumed close to 50 billion liters of soda a year, which is basically 216 liters (57 gallons) per person! (Source: NationMaster)

Thankfully, in a study conducted less than a year ago, soda consumption has fallen drastically and the consumption of water is at the top again, and now 63% of Americans actively avoid soda (Source: Mercola). That’s great news health-wise! However, many people have resorted to other liquids such as energy drinks, juices, and unnatural flavorings. That might be a step up from soda, but it really doesn’t help control our sugar consumption daily.

Water is essential to our bodies to help metabolism, remove toxins, cooling, pH regulation, transporting substances, and a whole lot more. So how can we get into this habit of drinking more water everyday? Here are a few tips:

  1. Drink a little water after you wake up, before you brush your teethFlavored Water
  2. Add your own natural flavor to your water – sliced fruit/vegetables/herbs
  3. Set a daily goal
  4. Track how much water you drink – by using an app or log book
  5. Get a bottle that you’ll actually want to use and carry around
  6. Drink a glass of water before every meal
  7. Consume more water-based foods – such as watermelon, cantaloupe, etc
  8. Add a little spice to your food
  9. Drink less caffeine – Caffeine dehydrates you

Snacking at Work

January 30th, 2016 | Posted by DT in Snack machine | Snack Machines | Snack vending machines - (Comments Off on Snacking at Work)

Desktop Snacking

Snacking in between meals is becoming a norm for people of all ages in today’s world. We do this for a variety of reasons. Some people just prefer to eat smaller portions and more times a day, while others just don’t have the time to sit down and have a proper meal. Unfortunately, this makes us all vulnerable to unhealthy snack products that could potentially decrease our productivity (by making us sleepy, or even more hungry) and ultimately, don’t have any nutritional value to get us through the day.

Here are some ideas to make help us snack a little more healthily:

  1. Fresh Fruit
    Try cutting up and keeping some Apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, and any other fruits in Ziploc bags that can be stored in the office fridge/cooler. These are great to munch on while working on something at your desk
  2. Nuts & Seeds
    Nuts and seeds have healthy natural fats and will be able to keep you full till your next meal. Next time you’re at the grocery store, just grab some wholesale and unprocessed almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds
  3. Oats
    Oats are another easy fix to a meal. You can keep some instant oats by your desk and just walk over to the kitchen to add some hot water (extra points for taking that walk!) or you could make overnight oats at home and bring them in with you
  4. Snack Bars
    There are a ton of different bars in the market today, but many of them are packed with sugar and unnatural flavorings. A great rule of thumb is to look for bars with a high protein content, low-sugar, and no weird ingredients
  5. Hard-Boiled Eggs
    Eggs are basically protein-packed food. You can boil these in the morning while you’re getting ready for work and just 2 eggs will get you through that mid-day slump
  6. Vegetables & Dip
    Cut some carrots, celery and broccoli and keep them in Ziploc bags for some very healthy snacking while you work. If you’re a dip-kind of person, try hummus or Greek yogurt dips
  7. Whole-wheat Bread & Nut Butter
    Keep some whole-wheat bread at your table and have a slice or two with Peanut Butter or Almond Butter if you don’t have time for lunch and need a quick snack that’ll fill you up
  8. Protein Shake
    Protein shakes are a great way to hit your protein goals for the day. Most of them are also low calorie, low-sugar and low-carbs. Protein makes you feel full pretty quickly, so just one serving and you should be good till dinner timeHealthy Snacking

3 Vending Machines I wish My Office Had

September 30th, 2015 | Posted by DT in Buy vending machines | Combo vending machines | Small vending machines | Snack vending machines - (Comments Off on 3 Vending Machines I wish My Office Had)

There are a ton of interesting and even weird vending machines out there in the world. But what if you could decide what kind of vending machine your office had? We’d love to start a “re-post challenge” for all the vending enthusiasts out there. Here is the question:

What are 3 Vending Machines you wish your office had?

3 Vending Machines I Wish My Office Had

 

So here are the 3 Machines we wish we had in our offices

Freshly Baked Pastries

1. Fresh Pastries – because who wouldn’t love the smell of freshly baked pastries in the morning?! Or who can turn down some out-of-the-oven hot croissants at any time of the day for that matter?

 

Hot Soup

2. Hot Soup – some days, all we want is some hot soup to get us through the afternoon. Especially in the Midwest, we’d definitely appreciate this machine during our long cold months

Emergency Gifts

3. Emergency Last-Minute Presents – just throwing this one out there, but I’m sure every once in a while we’ve forgotten about someone’s birthday, anniversary, or some celebration one way or another. Wouldn’t it be neat if we could just grab something from this machine on our way out of the office, without having to stop somewhere else and wait in the long checkout lines after work?

 

So what are your 3 picks? Share it in your own post and tag us in it to let us know!

New USDA Snacking Regulations Almost Here

June 12th, 2014 | Posted by DT in Small vending machines | Snack machine | Snack Machines - (Comments Off on New USDA Snacking Regulations Almost Here)

July 1 brings a significant change to vending machine companies that service schools. The new “Smart Snacks in School” rules affect any schools receiving assistance from the National School Lunch program.

 

According to the new rules, all snacks sold in schools must:

 

  • Be whole-grain rich
  • Have the first ingredient a veggie, fruit, dairy product or other protein-rich food if not a whole grain rich food
  • Have a combination of these and naturally contain 10 percent of the daily value of calcium, vitamin D, potassium or dietary fiber
  • Contain 200 or fewer calories for snacks
  • Contain 350 or fewer calories for a la carte entrees
  • Contain no more than 35% sugar by weight
  • Contain no more than 230 mg of sodium
  • Contain no more than 35% calories from fat

 

In addition, the rules require elementary schools to limit beverages to 8 fluid ounces, with a 12-fluid-ounce limit for older grades. Vending machines in elementary and high schools cannot offer beverages that have caffeine.

 

Vending machine companies that service schools need to understand the Smart Snacks in School rules, and start transitioning to offering items that fit these rules.

Are Consumers Cutting Down on Spending?

June 10th, 2014 | Posted by DT in Vending machines - (Comments Off on Are Consumers Cutting Down on Spending?)

According to recently released figures by the Commerce Department in Washington, household purchases fell 0.1 percent in April. Once the figure was adjusted to account for inflation, the number looked even worse as it revealed spending had dropped by the biggest margin since September 2009.

Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpoint Securities LLC, predicted this decline and stated “the risk at this point is that the consumer is falling back into a pattern of mediocre spending growth.” Stanley places the blame for the curbed spending on the fact that incomes have not risen to meet the increased cost of living.

What does this mean for the vending machine companies?
Unfortunately, whenever discretionary spending is hindered, the vending machine and other similar industries do feel the squeeze. There isn’t much that company owners can do, however, except wait on the economy to right itself, which will lead to consumers spending their extra money on candy bars and sodas once again.

The economy is always dipping and rising, seemingly at random. However, the vending machine business has held strong throughout all the turmoil and will indeed persevere through this latest downturn in spending.

How One Grandma Started a Vending Business to Make Extra Cash

May 26th, 2014 | Posted by DT in Vending machine business - (Comments Off on How One Grandma Started a Vending Business to Make Extra Cash)

When grandmother Karen Bailey heard that her son wanted to give away his vending machines, she asked if he’d give them to her. She used her combo drink and snack vending machines to open her own small business in Great Falls, Montana. Since September, 2014, she’s supplemented her fixed income with proceeds from 11 machines in nine locations. Besides the cash, Bailey enjoys meeting customers and getting to know what they like.

She advises others who are considering vending machines for sale to prioritize location. At least 20 people regular congregate around her favorite vending machine locations. Additionally, she suggests supplementing healthy beef jerky, granola bars and pistachios with candy bars, cookies and chips. Her snack machines experience has proven that people like to treat themselves sometimes with traditional snack foods. No matter what’s in her vending machines, Bailey looks forward to many more years of business ownership.

If you’re interested in starting a vending machine business, check out our selection of eVending table-top and combo vending machines. Want a free quote? Give us a call at 1800-944-5524.

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Eating Healthy is Easier Thanks to Tweeting Vending Machine

May 19th, 2014 | Posted by DT in Snack vending machines - (Comments Off on Eating Healthy is Easier Thanks to Tweeting Vending Machine)

For health-conscious consumers or those trying to break a bad candy habit, a hacked vending machine tweets all purchases. Unlike regular snack machines, this one tells members of a private social media account about all the purchases made by the group’s members.

The tweeting vending machine originates in the UK. A group of hackers and programmers bought a vending machine off eBay, modified it to send tweets and use it to encourage purchasers to make healthier snack choices.

Users of the tweeting machine initially showed amusement at it. However, they soon became annoyed with the exposure of their snack purchases. Thus, the machine has been shut down for now.

New and existing vending machine companies may not want to build a tweeting machine, but combo drink snack machines that provide healthy options do exist. They can feature anything from fresh salads, pre-packaged vegetables, flavored water and granola bars.

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The Convenience of Small Tabletop Vending Machines

May 12th, 2014 | Posted by DT in Small vending machines - (Comments Off on The Convenience of Small Tabletop Vending Machines)

Think you don’t have room for a vending machine on your property? Think again. Mini vending machines can fit into spaces where larger machines can’t. eVending’s compact models fit where full-sized machines would be impractical. Place these compact machines in the break room, in your office’s kitchen area or even on a hallway table.

Employees enjoy the convenience of having snacks and drinks on-site for those times that they can’t get away from the office. The small size means that the machines fit in most break rooms; this saves workers on time spent fetching snacks and gives them more time to relax during their breaks and return to work refreshed. Our machines are equipped with credit and debit card readers so that workers can grab a snack even if they left their cash at home.

Combo drink snack machines allow you to fit a surprisingly large selection of options to get them through midday hunger. Our tabletop vending machine model accommodates 14 products so that there is something everyone can enjoy. You can offer juices, sodas, candies and other snacks to combat mid-afternoon hunger and help people get back to work and feel more productive.

Full-sized machines often require a team and a hand truck or other equipment. eVending’s small machines are light and far easier to move than full-sized drink or snack machines. A single person could easily position or move a machine with little effort. Plus, smaller machines take less power. This makes them more eco-friendly and easier on your wallet.

When you are looking at vending machine options, consider the benefits of mini vending machines. eVending has a compact vending machines for sale on our site. Contact us to learn more about your vending options.

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