Author: Phil Masters

Phil Masters has witnessed and shaped the convenience services industry for over five decades. Since earning his associate's degree in Marketing in 1970, Phil has played a pivotal role at Vending.com and The Wittern Group, Vending.com’s parent company. He’s been a key contributor and leader in evolving vending solutions. His impact surpasses the typical roles associated with sales. He has pushed boundaries and embraced change by spearheading new stylings for Vending.com’s vending equipment line and pioneering corporate partnerships and branding campaigns with iconic companies like Harley Davidson, John Deere, General Motors, Ford, and others. Phil is fortunate to be a part of driving the success of Vending.com and looks forward to celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2031. He’s thankful for the opportunities to introduce new programs and provide innovative and tailored solutions to help individuals and companies reach their vending goals and thrive in an ever-evolving market.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

How Much Could You Make in Vending?

Just how profitable are vending machines? How much money you can make with vending machines will depend on a number of factors. High traffic locations with a soda vending machine, a candy machine and a snack machine will make more than one or two bulk snack machines. Also, some items sell better in certain locales than others. When you see a vending machine for sale and wish to add it to your route, take time to learn about a location and how profitable it is.

Once you have a sense of how much traffic a spot has, use our online calculator to find out what that site will average over a period of a year.

And, don’t be afraid to sell premium products at high price points. Vending Consultants Co. did a study last year of vending machines with items that had profits of $1 or more each. They found that these items are attractive to customers and sell just as well as lower-margin items, meaning your vending machine drives more revenue over time. The next time you look at vending machines for sale, consider choosing those that can offer those premium items and see your income rise.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full-range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending Machines that Don’t Need to Be Restocked

As you expand your vending business, managing inventory gets more and more challenging. When looking at vending machines for sale, consider adding machines that provide services instead of goods and require no inventory.

A few examples of vending machines that require no inventory:

Massage chairs: Give customers the chance to pamper themselves for a few minutes during days shopping at the mall or walking through amusement parks.
Payphones: While mobile phones have largely made these anachronisms, there are still times that they come in handy. Do you have vending space in a place with poor cell phone service? Do you operate machines in an area where people are likely to leave their phones behind such a pool or water park? Your clients will be glad to have a payphone available.
Lockers: The Stuffit storage system is a great vending machine solution for venues that range from skate parks to gyms. Give your customers a safe place to stash their stuff while they enjoy their day out.

Vending.com has a vending machine for sale that fits your route and your business’s needs. Contact us today.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Calorie Counts on Vending Machines

Sometime this year, the FDA will announce changes that affect those who own snack vending machines. Part of the Affordable Care Act requires that the calorie count of snacks be easily viewable by customers. This can be difficult for vending machine owners, since nutrition information on packages aren’t visible until the customer has made his or her purchase. Paper signs on older machines are impractical. Many snack machine operators plan to stay within the requirements of the law using digital displays. Lawmakers are taking comments from industry experts into consideration while penning the final requirements. They should be announced sometime this year; business owners will have one year after the announcement to get all of their machines into compliance.

One thing that can help is, as you add new snack and candy vending machines to your route, investing in those with digital displays that make it easy to adhere to the new law. Vending.com has a number of models that can work for you.

How do you expect the new law on vending machine nutrition information to affect your vending business? Do you feel it will be difficult for you to implement on your vending machines?

About Vending.com

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Dos of Coffee Vending

More and more customers recognize and appreciate quality coffee. That’s good news for those who own drink vending machines. An educated and enthusiastic clientele means a profitable business.

To ensure the best sales, always offer your customers the best products that you can afford in your coffee vending machine. In a recent survey, daily drink customers said that they know who their coffee comes from. Give them an excellent experience with quality brews and well-maintained machinery, and they will repay you with their loyalty.

The most profitable machines are those that offer specialty drinks. Over half of all respondents said that they’d consume more coffee from their office’s vending machine if they had options that included espresso and lattes.

And, don’t neglect your coffee customers other desires. In the afternoons, many customers prefer cold drinks to hot. One of the most requested options is cold bottled water. If you have space for a cold drink machine, your customers will enjoy having that option available to them during times when they would prefer a cold drink to a hot coffee. By recognizing opportunities to upsell, you can increase your profits while keeping your customers happy.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Mobile Apps to Help Your Vending Machine Business

Vending.com loves the following three apps for your vending machine business to help keep track of financials, inventory and more.. They each offer a different service that will be valuable to you in your day-to-day life:

Mint:
Mint.com, which was name one of TIME Magazine’s “Top 50 iPhone Apps” in 2011, is the perfect free mobile app for business owners on the go. Since your vending business keeps you out and about for hours each day, this app will help make your life a lot easier. The app allows you to set a financial budget for your vending machine business and enter transactions while on the go. You also can get real-time fund availability. In addition, in case you lose your phone, the app has a password to keep any unauthorized persons from viewing your financial information.

Evernote:
This handy app gives you the ability to instantly take notes on your mobile device no matter where you are. You can then easily access this information later. This app is ideal for making notes of vending machine inventory needs, writing yourself a daily to-do list or just jotting down your latest brainstorm for your business. Thanks to Evernote, you don’t have to worry about keeping a paper and pen handy at all times.

Dropbox:
This app is available on both mobile devices and tablets. It works by storing your business documents, photos, or videos to access on the go. Imagine being able to pull up all your vending machine business marketing materials on the app no matter where you are at the time. After all, potential clients are everywhere, so why shouldn’t your most impressive business information be as well.

Any of our recommended apps for vending machine businesses will help you take yours to the next level.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

3 Ways to Find the Perfect Vending Location

Whether you are new to the vending business or a veteran, you are likely open to suggestions on how to make your business more profitable. Since a huge part of a vending businesses success is the result of the machine’s location, learning where to put your vending machine is crucial. Read below for three tips from Vending.com on how to do just that:

Go where the people are:
As a vending machine owner, you want to find locations to put your vending machines where there is a great deal of foot traffic. Examples of such places include airports, malls or busy offices. It only stands to reason that the more people who walk by your machines each day, the better your sales will be.

Be the focus:
Although it is wise to put your vending machine where there is lots of foot traffic as listed above, you can also find success when placing your machine in a more subdued environment. Your machine will often times become a source of entertainment when people are bored. Great examples of these locations that are less busy yet highly profitable include doctors’ offices, nail salons, car repair centers or barber shops.

Don’t avoid competition:
Some vending machine owners do not want to place their machines near other peoples’ machines. However, that can be a mistake. If you place a well-stocked, attractive vending machine next to a machine that is poorly maintained or rarely stocked, you will end up doing well even with competition present.

By incorporating the three tips listed above and remembering to match the type of vending machine with your clientele, you can ensure you are placing your machine in the most profitable location possible. After all, just as in real estate, location, location, location is the means to success in the vending business.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Eco-Friendly Customers and Coffee

Vending.com has learned that what makes a cup of coffee delicious might depend on more than just the beans used and the coffee and hot beverage vending machine it’s made in. According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, a research team ran an experiment in which participants were presented two cups of coffee, one that was “eco-friendly” and one that was just a regular cup of coffee. What the participants did not know was that both cups of coffee were made from the same beans and in the same standard coffee maker.

While the phrase “eco-friendly vending machine” might not make all coffee consumers crave more environmentally conscious coffee, participants were also surveyed on various issues before the study and the results showed that the majority of participants that were concerned about the environment preferred the eco-friendly brew. Those same participants were also willing to pay about 25 percent more for a coffee they believed shared their views on the environment.

When it comes to coffee or drink vending machines, you might not need to change your product offering to continue to be successful, but this is a good example of how knowing your customers and what their preferences are can help your vending machines, eco-friendly or otherwise, become even more profitable.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

How to Get a Vending Machine License

The licenses and permits that you will need to operate soda or coffee vending machines, snack vending machines, or other machines will vary depending on the state and even county

where you live. Knowing how to get a vending license or permit and how much it costs are details to check into before you purchase machines so that you have them established before installation.

The Small Business Administration has a directory where you can find your state’s webpage for license requirements. If you are are unable to find the answer on your state’s site, call a local office of the SBA. Someone there will most likely be able to help you find the proper forms and information.

Having licensing and permitting in order before you install machines can save you expensive downtime or even fines later on. Licenses for drink vending machines and other types are generally inexpensive. In Alabama, for instance, the fee for a license is only $75 per year for a vending business that has revenue between $60,000 and $80,000. Other states have fees that are in the same range. Some do not require licensing at all.

Are you ready to start or expand your vending business? We have a vending machine for sale that fits your needs.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending machine financing, services, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full-range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Stocking Your Vending Machines

Snack vending machines are often the subject of jokes, with disgruntled customers pounding on the machine in hopes that their purchased snack will fall. Yet if that vending machine is yours, the way in which you stock the snacks is crucial to your profits.

When people don’t get the snack they paid for, they will get upset, and may not use the vending machine again, in spite of any vend guarantee you provide. The next customer may get more than one item with just one purchase due to snacks stuck in the machine. This cuts into your profits. As a result, you need to ensure that you are stocking your vending machine correctly to avoid this problem.

As you do when stocking a drink vending machine, when stocking candy vending machines, take your time, and make sure all packages are facing forward. Tuck them into their respective slots, working from back to front, and ensure that every space is filled. Make sure the snacks you purchase are the right size for your snack machine to avoid stuck products. When you are finished stocking, test the vending machine to ensure it is properly dispensing each snack. This will put more money into your pocket and eliminate problems from unsatisfied customers.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Happy Independence Day from Vending.com!

Wishing all our friends and followers a Happy and Healthy Fourth of July that is spent with family and friends.

About Vending.com

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Affordability of getting a Used Vending Machine

If you wish to begin a vending machine business or to expand an existing route, used vending machines are an attractive option. Used machines often cost a fraction of what a new machine costs. However, when buying them from a reputable and well-established supplier, they can be be as reliable as brand new machines.

When shopping for used machines, always look for ones that are inspected and certified. This helps you ensure that the machine is in good working condition and will faithfully vend products to your customers.

Vending.com offers several factory-remanufactured certified machines. These machines come with a 90 day warranty on parts that include the bill acceptors, coin acceptors and control boards. Plus, as a respected vending machine manufacturer, we support your purchase with a dedicated help line.

For greater affordability, machines can be purchased on one of our vending machine payment plans. Used snack machines are just $79.35 a month and drink machines are only $97.35 a month. Each of these can be paid off with just five vends a day.

Our supply of used vending machines for sale rotates constantly. Check back often to find the drink machine, snack machine or combo vending machine that fits your customers’ needs.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Importance of Proper Guidance for Employees

For many employees, the employee handbook is only one small piece of working for a company – a piece quickly forgotten. They read it, forget it and get on with learning and doing their job. While this may not be ideal from and employer perspective, it is important to realize that forgetting the employee handbook is a luxury only available to employees. As an employer, the employee handbook is an important tool for communicating with your workers and protecting your company from unnecessary lawsuits.

The importance of an in-depth employee handbook

The employee handbook explains a number of things to your employees – things that they need to understand to integrate effectively with your company. It not only tells them the history of your business and your mission and goals, it explains hard and fast rules for getting along in the company. It lays down the law on what is and is not acceptable.

In addition to the rules of your company, the handbook also lays out the specific laws that are applicable to employment with your company. There are federal and state laws pertaining to employment – and perhaps to safety in your particular industry – that employees need to be aware of.

All of this information is put down in clear writing that is then explained to the employee by your company. Employees can look to the handbook for clarification, as well as to management and human resources if applicable. The important thing is, all parties have the same reference – the handbook.

The handbook protects your company

You company could do everything right, operating well within the law and treating your employees fairly. This does not protect you from legal action by unscrupulous parties – even people you have hired and taken care of. Companies are sued all the time whether they do anything wrong or not. But, as long as you are obeying the law and have solid documentation to back you up – such as with your employee handbook, you should be able to effectively defend yourself.

Consider at-will employment. If you are in an at-will state, you should certainly have that information front and center in your handbook. Employees should know that legal realities of your relationship to prevent any confusion on down the line. Disciplinary measures are sometimes necessary and should be mentioned in the handbook as well, along with the relationship between disciplinary measures and at-will employment.

Harassment policies are also an important component of the handbook. Sexual harassment charges can hit a company hard, damaging both its reputation and its bank account. Your policies towards any type of harassment or discrimination should be clearly stated in the handbook. This is something you will want to be able to reference should anyone ever attempt to lay blame on your company policies for harassment or discrimination situations.

Invest in your employee handbook

The employee handbook is important enough to invest time and money in. Consider hiring an attorney familiar with employee handbooks to ensure you include everything necessary to protect your company – both now and in the future.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Calorie Count Regulations Coming into effect

Starting July 1, 2014, all US public schools will have regulations regarding food and drink standards. The Nutritional Standards of All Foods Sold in Schools came about largely because of Michelle Obama’s efforts to decrease childhood obesity.

The law impacts all foods and beverages sold on campus or as part of meal programs during the school day. These foods and drinks may come from the cafeteria, school store, snack bar or vending machines. The new rules therefore introduce new vending machine food and drink regulations to the industry.

The new food requirements call for foods that are whole grains; have fruit, vegetable, dairy or protein products as the first ingredient; or contain 10 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, potassium, vitamin D or dietary fiber.

Drinks can be low fat cow’s milk, soy or rice based products, 100 percent fruit juice, or water. Soda, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, sports drinks and energy drinks are prohibited.

Contact us to learn more about the new vending machine regulations associated with these increased nutritional standards.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full-range of vending machines for sale, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Can the Coffee Help Fight the Signs of Aging?

Surely you have heard the hype that coffee can help you look younger. You head to your favorite drink vending machines and stock up on the stuff to not only get a much needed boost of energy, but to watch your wrinkles dissipate. But it is really true? Can coffee really combat aging? It can! If you are hoping for a miracle in a cup, coffee is not your answer. In fact, there are not even real scientific studies on this claim. That being said, coffee is loaded with antioxidants, which are effective at fighting away many signs of aging, like fine lines and age spots. So in that regard, coffee may be contributing slightly to your cause.

Moderation is key. One of the reasons people believe coffee does slow aging and helps them appear younger is because the caffeine in it shrinks cells by dehydrating them. This is great for puffy eyes, but not so great for your body. So you should try to limit yourself to a couple of cups per day. If you go overboard, instead of the coffee helping your skin look smooth and supple, it will make your face look shriveled up and old. So when you are out and about and you pass by those drink vending machines at the office or the gas station, grab a coffee in the morning and perhaps one in the afternoon, but choose something else on your other stops. And if you are looking into buying vending machines for sale, or you are a vending machine manufacturer, considering adding a variety of both coffee drinks and non-coffee drinks to keep all of your customers happy.

In summary, when used in moderation, coffee can give you the energy you need to combat the day while helping your cause to slow aging, but if you overdo it, it will have the opposite effect on your skin.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Benefits of Buying a Used Vending Machine

When you invest in your vending business, every penny counts. One way to make your money go further is to choose used vending machines instead of new ones. Used vending machines are of benefit because they can cost a fraction of what new ones cost. And, when you focus your search on used machines that are certified by the vending machine manufacturer, you can rest easy that you are buying reliable equipment.

When looking at used machines, ask the following questions:

What sort of warranty is offered? Vending.com offers a 90 day warranty on bill acceptors, coin acceptors and control boards, so, you know that your investment is secure.
What is the condition of the machine? When we offer a used vending machine for sale, it is only after the machine has been factory remanufactured and certified by our trained and caring staff.
What will you pay for delivery? Our company delivers our certified used machines for free. Other companies can charge hundreds of dollars, running up your costs significantly.
What sort of financing is available? Our low monthly payments and 100% financing mean that you can get your machines placed quickly and start earning.

There are a number of sizes and styles of drink and snack vending machines in our inventory. And, new machines come in all the time, so, we are always able to get exactly what you need to fit your available spaces. Ready to explore your options? Call us at 1-855-595-1839 to learn about our inspected and certified used vending machines for sale. We can answer your questions and help you find the perfect machine to open your vending business or expand an existing route.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Unexpected Benefits of Drinking Coffee

When considering vending machines for sale, opting for a coffee vending machine will automatically be passing along an array of potential health benefits. More than two dozen of those benefits were outlined by Complex City Guide , including coffee’s ability to reduce the risk of various health conditions and diseases. Three health benefits of drinking coffee especially stand out as big pluses for office workers who would be likely to encounter drink vending machines serving coffee.

Work pain relief

Sitting at a computer all day can wreak havoc on the shoulders and neck, but a cup of coffee before work can help alleviate common pains of the typical office job. A 2012 study out of Norway found 40 percent of folks who drank coffee enjoyed a lower level of pain than those who skipped the Joe.

Lower blood pressure

Although the initial effect of coffee’s caffeine is to give your blood pressure a short-term boost, it can actually help lower blood pressure for the long term. France’s Preventative and Clinical Investigations Center found those who regularly drink coffee can enjoy significantly lowered blood pressure than those who don’t. It also noted regular coffee drinkers have blood vessels that are more elastic in nature, which helps decrease the chances of developing high blood pressure.

Cavity prevention

Any candy vending machine manufacturer may want to consider adding coffee vending machines to their lineup. Certain elements found in coffee may reduce the formation of plaque, such as an element known as the tannins. This compound is found in coffee beans and has been shown to halt the plaque formation process, stopping plaque buildup before it even starts.

While most drink vending machines aim to serve up a refreshing beverage, drinking coffee can be especially refreshing for its health benefits: its ability to alleviate pain, lower blood pressure and leave you with fewer trips to the dentist.

Benefits of Drinking Coffee Regularly — (source: happytoserveyou.com.au)

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Know Your Options – Vending Machine Financing

When you start looking at vending machines for sale, one thing that is a major hurdle in purchasing a machine you need or want is the cost. Luckily, there are a number of financing options available. This is especially good since snack and drink vending machines can be a great investment opportunity for many businesses—paying for themselves several times over in just a short amount of time.

Credit Card

If you have a credit card with a high limit, this can be a great option for paying for your machine. This is simple and will allow you to pay your normal credit card bill each month with no extra bills. However, the interest rates can sometimes be higher than other options.

Manufacturer Financing

Check with the vending machine manufacturer. It could be that they offer private financing or perhaps they work with another financing firm to give you options. Quite often, you can get a lower interest rate than you would pay with your credit card and there are flexible payment terms.

Concerns

Before you jump in and finance one machine or several, it is important that you look through your current financial situation and make sure you are not getting in over your head. Do you anticipate that your machines will bring in enough each month to pay your loan? If not, do you have a backup plan? Talk to someone who knows the vending machine industry in your area and get a better idea of what you can expect.

As you can see, finding financing for your vending machine investment may not be that difficult. Make certain you do your research and find a finance and payment plan that will serve you well now and in the future.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Improving Your Vending Machine Display

Your vending machine may seem like a “set it up and forget it” type of investment, but you need to give a little attention to the display if you want a large return on

investment. With the right vending display, you can even turn an old vending machine used at one time for out-dated products into a thriving, lucrative income generator. The key is to create an eye-catching display that will cause people to stop and take a closer look.

The goal for your snack machine display is to make it catch the eye of the passer by. Bright colors and images of favorite brands work well. If a brand you stock has a new packaging, use that to gather attention to your vending machine display.

Look for appealing images that will trigger a craving for what you sell. A soda can or bottle dripping with ice and water droplets will cause thirst on a hot day and increase people’s desire to buy a drink from your drink machine.

Make sure your vending machine display is not outdated. If it looks like the machine has been sitting untouched for years, your customers will be skeptical, and your chances of making a sale are low. Make changes regularly to increase interest and give customers variety, and you will see a greater return on your investment.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.