Now that we've covered the pros & cons of Bulk Candy Vending Machines; we'll do the same for .

First of all, there are different levels of snack & soda machines such as electrical machines vs. mechanical machines. There are pros & cons between these two groups; but for now, we'll just cover snack & soda vending in general compared to bulk candy machines.

When I refer to snack & soda vending, that is the same as full line vending. This area also includes cold food vending machines, frozen food machines, & coin operated coffee vending machines.

Pros:
- Higher income per location ($200 to $500 per stop feels much nicer than $30 per stop)
- Takes only a few good locations to create a nice income
- are usually long term if you provide reliable service & fresh quality products
- You can develop a great relationship with the location & it's employees (they look forward to seeing you)
- They Do not spill candy on the floor like bulk candy machines
- You will receive customer referrals to acquire more accounts (you have a service they NEED)
- The addition of just 1 snack and soda location can substantially increase your income

Cons:
- Higher machine cost (overall the investment vs. Return on Investment should surpass that of with bulk candy tremendously, but the cost to add 1 location is much more)
- Requires a dolly & trailer to move machines (or a moving service)
- Need to have a vehicle capable of handling larger product capacity (may need a dolly for servicing accounts)
- Full line vending machines can be very reliable, but they will need more repairs than bulk candy (phone tech support can help a new vendor through this)
- Snack & soda machines make more money, but they require servicing between 1 and 3 times per week (poor accounts are sometimes serviced every 2 weeks)

We have customers that are full time, professional vending operators in snack & soda vending as well as others in bulk candy vending. Some do both!

Choosing either type can result in a successful vending business, but it seems that a greater percentage of those who choose snack and soda are able to create a full time income from it.  Perhaps this is just because they realize up front that it will require more dedication and therefore think through it more thoroughly before beginning and treat it like a real business from the start.

If you're starting a vending route, the two mainstays of the vending industry are  a) Bulk Candy Vending Machines & b) snack and soda vending machines.

To start, today we'll look at the bulk vending business. This term also includes gumball vending machines, capsule & toy vending machines, superball machines, & sticker / tattoo vending machines. If you're going to start a business, you'll want to know all about it - the good and the bad. Some begin in one area of vending only to later learn that another area was better for them, be it their personality, schedule, investment level, etc… So, here are the pros & cons of the bulk vending business.

Pros:
- Inexpensive per unit (can start small & can grow easily as needed)
- Easy to handle / move / transport
- Product is easy to handle
- Easy to work on / maintain
- Flexible service intervals (usually once every 4 to 6 weeks - so it is easier to work around an existing job or travel farther)
- Easy to find locations (partly because most locations qualify as prospects)

Cons:
- Lower income per location
- Takes many locations to create same income (depending on accounts, 7 to 10 times as many accounts as snack & soda machines)
- This spreads the size of your service area to a larger geographic area (more driving, but this can be a pro since more locations are within reach) 
- More turnover in locations due to low income / lost accounts (must relocate machines more than snack & soda accounts)
- Accounts are not as loyal (they are doing you a favor vs. snack & soda where you provide a needed service)

Every job & every business has pros & cons; knowing them up front helps you to plan your business and future accordingly.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the main points to consider.

When you talk to a vending machine salesperson, most will make you believe that their machine is "The Best" and the aspect of the industry that their machine serves (bulk or snack & soda) is "The Best", but don't believe it. For some people bulk candy is the best; for others, it is snack & soda. It depends on you, too.

Stay tuned for the pros & cons of snack & soda vending machine routes

If you're just now looking at starting a vending machine business / vending route, I hope that you can take this advice seriously.
I don't believe in playing games with other people's money by talking you into something that I know you can not do.

Is vending for you?  Can you do it?  Can you quit your job doing it?

That's really up to you regardless of what ANYONE else has done.  Many have succeeded in vending….

Many have failed.

Eventhough the vending business in general is about as simple as any business on the planet, I have learned that it is not for everyone. 
Some "try" & "try" with no results.  By "try", I mean… They think about it, ALOT! And, you know, that's all they ever do. Others may do well in the business, but they may not like running from location to location, talking to people, or whatever.  It just isn't their "cup of tea."

Everyone is different with different skills, different hopes, different levels of ambition; but most of us have one thing that draws ALL of us to vending…

THE MONEY.
Work Less, Make More, right?

Well, in some aspects this idea applies to vending, but like everything else, it's not as easy as it sounds. If you think you can GET RICH QUICK in vending, go put all your money into a 5% CD for 18 months so that you won't touch it. Hurry, go now! SAVE YOURSELF!!!

But, if you come into this with a level head & work hard, vending can do very well for you. Depending on your inner drive, you can probably achieve many / most of your goals with vending.

Don't believe the blue sky business opportunities,
decide if you're willing to do what it takes,
decide if you can handle being told "no" by prospective locations,
set short & long term goals,
& get the support of your spouse (don't skip this - you know what hell that can cause!). 

And, NO, I didn't do the last item either; but I made sure to succeed for fear of hearing about it for THE REST OF MY LIFE!    She kinda freaked when I quit my engineering job at Lockheed Martin a week before our first child was born in order to do vending full time!  I guess I couldn't blame her…  Sorry, Honey!

Anyway, vending works.  The question is, DO YOU? 
If you can't treat it like a real business, don't waste your time & money.

If you want a real business that is demanding & profitable, get your machines at great prices & stay tuned.
We need to talk about the pros & cons of bulk candy vending vs. snack and soda vending machines.

If you've already entered the vending arena, post a comment & let me know how you did - Good or bad. It will help everyone.

One more piece of vending machine trivia before we get to the stuff you really care about

"The Greek mathematician Hero seems to have got the ball rolling in 215BC, when he invented a vending machine to vend holy water in Egyptian temples." - Automatic Vending Association

Ok, I promise, no more…..
for a while anyway.

On to the important stuff!  How to make a million dollars in six months by starting a brand new vending business tomorrow.
If anyone does it, please let me know how. Otherwise, we'll talk about the real life vending business that can be a great income but don't think it is a get rich quick business opportunity. If you're looking for the blatant truth in this business, you've come to the right place.

Drop me a message just to let me know about you & your business & what you would like to see in this blog!

Your Vender Defender