Locating A Vending Machine Supplier
If you’ve been considering entering the vending machine business, the first thing you’ve got to consider is what type of items you want to sell in your vending machines. Then, you’ll need to find a vending machine supplier that will be able to either purchase or lease the machines from. Locating a supplier in your shouldn’t be all that difficult. You can start by doing an online search, but you will likely want to check out your local yellow pages as well as not all vending machine suppliers have web sites.
What To Look For From A Vending Machine Supplier
- Be sure the company you choose offers multiple types of vending machines. Cold foods are hot right now. But you want to ensure you have the option of offering the traditional fare (snacks & drinks) as well as items that are new and fresh to the vending business.
- Be sure to check with the BBB in the community or state where their headquarters is based. As with any business that sells distributorships, the vending machine supplier business has had its share of shady business folks.
- If possible, visit the company’s headquarters. You can often tell a lot about a company by the way their office looks. If it’s a messy, unorganized place, I’d think twice about doing business with them. Take a look at the machines they have on hand so you can see what is available and what kind of condition the machines are in. Ask for a catalog of machines they offer and that may be special order.
- Go over pricing plans, if they offer financing plans or if they have a leasing agent on staff.
- Look for a supplier that will provide you with assistance in locating your machines if you’ve never been in the business before.
- When doing business with a supplier outside of your area, be sure to get shipping costs in writing so there are no surprises when your machines are delivered.
- Be sure that the supplier provides you with a list of suppliers in your area that you will be able to use in order to fill and refill your machines. You’ll need one nearby your location, or in the case of some metro areas, one that will deliver directly to your home or office.
Locating a quality vending machine supplier doesn’t need to be a difficult task. But if you don’t pay attention to the points above, you could have a very hard time getting started in this very competitive business.