Vending machine software has entered the 21st century. If you've been at this a while the options for how to use software to best save you money/time can seem overwhelming. Never fear, I'm going to give you a run down of the kinds of software and how you use them to your advantage.

First of all, I am not an insurance agent - I work in the vending business. And none of the information in this article should be considered as legal advice. Always speak to an insurance agent or broker about the specific needs of your vending business..

Improving product selection in your vending machine is key to both customer service and profitability. First of all, be willing to dedicate some spirals in each machine to meet requests for special dietary needs at an account (gluten free, Kosher/Halal, Vegan, sugar free items, etc) or have the managers' favorite item always stocked.

Every time you service a vending machine, it should have sales over $100. The exception would be a slow machine at an account that has other profit potential for you. This other profit could be more machines at the location, office coffee service or equipment rentals.

Managing your inventory, locations, and books in vending can be a nightmare. If you're a small time vendor with only a few machines, you want to spend all your time giving great customer service and expanding your business, not keeping your paperwork up to date.

Vend-Trak may be your very first purchase of vending related software and as such, I want to give you a comprehensive understanding of how it works. This is significantly more in depth than my review of Vend-Trak Vending Management Software.

This article is an introduction to what you need to know to fill vending machines. Before you learn, you need to know your goal. Are you just trying to get product into a machine? No! You want to fill a machine well.

Filling vending machines is the bread and butter of any vending business. This is a step by step guide for what to do when you go to any location as well as how to modify these instructions to suit different combinations of machines and methods of servicing them.

Healthy vending is the hottest buzz word in the vending business today. Hopefully, it is the future of not only vending, but of American eating habits. Having said that, we're going to look at both the desires of people and at the reality of healthy products in vending.

The first things you must consider when making a business plan is, "What are your goals?" and "Does the math work?" Many people first get the idea to get into vending because the notion of passive income and controlling their own destiny is so compelling. While this is true, they forget to calculate if it even makes sense for them.

If you're having trouble deciding whether or not to invest in a particular location, here is an exercise that can help you see its profit potential.

According to the most recent NAMA tradeshow, mini retail is a 7 billion dollar opportunity, which is about 17% of the vending market in the U.S. 5.1 billion of this is in a micro market. You will soon see them in apartment complexes, retirement homes, frequent flyer clubs, and especially in the workplace.

If done correctly, route driving can be efficient and enjoyable. If done incorrectly it can take forever and feel like a chore. Which one do you want? It all begins with loading your truck.

A good business person is a master of inventory. Besides equipment breaking down, incorrect ordering or inventory management can be the largest cost to your business in the long run.

If your business is large enough, you'll need to store extra product somewhere other than on your vending truck. However, if you just use a truck, storing product follows similar principles.

As a vendor, you may log a lot of hours on the road driving vending trucks. A lot can happen while doing this, so it's good to be prepared for any possibility.

Route driving consists of four different sets of skills. If you are the sole owner/operator of your business it would benefit you to increase your ability in the following four areas.

The difference between good scheduling and bad scheduling can be the difference between profit and loss. Depending on the proximity of your locations, scheduling will become more or less important.

Thinking about buying a vending machine truck for your business? There are several factors you’ll want to consider. What type of truck should you buy? How much do they cost? Which one is the best option for your business? What are the pros? What are the cons?

There are many important aspects of running a successful vending business, but there's really only 3 crucial components that can't be neglected if you are to succeed in vending.

Yes, you can make money in vending. No it is not a get rick quick scheme. Like everything worthwhile in life, running a vending business takes time, effort, money, patience, and skillful planning.

ost people believe in being self-reliant and teaching the importance of hard work to their children. However, not everyone can provide their kids with good opportunities to work.

Are you ready for the new nutritional vending law which was part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 otherwise known as Obamacare? If you are a vending operator, you will be affected and need to be familiar with the new law.

In order to survive in the vending business you must keep your prices competitive and fair. There are many overhead expenses that need to be recouped besides just the cost of the goods.

Healthy vending is not a craze that is going away. Society today is striving to make healthier eating habits and that includes what they buy from vending machines. People want to know what they are eating, and laws are being enacted requiring companies to display nutritional facts on all food being sold.

I will be the first to tell you that vending is NOT a get-rich-quick business. Yes you can make a lot of money selling gumballs, candy bars, chips and sodas but it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and smart thinking to be successful.

If we don't offer healthy choices in our vending machines, then we will not weather this new health craze.

Statistics are showing that cashless vending is on the sharp rise and there are some significant profits to be realized when Vendors use Credit/ Debit Card readers on their vending machines.

If you're considering buying into a healthy vending franchise, I have a few words of caution before you decide. I have received too many calls lately from adventurous entrepreneurs who have heard the great sales pitches from companies like Healthy You, Healthier 4U Vending, H.U.M.A.N. Vending, Fresh Healthy Vending, Sprout, and many others.

In today's economy, I am constantly getting calls from businesses looking to ditch their local vending company and buy their own vending machine so they can capitalize on 100% of the profits- not just 10%. The average profit margins on a vending machine are around 50% of the cost of the product.

There are basically two ways to obtain vending locations. You can find them yourself or you can hire a locator to do the work for you.

There's nothing worse than losing a prized vending account. The only thing that compares to it is finding out that the account has allowed in your competition which undercuts your profits. So how do you prevent your competitors from sneaking in?

Selling the right product to your customers is one of the most important aspects of running a good, profitable vending business.

If you are a vending operator, you need to know to be aware of the shelf life of your vending items so you can keep your product tasting the best. The number one complaint that customers have is that their product is out of date.

One of the first questions to ask when considering buying a healthy vending machine is what products to stock.

If you have or are considering buying a refrigerated beverage vending machine, you will need to know the pros and cons of vending bottles and cans in your soda pop machine.

There are hundreds of different vending machines on the market and they are look and operate differently. The simple answer is it's the machine that meets your customers' needs.

Everyone has used a Coke or Pepsi machine to quench their thirst and you are familiar with how they work. The same is true for a snack vending machine. However, not everyone is familiar with a “Combo Vending Machine”.

Why not having a website is hurting your vending business.

Are you confused about new laws regarding beverages and healthy snacks in schools? We explain them.

How you save money buying from a national bottler instead of buying from a local store.