A lot of people are sucked in by these business opportunities or biz ops as they’re called. The pitch goes something like, “For only $15,000 we’ll provide you with 50 machines with locations, product and unlimited support from our team. You’ll make $100 a month per machine and you’ll be able to turn a profit immediately and quit your day job.”

Well, don’t quit your day job. This is a total con job. So many people get sucked in by these people and then end up getting disgusted and frustrated by the whole vending business. The vending business is not a scam but it’s hard to see straight when you now have 50 machines making only $5. a month. At that rate, it will take 5 years just to pay off the $15,000. Most people just quit at this point and figure the whole vending machine business is a waste of time.

These vending biz ops take many forms, the latest being the energy vending craze. Basically anything that requires a huge amount of cash upfront is a scam – don’t do it! Another thing to be weary of is machines that are targeted to only one product. If you have a machine that can only sell one product, what if that niche doesn’t work out for you, then you have 50 machines that are worthless. Any “package” that requires you to commit to a large number of machines is not legit. If it was, they would sell you only one machine and you could test it out. Also, most times you have to buy your product from this company, again not a good idea.

If you do get taken in by one of these operations, you have some tough choices to make. You can continue on with the machines and products you have and plug away at the $15,000 or you can bail out. So many people get so upset at this point that they do just quit. But another option you could take is to continue on with the biz opp all the while adding on more economical machines to expand your business.

Just remember, if it’s too good to be true it probably isn’t true. Do your research, get your information from a variety of sources, and take your time making any decision.

With a vending machine business easy to begin and operate, it is referred to as having a low barrier to entry. This translates into the fact that anyone can start a vending business. Tons of people with a few spare bucks get into vending every year. The lower the barrier to get into a field the more competition you will have to compete against. I’m not saying that you can’t make it in vending, just that you will have to be that more dedicated than the next guy.

Vending machine business opportunities (biz ops) are to be avoided. A big biz op scam these days seems to be energy pills or gel. There are many others out there, but energy seems very popular recently. For the dear price of about $15,000, a biz op will get you equipment, get you in businesses and offer to help you with your whole start up. Biz ops make grossly exaggerated profit claims. Vending is numbers game. In vending, it is all about the numbers – tons of machines churning out a small monthly profit to get ahead. After losing lots of money to a biz op scam, some become disillusioned and quit the business. Tons of unused machines are sold by these frustrated people.

If you have been duped by a biz op, your options are few, you can complain through the Justice Dept., the BBB, or get an attorney. That money will more than likely never be seen again. It’s good to be informed when starting any business. The people that are pushing biz ops and promoting vending as a way to make easy money are not to be trusted.

When starting out in bulk vending or full line vending, have a workable business plan before you quit your job. It is not my intention to deter you from the vending biz, but instead, I am hoping to give you information that will help you on your business path. Most single heads make seven bucks on average. This is an industry average, not a guarantee. Venders don’t always make seven dollars. Personally, my machines are averaging five dollars per head. As you can see, a double head machine making $14.00 per month is going to require a lot of machines to pay your mortgage.

Please be alert to the possibility of locator problems. Locators help you by making lots of phone calls to zip codes you provide to help you get your machines placed faster. Sometimes you can hire a person to drive around and place machines. To get a machine placed by a locator using a phone is about fifty bucks. I have no experience with an in person locator personally, but it is about the same price. To expand your business more efficiently, a locator can be a real asset. Locators vary in their placement options. Some promise a certain amount per machine, some do not. Despite what you may hear, excellent locators can be found, the problem is finding one. A good way to find a locator service is on forums that are dedicated to the vending business. Other people in the business can help you avoid getting ripped off by unreliable locators.

The vending machine business is not a get rich quick plan. Vending requires a lot of time and commitment to be successful just like every other business. A lot of folks that start vending business will fail, but this doesn’t mean vending isn’t a viable business. Too many people are really not up to the challenge of managing their own business. With vending, you can start without a lot of cash. All you have to do is get a couple vending machines located, service them for a short time and you’ll have a good indication of how things work. One of the great things about vending is that you can do it at your own pace while keeping your day job. A plan to grow your vending machine business, based on your experience will be infinitely better than the impossibly dreamy goals others may give as their results.