Planet Antares Scam Alert Blog - Tips & Advice On Vending Scam

2010-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Scam Alert Identifies Vending Scam Pitfalls

Vending is undoubtedly a very easy to operate and profitable business. However a lot of hype is being created about the returns one can make from this business. The profit margins are no doubt high but they are not static and keep varying from one product to another. There is no hard and fast rule that everyone who takes up vending business becomes successful in it.

You would definitely succeed as long as you do not get carried away by the words of scammers. Yes, the major challenge faced by this industry is from vending scammers. But how can you make out is the seller is a genuine person or not? This is definitely a tricky question to answer as it is not mentioned anywhere whether the person you are transacting with is a fraud or not. You only learn from your experiences. However, by taking few precautions as suggested by Planet Antares Scam Alert, you can avoid these scams to a great extent.

To begin with, never arrive at any conclusions without conducting thorough market research. Gather information about the company, its previous history, various products and services offered by it and most importantly the quality of services rendered. This information would definitely aid you when making crucial decisions.

Do not buy vending machines and products online. Even if you have to make an online purchase, try to consult people who have been purchasing products online. Since the product you are about to purchase would cost you quite a decent amount, you need to be very careful in your approach.

In case you are browsing the net and have arrived at the site of a company offering vending machines and other products that meet your requirement, do take time to go through it. Read the testimonials mentioned in it. Instead personally try to collect feedback from users who have already been using the vending machine you are about to purchase.

These simple moves by Planet Antares are sure to help you avoid vending scam pitfalls.

2010-06-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Scam Alert On How Entrepreneurs Fall Into Vending Scams.

Scams are being reported in all kinds of businesses and vending has been no exception to this. Although the popularity of vending business is spread far and wide across the globe, fear of falling prey to vending scams is equally noticed. In fact, this fear is preventing a lot of young and upcoming vending operators to take up this business.

Why are people so worried about these scams? Why can’t we identify them in advance? Well scam companies flourish like any other companies and hence they cannot be distinguished easily. These companies make use of the weaknesses of buyers and try to encash it. Planet Antares Inc, the leaders in vending machine manufacturing has issued a Planet Antares Scam Alert for new entrepreneurs and vending customers. Under this initiative, Planet Antares is educating people on how they can identify fraudsters and can prevent falling prey to them.

Although scams have been occurring previously, their number has drastically increased in the past few years. Wondering why? Increase in number of people hankering after easy money is the first and foremost reason for increasing scams. Modern operators perceive vending to be a shortcut for instant success and to achieve this they are in quest for new methods.

“Becoming rich within no time with minimum investment”, I am sure most of us must have come across these kinds of ads. These ads are designed targeting young entrepreneurs who are eager to make their career and become popular and successful in no time. They are also very concerned about every single penny they invest. All these factors are taken advantage of scammers while designing schemes or ads for duping people.

Making you believe that you would be saving a lot of money by purchasing their low priced products, they tend to sell low quality and fraudulent vending machines. This has become a very common practise, mostly adopted by refurbished vending machine companies, and it is only after purchase that operators realise their mistake. These kinds of machines are inefficient and tend to break down frequently thus affecting the business and revenue of operator.

Another popular vending machine scam is the one which takes place online. A lot of second grade companies have created their fake websites on the net. The content and presentation of these sites is so attractive that no one can resist themselves from visiting it. Once you reach the site you are convinced in all possible ways and thus forced to purchase the product or service offered by them. However, the products offered by them are of very low quality and sometimes they do not even dispatch the product you have purchased. While at other times they dispatch a defective piece or disappear after collecting money from several customers.

Planet Antares suggests that the only way in which operators can prevent themselves from these kinds of scams is by adopting cautious and strategic approach. Planet Antares Scam Alert has helped many vending operators to get into the business safely. Remember - starting the vending business on the right note can ensure you make good profits out of it.

2010-04-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

How Can You Become A Successful Planet Antares Vending Operator

Even though it has been stated several times earlier that vending is one of the easiest business models, not everyone who takes up this business is successful. However, this has not stopped new operators from trying out their luck by establishing their own vending machines.

As more and more number of operators have started taking up this business, it has resulted in cut throat competition in this industry. Only those operators who have able to understand customer pulse and offer products accordingly have been able to withstand this competition while others are washed away.

Vending operator can taste success as long as he remembers the following aspects:

• Quality: Modern customers are quality conscious. They are ready to spend more amounts but are unwilling to compromise on the product quality. Ensure that you stock your machine with best quality products.

• Customer service: Vending is a customer oriented business. You exist as long as you are able to satisfy your customer. Once your customer is upset with the kind of service he receives, he will never visit you and at the same time stop others from visiting you. Word of mouth plays a key role in this industry.

• Maintenance: Good looking machines can attract customers. Ensure your Planet Antares machine is clean, regularly serviced and is in proper working condition. In case of breakdown, try to resolve the issue at the earliest. One sec of time wasted leads to break in your revenue.

• Advertising strategies: Use advertising strategies like special gifts and coupons. These not only draw customers towards you but also advertise the products you sell.

• Inventory: Ensure you machine has sufficient inventory stock in it. Make sure no customer returns empty handed after visiting your machine due to lack of stock.

• Latest products: Customers like to try out new products that have been introduced in the market. Try to introduce such products in your machine. If their demand fades, you can replace them with your previous products

2010-03-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Vending Machine Business- Popular Business Choice

Several business models have come and most of them faded with time. Vending is perhaps the only business that has tasted success, success and only success. Since its induction there was no looking back for this industry. What makes this business so popular?

• Ease of operation: Anyone irrespective of your educational qualification or professional background can start a vending business.

• Investment: Initial cost of investment for establishing this business is also very low when compared to most other business models.

• High profit margins: The profit margins in this business are very high. However they vary from one product to another.

• Quick service: Convenience, instant services are the two machine features that have made these machines popular across the globe.

• Recession proof: Vending is perhaps the only business model that has remained least affected by recession or other economic slowdowns.

• Instant cash flow: This is one of the very few businesses that allow you to reap returns right from the time you install your machine and fill it with sufficient amount of stock.

• Cash flow: There are very few other business opportunities that are all cash. Since vending is a hundred percent cash business, you need not worry about bad debts or other collection issues.

• 24/7 Services: There are no set working hours in vending business. Your machines would be every ready to cater to the needs of its customers round the clock all 365 days.

• Tax exemption: Tax exemption is applicable to vending business also. If you fall in the 20%-30% tax bracket, then you have great chances of increasing your profits.

• Planet Antares business has allowed several operators to enjoy complete financial freedom and allows you to have complete control over your money and future.

2010-03-08T09:16:00.001-08:00

Glass Front Vending Machine from Planet Antares Ideal for Vending Business

Becoming a part of this billion dollar industry has always been the dream of several young and upcoming entrepreneurs. In fact many have succeeded in realising their goal. Vending is one of the simplest forms of business hence can be taken up by almost anyone and everyone. This has resulted in increasing competition in vending industry. To withstand this competition and create a unique identity for themselves, operators have been trying out their luck by using various models of vending machines.

Since the inception of vending industry several models of vending machines have been developed and introduced in to the market. Drop shelf vendors were the first machines that were used to dispense single products. Technological advancement has lead to the introduction of electronic drop shelf machine and glass front machines. But only a few have been successful in satisfying both customers and vending operators. Glass front vending machine is one among them. What is that makes this model of vending machines so popular?

• Glass front vending machines from Planet Antares are capable of generating more sales when compared to closed ones. The main reason being, customers can view the products they are about to purchase. This can stimulate impulsive buying.

• Glass front machines come with attractive features like LED illuminated motor, pull forward trays and refrigeration units.

• These machines are capable of selling more products in smaller shelf space when compared to the traditional drop shelf machines.

• There is more scope for customer interaction in glass front vending machine when compared to closed ones.

• Glass front vending machines come with advanced technology like electronic tracking. This prevents unnecessary wastage of stock.

• Customers have a wide variety of items to choose from.

• Glass front vending machines are best suited for vending branded products.

All these benefits are luring more and more operators towards glass front vending machines.

2010-02-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

Three Important Factors Influencing Success Of Vending Business

In order to stay on top, vending operators need to out beat competitors. There are several factors that spell difference between success and failure in a vending business. A business will exist as long as it is able to benefit both the parties involved in it (operator and customer) else business would not survive.

Before starting a vending business you need to consider three important factors that include the following:

• Location: Location is one of the four P’s of marketing mix. Purchasing a quality vending machine is essential for successfully running your vending business. However, selecting best location is vital for this business. Choice of location should be such that it is easily accessible to all customers otherwise there is no use of that location.

• Positioning: Once you have chosen a location for your vending machine, the next step is to decide its position in the premises. You are selling a product and so when you are placing it, it should be located in such a place where everyone can easily locate the machine. The position of your vending machine no doubt depends on the kind of place you have installed your machine. If you are catering to needs of offices, pantry or lunch rooms would be a perfect choice.

• Stylish and good looking: Performance of your vending machine is also dependent on its looks. This factor is ignored by most buyers while purchasing new machines. If you are targeting children, then they would be more attracted towards vending machines that have graphics or animated pictures. Looks of vending machine can create impulsive buying amongst customers. Thus your sales and overall profitability can be increased. Planet Antares machines are designed keeping in mind style and robustness and probably can be your best choice.

Due priority should be given to these three factors if you would like to make your business a big success.

2010-02-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Why Vending Business is most preferred business.

Many businesses have been established and most of them have been washed away by the huge tides of recession. Vending is perhaps the only business that has remained unaffected by recession or other economic fluctuations. Besides this, the initial capital required for establishing a vending machine is minimal when compared to most other business models. All these make vending very popular among the business world.

There are several benefits that are enjoyed by any operator who takes up this business. Some of them have been mentioned below:

Vending business has high profit margins: The products that are dispensed in this machine are priced high thus operators retain a huge margin.
Vending business is not a seasonal business. The demand for the products vended in this machine is almost static, thereby giving its operator a regular flow of income.
This is a 100% cash business. Therefore there is no risk of bad debts and collection issues.
There are no fixed working hours and you can run your machines round the clock 24/7.
You need not take up this business on a full time basis. You can continue with your main job and take up this business on a part time basis.
You need not appoint sales personnel as vending machines takes care of all your sales.
Like other businesses you can enjoy tax benefits even in vending business.
Except for regular maintenance and repair costs, operator does not incur any major overhead costs.
This is perhaps the only business that gives you instant returns.
This business gives you a lot of financial independence.

Vending machines business is perfect choice when it comes to offering instant and convenient services to customers. Since its inception this industry has been skyrocketing and has been able to provide employment opportunities to several young and enthusiastic individuals.

2010-02-09T08:19:00.001-08:00

Role of Customer Satisfaction in Vending Business

Vending is no doubts a highly profitable business that can be taken up by any enthusiastic individual. With the intention of making more money, operator only concentrate on the 4 Ps of marketing mix and tend to give least or no priority to customer satisfaction. This is one of the biggest blunders ever committed by any vending operator.

Vending is a customer centric business. With more and more customers switching to vending machines, the number of operators taking up this business is also on the rise. Competition has become severe and every operator is striving towards customer satisfaction. As a result, operators are even willing to put in lot of time and money is in conducting several customer relationship programs. All this is done with a view to ensure that customer preferences are given topmost priority.

One satisfied customer refers ten others from his family or friends circle. In addition to this, if the operator comes up with some special discounts and offers, then you can lure many more customers towards your business.

Customer’s confidence and satisfaction can be gained by the below mentioned methods:

• Quality: Today’s customers do not mind spending some extra money in order to avail the best quality products.

• Latest products: Most customers like experimenting with new products that are introduced into the market for the first time. Make sure you offer all the latest products that hit the market.

• Branded products: Brand consciousness is increasing among modern customers. So, you can make them happy by offering branded products. Another advantage with these products is that they do not require additional promotion as they are known world wide.

• Cleanliness: Make sure your vending machines are always kept clean and in good working conditions. This will ensure that a customer who visits your machine will not return empty handed. This will also create goodwill for your company among customers.

One or all the above mentioned aspects is sure to give you a huge success. For more advice contact Planet Antares who have been in business for over two decades.

2010-01-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

The Perfect Approach for Starting Vending Business

None of us like to be bossed over or dictated by other. We all enjoy freedom. Hence some of us like to set up our own business. But the fear of hassles and challenges makes some of us withdraw this decision. If at all you come to know of a simple business that required limited capital, small area for operation and most importantly ensures guaranteed returns, I bet none of us would hesitate to take up that business.

Wondering which business it could be? It is none other than vending business. The unique feature of this business is that it does not have any fixed working hours. These simple and portable machines can be installed almost in any place. All they need is a little attention at times so that they can serve you 24/7 without any interruption.

However, there are few things which you need to know or do before you start this business. Some of them are:

Contact National Automatic Merchandising Association that deals with all aspect of business information including education, health, safety, Govt affairs and NAMA certified vending machines. You can get a lot of valuable information about installing, reloading, purchasing products, stocking inventory and accountability. You also need to check with the appropriate sources that issue licenses, permits and other legal advises.

Always purchase new vending machine of renowned or branded company: The kind of machine you purchase can make or break your business. Try to find about the latest machines in the market and also about the kind of machines that are being used by your competitors.

What is that you would like to sell using vending machine? The kind of product sold also influences the machine you need to purchase. There are more options for setting up vending business. Ensure you purchase a machine whose spare parts are easily available in the market.

Be watchful while you purchase machines because there are several companies that try to rip you off by selling substandard vending machines. These companies last only for a short period of time. They steal away your money even before you realise that you have been cheated.

If these little things are followed, your business can become a big success. For complete guidance on starting a vending business Planet Antares can be the best choice where you can get all the information under one roof.

2010-01-15T10:20:00.001-08:00

Vending Planning

Whenever we talk of any business, we often come across the words planning and implementation. Both these elements run hand in hand and are very crucial for making your business a huge success. However, success in this business cannot be attained as simply as it is stated. Several factors like quality of service rendered, products, price, location of vending machine and its technology influences its success. So, an operator need to design several business plans in order to achieve his business targets.

Vending operators always have two options while setting up their business. The first option is to purchase an existing vending route while the second one is to buy a new vending machine. Each of these has its own set of merits and demerits. Buying a existing location is undoubtedly much cheaper when compared to purchasing a new vending machine. However, there are more disadvantages of purchasing an existing/ used vending machine. Used machines are more susceptible for breakdowns and maintenance issues. Hence purchase of new machine is highly recommended.

Another challenge faced by operators is finance for their machines. To make the entire process smooth and much easier, vending operators need to prepare a rough estimate including the capital required and various sources for which he can secure funds. Identifying right location is the next important step in vending planning. While planning , you can take help of Planet Antares staff who have tons of experience backing them.

Locations are numerous but choosing the right location is crucial. After deciding on the location, operator also need to finalize the product he would like to vend. A wide variety of products including candy, soft drinks, newspapers, soda, snacks, ice creams etc are available in the market. So operator needs be very careful while choosing the product since there is a relation between the product you vend and the vending machine you purchase.

Last and most important aspect is maintenance of machine. There is no use purchasing a new machine if you cannot maintain it properly. Durability of a vending machine depends on how well you maintain your machine. All these aspects need to be considered in order to make vending a big success.

2010-01-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

What Makes Vending Unique?

Whether you have taken up a business as an additional source of income while still employed else where or homemaker looking for extra income or unemployed trying to figure out what to do, vending is most appropriate business opportunity. It is unlikely that this business will give you breakeven in the very first month, but has huge potential to grow in to a full size business within no time.

You may have burnt your hand investing huge amounts in various business models. Why not try vending that requires minimal capital when compared to most other ventures? If you think that by investing very little amount you can sit back and watch the cash rolling in, you are mistaken. Just like other business ventures, success in vending cannot be hand in a day or two. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication and proper planning to taste success in this industry.

The convenience vending machines offer to its customers and benefits it provides to its operators is making it most popular choice.

• Low capital: unlike other businesses, vending does not require huge capital or floor space for its establishment. This business can be operated even from your residence.

• Complete cash business: This is an all cash business. So, operators need not bother about bad debts.

• Uninterrupted services: Since this is a machine run business, there is no time limit. Hence business can be run round the clock.

• Tax exemption: Operators can claim tax exemption.

• Ease of operation: Machines are designed based on target customers. Moreover these machines can be operated by anyone. Hence they can draw customers towards them.

• Over head costs: Overhead, repair and maintenance costs in this business are also low when compared to other business ventures.

When it comes to customers, instant services backed up by convenience and quality. This is what customers expect from any provider. All these features made vending most chosen business opportunity.

For more information into the vending business you can get in touch with Planet Antares who can provide you with the best of information, knowledge and guidance while starting your own vending business.

2009-12-16T08:04:00.001-08:00

Choices of Vending Machines

Today, the vending business is increasing at a very rapid rate. The reason being that vending business gives unbelievable returns and maximum growth.

If one wants to venture into the vending business it’s very important for him to focus on what area he wants to capture by using a specific type of vending machine. Because, besides other factors, your business also depends on the choice of vending machine you use. Different vending machines have different uses and a specific type of vending machine is used to cater to a specific location. So the conclusion of choosing a vending machine should be based on the location you have available and exactly what type of business are you interested in.

Most of the people consider that the vending machines just consist of coffee, energy drinks, juices and refreshing water bottles as we may find many of these vending machines just anywhere. The major reason of this is demand of the product in these vending machines.

Basically, the choice a vending machine depends on the product and location. But there can even be a different criterion to choose your product. The sales of chilled energy drinks, juices and refreshing water bottles tend to go down in winter seasons whereas the sale of soups, coffee and tea increases comparatively in the same season. Better sales may be achieved by changing the products in the vending machines taking these facts into account.

Choosing a vending machine that dispenses candy, gum balls, gifts near restaurants, amusement parks and malls may increase the sales as kids always look on for such vending machines while accompanying there parents to any of these places.

Another machine appropriate for these places is the larger sized prize vending machine that dispenses gifts like stickers, soft toys, cars, and other toys. It is not always that a kid must win a prize so it can prove to be a very good choice.

With so many choices of vending machines available you can easily choose the best one suiting your needs for a better business prospect.

2009-12-04T10:45:00.001-08:00

How To Tackle Competition in Vending Business

With little efforts and minimal investments, you can start up your own vending business. And if you have started on the right path you can generate profits right from day one. Vending is an amazing business. It allows you to do your regular work, spend time with family, play your favorite sport etc , you have complete independence. All you need to do is to regularly maintain and fill up your vending machine.

There are some locations that can be highly lucrative for vending operators. As a result multiple vending operators mushroom up around those places. Typically in parks, amusement centers, shopping malls, gyms etc you can at times witness multiple vending machines, all selling different type of products. For such location, you need to present your business in a better way. Below are few tips that will help you to weed out competition from such locations.

1. Always go in for a reliable vending machine. Don’t buy old or refurbished vending machines. You don’t want your machine to fail while customers are picking up products from the machine. You can choose Planet Antares vending machines.

2. You machine should be attractive and should appeal to masses. Outlook of machine and the way you present products will matter a lot. Glass front vending machine can be the answer where customers can view products even before vending them.

3. Machine should not be clumsy, noisy or inconvenient to use. Just buy vending machine that you believe is smooth in operations.

4. Always keep your vending machine full. Typically when your vending machine is 50% in stock, you should restock it.

5. Service your machine at regular intervals as recommended by manufacturer. This ensures smoother operations and long life of vending machine.

6. Keep your machine hygienic. Regularly clean it and make sure it is hygienic. People should know that you lay special emphasis on keeping it clean all the times.

7. Stock products that are preferred by customers. It is good to stock nationally recognized brands that are extensively marketed by the companies.

These few tips will help you to kill the completion around you. Planet Antares vending machines are amazing equipments. Office Deli. A patent pending, product of Planet Antares enables multiple type of vending machines to be clubbed into one. Just contact Planet Antares sales staff for knowing the best vending machine for your business.

2009-11-23T02:17:00.001-08:00

Why Should I Take Up Vending Business?

We all hear about vending machines and vending business. One question that arises in the minds of most of us is why should I take up vending business? The answer to this question can be obtained by looking at the benefits of this business.

• Vending business has high profit margins.
• This is a 100% cash business. Therefore there is no risk of bad debts and collection issues.
• There are no fixed working hours and you can run your machines round the clock 24/7.
• You need not take up this business on a full time basis. You can continue with your main job and take up this business on a part time basis.
• You need not appoint sales personnel as vending machines takes care of all your sales.
• Like other businesses you can enjoy tax benefits even in vending business.
• Except for regular maintenance and repair costs, operator does not incur any major overhead costs.
• This is perhaps the only business that gives you instant returns.

However success cannot be achieved in a day. A vending operator needs to do a lot of hard work and strategic planning to succeed in his undertaking. To begin with, he needs to do a thorough market research. This will help him in understanding the in and out of vending business. With the data collected via market research, vending operator will be able read the pulse of customers, the present market scenario, the needs and wants of customers, various models of vending machines in use and the products that have maximum demand.

After gathering and analyzing information, operator needs to finalize on the kind of machine and product he would like to go for. It is always advisable to purchase new vending machines of reputed manufacturers. Likewise operators need to offer a combination of both branded and unbranded products in their machine. This would boost the sales. Location is another factor that is vital for the success of this business.

For more information on vending business contact Planet Antares.

2009-11-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

Vending Business Secrets

If you are an upcoming businessman new to vending business, you need not invest huge money. There are several affordable ways of starting this business. For beginners with budgetary limitations, vending machine rental is an appropriate alternative.

It is always advisable to start with simple and small machines rather than investing huge money on complicated and expensive equipment. As you gain confidence and experience in this business, you can expand by identifying better locations and till then, it is better to spend carefully.

Several vending machines are available for sale, rental or leasing depending on your business needs and budget limitations. You can choose the machine of your choice form this wide range of high quality and well maintained machines. Each of these options has its own merits and demerits. Consult Planet Antares staff to get appropriate advise according to your needs.

Renting vending machine: This allows you to start your business with a small investment. Nevertheless, you need to concentrate on the location and products you would like to dispense in this machine. It is the prime responsibility of vending operator to monitor the performance of various machines at each location. If required, he will have to move the machine from low sales area to that place which has maximum demand. However, it is advisable to try and enhance sales in the same location before shifting the machine. Since this shifting may incur you additional costs and may even damage the vending machine if proper care is not taken.

Renting a vending machine may sometimes become very challenging. These machines have been used earlier and have been subjected to a lot of wear and tear. So, the probability of a break down is very high. The performance efficiency of these machines would definitely be low when compared to any other new machine. Another disadvantage of renting vending machines is that they do not come with the latest and updated features which customers may be looking at. Hence it is better if vending operators purchase new machines.

Even if budget is the main concern, operators can choose simple and basic models rather than complicated ones. This will not only cost less but also perform far better than a used one. Hence operators should not get carried away by short terms benefit(low cost of used machine) and forgo long term benefits(high efficiency and performance) of a new machine.

2009-11-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Tuning up your vending business for profits.

Vending is one of the most lucrative business to be into. With advantages like minimum management, no manpower required and 24/7 operations, vending is one of the preferred source of additions income. Though you just need to have the right vending machine and a perfect location to earn profits, you may want to fine tune your vending business further to earn extra bucks.

Here I will just go through some of the tips that will help you to generate additional profits.

1. Once you have secured a perfect location for your vending business, you should try to identify the customer’s choice and try to stock your machines with products preferred by customers.

2. You can keep your customers engaged by providing them some incentives for purchase. You can either offer discount on products at times.

3. Do make sure your vending machine is new in condition and is customer friendly. You may try Planet Antares new range of vending machines for your location.

4. If you have a large number of vending machines, it is important to plan your vending route so as to make sure the machines are never out of stock.

5. Do try to relate to customers, if your vending machines are targeting kids, you can have cartoon pictures on your vending machine and if your vending machine is targeting health conscious people, you may want to keep pamphlets/ display boards on weight loss or other common fitness concepts.

Vending is all about providing a quick access to products. To make sure your vending business generate profits, you have to think from customer’s point of view. Be little proactive and provide customers what they want. That’s the success mantra in vending business.

To make the most out of this amazing business opportunity, you should consult Planet Antares support staff. They guide vending operators in running their business and provide solutions to their requirements. Planet Antares sells vending machines ideally suited for multiple locations.

2009-10-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

Importance Of Customer Needs In Vending Business

Vending is a customer oriented business. Understanding customer’s needs and wants becomes very crucial. But how many operators are really aware of what customers really look for? Understanding their requirements and living up to their expectations becomes very important. One way of doing this is by proving the location with a state of art machine that is capable of vending a wide range of products. The other methods which an operator can adopt are mentioned below:

• Suggestion box: Place a suggestion box near the machine. Customer feed back related to the products you vend and service you provide can be gathered using this.
• Survey: Random surveys need to be conducted on a timely basis. This helps in understanding changing tastes and preferences of customers.
• Regular monitoring: Regular monitoring of products vended helps you assess the most fast moving one and also the ones with least demand. Slowly you can replace slow moving ones with those that have maximum demand.
• Data: There are few vending manufacturing companies that supply you with customer preference data. This helps you know which product has maximum demand.

The tastes and preferences of customers are not standard. They vary from individual to individual and from one age group to another. Few common things which most customers look in a vending machine are:

• Convenience: The main reason why vending machines have gained prominence is due to the convenience they offer. In today’s hectic lifestyles, most of us do not have the time and patience to wait in long queues to purchase products. This is one reason why we switch to simpler and faster means.
• Branded or standard products: Modern customers are willing to pay anything for branded and established products.
• Best quality products: Customers are not at all willing to compromise on the quality of products they purchase.
• Environmental friendly equipment: User and environmental friendly equipment if encouraged by all.
• Reasonable and competitive prices: High quality products reasonably priced is the choice of one and all.
• More choice options: Customer always looks for a wide variety to choose from.
• Flexibility in mode of payment: They prefer acceptance of various modes of payment.
• Quick and prompt services: Quick and prompt servicing is the key to success for any business.

Once an operator realises these and implements them in his business, he is sure to be successful. For any guidance and advice you can also contact Planet Antares and get help on all aspects of setting up and running a vending business.

2009-10-23T01:45:00.001-07:00

Vending Industry Overview

The US vending industry includes around 5,000 companies generating annual revenue of about $6 billion. This industry is divided and the 50 top most companies contribute to nearly 40% of industry sales.

Consumer spending power and business growth stimulate demand for a product. We have been seeing several vending machines placed in places of work and other crowded areas. The profitability of every single machine is dependent on effective stocking, timely service and maintenance and most importantly securing best location. Since vending is a customer influenced business, its success largely depends on providing superior quality of services and offering unique products.

Products that are most commonly sold using vending machines include candy bars, snacks, beverages, ice creams, cigarettes, chocolate, gum balls, nuts, nutritional bars etc. Apart from these regular items, there are companies that offer bulk vending items, candies and capsules containing novelty items.

With a view to earn huge returns, most operators manage multiple vending machines in multiple locations knows as route. It may be surprising to know that three fourths of vending operators make less than a million annually. Vending machines vary by the products you vend. For instance cold vending machines can dispense items that require refrigeration. Glass front machines on the other hand can accommodate different kinds of products and also allow customers to view the products they are about to purchase. These machines typically accept payments by cash or bill. Machines from Planet Antares are efficient, dependable and stylish which has made them one of the most trusted manufacturers in the country.

Whichever product and machine you choose, location becomes vital. There are several operators renting space in prime localities with high customer traffic. Vending machines are also found in retail stores, hospitals, bus and railway stations and schools. Technological advancement and increasing demand is making this business grow stronger day by day.

Some of the latest technological inventions have made it possible to improve the speed, accuracy and quality of services offered by vending machines. With the help of internet and remote monitoring systems, operators are able to identify product shortages, machine malfunctioning well in advance. This helps in providing uninterrupted customer services.

All this clearly shows that vending is a growing industry with huge scope for improvement.

2009-10-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

What should I stock in my vending machine?

Thinking about what products should be bought for stocking in a vending machine? Well, you should choose products according to the customer’s preference. A simple survey on customer’s choice can tell you what should be stocked in your vending machine. You can attach a suggestion box on the vending machine where customers can write about what they would like to have in the vending machine. Over couple of days, you will have suggestions from customers that can really help in selecting products.

While purchasing products you should always buy in bulk and try to negotiate to strike a good deal. There are many wholesale snack retailers like Costco’s & Sam’s where you can buy snacks in bulk. Also look out for great deals with candy retailers. Bulk purchasing can make a huge difference in price when it comes to buying candies. Soda distributors also offer different schemes and discounts year round, so always be on the lookout for deals from local distributors.

Snacks of proper size should be bought for your vending machine. You should check the size with sample products in your vending machine before purchasing products in huge quantity. Huge sized products can jam up the vending machine, thereby causing business loss.

For effective tips on managing your vending business, just call up support staff of Planet Antares. Experts from Planet Antares Inc provide necessary guidance to vending operators for managing their business. They also suggest various amends in current business strategy to ensure better profitability. Planet Antares is leading manufacturer of modern vending machines. They provide vending machines equipped with latest technology at reasonable prices. If you are thinking of starting a vending business just get in touch with Planet Antares.

2009-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

How Product Rotation In a Vending Machine Ensures Better Revenue.

Vending is one of the most profitable businesses around. With huge success stories there is absolutely no doubt about success of vending machine business. Just like any other business if you plan it a little, you are bound to get great profits. There are some tips and tricks of every successful business. Vending business is not different.

To make sure you are reaping good profits from your vending business, you should try not only to secure a good location where the traffic is high, but also keep a check on products you place in a vending machine. Selection of products will be one of the deciding factors in success of your business.

To identify which products will work well at a particular location, you can rotate different products in your vending machine and can keep a track of sales for each individual product. The products that sell quickly would be the ones that are preferred by consumers at that particular location. After rotating products over a period of time, you can zero in to the most successful lot to be stocked in your vending machines.

Such a practice of rotating products in vending machine not only ensures selection of right products that will generate profits but also provides consumers a variety to choose from. The products that you find sells quickly can also be tried at different locations.

Selection of products is very crucial in success of a vending business, besides product rotation, you can try a short customer feedback campaign for products to be stocked. To know more about how to ensure total customer satisfaction In vending, just contact support staff of Planet Antares. Planet Antares not only provides state-of-the-art vending machines but also provides step by step guidance to ensure your vending business kicks off on the right note.

2009-07-24T21:29:00.001-07:00

Efficient currency handling in Planet Antares vending machines

The problem that most vending customers had to face with the traditional vending machines was the requirement of exact change in order to obtain goods out of them. Since a long time the vending operators have felt the need to introduce easy payment options in their vending machines. Bill acceptors in Planet Antares vending machines accept the money that the customer place for the purchase of the product.

The technologically improved bill acceptors and validators extend the capability of the vending machines. The bill acceptance rate is high with the introduction of features such as automatic jam ejection and automatically adjusting sensors. Cleaning cards are also available in order to keep the bill acceptors clean and ensure their smooth functioning.

Sales through vending machines will increase substantially if the customers are given an opportunity to use whatever change they are carrying at that moment. Bill acceptors accept all or any combination of the following bills: $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20. A Planet Antares vending operator needs to pay an emphasis on the regular cleaning of the bill acceptors particularly the bill paths, sensors and belts. These devices were extremely susceptible to failures and jamming in the past due to folded or damaged notes.

Overall, technology has improved the versatility, reliability and durability of bill acceptors and changers in vending machines. Counting of cash has become easy for the vending business owners. Higher denominations are easy to count than several coins of small denominations.

Easy payment options encourage the consumers to reuse the machines. With increased number of consumers using the vending machines, sales and profits will also increase. Improved bill acceptor in Planet Antares vending machines has led to efficient currency handling and convenience of the consumers. You should never forget that convenience is the key to success.

2009-07-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

Understanding the vending terminology

The benefits of owning a vending business has encouraged many to start their own vending business and enjoy the status of a successful business owner. The opportunities provided by vending are innumerable. The vending business can be started with low investment and is an all cash business. An operator can start the vending business with soda vending machines, snack vending machines, combo vending machines or any other type of vending machine available with Planet Antares. If you have decided to start a vending business, it is very important to first get acquainted with the terminology that’s associated with the industry.

Few of the essential terms are:

Accounts Payable: Amounts due to a vendor for the delivery of inventory products.

Accounts Receivable: Amounts due for the delivery of products to non vending locations.

Bank:
1) Two or more vending machines in a row.
2) Amount of money stored in a coin/dollar mechanism; also refers to a routeman’s change fund.

Bulk Operator: Person who specializes in vending machines offering gum balls, trinkets and charms, usually at one cent or five cents with larger offerings at ten and twenty five cents.
Bulk Vending: Sale of unwrapped or unsorted merchandise through coin operated vending machines.

Class of Trade: (also referred to as location) the classification of the site where the machine is placed by sector (e.g. schools, factories etc.)

FDA Model Code 1978: “The Vending and Beverages” model ordinance code developed specifically for vending in 1957 and revised in 1978.

Free Standing: A single machine installation, distinguished from the bank.

Free Vend: A machine adjusted to vend product at no charge.

Installation: Placing a vending machine(s) for operation at a particular location.

Location: Specific place within the site where the machine is. (I.e. Cafeteria, Breakroom).

NAMA: National Automatic Merchandising Association is the national associate of vending and food service management industry founded in 1936.

Par Out:
1) The process by which the routeman collects sales, fill the coin mechanism with change and loads the vending machines with products.

2) The process by which the merchandise and sales in a vending at any point of time are reconciled to the par or the fixed level of the machine to determine if any excess or shortage exists.

Route: A sequence of locations services by a traveling routeman.

Routeman: The person who services one or more vending locations.

Route Driver: The person trained to fill, clean and balance various vending equipment.

Route Vend: A group of vending locations serviced by a routeman (also referred to as jump route or street vend).

The knowledge of the terminology of the vending industry helps the operators to manage the vending operations like a pro. An overview of the basic terms eases out the venturing into new vending business. The terms are wide and depend on the different vending machines. Key terms for snack and beverage vending machines might differ from each other. Planet Antares provides you a complete guide of the industry terminology and an edge over the competitors.

2008-11-18T03:02:00.001-08:00

Planet Antares Vending Programs And Global Positioning System

Under the Planet Antares vending programs, many operators are investing in new technologies such as cashless vending or state of the art vending equipment. They are also putting their capital in satellite based fleet monitoring, also called Global Positioning System (GPS).

While setting up a Planet Antares vending business, you can decide to make use of any of these tools and techniques.

The purpose of GPS technology is to provide up to date information on driver and vehicle activity such as service stops and variations in routes to the vending operator. Before buying a GPS system for your Planet Antares vending business, conduct appropriate research on providers to know whether it is worth investing in or not.

Basically, there are two kinds of GPS systems, including:
a) Active system
b) Passive system

The active system uses telemetry to transmit data to the main office or a website where the subscribing company can view its fleet activity in real time. On the other hand, the passive system involves storage of data for retrieval and uploading to the main fleet computer once the vehicle returns.

A two way tracking system that utilizes low orbit satellites and allows communication between drivers and managers is used.

On the whole, GPS can significantly contribute to fuel savings for your Planet Antares vending business. This is achieved by monitoring of the vehicle movement to ensure that there is no misuse. In turn, this enables higher and more efficient routing by allowing managers to know how fast the vehicle is traveling so that excessive usage or wastage of fuel can be avoided.

Mainly, this system offers benefits in the form of:
1. Faster response time
2. Improved customer relations
3. Better employee accountability
4. Lower vehicle wear and tear

These are just a few of the many advantages of this system.

With high upfront cost, not many vendors are eager to invest in GPS system. Still, it is a worthwhile investment for your Planet Antares vending business and one can assure customers of timely and efficient service. Not only will you save a lot but also earn more!

2008-11-11T04:20:00.001-08:00

Workings of Planet Antares Vending Machine Dispensers

It is common knowledge among vending machine owners and operators that a vending machine is incomplete without dispenser. Basically, this is an essential component that dispenses the products selected by the consumer. The customer will also have to insert coins or other form of currency in the vending machine to operate it.

Dispensers can be found in all kinds of vending machines and locations. Commonly, these are present in automated form that dispenses diverse kinds of products like snacks, hot and cold beverages, tissues, cigarettes, water, digital items, etc.

Planet Antares vending machines dispense products like toys, candy, snacks and beverages.

While planning to purchase a vending machine, keep in mind the following factors:
• Customers’ requirements
• Business goals
• Budget
• Quality of features like dispenser, coin acceptors, security system, etc

You may go for vending equipment with cashless technology that allows customers to pay by way of credit or debit card. This helps in getting more people to use your vending machines for desired products as they don’t have to look for change to buy them.

Here are a few basic facts about Planet Antares vending machine dispensers that every vendor must be aware of:

The most common form of dispensers is those dispensing fluids or beverages. With the help of features like “peristaltic pumps”, these are able to dispense fixed and accurate level of liquids. Reputable vending companies like Planet Antares Inc offer vending machines that incorporate this feature.

It is quite simple to fill and operate vending machines with dispensers. They have a push button mechanism that is user friendly and highly effective.

Another feature of dispensers is the level indicator window that allows you to check whether the dispenser requires refilling or there is adequate amount of vending product in the machine.

If you purchase a Planet Antares vending machine, be assured of it dispensing high quality, branded snacks and beverages without any issues like stuck products or frequent malfunctioning. Minimal time will be involved in completion of the dispensing process and customers will prefer using your vending machine to going to the local store.

2008-11-10T01:39:00.001-08:00

Filling Your Planet Antares Vending Machines

Before you take the decision about turning into a professional vending operator, make sure that you know all the inherent duties and responsibilities.

After all, investing your hard earned money in vending business and not getting adequate returns due to your own ignorance is not justified. This means that you have to carefully select, purchase, locate and maintain your vending machines to get value for your money.

Filling or stocking of the vending machines constitutes one of the most basic features of vending machine servicing. It is essential to store the products properly to make sure that there are no problems while dispensing them. You must check the products before and after they are shipped. Many times, vending operators skip this part and this leads to filling of vending machines with damaged or rotten items.

Preferably, you should buy high grade, branded products from reputed companies like Planet Antares Inc. Once you have ensured that the products are good quality and fresh, your vending machines are ready to be stocked. Also, you need to estimate the number of items that can be placed in different slots of a vending machine.

Don’t forget that refilling of vending machines has to be undertaken at regular intervals. Plan your time schedule for visiting the vending route accordingly. You must also indicate the number of items placed in the vending machine and check it for efficiency in operations after that.

Cleaning and repair of vending equipment are other functions that must be performed properly. Verify that the coin acceptor is not sticky or jammed. This can create problems when the customers try to get the ordered products from the vending machine.

While servicing the vending machine, check that the lights are in proper working order. These may indicate sold out and currency change limits that will not be displyed if the same are not working.

Other than this, keep an eye on the timing of filling the vending machine. You must place a sign regarding the last item filled in the vending machine on it. This enables customers to know which items are fresh and hot in case of snacks and cold in case of beverages. If your vending machine is placed in a business office, make sure that it is filled and ready to dispense products at least an hour before the employee working hours begin.

Keep introducing new products in your Planet Antares vending machines to adapt to the current trends. This doesn’t mean that you should stop filling conventional bestsellers in your vending machines. A combination of both will be most effective for your vending business sales.

2008-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Vending Route: Economic Methods Of Development

We all know that establishing a successful vending business requires developing an effective vending route. You should know that the most effective way to establish an economic vending route is to do it yourself. Of course, this can only be done after you have carried out your own research on the vending industry. Once you know exactly what you are looking for, it will be quite easy to establish a vending route.

According to Planet Antares Inc, doing it yourself allows you to save money that would have otherwise been involved in paying a professional location company. There is really no need to pay someone to look for a location, when you can easily do it on your own. As it is, hiring a location company is a good option for people who don’t have the time to search for locations themselves.

To begin with, find the locations that are willing to host your Planet Antares vending machines. Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines are really popular in most locations. This will lead to location owners looking for vending operators that can offer them the service, on their own. However, you need to be prepared to do a lot of convincing since most locations already have vending machines placed in them.

Many times, vendors get discourages while facing refusal from vending locations but you just need to keep looking for other locations till you find the right place for keeping your vending equipment. Once you have found such a location, get ready to negotiate on the commission that you will pay to the location.

This amount should be fixed according to the products that you are selling and the type of machine that you have. You should offer a reasonable amount of commission to the location owner so that you are able to make a profit even after paying this amount.

Some of the best deals are offered by Planet Antares suppliers on snack and beverages vending machines as well as products. If you get a supplier that can provide you with products at a lower cost than others, then he would be the perfect person to deal with.

Believe me…setting up your Planet Antares vending route on your own allows you to enjoy greater economy and at the same time, get equipped for any future acquisitions that come by as opportunities for growth.

2008-10-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Introduces Location Based Data Transmission

Your Planet Antares vending machines may have a data capture device but it is the nature and needs of the location that will decide the method of transmission to be used.

The profitability of transient locations with fluctuating sales and locations involving long travel times can be increased through online data delivery. Business and Industry locations with stable and predictable work forces can function with affordable handheld data delivery. Wireless transmission may be indicated if these locations work occassional second shifts or weekends, with a fluctuating work force.

No matter what the method of transmission, the system has benefits like the ability to capture and report the volume of sales, by individual brands, in each Planet Antares vending machine, without any need for the route operator to manually count the product placements by brand.
With such information of brand preference data for your Planet Antares operations, you can perform the same function that a merchandiser manager performs at a supermarket. This implies removal of products that the location has deemed to be low performing products and have them replaced with test products that the location might want.

Planet Antares vending machines can allocate double or triple columns to the top selling brands in order to induce uniform rates for products being sold. This will get you higher sales and longer intervals between servicing of the accounts. As a result, more money will be collected in the cash box for the cost of each service.

With such a transmission system, unnecessary double trips to each machine would be eliminated. Moreover, the driver will not have to enter anything into his handheld if the predicted order proves to be accurate.

2008-09-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

Catering Schools With Planet Antares Vending Machines

In the wake of greater health consciousness, vending operators are finding it hard to serve the school accounts without any losses. The reason for this is the increasing awareness among people regarding the problems caused by high calorie intake in the long run.

A lot of people are becoming conscious about what they eat and this has led to a decline in preference for vending products. The traditional snack and soda vending machines are no longer the favorites among people. In fact, they are demanding low calorie, healthy products and drinks like nutrition bars, nuts, tea and soymilk.

Planet Antares vending machines can be the key to handle such a change in the vending environment.

Let me explain how…

Recently, the company has come up with modified as well as new vending machine models. These are capable of stocking as well as selling healthy products. For example, snack and soda vending machines are now selling healthier items instead of the conventional beverages with high level of carbohydrates.

When you install Planet Antares vending machines in schools, be careful about the kind of products that are sold. Children will not prefer very healthy or organic food alone. They should be given an alternative that satisfies their taste buds along with being nutritious.

Planet Antares combination machines vend both snacks and soda in a product mix having healthy items as well as conventional bestsellers. This way, the school authorities will approve of the vending machines and products while the kids can enjoy a balanced meal.

You will also need to focus on the price of vending products. These cannot be very costly as children cannot afford to pay high prices. Thus, you must select reasonably priced items from reliable sources, preferably in bulk quantity.

Once the machines are set, all that is left to be done is regular stocking of the machines and maintenance at fixed intervals. This is important from the point of view of healthy product filling and knowing about the performance of different products. Also, you can get to know about the demands and preferences of school children.

2008-06-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ways To Make Your Planet Antares Vending Machines Profitable

Purchasing a Planet Antares vending machine can imply that you will be investing in a profitable venture. When you plan to buy a vending machine, the price factor will determine the kind of vending machine you purchase. Amongst the most reasonable vending machines are Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines. These are worth investing in because within a short period of time, you will be able to pay off the vending machine cost.

What’s more, these machines will hardly ever let you down because they are reliable and durable. In other words, these are the best machines that you can buy from the market. If you have good vending equipment, these will be frequently used by customers who will keep on coming back because they find the machine easy to use and reliable.

This means greater cash inflow for your business. You won’t have to think twice before spending money on quality vending machines as your money will be returned with even greater profits. Focus on buying quality vending machines that will never let you down and hardly ever experience any downtime. That will satisfy both the customers as well as location owners.

A vital factor for the success of your vending business is the location of vending machines. Choosing a location also depends on a number of factors. The kind of machine you have purchased as well as the products to be dispensed will determine the kind of location that you should go for.

Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines will do well in all sorts of locations, especially high traffic locations. If you find a vending location that does not have a vending machine, don’t think that it is a great catch. Perhaps, it is not suitable for vending machines and that is the reason for no other vending machines being placed there. Take your time in searching for strategic locations that will be profitable for you.

It is equally important to service your vending machines on time. After setting up a vending business, you must monitor the product activity on a regular basis. As soon as the vending machine is empty of a product, it should be refilled. An empty machine is highly undesirable and indicated potential for loss of sales. So, you must practice preventive maintenance and keep your vending machine in top condition to make them profitable.

2008-05-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Value Pricing In Planet Antares Vending Business

The Planet Antares vending operator has now become empowered to track product turns with minimal labor with the help of management tools such as handheld devices and planograms. As a result, some of the operators are evaluating their pricing strategies.

Since a long time, Planet Antares vending operators have complained about not being able to raise prices to the same level as other retail channels. Generally, vending prices are determined by competition and by consumer contracts, not consumer needs. To improve profits as well as sales, a more scientific pricing strategy will be required. In the past, only a few operators have possessed the resources to track results in a manner that would provide them with the necessary information to do this.

Several theories have evolved ways to improve product pricing. One theory states that by discounting secondary products, operators can improve customer choices and they enhance customer satisfaction. It also states that if managers considered the suggestion, it would result in higher profitability.

Planet Antares vending operators are of the view that simplicity continues to be important in pricing, in terms of driver execution and sales accountability. They think that the benefits derived by strategic planning would be minimal in relation to the risks associated with more complicated pricing strategies.

In the current economic situation, it is a good time to experiment with value pricing due to many reason, such as:

1) Greater price consciousness among customer who pay a lot of attention to special offers.

2) Decline in location sales due to downsizing, making it the ideal time for buying less from established suppliers.

2008-05-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

Looking At Route Commission Systems

Route commission systems are most suited in environments where the employee has a lot of control over the rate of production, based on his ability to work harder, smarter, faster and longer.

In industries with employees having less than total control over the rate of production, commission systems can be less effective. One of these industries is the vending industry with its unique vending route environment. For example: a route person who is paid on a commission basis knows that he will earn more by collecting more money on his route.

A vending route driver will learn how to refill and clean the Planet Antares vending machines at a fast pace. He must also reduce the amount of time spent at every location on the vending route, with the hope of saving more time to service machines and collect money on each trip. According to a survey, most vending operators pay drivers some incentive and not a straight salary. While some pay only commission, others pay a combination of commission and salary.

In contrast, there are several drawbacks of the commission systems as well. A route driver, in his haste to service more Planet Antares vending machines, may:

1) drive too fast
2) perform less than complete sanitation operations to meet the mahcine’s requirements
3) ignore simple, mechanical issues like removing a paper clip from a coin acceptor
4) ignore the activity of making sure that the mahcine works after refilling and servicing

All these factors can create conditions that lead to serious problems than the problem the commission system was designed to solve in the first place.

In itself, a commission system will not teach you how to schedule the route. The trick is to schedule the route person to service a Planet Antares vending machine after it has made enough sales to profitably justify the cost of service. This will go a long way in improving route productivity.

2008-04-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

Suggested Serving Size For Bulk Vending Machines

Once you have setup a vending business and got your vending machines installed in different locations, it’s time to start fulfilling customer desires and requirements for different products. For Planet Antares bulk candy vending operators, it is important to determine the right serving size.

Even though different vending machines have different serving size capacity, it is important to have an outline of the suggested size. This can help you in knowing the cost of each order and fix the price accordingly. On the other hand, the customer is happy when he gets adequate amount of candy in a reasonable amount of money.

The following can be used as a general guide to fix the serving size for your bulk candy vending machines:

--Peanut M&M's: 8-10 pieces

--Plain M&M's: 12-14 pieces

--Runts: 10-12 pieces

--Skittles: 12-14 pieces

--Reese's Pieces: 12-14 pieces

--Mike & Ike: 6-8 pieces

--Chiclets: 10-12 pieces

--Cashews: 10-12 pieces

--Hot Tamales: 6-8 pieces

--Pistachios: 10-12 pieces

The above are the serving sizes for the most common types of bulk candy products. These are very popular among different segments of the vending customers, be it toddlers, children, youngsters or adults. Mainly, kids and their family members form the majority of the customers for bulk candy vending machine products.

If you implement or try to implement the above serving sizes in your vending machines, your Planet Antares vending business customers are sure to be pleased with your services. This means, higher sales and more profitability for your business.

2008-03-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

Vending Machine Technology For Cash Counting And Sorting

One of the greatest issues in vending business is that of accountability. Majority of the vending machine business owners are facing problems regarding this element. Fortunately, Planet Antares vending operators can enjoy more accountability with the help of technical advances in money counting equipment and the ability to interface with management software.

Technical innovations like the newer coin and currency counting and sorting equipment enables operators to track and monitor collections at the Planet Antares machine level on a daily basis. This enables them to handle more business with fewer employees who have been assigned to collection, sorting and bagging of money because these systems have become more versatile and faster.

Every few days, coin and currency counting and sorting equipment manufacturers continue to introduce new features in vending machines. A recent survey of vending operators including Planet Antares vending operators indicated the varying views on the benefits of the different features available. It has been found that some small vending operators are using some of the most advanced counting and sorting equipment while large companies believe that manual counting and sorting is the most sensible decision.

Most of the Planet Antares vending operators agreed that significant progress has been made in the several years that have passed with the ability to interface counting and sorting equipment with management software. Currency sorters can interface with coin sorters and then interface with the main business software. This lets a Planet Antares vending operator to immediately know the total collected amount from a machine.

The need for someone to read handwritten totals from a ledger or a print out and key it into a computer has been eliminated with the help of a software interface. Such an automated process has greatly reduced the chance of human error. It has also given employees the ability to monitor machine collections on desktop computers as the coins and bills are counted and sorted.
Depending on your needs and business objectives, the process can simply interface the currency sorter with the coin sorter or interface with handheld devices and bar code readers.

2007-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

How To Buy An Existing Vending Route?

You may buy an existing vending route for various reasons. Some people may want to start a vending business this way while others buy a vending route to expand their business. A vending route owner may sell it due to:

Retirement

Illness

Shifting to another area

Other unforeseen event

It is imperative to find out if the previous owner had a good relationship with the business owners and other location owners. The machines should also be checked for being well installed and established for at least 1-2 years.

Buying a vending route is an important decision and expensive too. The average cost of a vending route may be $100,000. Before spending thousands of dollars on purchase of a vending route, verify that it is worth your investment. Make sure that bulk of the machines is in sound condition and well maintained.

Analyze the kind of equipment you are buying through the vending route. Is it easy to service and repair? Planet Antares vending machines are very reliable and durable without frequent breakdowns. If it needs frequent refilling and repairs, you may have to spend a lot of money later on. Also, examine the sales pattern in the last few years. It may be rising or falling.

Investigate into the reasons for such performance of the vending machines or products.
Don’t forget to review the financial statements of the vending business that you are planning to buy. Take help from your lawyer and accountant for accurate estimates of business figures. Outside verification is essential to make sure that your substantial investment is not going to waste.

It is not sufficient to depend on the previous owner’s description of the vending route. You must visit the different locations yourself to check the suitability of the vending route for your business requirements and objectives. You may be a beginner or an experienced vending machine business owner. This step is a necessity in both cases.

A typical vending route will have a selling price of about 70% of the gross sales per annum. The average sales per machine will be multiplied by the number of vending machines in a vending route to get the total sales per year. A more lucrative vending route will be generally more expensive than a normal, average return generating route.

Estimate the average sales figures to be used as a reference for comparing the price quoted by the seller of vending route with the sales generated by the vending machines in that vending route.

2007-09-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

Impact Of Consumer Perception On Your Planet Antares Vending Machine Business

Like any other industry, the customer is king in the vending machine business too. All the vital decisions such as machine type, product and location are made after considering the customer demands and preferences. If you ignore consumer desires, you may end up losing a lot of existing and potential customers.

Different people have diverse motives for using the vending machines. These can help you to determine the right strategies to attract and retain more customers. If you can successfully increase your customer base, there will be higher sales and consequently, higher returns.

The most common reason for customers to purchase products from vending machines is the ease and convenience offered by them. There is no need to go to a convenience store or leave your work desk for getting a meal or refreshment. You should ensure that customers can access your vending machines and get the desired products easily. Your machines should function smoothly and continuously. Good vending machine suppliers like Planet Antares Inc will ensure that your vending machines are repaired promptly.

Take adequate measures to build your brand image. Customers should be able to recall your brand name instantly and keep coming back for it. Use innovative and interesting marketing strategies to enhance customer awareness and demand for your products. Stock your vending machines with branded products that can be easily recognized and instantly purchased.

Health concerns may discourage people from using vending machines. It is important that you provide healthier options for snacks and beverages to maintain brand loyalty and sales. Food items such as milk, tea, nutrition bars, energy bars and other healthy products have been introduced in schools, colleges and many other locations.

Tell your customers about the new technology used in your Planet Antares vending machines. Customized machines and cashless payment options are some of the features of updated vending machine models. These will encourage the customers to prefer your vending machine over simpler, less convenient versions.

Work towards building your customers’ trust in your products. Make sure that fresh and healthy items are stocked in your machines. Attract customers by emphasizing the quality of services, products and technology at the point of sales. New design and display options are available for effective advertising and promotion to induce impulse buying.

Use this information to make your vending machine business as customer-friendly as possible. Once your customers are satisfied, be assured of fulfilling your profitability and sales targets.

2007-09-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

Healthier Vending Products: Challenge Or Opportunity?

The vending industry is facing a new challenge in the form of health concerns regarding vending products. Many government institutions and health organizations are discouraging the conventional snacks and beverages dispensed by vending machines. This has led to a possibility of fall in customer demand for products offered by a large number of vending operators.

As a Planet Antares vending machine operator, you can choose from a vast array of healthy, fresh and good-quality products for stocking your vending machines. There are various aspects to healthier vending which make it an opportunity to earn more profits, target new market segments and keep customers happy.

For snack vending machines, the product options may include:

Bagel chips
Nuts
Pretzels
Dried fruit
Yogurt bars
Low cal cookies
Black corn chips
Veggie crisps
Meal replacement bars
Grain bars
Nutrition bars

Apart from the above list, there are many new products being launched frequently. This makes it easier for you to choose the products suiting your machine type, customer preferences and budget.

New beverages have also arrived on the block. These are much healthier and encouraged by health organizations and experts, which helps you in convincing the customers to purchase them. Such beverages include:

Soymilk
Specialty soups
Yogurt
Energy drinks
Smoothies
Meal replacement drinks
Natural dairy creamers
Tea in various flavors

These products take care of the vitamin and mineral needs of the customers and help you earning good returns. Obviously, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved. There are evermore product options, be it in snacks, soda or cold food items. There is definitely a lot of potential in healthy vending products which can be tapped by you to earn financial rewards.

2007-08-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

How To Make The Most Of A Vending Locator

If you have a vending business or plan to start one, you should be aware of the importance of the right placement of your machines for maximum customer access and sales. A good location depends on your understanding of the products, customer desires and business premises owners’ requirements. Here are a few tips to find the right location for your vending machines.

Trust your instincts

If the location selected by your vending machine locator does not appeal to you for some reason, make sure that you don’t agree to it until you are satisfied with its viability to serve the customers and your own needs. Ask questions to make sure that you understand all aspects of the locator’s services and decisions.

Be alert

Don’t leave the entire location task on your vending locator. Once you have purchased a vending machine, look for new and untapped locations which could be potential profit spinners. There may be places which you did not notice before or others which can be procured with the help of your vending locator’s professional approach.

Different locations for different vending

A bulk candy vending machine or a toy vending machine needs to be placed with heavy traffic including kids and their parents. On the other hand, a snack or soda vending machine is larger in size and usually suitable for offices with more than 20 employees.

Personal attention

You must have personal contact with the vending locator assigned to you by the vending machine supplier or locating company. The locator should preferably be from your area rather than a faraway region. Also, tell him your business goals in terms of sales and profits as well as potential locations which you have observed. You must also visit various locations with him/her to learn the locating strategies.

Do it yourself

Once you’ve learnt the ropes, you can try to secure locations yourself. Its all about being creative and convincing the business owners to install your machines.

There are no foolproof methods to find lucrative locations but it is not difficult if you follow a good vending locator’s guidelines and use a few strategies to find the right locations for placing your vending machines. Planet Antares provides vending locator services to its customers for locating their vending machines in well-performing places.

2007-08-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Successful Vending Tips

If you are thinking of starting a vending business, you must consider various factors before taking the plunge. The most important decision is that regarding the vending machine. You must carefully analyze and compare various vending machine options before purchasing a particular one for your vending business.

Make sure that the selected machines are an asset to your business and not a liability. This means that the vending machines should contribute to the profits of the business rather than adding to the expenses. Even though there are many vending machines offered by manufacturers and distributors with attractive features and prices, you will need to do some basic research before making a decision.

Your budget also affects your choice of vending machine. Used machines are recommendable if you have a low budget but you can purchase new machines if you are ready to invest a reasonable amount of money in your vending business.

Buy vending machines which are in good condition, especially used or rented machines. Inspect the various parts of the vending machine before buying it. The coin receptacle and other parts should be in workable state.

Avoid buying a vending machine which has complicated features and is difficult to operate. Planet Antares vending machines are easy to use, especially by kids, who form a big part of the vending business clientele.

Research the kind of customers you want to target, products you want to sell and the business locations for your vending machines. Location is a critical factor for determining the success or failure of your vending business. You need to understand customer preferences, popular products and requirements of the premises owner.

Safety is another issue of concern. Make sure that there is a minimum possibility of accidents with the machine you purchase. Your customer’s safety is very important. Buy your machine from a reliable and reputed vending machine supplier.

Your work does not end after you have purchased and installed your vending machines. You must know how the machine works because you will have to refill it and even carry out repairs if the machine has minor problems. Most high quality vending machine providers like Planet Antares offer after-sale services including repair and maintenance of the vending machine.

After taking all these things into consideration, you can buy the best machine for your vending machine. The newspapers and Internet provide a vast amount of information about vending machine suppliers and the various deals available.

2007-07-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Focusing On Brand Name in Vending

With snack and beverage vending machines, there are a wide variety of products that you can place in the vending machines. The products that you place in your Planet Antares vending machines play a big role in the success of your vending business. Before you place products in your vending machine, you will need to carry out research on which products are popular with the public. This is information that you can get from moving from location to location and watching what people buy from the vending machines that are there. Asking kids questions about which products to place in the vending machines will also help you to know which products are popular.

Placing branded items in your Planet Antares vending machines will save you all the trouble of advertising your products. Branded items are already popular with the public and of course they are always being advertised on the media. When you have these kinds of products in your vending machines, they just literally sell themselves. Even though branding is one of the factors that contribute to successful merchandising, it has long been underutilized in vending.

Becoming more brand focused
Retail competitors, such as c-stores and supermarkets have long been marketing their branded products. They are way ahead of the vending industry when it comes to that. This is something that the vending industry can learn from the retail industry.

Planet Antares vending machines sell items such as sodas, juices and all types of snacks. These are products that should always be branded. For example Coke and Pepsi are branded beverages. When you place them in your vending machine, there is no doubt that someone would buy them. They have been around for a very long time and they are always being advertised on TV, radio, signboards and other forms of media. This is why you will not have any trouble selling these brands in your vending machine. All you have to do is place the machine in a strategic vending location, then let the branded products sell for themselves.

You can have all types of products in your Planet Antares vending machines, but always keep in mind that brand always sells, so make sure that you keep the branded products as well. Try out new products in your vending machines. Don’t think that you should only sell branded products. You never know which product can become popular with the public. You can find this out by placing new products in the vending machines. If the product is marketed well and it becomes a hit, you will end up increasing your sales profits. Nonetheless your main focus has to be on brand name products, because these are the products that always sell, even on slow days.

2007-07-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Full-Proof Ways of Protecting Your Vending Machines

Vending machines that have been placed in locations need to be protected at all times. The vending business suffers from the problem of theft and vandalism. This is something that you can keep in check so long as you protect your vending machines. Once you have placed a Planet Antares vending machine in a location, someone can easily rob or vandalize the vending machine. The safety of vending machines depends on the location that you have placed the vending machine. There are some locations that don’t have someone to supervise the location, while there are locations where there is no one around every hour of the day or night. Avoid placing your vending machines in bad neighborhoods. If it cannot be avoided, then you would need to have fool-proof ways of protecting your vending machines. Whether your vending machine is in a good area or a bad area, you will need to protect your vending machine from theft or vandalism.

Thieves and vandals have become more sophisticated in their efforts to beat the vending machine. As a Planet Antares vending operator, you should look for ways that you can curb vandalism and robbery from occurring on your vending machines. There have been cases where entire vending machines have been stolen. Full line vending machines like those provided by Planet Antares are too heavy to move, this makes it practically impossible for thieves to even think of stealing one. The damage that is done to a vending machine during robbery or vandalism is staggering. The doors are usually pried open and the dollar bill acceptors with the money intact and the products inside the vending machine are stolen. To repair the vending machine, it can cost you anything from $50 to over $1000. These kinds of extra expenses should be avoided.

Technology
New technologies such as charge card accessibility and cashless vending. With this technology, smart cards are inserted into the vending machine instead of cash. If there is no cash in the vending machine, thieves will stay away from the vending machine.

Electronic Locks
Electronic locks can also protect your Planet Antares vending machine securely. External theft and internal theft are both a major problem in a vending business. It is very hard to pick an electronic lock and to gain entry into the vending machine; it has to be a keyed entry.

Alarm Systems
Vending machine alarm systems are also available to protect your vending machine. There are those that will sound a loud siren if the door is opened without a proper code and then there are those that will sound an alarm if the vending machine is tilted or roughed up. Some systems can even take a photo of the attendant every time the door is opened without a code.

Security Cages
A security cage is designed to wrap around a vending machine, allowing access only to small openings at strategic areas. These cages are also designed to protect all sides of the vending machine. This is the best kind of protection that you can get for the full body of the vending machine. It will protect your vending machine from theft and vandalism.

2007-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Basics to Increasing the Profit Potential of Your Vending Business

A Planet Antares glass front vending machine has the capability of giving numerous benefits to vending operators who want to maximize their versatility and marketing capability. You can effectively market a higher number of products in a small amount of space than what a drop-shelf unit can provide. Planet Antares glass front vending machines provide a larger number of selections in a compact space.

These vending machines will also allow you to calculate sales and reduce wasted inventory through visual and electronic tracking. This will provide you information on which products are the quick sellers and the ones that are not. There are a large number of products to choose from today. Products may be popular today and not so popular the next day. You just need to find a way of keeping up with the product trends, to ensure that you only have winning products in your vending machines. A wider variety of products means more choices and a greater potential for revenue. You can also maximize your revenue by offering branded products, which customers are already familiar with.

When it comes to the methods of payment, keep in mind that vending is all about convenience. The easier the mode of payment, the more the business you’ll do. Cashless vending is the new technology that vending operators all over are installing in their vending machines. This technology makes it easy for customers that do not have cash money with them, to make purchases from vending machines using credit or debit cards. When you offer such payment options in your Planet Antares vending business, you will have more customers making purchases from your vending machines. This will of course increase the profit potential of your vending business.

The durability of a vending machine is a factor that you should take into account when choosing a vending machine. There are factors that make vending machines prone to damage, such as vandalism, weather and general deterioration. Quality vending machines are built from galvanized steel, which has been painted with protective powder-coat paints. Choose vending machines has been designed in such a way that will make it theft and vandal proof. This will prevent financial losses in your vending business.

The location that you choose for your vending machine is very important. The first thing that you should do is carry out research on the potentially profitable locations in your area. This will help you pick the right one. The most obvious place to place the Planet Antares vending machine in the location would be a centralized position. This can be a position that can be easily seen from the entrance of a facility. Centralized positions also include areas where the foot traffic is the highest. Keep in mind that convenient access to products will mean increased sales.

Making sure that your customers know what you are offering is another way of increasing your profit level. You can do this by making it easy for customers to identify what products are for sale and at what price. Signage is a quick way of doing this.

2007-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Adoption of Cashless Vending

Cashless vending is technology that has really become popular with vending operators today. It has changed the way people buy from vending machines. In addition to the public’s increased attraction to self service technologies and online applications is a growing interest in the implementation of alternative payment options for traditional cash based transactions.

There are some parts of the vending industry that already accept card payment systems. Innovative payment technologies that are designed to reshape vending transaction are being adopted at an unprecedented rate. If you have a large Planet Antares vending business, you should think about implementing the technology in your business.

Customers favor cashless vending
In the past there was a slow adoption rate for cashless vending. This can be attributed to customer reluctance to use cards for low value dollar transactions, a lack of operator experience with new technology, and its perceived high costs. This is something that is changing, as more Planet Antares operators and other vending operators are becoming aware of the impact that cashless transactions has on a vending operation.

With more than 8 million machines, the vending industry can be described as the largest all-cash business in America and certainly the most all-encompassing retail in terms of number of locations.

The cost of hardware, software, and transaction processing has ceased to render cashless a much more appealing payment option. This is a payment option that can be considered by large Planet Antares vending operators. Since the technology is still quite expensive, you stand to gain financially, if the vending operation is large. This technology will make the vending experience more pleasant for the customer. Installing the technology in your Planet Antares vending machine will mean that you are offering more convenience to your customers and at the same time increasing the chances of having an increase in sales.

Steady rise in cashless vending
Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in the preference for credit cards as a method of payment. Economists have pointed out the fact that credit card transaction volumes have seen a significant increase. To date the vending industry, which is dependent on convenience and service, remains the only major retail channel that does not universally accept cashless forms of payment. It is estimated that 2 to 3 percent of U.S. vending machines offer a credit card payment option. This capability is projected to be 50 percent by the year 2009.

2007-06-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Offering Variety in Your Vending Machines

Offering variety in the Planet Antares vending machines in your business is very important in keeping your employees and customers happy. By offering variety, you are catering to different needs. For example, some people like Coke while others prefer Pepsi. On the other hand some people would prefer to have health drinks. Consumer’s preferences vary, account by account. The more people there are in a vending location, then the more the diversity in their tastes. There is no way that people can have the same tastes.

If you provide only Coke products in your Planet Antares vending machine then that means that there will be a sizeable percentage of the consumers will be excluded. If you keep a variety of soft drinks in your vending machine, it will make all the consumers happy. Contented consumers will mean repeat business for you. Branded snacks and beverages always do well in vending machines because they are easily recognizable. Placing branded products in your vending machines does not mean that you place only one kind of brand. Have a variety of branded products in your vending machines, so that you cater to everyone’s tastes.

The supplier that the vending operator has engaged should provide high quality, fresh merchandise. Make sure that all products that have reached their expiry date are removed from the vending machine in time. You would not want your employees or customers to consume something which has expired, because this might be followed by a complaint. This would have a negative effect on your vending business.

Product variety strongly depends on the location that the vending operator has chosen to place the vending machine. There are some products that would be popular in one location and not so popular in the next location. For example the products you vend in a school successfully may not be as profitable in a shopping mall. The same products cannot work in all location in the same way. Having a Planet Antares vending machine in your business, means that you are catering to your employees, as well as guests of your business. A vending operator will let you choose the snacks, beverages and food items you would want in the Planet Antares vending machine. The right product mix in the vending machines would keep your employees happy.

Branded products in vending machines always work. This is because customers are already familiar with these vending machines, so they are more compelled to buy them from the vending machines.

2007-06-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

All about the Popularity of Snack and Beverage Vending

Snacks and beverages in vending machines have become main meals for many people these days. This is all because of changing lifestyles, where people are so busy that they actually don’t have the time to sit down for a meal. They can only eat in a hurry. This is what has made Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines more popular than other vending machines.

Customers demand a product that they can munch on when in the car or maybe when walking from place to another. As a result of this trend, consumers have become less concerned with eating junk food and more concerned with convenience.

Snack and beverage vending machines are usually in demand in most locations because of the consumer’s need to have a snack or a beverage at any point of day or night. If you place a Planet Antares vending machine in an office or a business, you can be sure of having sales being made from the vending machine. If the vending machine has been placed in a lunch room, people would prefer to buy a snack from the vending machine, rather than go out of the offices premises to look for a place to eat. The vending machine allows them to save on time. If the vending machine is in a location that is frequented by youngsters, you can be assured of good sales. This is because youngsters love snacks and sodas more than anybody else, so if your vending machine is ideally located, you will get maximum sales.

The kind of snacks and beverages you place in your Planet Antares vending machine really matters. Different locations have different tastes, so you need to understand what the location wants. You can never go wrong with branded snacks and beverages. These are items that people are already familiar, thus if they love the product, they would not waste time in buying the product. Snacks with bold flavors have become quite popular with the public. On the other hand healthier snacks have also grown in demand. Consumers want healthier snack choice but at the same time they still demand full flavor and good value for their money.

Snacks and beverages are definitely popular in vending machines and that is what will make Planet Antares vending machines continuously profitable. Profitability depends mainly on the locations that have been picked for the vending machine and the products that go in the vending machine. The locations and products that you pick need to work for your vending machines.

2007-06-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

An Independent Vending Machine Operator

An independent vending machine operator would be the right person to engage for your business. All that you would have to do is keep the vending machines in your facility and the vending operator will take care of the servicing of the machine. A Planet Antares vending operator would be ideal for your vending business if you have a good number of employees in your business, because this is a snack and beverage vending business. If you get guests or customers in your business, then having a Planet Antares vending machine would be an added advantage.

When looking for an independent vending operator, the best place to look for one would be the Internet. This is a place where you will find most of the vending operators listed. Some of them have websites where you can look up information on the kind of vending services that they are providing. The websites of these vending operators have to be updated periodically. If you come across an independent vending operator with an outdated website, then that means that the vendor probably provides poor vending services. This is of course not what you would want for your business. A Planet Antares vending operator with quality vending services can be located online. Reading other customer reviews would help you in knowing more about the standard of vending services that these vending operators provide. Once you have found one that you deem suitable get in touch with the operator.

An independent vending operator will provide you with the vending machines that you require for your business. If you require only one vending machine, you will also be provided with that. A Planet Antares vending operator for example, will then install the vending machines in your location. The responsibility of the vending operator would be to restock the vending machines and generally maintain the machine. Restocking of the products would be conducted according to how the vending machine empties. If the vending machine is in your business, then it would probably need restocking several times in a week. The vendor should make sure that the vending machine is also cleaned, so that the vending machine is hygienic.

Having a vending machine in your location, would mean that you will also get a share of the profits along with the vending operator. You will just need to work out a commission percentage that you would require. Agree on a percentage only when you are satisfied with the figures.

The vending operator should also keep only the products that are in demand. An independent vending operator will allow you to choose the menu so that the vending machine can only have the products that your employees would want. Popular products are important because these are always sure sellers. With the financial success of the vending business, you will also get a share of the profits.

2007-06-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

Installing a Cashless Payment System

Advances in vending machine technology have begun to revolutionize the vending business as a whole. Today there are different forms of technology available in the vending business. One of the technologies that have brought about a significant change in the business change is cashless payment options in vending. The expansion of cashless payment options in snack and beverage vending machines has seen rapid growth and support in recent years. If you have a Planet Antares vending business, you will find that installing a cashless payment option will help you increase your profits.

Installing a cashless payment option in your Planet Antares vending machines will benefit you as the vending operator as well as the locations where the vending machines have been placed. Major credit card companies have been teaming up with large vending machine companies to release vending machines that are already equipped with the new technology. If you install the system in your Planet Antares vending machine, they will be configured to accept conventional, magnetic-strip credit and debit cards. In order to make a quick purchase, customers will just have to insert their cards in the vending machines and the product will exit from the vending machine.

The installation of a cashless payment option in vending machines will mean that both credit card companies and vending operators will expand their customer base and increase their revenue. A cashless payment option would mean that the customers of your Planet Antares vending machines will experience a faster and more efficient service. Increased convenience to customers will mean increased sales. No longer do your customers have to struggle with crumpled bills or waste time looking for change. Not everybody walks with spare change in their pockets. This is something that has stopped many people from making purchases from vending machines before, but that can all change with a cashless payment option. Consumers are growing more accustomed to cashless payment options in vending machines. This form of payment is already being widely used in other markets. It is just the vending sector that lagging behind the rest of the market.

If you invest in this technology for your vending machines, it will be able to pay itself off within a short period of time due to increased vending machine sales. Moreover, customers will continue growing accustomed to this new form of payment that it will soon become a more frequently used form of payment. Consumers will get used to seeing it in vending machines and they will seek out vending machines that have the technology. People sometimes run out of cash to use a vending machine, but a credit card is something that is always being carried around. If you have a vending machine that has the cashless payment option, an individual does not have skip making a purchase from your machine just because they are out of cash. Installing this technology in your vending machines will make your vending business more profitable, which means that your business will expand faster.

2007-06-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

Become Your Own Boss with a Vending Business

A Planet Antares vending opportunity is a great way to start your own business, where you will get to be your own boss. There is really no experience needed to start a vending business. You can buy a vending business with one or two vending machines and learn the ropes as you go along. A vending business is not a get rich quick scheme and it requires an initial investment. When you have an understanding of the vending business and are ready to make an investment, you will be ready to start a Planet Antares vending business.

Having a regular 9 – 5 job means that you are working under someone and you are unable to choose your own hours. With a vending business you will get to work your own hours and be your own boss. That will leave you with plenty of time to spend with your family and friends. When you start a Planet Antares vending business, you will be required to buy one or two snack and beverage vending machines which you will be required to service whenever the machines need servicing. This would include refilling, cleaning and maintaining the machine, as well as collecting money from the vending machine. To service the vending machines, you get to choose the hours to carry it out. With a snack and beverage vending business, you might be required to service the vending machines 2-3 times a week. This leaves you with plenty of free time to do other things. You can choose to spend time with your family or you can find leisure activities to participate in. With all that free time and a handsome income from the Planet Antares vending business, you will not have a hard time finding something to do.

If you have a regular job, you can still start a part time vending business. This means that you will have to service your vending machines during the evenings and weekends.

When you are your own boss in a vending business it means that you will get to make all the decisions concerning your vending business. You will get to pick the kind of vending machines that you want and you will also pick the locations where you would want the vending machines to be placed. As the vending operator, you will also be required to choose the products that you want in the vending machines. These are just some of the main decisions that you would have to make.

Being your won boss beats working under someone else because you are the person that is in charge of your day to day vending operations. You answer to nobody but yourself. As your vending business earns more revenue, you can think of expanding your vending business. This is something that you can do gradually. How you run your vending business is entirely up to you, just make sure that you gather all the necessary information that is required to start a vending business. When you are prepared to run a vending business, you will enjoy being your own boss.

2007-05-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

Managing a Vending Business Successfully

The vending business is undoubtedly one of the most profitable home based businesses around. To be a part of this lucrative home based business, you can take up a Planet Antares vending business, which will offer you a unique vending opportunity. When you are running a vending business it is very important that you manage the vending business successfully, so that it can be profitable.

The first thing that you should do is to buy top quality vending equipment that will give you a smooth running vending operation. Planet Antares vending machines are the best kind of snack and beverage vending machines that you can find in the market. They are strong, durable and will not let you down.

The location that you choose for your Planet Antares vending machines has to work well with the machines. When choosing a location, you have to carry out research on whether the location is well populated, and you should also find out about the competition in the location. Make a point to find out what kind of machines are in the area and if they are vending the same products. Finding other vending machines in the location, does not mean that you shouldn’t place your vending machine there. On the contrary, it means that the location is profitable for vending machines. That is why other vending operators have kept their vending machines there. Once you have secured a location, cater to all the vending needs of that particular location so that they are satisfied with the kind of services that you are providing them with. If there are other vendors in the same location, offer a better vending service by introducing some kind of technology in your vending operation. If this is financially not possible for you, you can try offering better products or you can make sure that your vending machines are never out of merchandize.

The maintenance of your Planet Antares vending business should be carried out effectively. Servicing the vending machine on time is very important. The customers should not find a vending machine out of their favorite product. The vending machine needs to be well stocked at all times and they also need to be kept clean. If you are using a route driver to run the vending route, make sure that they understand the importance of servicing the vending machines successfully.

Find a supplier who can provide you with a wide variety of products. The supplier should also carry health products, just incase there is a request from one of the clients for the products.

Vending is a very profitable business. Of course it will only be profitable if you manage the vending business well. There is no training required to start a vending business. Almost anybody can start a vending business. Those who are successful are those that manage the vending business efficiently.

2007-05-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

The Best Source for Vending Machines

People usually wonder about the best place to buy vending machines from. There is a lot of information on the Internet on places where you can buy vending machines. There are vending machines distributors and vending machine companies that sell vending machines. Planet Antares is a vending company that also manufacturers their own vending machines. Apart from selling vending machines, they also provide vending services. Such companies are considered as the best sources of vending machines. Planet Antares offers quality snack and beverage vending machines that are attractive and reliable.

A vending company is your one stop source for vending machines as well as vending services. If you are thinking of starting a vending business, the first thing that you would need to do is get some information on the vending industry. You will need to get to know how everything works. Planet Antares will be provided with all the vending information that you would require to get your business started off on the right foot. Everything that you would need to start, grow and manage your vending business will be provided. There will also have a team of experts that are there to assist you with all your vending needs.

When you buy your vending machines directly from a manufacturer, you can get to know how do carry out some simple repairs on your vending machine. Of course if there is any serious repair that has to be done, you will be required to seek the services of a vending technician.

A vending machine manufacturer will offer you the best rates for their vending machines. Planet Antares makes it easy for you to own a vending machine because the rates are among the most reasonable in the market.

When you buy vending machines, you need to make sure that they are of the best quality. Vending machines need to function without any hassles. This will play a significant role in the success of your vending business. No matter where you buy your vending machine from, just make sure that you are not overpaying for the vending machine and that you are buying a vending machine that is durable and reliable.

The advantage of buying a vending machine directly from the company, you will get all the necessary information that you will need about the vending machine that you are buying. The vending company will also show you simple steps that you can use to make minor repairs on the vending machine. This information can prove to be useful when the vending machine breaks down unexpectedly.

2007-05-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Changes Brought About By Cashless Vending

The technology of cashless payment options has brought about significant changes in the vending industry. Cashless payment options in your Planet Antares vending machines will help increase the customers of your vending operation. This is because of improved consumer satisfaction.

The Federal Reserve Board stated that electronic transactions exceed payments made by check or cash. In addition to this, credit card and debit card purchases continue to grow at an annual rate of 7% and 27% respectively. Cashless payment options are used in most of the industries. The vending industry is slowly catching up. There are a large number of vending operators that have installed this technology in their vending machines.

Some years back, the public were a bit reluctant about using credit and debit cards for small dollar transactions. However with the prevalence of cashless transactions, having a cashless payment option in your Planet Antares vending machines will be extremely beneficial. Today small dollar cashless transactions take place in coffee shops and gas stations. These sectors have seen an increase in their sales as a result of this. A cashless payment option in your Planet Antares vending machines would bring about a significant increase in your sales.

Enhanced convenience and accessibility
With cashless payment options in vending machines, there will be a significant increase in convenience and accessibility. This is something that will make the vending machine industry more profitable by encouraging impulsive vending machine purchases. It has been noted that the public is inclined to make impulsive purchases when paying with a credit card. Increased impulse buying will result in improved sales and profits. Planet Antares vending machines are usually impulsive decisions, mainly because the vending machines are glass front vending machines. In this regard, the presence of a cashless payment option will serve to increase the sales of the snacks and beverages. If a person has the option of using a credit card or a debit card in a vending machine, he/she may be inclined to buy a soda or a snack.

Innovative technology
The public is becoming increasingly attracted to self-service vending machine technologies, as well as cashless vending machine payment options. This technology has changed vending industry. By using this technology in your vending business, you will see increased profitability and an overall improvement in your vending business.

2007-05-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Defining the Brand of Your Vending Business

The most competitive asset of your Planet Antares vending business is brand. When people hear the term ‘brand,’ they often think it means logo, store sign, package label or website. However, a brand is much more than a symbol. You can view it as everything an organization says and does – the sum of its behavior, the services or products it offers, and its presentation.

The brand of your Planet Antares vending business will create an emotional connection conveying value, trust and personality of your Planet Antares vending operation. It will also separate you from others in the market. A strong and well developed brand is a powerful and strategic weapon.

Effective branding
Effective branding requires a disciplined focus, consistency of message and proactive attention. This is a process, not an event. It must be research driven and aligned with your business objectives. It also must also provide a clear direction. A successful approach for effective branding involves a four step process:

• Defining a brand strategy that is relevant because it is rooted in fundamental customer needs, differentiated because it reflects unique value, and credible because it is authentic and true.
• Translating those findings into a memorable and meaningful positioning statement and visual brand identity that clearly articulates the operator’s value and is aligned with their key business objectives.
• Executing the brand strategy through integrated communications that support the positioning and build strong, favorable associations in the minds of existing and future customers.
• Measuring and evaluating progress to judge changes in perceptions and awareness, while making necessary adjustments along the way.

For branding to be effective in your Planet Antares vending business, you can transform your vending business and place your brand at the center of your corporate strategy. This would mean that you are aligning all your communications, operations and systems to your brand mission and values. Making all your employees effective ambassadors for your brand will also play a significant role successful branding. The brand of your vending business has to have a way of communicating directly with customers. When you are able to accomplish this, you will know that your branding was effective.

2007-05-08T05:02:00.000-07:00

Advantages of a Glass Front Vending Machine

Glass front vending machines like those that are provided by Planet Antares Inc. have greater benefits than enclosed vending machines. This is simply because of the fact that the snacks and beverages in the glass front vending machines are visible. Vending machine purchases are impulse buys. In other words people buy from vending machines because they see the products in the vending machine and they are enticed to buy them.

Vending machines do well when they are placed in the right location. A vending machine has to be visible from all angles in a location; otherwise the number of sales will be less than what it should be. In order for a location to work well with a glass front vending machine, the traffic in the location has to be high. This is because the more people see the vending machines, the higher the sales will be. They will be compelled to buy from the vending machine because they can see what they are buying. Access ways, shopping malls and waiting areas will make good locations for glass front Planet Antares vending machines. As soon as you place your vending machines in these locations, they will straight away start making money for you.

The Planet Antares vending machine is designed with state of the art engineering and quality workmanship and at the same time it allows for the most beneficial combination of snacks and beverages. You can have cold sodas, fruit juices, sport drinks, chips, cookies and more in the vending machine. The possibilities abound with these Planet Antares vending machines.

Glass front vending machines, allow customers to see what they are buying. They don’t have to wonder about what product is in the vending machine. They can see it for themselves. This gives the customer a wider selection to choose from.

When you place a galas front vending machines in a location, the products will be visible from even a long distance. If you place branded products at the front of the vending machine, they will be easily recognized from a long distance. This will compel the customer to buy from the vending machine.

With a glass front vending machine, make sure that you have the right products in the vending machine, particularly at the front of the vending machines. This is because this will be first visible part of the vending machine. This means that the products have to be eye catching. When your vending machine attracts customers, it translates into sales.

2007-04-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Importance of an Effective Vending Business Plan

If you are starting a vending business, you need to have a business plan that will help you set up a thriving vending business. A good business plan will give you foresight about what is supposed to be done in a vending business. The information provided by a vending business plan is necessary when there are important decisions to be made.

Studies have shown that over 50% of small businesses fail within the first year. The success rate of Planet Antares vending businesses speaks a different story. This is because the chances of a vending business being successful are higher than most other businesses. However, good business planning is essential and requires thoughtful consideration.

1) Sufficient capital When you want to start a Planet Antares vending business, the first thing that you should do is make sure that you have sufficient capital to invest in your vending business. There is no point of starting a vending business when you are already broke. If things don’t go according to plan, you might end up being in a bigger financial crisis.

2) Associate with reputable vending company. Search the Internet for information on the vending companies in your area. This is an integral part of your vending business plan, because a vending company such as Planet Antares Inc. can provide you with the right vending machines, the perfect vending program and all the vending information that you require.

3) Choose the right locations. Before you buy your vending machines, you need to have an idea of what the vending locations in your area are like. In your business plan get to know which locations in your area would require vending machines, so that you can choose the right vending machine that will suit that location. Have a good relationship with the owner of the location, so that all your business dealings will run smoothly.

4) Good management of supplies. When it comes to the snacks and beverages for your Planet Antares vending machines, make sure that you are dealing with the right kind of supplier. A good supplier should be able to provide you with sufficient stock of the products that you want. Just keep in mind that too little and too much stock can be disastrous. The wrong type of stock can also be bad for your vending business. People will never buy what they don’t want to buy.

5) Anticipate growth. If you have a vending business that is running successfully, the time for expanding your business should not surprise you at all. Be prepared for rapid expansion. There are times that keeping up with growth may overtax your scant resources and you end up getting too big too soon, simply because you didn’t plan for growth. This won’t happen if you are prepared for growth in your vending business.

A vending business plan can help you make good decisions. A good business plan will help you plan ahead, so that you can make the most of your vending business.

2007-02-22T01:55:00.000-08:00

Technology and Vending

Technology has the potential to change the way you vend. With the increase of competition from other vending operators, you need to find ways of staying on top of your game. Having a

business, means that you have a limited space to merchandise your products. With that limited space, you would need to maximum sales. A snack and beverage vending business can be very profitable, if you use the right strategies. Snack and beverage vending remains the most popular of all the types of vending businesses. This is because Americans love snacking. Despite this kind of vending being popular, vending operators from time to time have difficulties with their achieving maximum profitability. To improve the efficiency of your Planet Antares vending business, you can implement some form of technology in your vending business.

Impact of technology
Advances in technology, have changed the vending operations of many vending operators. The sales from these vending operations increased when they implemented technology. The operators were also able to keep track of the sales that were made from the vending machine. Category management helped the vending operators select the right products for the vending machines and they were also able to restock the vending machines on time. There are all forms of technology that can improve your Planet Antares vending business. The size of your vending business is what will determine which technology would be appropriate for your vending business.

Your ability to harness technology will allow you to sell more and spend less in your Planet Antares business. You can end up saving up to two hours per day per route by employing technology. In addition to this, you will enjoy a higher percentage of sales increases from the same machines through a better understanding of location preferences. Shrinkage will be virtually eliminated by cash audit functionality.

Internet and vending
You should prepare to also use internet in your vending business, since it is increasingly being used by vending operators all over. This medium will be revolutionary in the vending industry.

Always be well informed about the innovations that are changing the way we do business. With the speed in which technology is driving our world, understanding technology and applying it to your vending business may be the most important thing that you will ever do. To continue enjoying success in your vending business, you will need an understanding, appreciation and working knowledge of what information management technology can do for your business.

2007-02-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

Vending Machine Technicians

Vending machines technicians are mechanics who install and repair vending machines. They can transport your new Planet Antares vending machines to the locations, unload them and make the necessary connections and other adjustments. After they have completed the set up, they will make sure that everything is working perfectly. They will check out the change making mechanisms and product dispensing mechanisms. They will also check on the heating or refrigeration systems.

Since vending machines are used frequently, deterioration of the vending machine can take place. This happens with all vending machines, only just at different stages. Quality vending machines like those by Planet Antares are very durable, so if there is any deterioration that is to take place, it will be minimal.

If there is any problem with your vending machine, the technicians must determine the reasons why there is a problem with the vending machine, then repair, rebuild or replace the defective parts, so that your vending services can resume. If the mechanic is unable to immediately assert what the problem with the problem with the vending machine is, they can just troubleshoot by following procedures that have been developed by Planet Antares, since they are the manufactures of the vending machine. Usually repairs are made at the vending machine location, but if the vending machine repair involves major repairs or overhauls, the mechanics would need the vending machine back to the service shop to carry out the repairs.

When mechanics are carrying out repairs on vending machines, they usually follow technical illustrations, schematics, blueprints, diagrams and repair manuals to do their work. Mechanics use tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, pipe cutters, soldering irons and hammers to tighten, cut, adjust and solder. If the work is being done in the shop, they usually use grinding wheels, saws and drills. They can use refrigerator manifold gauges and thermometers to test the refrigeration systems of the vending machines.

Preventative maintenance is the best way that you can ensure that your Planet Antares vending machine is always in ‘tip top’ shape. You can also take care of this by cleaning and lubricating the necessary parts. These are just some of the minor things that you can do. If there is anything major that needs to be don or if you are not sure of how do carry out a repair, all that you would need to do is to call a vending machine mechanic.

2007-02-12T03:02:00.000-08:00

Efficient Currency Handling Equipment in Vending
Vending operators have always felt the need for eliminating ‘exact change only’ situations in their vending businesses. New currency payment systems have the features to eliminate this kind of situation in your Planet Antares vending business. There are some that can even recycle bills which allows for multi vending. As currency handling technology evolves, vending operators are finding new tools to offer customers more convenient payment options.
If you give customers the ability to use whatever change that they have on them, you will find that the sales of your Planet Antares vending will increase. This ability will change the way that your customers purchase from your vending machine.
Technology is enhancing the versatility, reliability and durability of bill acceptors and changers in vending machines. There are some benefits that come with this technology, such as, reduction of consumer price resistance and at the same time wider variety of price points in the machine. This can be effectively used in your Planet Antares vending machines because they carry product variety.

Dollar coin payout expands
Most bill acceptors accept denominations over one dollar and most pay out coins as change. A five dollar bill acceptance is a customer convenience that will help sales in your business. Consumers are now getting used to putting five dollar bills in vending machines. Planet Antares vending machines come with bill changers which makes them very convenient for customers when they are looking for change.
Many vending operators feel that higher bill denomination makes cash counting easier, since there are fewer bills to count and stack. This is all thanks to the improved capacity of the new coin changers.

Five dollar bills increase bill sorting
Five dollar bill acceptance does create the need to sort 1s and 5s. This can be easily overcome with a dual pocket coin sorter. Although consumers have gotten into the habit of carrying dollar coins in their pockets, operators have nonetheless found it worth their while to offer dollar coin payouts to support higher denomination bill acceptance. This has created a need to continually restock coin changers with dollar coins.
All in all operators have given mixed reviews on how much of the dollar coins are circulating back into the vending machines. Most have also come to the agreement that consumers are spending more than they initially did.

2007-02-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

Growth in the Vending Industry

The vending industry in the United States has evolved swiftly from a marginal, novelty business into a fast growing mainstream retailing medium in the two decades that followed World War 2. This evolution strongly depended on technology at that time. These days, everywhere you go, you are bound to come upon a vending machine. Snack and beverage vending machines like those that are provided by Planet Antares can always be found in high traffic locations while bulk vending machines can usually be found in supermarkets, retail stores and shopping malls. The presence of vending machines in all types of locations goes to show how the vending has been steadily growing over the years.

As the vending industry grew, technology advanced and retailing became sophisticated. Market sectors were defined with greater precision; while on the other hand, vending machines grew more flexible. The vending machines were now able to contain a wider variety of products that had not been specifically sized for vending. Today we have machines like Planet Antares vending machines that have high capacities, which enable them to house a large number of products.

In Japan the vending industry has expanded greatly. They offer all kinds of products in their vending machines. You can find anything from electrical appliances to a pair of jeans. In the U.S. you can mainly find basic items in the vending machines. Planet Antares offers all kinds of snacks and beverages. This kind of vending is very popular in the United States because Americans love snacking.

Cashless payment options have also changed the face of vending in the recent years. This kind of technology has always been widely used in the retail industry, but of late, the vending industry has adapted this system in vending machines. Here customers don’t need to have cash on them to buy an item that they want. All that they have to do is to insert a card and wait for the products. This technology can increase the sales of your Planet Antares vending business.

The vending industry has also changed their attitude towards healthy products over the years. There is a growing demand for these kinds of products in vending machines. Health products are already available in the retail sector, now it is being made available in the vending industry.

In the U.S. the vending industry is gradually progressing, mainly due to technology. The kind of changes that have occurred has made vending more effective. This of course leads to customers having a more pleasant experience and you making larger profits.

2007-01-29T02:38:00.000-08:00

Building a Vending Route

If you prefer not to go for an existing vending route, you can easily decide start a vending route using the traditional means. This is usually done by securing a location one at a time. As a Planet Antares vending operator, you need to be confident in your ability to sell services to a location. Planet Antares is a well recognized name that will always increase your chances of securing a location.
The best thing about a Planet Antares vending business is that the vending machines sell snacks and beverages. These are the kind of products that are always in demand by the public. Location owners usually want a snack and beverage vending machine in their location, since they know it’s potential.
When you want to start looking for location, the first thing that you would need to do is to write a script that will introduce you to the location. You can ask to set a survey of the location. When this is done, you can call upon the locations that you feel have met your profile for the size of machine that you want to place in the location. When you are at a location, ask to speak directly to the owner of the location. Getting to know the person at the door of the location can prove to be very helpful, since they are the ones that can get you to the right person. Once you get in the door, you shouldn’t get too pushy with your services. Get to know the person in charge and get a feel for their satisfaction with their current vending services.
If you are too busy to look for a location on your own, you can use the services of a location company. Make sure that you know what you are getting with the location company because the location that they find may not be what exactly you are looking for. If you want the locator to get the best location for your vending machine, you need to make sure that you ask all the right questions. When they get a location, you should go and inspect the location on your own. The location company should allow you to do that, since they are being paid for their services.
To build your Planet Antares vending business, you will need to learn the business by finding and securing location on your own. Just make sure that you build your vending business at a pace that works for you and not one that hurts your business. Building your vending route by working with your customers is the best way of achieving success.

2007-01-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

A Vending Company

When you want to start a vending business, you will need to choose a vending machine company that you can work with for a long period of time. The company must be also able to provide you with the best vending machines at an affordable price. Planet Antares Inc. is one such company. This company will provide you with quality vending machines at the right price.

When looking for a vending company, try to go for that in your area so that you don’t end up spending a lot of money on the shipping of the vending machine. You can save money by picking up the vending machine by yourself. Is you are interested in using an online company; make sure that you do your homework. Read about the company and their clients. This will help you get information on how the company works. You can also ask for some of the client’s contact information, so that you can get to know about their view about the company. Try to find a company that has both used and new vending machines in all different styles. This will help you get the best price for your set budget.

Planet Antares Inc. has a team of professionals, who will always be there to answer any questions that you may have regarding the vending business. Never hesitate to ask questions; because this is the only way you will get all the required information.

When you decide to work with a reputed company like Planet Antares, it would be wise for you to stick with the same company. Moving from one company to another can end up affecting your vending business. Staying with one company will help you get the best deals and obtain a reputable reputation.

If you follow these guidelines and also read up on the vending business, you will find that reaching all the goals that you had set for yourself will be very easy. This is something that you would need to do before you go out to purchase a vending machine. A Planet Antares vending business can be very profitable, if you are able to manage your vending routes efficiently. The vending business as a whole is always changing and evolving. When this happens, you should be flexible enough to change with the times.

A good vending company will provide you with a great vending program that will keep you up to date with all the new developments in the vending industry. As your business grows, you will acquire more vending machines and you can even invest in some of the new technologies that will allow our vending machines to operate more efficiently.

2007-01-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Cashless Vending

A survey that was conducted showed that vending machine operators reported an immediate end in vandalism and theft from vending machines once a cashless payment system was installed in their vending machines. Not only are machines handling and storing less cash, they now have the capability to electronically track all transactions. As a result of this, vending operators were not only experiencing a higher volume in sales, but they were also saving money on vending machine repair and replacement. This system can change the face of your vending business.

Vending machines offering a cashless payment option generated more sales than traditional cash only payment option vending machines. As a Planet Antares vending operator you will find that offering a cashless payment option in your vending machine will generate higher profits for you. This is technology that can be easily stored in Planet Antares vending machines. A vending machine operator once carried out an experiment by placing two vending machines that offer the same products in a location. One machine accepted only cash transactions while the other accepted only credit card transactions. The vending machine accepting credit cards generated 15% more revenues than the cash only vending machine. Forty seven percent of its transactions were multiple product purchases. This just goes to show you what trend is going to be the popular in the coming future. Other retail industries are all using cashless payment options. It is something that is yet to popular in the vending industry.

Cashless vending can help turn around your Planet Antares vending business. Customers will definitely find their vending experience more convenient and pleasant. When this happens, there will be a rise in your profits as well. Other vending operators have seen the benefits of this payment options and have implemented it in their business. Cashless vending has also allowed vending operators to offer products not traditionally found in vending machines.

Cashless vending options will be cost efficient for those Planet Antares vending operators who maintain large accounts. In such cases you will find a significant number of vending machines placed in a large company or maybe in a location that has high traffic. Cashless vending options are on the rise even though the technology is still quite expensive. There would be little benefit in offering this payment option on vending machines that service a small group of people.

2007-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Branded Products in Vending Machine

The products that you place in your Planet Antares vending machines play a big role in the success of your vending business. Before you place products in your vending machine, you will need to carry out research on which products are popular with the public. This is information that you can get from moving from location to location and watching what people buy from the vending machines that are there. Asking kids questions about which products to place in the vending machines will also help you to know which products are popular.

Placing branded items in your Planet Antares vending machines will save you all the trouble of advertising your products. Branded items are already popular with the public and of course they are always being advertised on the media. When you have these kinds of products in your vending machines, they just literally sell themselves. Even though branding is one of the factors that contribute to successful merchandising, it has long been underutilized in vending.

Competitors are more brand focused
Retail competitors, such as c-stores and supermarkets have long been marketing their branded products. They are way ahead of the vending industry when it comes to that. This is something that the vending industry can learn from the retail industry.

Planet Antares vending machines sell items such as sodas, juices and all types of snacks. These are products that should always be branded. For example Coke and Pepsi are branded beverages. When you place them in your vending machine, there is no doubt that someone would buy them. They have been around for a very long time and they are always being advertised on TV, radio, signboards and other forms of media. This is why you will not have any trouble selling these brands in your vending machine. All you have to do is place the machine in a strategic vending location, then let the branded products sell for themselves.

You can have all types of products in your Planet Antares vending machines, but always keep in mind that brand always sells, so make sure that you keep the branded products as well. Try out new products in your vending machines. Don’t think that you should only sell branded products. You never know which product can become popular with the public. You can find this out by placing new products in the vending machines. If the product is marketed well and it becomes a hit, you will end up increasing your sales revenues.

2006-11-04T04:17:00.000-08:00

The Investment in Software

Companies that already have industry specific software will find it necessary to determine if their software company’s capabilities and plans for new products match the Antares operator’s business goals.

The investment in software is ongoing, and for a package to provide the necessary benefits, the provider needs to be able to deliver the customer’s needs.

Antares vending operators should not only consider their existing information needs, but their future needs as well. For instance, a company with three routes may not feel it can justify investment in a route inventory control system, but if that company hopes to grow to 10 routes, the investment will then be justified.

A company also might not be sold on the benefits of category management. This is a system that simplifies product selection at the route and warehouse levels and gives management more control over individual machine menu. If you feel that in the future, this method can be useful in your Antares vending operation, it will then need to have a data reporting system that will support it.

It may be difficult to predict future information needs, a software system that offers a comprehensive package of management tools will be a better investment.

Many a time people feel that they have to have a big enough customer base to justify the expense, but they overlook the fact that when the customer base is large enough to warrant a system, it also becomes a greater effort to load the system and build the data base.

Inventory control is the key benefit that vending specific software packages offer.

Inventory control

It is important for every Antares vending operator to have ADC (automated data collection) inventory control systems from the first day to spare any future aggravation.

At some point of their vending operation, every vending operator should plan on using DEX. It provides the tools for cash and inventory accountability, and it is the architecture on which new features, such as remote monitoring and cashless vending, is based. This would of course require investment.

2006-11-02T03:55:00.000-08:00

Financial Management in Vending

With costs increasing and new accounts still hard to find, it behooves vending operators to bone up on financial management. Small vending operators usually don’t pay a lot of attention to financial management. They believe that if they are covering their costs and making a decent profit, they are doing well.

Business conditions can change unexpectedly, and an operator who doesn’t have good financial benchmarks is at risk of not grasping the impact of the changing conditions. Antares operators need to understand that keeping a business in good financial health requires staying regularly on top of several factors.

Most companies have a profit and loss (P&L) statement, which measures the profitability of the company. This is how the profitability of some Antares vending companies is measured. It begins with the company’s gross sales for a finite period of time, and then shows all of the operating costs, including product costs. The operating costs are then subtracted from the gross sales, giving the net profit for the business.

Operators need financial benchmarks

How does an Antares operator get to know if his costs are out of whack? Fortunately, there is a set of industry averages available, the National Automatic Merchandising Association’s Operating Ratio Report. This report is conducted annually and is designed to provide comprehensive, yet straightforward guidelines for analyzing profitability. The report summarizes key financial ratios in managing a vending business. The basic elements of financial management in any business are financial operating ratios.

Ratios give perspective

If you have had a bad year, it may not be as bad as it seems, once the financial ratios are reviewed. At the same time, even in the best of times, operators can find themselves unable to meet their payroll if they fail to pay careful attention to these fundamentals. For the successful running of your Antares Corp. vending operation, you will need to pay attention to these fundamentals.

This report evaluates a variety of operating ratios across the industry and then compares the typical NAMA member’s figures against the industry’s top performers to help pinpoint areas that could be improved to increase profitability.

2006-10-31T04:28:00.000-08:00

Interval versus Cumulative DEX Data

In the DEX standard, just about every data element or reading is provided in two separate data fields. The first is referred to ‘interval’ or ‘reset-able’ data, while the second is referred to as ‘cumulative’ data. Interval fields are reset to zero after every DEX read, while cumulative fields keep on accumulating much like a car’s odometer or a cash meter in a vending machine.

While it might be easier to use interval readings in your Antares operation, it is preferable to only use the cumulative readings and let your software system do the work of computing the difference between the readings.

Two basic data collection methods

There two broad methods for collecting DEX data:

· Via a handheld computer carried by the route driver.

· Via a remote monitoring solution.

All remote systems share some common attributes:

· They can all poll the Antares vending machine DEX system at predefined intervals.

· For systems where there are communication costs, the data is pulled nightly.

If the communication costs are insignificant, the data can be collected more often. However, since collecting the DEX data typically takes the vending machine ‘off-line’ for 10 to 40 seconds, you would not want to do this during the busy periods of your Antares vending operation.

Remote monitoring works most of the time. However, when a problem occurs, a service visit to the machine may be required to correct the problem. Potential problems may include an antenna being displaced or vandalized, or the connection between your office and the machine being lost.

Handheld won’t become obsolete

At the end of the day, the best system may involve a combination of different methods. An early hope of the remote DEX collection systems was that driver handhelds would not be needed. Since most drivers use handhelds for other purposes like inventory control, product planograms changes, and collecting additional data (like refunds and test vends), most Antares operators would still choose to use handhelds even if most machines have remote connections. In some circumstances where a single product is vended out of a machine, the driver may be able to service the machine without a handheld.

2006-10-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

DEX: The Key to Intelligent Vending

The key development in the evolution of intelligent vending has been the Data Exchange, better known as DEX. This is a protocol for the transfer of information from a vending machine to a data collection device. The data is stored in the electronic circuit board. The electronic standard describes how information fields are transferred, such as price sales, currency and meter readings. It took many years for vending hardware and software engineers to develop a DEX standard that equipment manufacturers could agree on.

There are a number of operators who have encountered problems when installing the DEX systems in their machines. This however, is a problem that can be countered. As an Antares vending operator, you can have the system installed in your vending machines, so that you can look forward to higher sales.

DEX allows for customized machine planograms

Without technology in your Antares vending machines it is hard to know what the consumer wants. Without DEX data, you wouldn’t be able to make knowledge- based product decisions. This goes to show that DEX allows for customized machine planograms.

DEX handhelds will also give you data that you need daily. You will find that column-level sales data invaluable in developing profitable machine menus. Every machine has a number of facings and they will each get a different monthly planogram, which will be based on detailed sales reports.

DEX brings multiple benefits to vending

Vending operators of all sizes have found that once DEX works, because it provides tangible operating benefits. In addition to this, operators can expand into DEX slowly, one route at a time, and/or one set of benefits at a time.

Some Antares vending operators have been hesitant to expand into DEX thinking. They think that if they did, the technology would eventually become obsolete. There have been questions that have been raised on whether DEX handhelds would become obsolete once remote data reporting become a viable option. These systems would utilize the same DEX ports as handhelds. This is the reason why Antares vending operators are encouraged to invest in DEX. It is after all the key to intelligent vending.

2006-10-25T01:58:00.000-07:00

Intelligent Vending

As vending operators continue to struggles with low work site populations, many have found emerging technology is providing new ways to operate more profitably. Established Antares operators have often found themselves as a disadvantage competing against newcomers who are arming themselves with state of the art computer systems that allow faster and more accurate accountability of machine and route activity.

Advances in vending-specific software demand higher start-up costs, but this will pay off in a more efficient Antares operation.

Cashless and intelligent vending

Cashless solutions are one of several benefits associated with intelligent vending. Some industry observers were quoted as saying that cashless will actually drive intelligent vending, and it will lead Antares operators to discover the other benefits of telemetry-such as polling line item sales and machine malfunctions-from a remote computer.

Cashless solutions and remote data polling are separate benefits. As technology evolves, operators using either of these benefits do not necessarily use both. Most operators are almost evenly divided on which of these key areas-cashless and remote data polling- they are focusing on. So far not a lot are expanding from one area of concentration into the other.

A revolution

Using these advances in your Antares vending business will bring in more financial benefits for your business. This can also help you to be at par with the competition. You will no longer have to compete with the new comers in the industry who are already using this technology. Technology has the potential to revolutionize the vending industry.

To date, many cashless systems are being used primarily as selling tools. But in the process, operators have now begun to understand the different cashless and intelligent vending technologies. Those who are first to familiarize themselves with the technologies will be the first to profit from them.

As with all new technology, there is a learning curve.

2006-10-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Handling Irate Customers

In business, irate customers are a fact of life. Keeping the customers of your Antares vending business happy and satisfied is very important. That means the people the people who speak with and deal with customers control the future- and the destiny of their company. When a customer is angry, or you are unable to deliver the way they expect, the formula that will make them forgive you, continue to do business with you, and tell others about you is: “React, Respond and Recover.”

If a customer is unhappy about something in a vending business, then that would mean that an operator would need to react, respond and recover. One thing that is very important in any vending business is that, no operator would want to lose any of the customers that they already have. Acquiring and retaining customers is something that is not easy to do. The one thing that should always be on your mind as an Antares operator is keeping the customers happy and dealing with irate customers in the right way.

Use the right words

If a customer is irate then the words that you use in such a situation are critical. Defensive words, lame excuses, bad attitude and other negative acts of stupidity only fuel the fire and anger the customer further. You would need to get empathetic as fast as you can. Start your response with one of four phrases: 1) “Oh, that’s horrible,” 2) “Thank you for telling me that,” 3) “No problem!” or 4) “You’re in luck!” These types of phrases show the customer that you care. This means that they can put you on the path to begin to resolve the problem. This would be the best way to deal with the customers of your Antares vending business. For most people the first instinct when speaking to an angry customer is to apologize. You should avoid doing this.

You need to be aware of the big picture

Whenever there is problem with one of the customers, first and foremost, you would need to take responsibility for whatever has happened, even if the fault isn’t yours. All the customer wants is for you to handle the problem. It is important to be aware of some practical realities when trying to accomplish the task of satisfying the customer. The customer knows exactly how they want it, or what exactly they want, but may be a lousy communicator and not tell you completely. As the Antares operator, it would be your job to understand. Word of mouth will help you or haunt you as you market yourself.

2006-10-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

Vehicle of Choice for Vending Operators

Product upsizing, particularly the 20-ounce plastic bottles, have placed heavier demands on vending trucks. When purchasing a vending truck, Antares operators have to consider vehicle capabilities, ease of use and driver comfort features.

The weights of trucks are on the rise. With 20 and 16 ounce cold drink bottles taking up more space, loads are getting heavier on both the driver who is lifting them and the vehicle that is carrying them. This means that suspension systems have to be stronger and the body of the vehicle has to have more room. The bottles can also be arranged in such a way that will minimize how much the driver has to bend and lift.

The traditional step-in van continues to be the vehicle of choice among vending operators. The advantage step offers ease of loading for the driver. Step vans enable the driver access to the merchandise without leaving the vehicle.

More options to consider

Antares operators have discovered that there are other options to consider when it comes to minimizing the driver’s workload and at the same time achieving greater cost efficiencies. Bigger chassis can offer enhanced driver comfort, better maneuverability and greater costs efficiency over the long haul.

When purchasing a truck, individual needs must be considered. Vending operators can decide to have dedicated beverage trucks, and are more likely to have a built in cooler.

Ease of loading should be the top priority when purchasing a new route vehicle for your vending business by Antares Corporation. The increase in truck loads has encouraged operators to pay more attention to driver comfort, both inside and outside the truck cab. An efficient internal layout will minimize effort expended loading and unloading.

The most common mistake operators make when buying a truck, is underestimating the vehicle weight. Antares operators should assess the actual weight of a typical route truck before deciding on what size chassis to get. A comfortable cab will improve the driver’s morale and thus enhance his or her attention to the task at hand.

2006-10-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Small Location Concepts Reduce Service Needs

If a location loses people, Antares vending operators will look for ways to reduce operating costs and replace unprofitable accounts. Under such situations, operators typically consider less profitable locations. When they do this, competition for smaller accounts increases, making even this segment of the market less profitable.

Servicing a small location profitably continues to remain a challenge. Most established Antares vending operators shun small locations, while those with open minds will at least find the new products worth looking at.

Some small location machines are designed to reduce service time by means of interchangeable, preloaded cartridges, in addition to other features.

Equipment costs keep rising

Antares vending operators and manufacturers have struggled for years to find ways to serve small locations. The challenge has become harder as costs have increased much faster than the prices operators can charge for vended products.

Equipment manufacturers have found ways to take cost out of equipment, but this typically results in reduced capacity and product variety. Some operators have come up with plans to charge for service equipment, which allows the location to operate the machines.

Honor boxes

One method that is being widely used is honor boxes, where the operator places a tray of snacks and customers pay on the honor system. This arrangement is ideal for accounts with fewer than 20 employees. However, the high product shrinkage and high customer turnover requires ongoing account solicitation to maintain profitability.

A random survey of vending operators revealed widespread skepticism about small location vending. Operators and suppliers both agreed that small locations as a whole will continue to be the domain of inexperienced vendors.

There will always be a market for small location vending, due to he low cost of entry into the business. If you want to start of your new vending business by Antares Corporation with a small investment, then a small location would be ideal for you. This segment has a rapid turnover.

2006-10-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

Running a Vending Business

To start off with, there is a lot that you would need to learn about the vending business. You should be willing to learn and not be afraid to make mistakes. In the long run, all this will serve you well.

Antares vending by Natural Choice will offers a viable opportunity for someone willing to work hard. To start off, you will most likely be running your business from your home. You can also rent space in an industrial warehouse. Whether or not you need additional help for your Antares business depends on the number of machines that you have. Since most operators start off their business from home, then it would be wise to engage the help of your family.

Focus on profitability

The location for your Antares vending machines is very important. Make sure that you match the right machine with the right location. You can acquire a truck that is fitted with wooden racks, freezer or a refrigerated cooler. This will be used for the transportation of the snacks and beverages.

If you give personal service top your customers, you will lose very few accounts or maybe none at all. Get to know the first and last names of 80 percent of the contacts in your accounts. It is also very important that you listen to product requests. You can go out of you way by providing products that aren’t big sellers just to make the decision makers happy.

Health awareness creates a challenge

Health products are an issue in some locations. You can have snacks that are 50% healthy or 100% healthy in your locations. It all depends on the need of that particular location. If you are experiencing lower sales in these locations, perhaps the location manager will allow you to increase prices.

Eye on technology

Technology is now being widely used in the vending industry. With the successful running of your Antares vending business, you will eventually be able to afford DEX handhelds and curbside polling. DEX will make it possible for you to hire a driver and not have to worry about relying on the driver’s judgment for selecting products. DEX would also allow electronic cash audit, which will give you better cash accountability. Curbside polling can reduce service time. Finding reliable help continues to be a challenge, so you will need to find the best route driver to take care of the route.

2006-10-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Running a Vending Business

Focus on profitability

Health awareness creates a challenge

Eye on technology

2006-10-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Website Home Page for the Vending Company

The method of a website must feature a creative layout and artistically pleasing graphics and design features. Innovative developments can have a significant impact on site traffic.

What the home page should be

A website’s home page should inform visitors about the Antares vending business, products and the locations it services. The home page must not be just an index or hyperlink to other pages residing locally or remotely. Home page content often includes such reasonable items as a vision or mission statement, history of business, philosophy of business, and the like. The home page should be interesting and inviting.

There should also be information about product lines (goods and services) and the ability to communicate electronically with the company staff can be very valuable home page features.

Elements of good domain name

The domain name should be descriptive, unique, short and memorable. The Antares vending business should have their Internet address name to parallel their business name.

Effective graphics

Effective graphics are auto-load images of a relatively small size in matter of three to seven seconds. Larger graphics may take longer than that to display. This may drive visitors elsewhere. Not all visitors will have a PC capable of displaying a broad spectrum (e.g. 256 colors), and hence Web graphics should tested in a lower color system.

Incorporating well designed graphics and background colors for your Antares business website can make the website look very attractive. Choosing bright backgrounds and applying contrasting color text can help the Antares vending company present a crisp and fresh online image. The background color should subtly complement the accompanying text.

An individual Web page for your Antares business should not exceed the equivalent of two typed pages of information. Pages that are beyond this prescribed length should be broken into additional, separate pages. These pages should only have relevant hyperlinks, not all known links.

The home page of a website should overall be attractive and have all the relevant information of the company. It should have the ability to grab the attention of the visitor.

2006-10-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Acquiring and Equipping the Customer

There are important parallels between the operation of a machine shop and a full line vending business. Both of these depend heavily upon expensive capital equipment that seems to last forever. Growth and customer satisfaction are very important to any business.

Traditional view

The average Antares operator equates growth with the acquisition of new locations. He would firstly hire expensive salespeople to seek out new customers and he would be usually prepared to invest substantial sums and/or take on additional debt to pay for the new state-of-the-art machines to equip the new account. In addition to this, he sits back and looks at his existing customers as cash cows.

After all, we all know that if vending equipment is properly maintained, it would last a very long time.

You can do more than the other guy

The average Antares operator goes to bed each evening praying that his competitors are not out there offering his locations the same deals with new equipment that he is offering to their locations. All this can be in vain because there are too many operators sitting on warehouses full of older equipment that they have picked from locations they have lost to aggressive competition. No cost is too high to acquire a new location, and any cost is too high to preserve an existing location.

Existing customers hold the key

Existing customers are more valuable than future customers. With existing customers, you have already fielded the cost of acquiring and equipping the customer, and presumably you already enjoy some level of credibility with them, based upon the quality of product and service you have provided.

In addition, you should be aware of their needs and desires and also have intimate knowledge of the level of revenue they can produce.

Higher selling prices, lower commissions, the possibility of subsidies, and contract extensions to allow the Antares vending operator time to amortize the new investment, are all subjects for renegotiation.

New equipment provides benefits for the operator as well as the location. Newer equipment requires fewer service calls. Higher capacity equipment produces lower route labor and vehicle costs for the operator. This will result in higher sales for the Antares business.

2006-09-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

Benefits of a Budget in your Vending Business

In business, a budget is generally defined as an itemized summary of estimated or intended expenditures, for a give period of time, coupled with an estimate of the sources of revenue to support the expenditures.

The real benefits

The main aim of a budget in your Antares business is to keep the company out of financial trouble. In addition to this there are many more benefits available to the business that implements budgeting. Some of the obvious benefits include goal setting, capital and debt planning, early warning of problems, early warning of opportunities, employee incentive and bonus management, contingency planning and the ability to ask the right questions when problems or opportunities arise.

The budgeting process

In an annual budget for your Antares business, you can start with a current set of financial statements (that presumably show how the business is presently performing) and then you plug in the realistic improvements that you would like to achieve during the next 12 months for each line item. As the year progresses, you must post your actual, monthly or quarterly operating results, and compare your actual performance with the amounts you budgeted for each revenue and expense line item, and each balance sheet item. After you have done all this, you can then calculate the differences. These differences are referred to as budget variances. An astute Antares operator should be able to look at the budget variances to identify and act upon any problems or opportunities.

A key benefit: extra lead time

If you’re budgeted increases in sales requires that you take on additional debt to finance the purchase of equipment, this reality will show up as soon as you have constructed your budget. It would be an added advantage to know that you will need to purchase equipment, so that you can borrow additional funds long before you actually need the Antares equipment or the money.

Professional managers will use the additional lead time to source equipment and debt at the most advantageous cost, and the best available terms. This will make him do much better than his less sophisticated competitor.

2006-09-28T04:02:00.000-07:00

Method of Data Transmission Based on Location

All your Antares vending machines may be equipped with a data capture device, however the decision about the method of transmission, (wireless or less expensive handheld) is based upon the characteristics and needs of the location.

Transient locations, with fluctuating sales levels and locations that involve long travel times, can obviously profit from online delivery of data. Business and industry (B & I) locations, with stable, predictable work forces, can generally function with less expensive handheld data delivery. However, if the B & I locations works occasional second shifts, or weekends, with a fluctuating work force, wireless transmission may be indicated.

Regardless of the method of transmission, the primary benefit of the system is the ability to capture and report the quantity of sales, by individual brands, in each Antares machine, without the route person having to manually count product placements by hand. It is much more expensive for the driver to manually count product placements by brand, because typically the cost of running a route is at 40 to 50 cents a minute. This can make the cost much greater than the benefit.

If you are armed with this brand preference information for your Antares operations, you can perform the same function that a merchandiser manager performs at a supermarket; i.e, stock the shelves in a manner that maximizes the profitability of the store. What they usually do is eliminate products that the location has demonstrated that they do not want to purchase and have them replaced with test products they think the location might want. Product mix is determined using space to sales analysis techniques.

Consideration should be given to enabling products to sell at uniform rates. This would require you to allocate double (or triple) columns in your Antares vending machines, for the top selling brands. This will get you increased sales and longer intervals between servicing of the accounts. This puts more money in the cash box for the cost of each service.

Since the system knows the brands and the level of sales in each Antares machine, it can predict what the route person should pull from his truck. Unnecessary double trips to each machine would then be eliminated.

On those machines equipped with wireless transmission of data, the driver doesn’t have to enter anything into his handheld if the predicted order proves accurate.

2006-09-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

A Vending Proposal Gives Structure

A written proposal is not only a desirable in a complicated sales process like full-line vending, it is necessary. Not many years ago, it could take two full days for a sales person and a clerical person to prepare and type a 30 page proposal. Today, a proposal can be produced in matter of minutes, thanks to technology. It can be so simple that the salesperson in your Antares operations can actually prepare the proposal. Let’s examine the content of a well drawn proposal.

The cover letter

The first page should be a cover letter, typed on the company letterhead, thanking the prospect for the opportunity to submit the proposal

About the company

Write a one page description of the Antares operation, its place in the community, and the services that you offer. If you are locally owned and managed, this should be stressed. In short, discuss anything that sets you and your business apart from the competition.

The employees

Describe the people employed in your Antares operation. Describe anything that you can think of that will paint a positive portrait of the organization and its people, such as their uniforms and their name tags.

The products

Describe the products that you distribute in the commissary. This would include the quality standards that you maintain; health food programs; product rotation standards; nutritional content; signature items. If you do anything that is unique, such as brand preference analysis by location, discuss it.

The services

List and describe the services that your Antares operation is offering.

Client’s expressed needs

In this section, list all of the service and product improvements that the client hopes to achieve by changing suppliers

The proposal

In the section, describe how you intend to accomplish solving the client’s problems listed in the previous section.

Equipment maintenance

In your proposal you would need to list the specific equipment to be installed. After this, discuss how you communicate, respond to and clear service calls.

Client responsibilities

List any of the responsibilities that you expect the client to assume. For example, the client will provide all water, power and building maintenance functions.

2006-09-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

DEX Benefits to the Operator

Vending machines are manufactured as DEX-enabled and are often labeled DEX-compliant. From a sales perspective, DEX provides the Antares vending operator the ability to track column/product preferences at the point of purchase.

In order to know which products are selling, DEX data must be correlated to a planogram, or product map, to interpret column vends into product movement. Effective use of DEX data has been found to improve sales performance, reducing operating expenses and alert Antares operators to machine malfunctions.

In addition, DEX enables space-to-sales analysis for machine level column allocation optimization in vending management software. The main benefit of line item tracking is accountability and machine planogram (i.e. rotating menu of product offering) development.

DEX allows data polling

A DEX compliant Antares vending machine relies upon DEX architecture to enable vending machine polling. The vending machine usually exports its unique identification number and stored data to an external system for analysis and processing. An optional element of this data stream is the machine’s service history, including the last date the machine was serviced. Once DEX data is exchanged with a vending management system, various transaction audits can be performed. Since captured data is not accessible or editable prior to interfacing to an auxiliary, cash accountability will be accurate and complete. With DEX data, it is possible to know how much money awaits collection; such information helps simplify the detection of cash skimming and sales volume falsification.

DEX utilization will take time

Since vending machines usually have an average life of 10 years, it may take a generation of new installations to fully realize the DEX potential. DEX technology in your Antares vending machines will provide an indisputable, auditable accounting method for cash collections, units sold and product price recordings that are capable of enhancing route efficiency and improving warehouse operations.

2006-09-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

Steps to Follow When Carrying Out an Opinion Research

How likely would your Antares customers recommend you over one of your competitors? How likely are they to stay with you in the future? To find out all this you will need to carry out an opinion research, which will involve the following steps.

Step 1: Identify objective of research

Failure to define clear objectives for your research is often the key reason why a research project does not live up to its strategic potential.

The first question is: What is the business objective behind the research?

Research should always be designed to meet a clearly defined and agreed upon business objective. If you can’t answer questions any questions that will meet your Antares business objectives, then that will mean that you are not ready to launch a research project. Setting a clear objective ensures that each step of the process ties back to fulfilling these objectives.

Step 2: Define your audience

Customer research is only good as the people giving you their input. Defining the appropriate research participants is a critical step in making sure that the results represent the opinions and behaviors of the people you want to impact. You will need to know whether they are current customers or potential customers of your Antares operations. It is important that you know who the target audience to be surveyed is.

Step 3: What do you want them to do?

Defining what action you want customers to take is critical to designing the types of questions that they should be asked. The questions that you need to focus on the areas where you have questions about you’re your Antares operations. This can be attitudinal-what do customers think about your business. Sometimes this is behavioral-getting customers to take a desired action like purchasing more of your products.

Effective research for your Antares operations needs to clearly define in what context a respondent should be participating in the research to make sure that the feedback is in line with the business objectives you have outlined.

Once you have made the commitment to conduct a survey and have a clearly defined set of answers to your questions, then it means that it is time to settle on an approach.

2006-09-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Defining Sales and Marketing Strategies in Vending

Sales and marketing strategies are no longer optional to succeed in vending. In the past, many successful vending operations mainly enjoyed growth through word of mouth referrals and luck. This will not always continue to work.

Yesterdays sales techniques don’t work any more

Just as carrying out your Antares vending operations the same old way won’t work in today’s marketplace, neither will selling the same old way. More aggressive competition in a market place with a dwindling number of potential locations necessitates a more deliberate, systematic approach to growth. Creative, hard hitting sales and marketing strategies must be in place if you are to have any chance of growing your Antares vending business.

Winners single-mindedly and relentlessly pursue the competitive advantage. We long ago reached a stage where the only business to get is the business someone else already has.

Sales and Marketing: You need to do both

To create a winning Antares vending operation, you will need to incorporate clearly defined sales and marketing functions in your company. People often confuse marketing with sales. Sales is a day to day tactical issue, marketing looks down the road and addresses how you get the word out, how you package your goods, how you identify your market and other strategic issues.

A decision to bring on a new product line in your Antares business, for instance, is part of your marketing strategy. It needs to be understood in this in this context in order to succeed. Successful sales and marketing strategies also require a good product.

Understand your customer base

Finding prospects is probably the easiest aspect of sales. There is no longer any need to buy expensive data bases and mailing lists. With your local library card, you can access numerous data bases on the internet that contain details on all potential new accounts in your market

Target the accounts you want for your Antares operations by name, then make a detailed plan for each, prioritize the opportunities and work by appointment. When you do all this you will make more vending sales.

2006-09-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

Vending Purchases Made in the Improved Economy

As economic conditions slowly improve, Antares operators are making plans to offer more of the latest and most improved vending equipment. While customers are not adding workers in large numbers, most operators agree that the conditions have improved.

To secure new locations and improve customer relations in existing accounts, Antares vending operators realize that they need to offer new equipment. In the past few years, operators have had more aggressive purchasing plans than they did when economic conditions were less promising.

Operators prefer new machines

Surveys that have been conducted have revealed that more operators have been buying more vending machines, as compared to the past years. The vending industry has attracted a lot of interest because of the cash benefits that come with the business. Antares Corporation offers snack and beverage vending machines for sale. Snacks and beverages have always remained popular vend products for vendors as well as first time vending operators.

Rising interest: combo machines

In the past few years there has been a growing interest in combination machines like the Antares Refreshment Center. These machines are designed for locations not large enough a full bank of equipment. One explanation for this could be that more Antares operators are taking an aggressive look at smaller locations. Operators overwhelmingly agree that while account downsizing has slowed, locations are not re-staffing to the pre 2000 levels. Many Antares operators feel that they have no choice but to find ways to serve less populated work sites profitably.

Operators to invest in more trucks

As for purchasing plans by Antares operators in other areas, small increases were planned for route trucks and currency handling equipment. For certain purchases, the Antares operator has to be willing to invest capital in the technology that is required.

Overall, the survey reflected rising optimism about the industry’s future. Experienced Antares vending operators realize they need to continue to invest in more modern machines to meet customer expectations

2006-09-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

Strategies for Growth through Acquiring Business

At one point, almost every Antares operator will have an opportunity to acquire a competitor’s business. It is often possible to acquire business from a competitor at a lower cost than handling the business in-house. You will find that it is less expensive to grow by acquisition. There are some elements that are important in structuring an acquisition. Successful acquisitions usually proceed through seven defined stages:

Nondisclosure agreement Before divulging information to a potential buyer, most sellers will require the buyer to execute a nondisclosure agreement. This agreement requires the buyer to keep any information learned about the seller’s business confidential. This can be during the negotiation or even after the negotiation if the acquisition is not consummated.

Define the offering Is the seller offering to sell the capital stock in his corporation in a situation where the Antares buyer will be expected to take over all the corporation’s assets and liabilities? Even if the seller is offering to sell his operating assets to your Antares business, they should include the seller’s personal automobile or personal computer.

Financial and operating records The seller will normally be willing to produce financial and operating records to enable the Antares buyer to evaluate the worth of the offering. These should include current and prior financial statements. There should also be a complete list of all the operations, accounts and locations that gross more than 5 percent of annual sales.

Negotiation of value and terms As the Antares operator who wants to buy the business, you will need to carry out some analysis to value the business, in order to come up with a fair and viable offer for the business

The letter of intent When the parties have verbally agreed on value and terms, a letter of intent will be prepared and signed by the Antares buyer and the seller.

The due diligence In this part, the buyer is given the opportunity to examine the entire operation of the seller’s business, to assure himself that he will actually receive what the seller has represented.

The closing When all parties are satisfied, the closing agreements are drawn and the closing date is agreed upon. In addition to a purchase and sale agreement, the closing documents will include other documents.

2006-09-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

To Raise your Prices, Argue the Facts

Raising prices has always been a major challenge to U.S vending operators. Antares vending operators bemoan the fact that their customers expect the on site vending machines to be always a low cost alternative. The two competitors of vending, convenience stores and fast food restaurants have enjoyed hiking their prices while vending prices have trended flat.

Caught in a bind by suppliers charging more for cookies, chips or candy, Antares vending operators find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place when they come after the end consumer for commensurately higher prices. An Antares operator should have the courage to stand in there and demand higher prices even if it means loosing a few accounts.

A dual challenge

The strategically thinking vending operator will recover the accounts he looses on account of price increases. This is what you need to remember as you try to refashion yourself from a universal crowd pleaser barely making ends meet into a shrewd selector of drink and food options who understands the art of regular, rolling price hikes.

The challenge is twofold: 1) to demonstrate to the account manager that the need for a price hike is driven by the Antares vendor’s own rising costs, and 2) to show the raises are in the interest of assuring all customers of continued service excellence.

The challenge never ends

The effort among Antares operators is to navigate between the relentless penny price hikes inflicted by the bottlers and other suppliers and the touchy world of demanding more from the customers.

If you are not making any profit from a certain account, then you will be better off without the account.

When there is a need for price increases, you can send a sales/PR person to each account to explain when it will be effective. On that date, route people should post letters on the fronts of the relevant Antares vending machines, explaining the price hike as kindly but as firmly as possible. You will also need to explain the fact that in order to continue to provide good service, you must recover your own costs.

Vendors that don’t have the courage to assert themselves tend to wind up getting swallowed by bigger fishes.

2006-09-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Web Based Technology Improves Vending Operations

As internet based technology creates better external and internal communications, Antares vending operators are beginning to reap some benefits.

Computer network technology can be used to reduce paperwork and improve both internal and external communications. Vending operators have witnessed these improvements. Some have even gone a step further and implemented state of the art, network communications in their operations.

While automatic merchandising has gained a reputation for being slow to utilize new technology, a handful of operators have implemented state of the art communication networks in recent years. These operators have reported improved operating efficiencies, with further benefits on the horizon. You can implement communication networks in your Antares operations, so that you can enjoy the benefits that come with this technology.

Large operations take the lead

Most of the experimentation has been by large companies. These companies usually have multiple branch operations. Network communications are especially beneficial on a cost benefit basis to companies with high operating costs. If you have a large Antares operation, then network communications will be of great benefit to you.

Network communications, led by computer and telecommunication providers, has made significant strides in recent years, thanks largely to the Internet and the technologies it has unleashed. Vending companies that have used network communications will hasten the pace of consolidation among operating companies.

Technology supports consolidation

Virtually every vending operation that has been on the acquisition trail in recent years has implemented a network communications system. These systems are destined to play a bigger role in automatic merchandising.

While the large companies stand to gain the most from network communications, feedback indicates that the new technology will benefit any company with multiple operating facilities. These systems would be ideal for your Antares vending operations. Being an evolving technology, network computer communications will play a role in any industry where services are delivered from multiple locations. Antares vendors can learn more about this technology over the Internet.

2006-09-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

Customer Service and Quality

There is a need for vending operators to change their operating procedures, given the more competitive environment and the fact that the industry has moved beyond its maturity phase and is actually in a decline phase.

There are ways of achieving excellence in your Antares vending operation. This can be achieved by leadership.

Your Antares business should be about managing customers for loyalty and for profits. No one should ever confuse the concept of managing customers for loyalty with the concept of managing them for profits. The only way that you can strengthen the link loyalty and profits is to manage both at the same time.

Eyeball to eyeball contact with customers is needed to build relationships. You need to understand that your Antares vending business is a relationship business and that people will buy from people they like.

In reality, the perception of quality and price/value relationships by the economic buyers of vending services is hugely influenced by personal relationships between the buyer group and the seller group.

There are different customer groups that you as an Antares vending operator will need to be cognizant with. You will need to find out what motivates them and how you can meet that customer group’s specific needs.

How much contact is enough? Customer fatigue is becoming an issue, and the only cure for customer fatigue is for you to get to the point and provide that “perceived” value. It all starts by being a good listener. It’s not what you say to them, which is important; but it’s what they say to you. Always remember this in your Antares vending business.

There are direct linkages between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction, customer retention and employee turnover.

The demise of any business is an insidious process, and it may seem that you are just having a streak of bad luck. You will need to check on this condition, incase it happens in your business. If it remains unchecked, it will rob you of not only capital, but will leave you emotionally drained.

If such a situation occurs, there will be no need to worry because you as an Antares vending operator will have plenty of resources available to start working on creating both excellent controls and thus developing a culture of excellence.

2006-08-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

Cold Drinks: The Curse of the Bottles

Cold drink beverages are one of the few product segments that repeatedly report a gain in machine placements. Cold drinks have always remained a favorite with the American population whether in cans or bottles. Antares vending machines sell canned cold drinks.

Supplier subsidized equipment and the growth of higher priced bottles over cans usually is enough to compensate for any weakened demand. But this is not always the case.

While bottles gained market share at the expense of cans, pricing of single serve bottles remained flat. This is largely because of competitive pressure from retailers, and in many cases, competition from bottlers who operate their own vending business.

While the 20 ounce bottles commanded a higher price point than the 11. 5 ounce cans, Antares vending operators quickly realized the profit margins were lower due to the competitive situation noted above. Many vending operators, including Antares operators, prefer selling cans because they were more profitable and easier for employees to work with. Consumer demand, fed by bottler driven marketing, forced the continued move to bottles.

Antares vending machines sell both cans and bottles. The bottles are for juice, while the cans are for cold drinks. Bottles still remain a favorite with the consumers, but there has been a decline in the manufacturing of bottles. The reason for this is because they are more expensive to produce than cans. Antares vending operators have also found that cans are much easier to handle during transportation, than bottles. Bottles are made of glass and can easily break during transportation. When it comes to shelving the Antares machines, the cans are always easier to place than bottles. All this still doesn’t put an end to the popularity of bottles with he consumers.

For the first time in 2003, bottles displaced cans as the top selling package configuration in cold drink vending. Following this, vending operators did raise the price for cans slightly, indicating less competitive pressure for this package.

Cold cup beverage vending, despite being highly profitable as compared to bottles and cans, continued to decline.

2006-08-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

About Vending Accounts

To make money in your Antares vending business, you must consider an account’s contribution to overhead. This is a value that changes with fluctuating sales and costs. Vending is a very forgiving industry and this is what has made many seek a career in vending. If you take on a new location that proves to be unprofitable for your Antares business, you can simply pick up the equipment and move it to a new location that will provide a reasonable profit. To do this effectively, you must identify those customers that are not yielding a profit.

In full line vending, like that provided by Antares Corporation, we don’t have anything that remotely resembles a minimum order requirement. In fact, unlike most other businesses, in vending you have to make a capital investment in even the smallest of customers, and as such, you would have a responsibility to ensure that you earn a reasonable rate of return on investment (ROI) on each capital investment, regardless of the size of the customer.

Marginal accounts: why we have them

Every operator acquires some marginal customers over the years that simply do not earn appropriate returns on the investment the operator has made. At times an Antares operator can take on the customer because they are convinced the customer will grow. A good customer can face hard times and you will have to lay off a large percentage of the workforce. The customer will then no longer qualify as a profitable account. Sometimes Antares vending operators have taken on locations that have met their ROI guidelines when they took them on, after which, their business and overhead costs grew and they simply outgrew the customer. Regardless of where the problem came from, it is the operator’s responsibility to solve these problems.

The process of determining when a particular location becomes unprofitable is more complicated than it appears. Even Antares managers who are professional in every other aspect of vending operations have trouble with this concept. The confusion comes about because of the difficulty in determining which revenues and costs actually disappear if you withdraw from a particular location. You will need to be well informed about all this.

2006-08-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

How to Renegotiate Commissions for your Antares Business

If your best account analysis suggests you are not making a profit at an account, then that means that it is time to approach the manager and attempt to renegotiate prices or commissions. Here are some strategies for reducing commissions for your Antares vending business:

· If the account performs overall, but certain machines are not making money, ask to pull those machines or offer to continue to service them without paying commissions on just those machines.

· Stepped or “tired” commissions can offer a win-win solution for you and your customer. In this way, you can pay a higher commission rate on only the Antares vending machines or locations that meets a predetermined threshold.

If the account is not profitable and is unwilling to negotiate, then it is time to walk away without looking back.

If there is a need to renegotiate a contract to stay profitable, there are certain things you can do to differentiate yourself from your competitors. The “hook” also allow you to charge higher prices than your competition. Here are some examples of great value added hooks for your Antares vending business:

· You can offer to install remote monitoring equipment to provide better service and audited commissions. At the same time you can beat out the competition by offering less percentage of commission, than that which is offered by the competition. By doing this you will find that the prospect will be happy to choose better service over a higher vending commission.

· For your Antares vending business, you can install a cashless payment system that allows employees to charge “keys” using credit or debit cards. These keys are accepted by all vending machines. By installing this system you can freely raise prices, since you will be offering a unique service that many would love. At first the customer might not be happy about this but when they realize the benefits, they will eventually come round.

Renegotiating commissions for your Antares vending business is possible if you use some of these strategies.

2006-08-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Cashless Payment System Benefits

The fact that Antares vending machines handles less cash, coupled with the capability to track all transactions remotely, strengthens internal control by minimizing fraudulent cash shrinkage and the potential for vandalism. If properly engineered, a cashless system can substantially improve accountability of both cash and cashless activity.

A cashless payment system can:

a) Increase sales: Customers tend to purchase more products and services when using the cashless payment option. Consumers also tend to make impulsive purchases which also increase sales and revenue for your Antares vending business.

b) Increase profitability: Cashless transactions have allowed increase in price points without negatively impacting sales volume. This can improve an Antares vending operator’s bottom line.

c) Improve efficiency: Cashless transaction technology can be configured for rapid processing and increased services. It also reduces cash handling processes and lower transaction handling fees in your Antares vending business. Transactions are processed faster than cash purchases.

d) Enhance convenience: Cashless transactions are an easier method of payment for products and services, since the customer just has to swipe an account card, wave a wand, wirelessly transmit information, or revalue transaction media. This will make it a preferred payment for your Antares business.

e) Support strategic marketing: Captured operational data carries an electronic trail that can be analyzed to enable increased price points, plus deliver loyalty reward programs and allow payroll deduction programming. In addition, promotional couponing and cash value media can be used to subsidize and incentivize purchasing.

Cashless payment options vary from credit card and debit cards, to smart card and to magnetic strips. Once you install the system in your Antares vending machines, these are the modes of payments that can be used.

Many systems suppliers claim that the convenience of cashless payment options can increase the number of purchase transactions by an average of 15 % while the average revenue per sale can increase by 20% to 50% over prior same machine transactions due to the ease of multiple product purchasing.

2006-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Combination Machines Improve Versatility

Are you thinking of investing in new equipment? Populations and customer demands are changing faster than ever. Many of the new glass front combination machines address the need for greater variety in smaller locations. Since versatility is on your list of considerations, why not go for an Antares Combo Vending Machine.

Combo machines are not something new. The versatility that these machines are offering is what is new. The Antares Combo Refreshment Center by Natural Choice USA offers cold drinks and snacks.

In situations where both ambient and refrigerated products are in the same machine, operators have to pay attention to how much time it takes for the machine to cool down the ambient products. This would be the case with Antares Combo Refreshment Center. The other issue with these machines is that you can have products with different shelf life in one machine. This makes it hard to know the most opportune time to service the machine.

Nevertheless, many operators have found that there is a need for more versatile machines that allows them to vend a greater product variety. With an Antares combo machine you can have large accounts.

If you place an Antares vending machine in a certain location, it doesn’t mean that it will be there for the rest of its life. As a result of versatility, these machines have options so you can vend certain products in one location and something else in another location. These machines will always be profitable and they also allow you to satisfy the customers.

With an Antares combo vending machine, the snacks do not have to get cold; refrigeration is used for the cold drinks only. Instead of having multiple machines vending different products, you can have these products in one Antares machine.

The new Antares glass front vending machine is more versatile than the earlier generation of combination machines, since it offers separate openings for different types of products. This machine has a greater capacity than most glass front vending machines, and is also easy for the customer to operate.

It makes sense to put in full size vending machines, so that you can cut down on labor since you will making fewer trips to service the machine and ultimately increase your sales.

2006-08-12T04:17:00.000-07:00

Trade Up Candy/Snack Marketing

Major candy companies are encouraging vending operators to upgrade to large size candy bars because it will be the next best revenue opportunity. Beverage companies were the first to offer this size upgrade in their in their product. This convinced other vending operators to upgrade from 12 ounce to 20 ounce beverages.

Major Benefits

Customer benefit: The customer would benefit financially from purchasing a 20 ounce beverage because this means that he would receive 8 more ounces of product at a lower per ounce cost than if he chose to purchase a traditional 12 ounce beverage. As an Antares vending operator you can offer a larger ounce beverage from your vending machine instead of the traditional 12 ounce beverage.
Vending operator benefit: in the long run the Antares vending operator would benefit from upgrading to large size bottles. Although the vending operator would realize lower gross margins, the gross dollar profit for your Antares vending business would increase.
Beverage manufacture benefit: The manufacturer would benefit since margins would improve when they sold 20 ounce beverages instead of 12 ounce beverages.

Trade up marketing is a tactic that is used often, especially in the food industry. This of course is of great benefit to the vending industry. As an Antares vending operator you can choose to be part of it. This can bring in more success for your business. At many food chains, beverage sizes are increased dramatically for a small fee, allowing the consumer to get more for his money. This is the reason that the customer would benefit. In other cases, a small beverage option is completely eliminated. A good example is McDonalds which used to offer an 8 ounce beverage. This option is no longer available. Certain convenience stores no longer offer a 12 ounce coffee, but are now offering a 20 ounce coffee size. Consumers are demanding larger products at a small upgrade cost, so as an Antares vending operator you will experience success with trade up marketing. Many industries are already experiencing this same success. It has worked out quite well for the food industry so far.

2006-08-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

5 Aspects for a Successful Drink and Snack Combo Vending Route

1. Selling name brand products. If you sell name brand products in your Antares vending machines, you will find that these are the most popular items for the customers. Since you own an Antares combo vending machine then you can sell both Coke and Pepsi in the same machine. These two are the leading cold drinks available in the USA. It is a known fact that cold drinks and snack are the #1 selling products in vending machines.

2. Using the most popular vending machine. Full size vending machines can be quite expensive….especially for a new vendor who wants to maximize their investment potential. Vending machines by Natural Choice USA are very popular. There are combo machines available. These vending machines come with the most reasonable rates in the market. They will the best machines to start out with.

3. The importance of a great location. The importance of location can never be stressed enough. It should always be the #1 priority to any vending business.

4. Service and warranties. For your peace of mind the Antares Corporation is only a phone call away. Any time that you might have any questions, they will be answered. With the Antares vending program you will have enough information on your fingertips, that you will be well equipped to handle your business. We know that peace of mind goes a long way to helping a new business owner get started the right way.

5. Start up costs. With Antares Corporation you will not need to worry about the start up costs. We want you to make profit in your business and also help you; so that you can you can control your time, money and future. This is all possible because of the wonderful program that we offer.

The typical location for your Antares combo vending machine will be in an office. This is where you will provide refreshment service to the employees. This is the most profitable and consistent segment of combo vending. You will have customers purchasing from your vending machine all day long.

2006-08-09T02:11:00.000-07:00

Vending Machine Product Trends

CANDY, SNACKS, AND CONFECTIONS

In recent years, candy, snack and confection vending machines sales have made a great recovery. The gain in sales can be attributed to price increase in vending machine candy bars, which are the largest revenue generator for this vending machine product category. Major chocolate companies introduced large –size versions of their top selling products. As a result of this Antares vending machine operators saw a difference in their sales. Profits from candy, snack and confession vending machines went up.

FROZEN FOOD

Frozen food vending machines also made a gain at the expense of refrigerated vending machines. In 2004, the proportion of frozen sold in relation to all food products was the biggest one year increase ever. Frozen food has long shelf life and because of its popularity it now represents the majority of food sold in vending machines. Snack and soft drink vending machines like the Antares vending machines still remain the all time favorite of vending operators. There was also an increase in integrated food vending machines which heat and serve food from a frozen state. They were more costly than simple frozen food vending machines, thus their application was limited.

HOT BEVERAGES

A few years back, hot beverages suffered a slight dip because of minimization of industrial accounts, which provides the main customer base for vending machine hot beverages. In other locations hot beverages vending machines don’t have such a large customer base. In all other locations, soft drinks vending machines like the Antares vending machines always have a strong customer base. However, coffee vending machines have continued to do well as a result of consumer demand. Despite the growing consumer demand for specialty coffee, vending operators minimized investment in the product because of the higher costs of vending machine equipped to dispense fresh specialty coffee. This is the reason that a large number of vending operators prefer snack and soft drink vending machines like the Antares vending machines, which are not highly priced and are easy to manage. Small vending machine operators had to increase coffee prices in order to maintain reasonable profits. Other operators opted to replace hot beverage vending machines with single cup brewers. This reduces investment and increases product variety, but cuts down on vending machine capacity.

2006-08-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

User Interface Design for Vending Machines

In the United States, many vending machines arrange their products in rows and columns. You would find that this in the case of Antares vending machines. To select a product, you type the letter of the row and the number of the column.

Generally the columns in all vending machines including Antares vending machines are labeled 1 through 10. That means that if you want to buy product C10, you have to push the buttons “C” and “10”. In a modern keyboard-based world, there is no “10” button. Instead, people type “1” followed by “0”. If one types “C”+”1”+”0”, it means that after you have typed “1”, product “C1” drops, and then you realize that there is no “0” button and you have bought the wrong product.

One solution is NOT to put so many items on a single row in your Antares vending machine. People have difficulty in making decisions if given too many options.

Another solution is to change the labels on the Antares vending machine so that there can be no buttons with two characters on them (like the “10” button)

Switch the rows and columns, so that the products are labeled “1A” through “1J” across the top row and “9A” through “9J” across the bottom. This can only apply if you don’t have more than nine rows.

The latest solution is one you can find in most recent vending machines. Here instead of calling the tenth coloumn”10”, they call it “0”. They also removed rows “1” and “0” so that there can be no confusion with “1” and “0”.

Some vending machine use numeric codes for all items rather than a letter and a digit. For example if a snack is product number 18, then you punch “1” “8”.

2006-08-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Vending Machine Snacks

At one point of time, we have all looked at a vending machine with all the snacks and wondered “what is this junk?”

Vending machines have changed a lot since the days of automats, when Jazz Age eateries like Horn & Hardart would dispense a slab of meatloaf or a hot apple pie through a slot. Today, most vending machines, like the Antares vending machine, deal in quick fixes. They have snacks, which are meant for people on the move, or people who just simply want a snack.

To many people, the vending machine is as much a part of their diet as food joints. The average American works about eight to ten hours a day and about 15% of workers don’t even have time for a lunch break. They would of course prefer a snack from machines like the Antares vending machine since they don’t have the time for anything else.

In response to pressure from parent groups, customers and the health care industry, vending machine companies are now beginning to offer healthier snacks. As an Antares vending machine owner you can decide to sell healthier snacks, so that you cater to the healthy conscious public.

Even if there are healthier choices in Antares vending machines and other machines, it is still easy to fall victim to a sugar craving. One should not try to skip meals in such a case. If you need small snacks, choose peanuts or yogurt. If you visit an Antares vending machine, go ahead and get a candy bar, it will make you more energetic.

From January 2006, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) started focusing on nutrition in the work place—where vending sales are highest. The aim of this is to encourage vending snack food leaders to develop healthier choices.

2006-07-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Facts about Vending Machine Business

We already know that the vending business is one of the most profitable home based businesses. If you want to start one, you should have the complete picture. You just need to have good attitude and management in order to bring in profit for your Antares business. You should not expect it to be a piece of cake, there are bound to be obstacles.

The start up cost may be low, but you will still need to calculate the total cost of your Antares vending business. After that you should determine what you are willing to invest so that you can make a decision whether you want to lease, purchase or hire vending machines.

When choosing a location, you have to carry out research on whether the location is well populated, and also define the competition in the location. Make a point to find out what other machines are in the area and are vending the same products. You will need to gather all the necessary information. This will prepare you in more ways than you would expect. What you want is the necessary information so that you can launch your Antares vending business on the right foot.

It is also important that you understand that the maintenance of your vending business should be carried out by you. This will include checking the supply of vended products, making sure that the vending machines are working properly and you will need to buy and stock products for your Antares vending machine. You should also be able to handle the money matters efficiently. As a business owner you might delegate some duties to an operator, but one thing that is important is that you should oversee all the details personally, just to make sure that everything is being done as you would want it.

Before starting off your business just make sure that you have all of the facts about vending on your fingertips. Once you have that along with a wonderful program such as the Natural Choice vending program, you are bound to be successful in your business.

After reading this am sure that you now have a complete vision of a vending business. After looking at all the facts am sure that a future in vending is a business that you would see as something that can be done by you. Since it is one the most profitable businesses around, why not become part of the industry.

2006-07-22T03:34:00.000-07:00

Soda Vending Machines

Soda vending machines come in various sizes. You can get soda vending machines in a system that holds only four or six selections, or maybe you can get machines that dispense dozens of cans. If you want to save money or space, you can choose smaller size machines. Choose a larger machine with a large number of selections if you think that you will get high traffic of customers who will purchase from your machine. Soda vending machines at times go together with snack machines. Examples of such machines are those provide by Antares Corporation. This combination can bring in a handsome profit for your business.

Soda machines can be the closed-box type, where you do not see the beverages. There is also the glass-front type, where the beverages would be visible to you. Antares Corporation offers closed-box types of vending machines. The closed-box type has an advantage, because the customer can’t see what is missing from the vending machine. The other thing is that you do not have to clean out the inside as often to make it presentable, because nobody can see the inside apart from you. When it comes to the see through machines, the advantage goes to the customer, because they can see exactly what they are buying. Sometimes just displaying the product clearly, will make the customer want to buy it.

Vending machines are either manufactured for cans or bottles. The bottles can be plastic or glass. Today, manufactures have found it more economical to offer soda in plastic bottles. It is rare to find glass bottles. Antares vending machines vend both soda cans and bottled juices. To adjust for cans or bottles, there are a number of possible mechanisms. With some mechanisms, all you need to do is push or pull a panel at the back of the machine, to simultaneously adjust all slots. The advantage of this is that you can switch up product styles to find out which style maximizes your profits. These adjustable machines allow you to adjust the price, as with all vending machines.

Soda machines vary widely in price. Antares Corporation will offer you some of the lowest prices for the vending machine that you will require. If you want to buy a new vending machine, you will have warranty coverage and you might also have service coverage.

2006-07-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

Product Pricing in Vending

There are some challenges that are faced by vending operators due to price changes because vending prices are based on overall profitability. This includes taxes, commissions, costs of goods sold and vending machine service costs and overhead.

As a vending operator, you should not be quick to raise prices of your Antares vending products. Firstly you should consider options such as removing an unprofitable vending machine, charging vending machine rentals or maybe reducing the level of service. In addition to this operators need to consider the Impact of the consumer price index on the price environment and consumer confidence.

Consumers also recognize that retail prices are increasing and as a result of this, they will allow increase in vending products. Antares vending machine operators can offer incentives such as price reduction on products that are not that popular. To avoid raising vending product prices, you can reduce commissions to vending machine customers. This is the easiest change with the least impact on vending machine consumers. To determine the type of concessions to offer, there has to be good communication between Antares vending machine operators and vending machine account managers.

Vending machine customers will be more willing to accept changes if they are presented with detailed information about a vending machine account.

In order for vending machine operators to maintain vending machine profits, they need to increase the operational efficiency of their Antares vending machine and develop good relations with their vending machine customers.

The general economy has had significant growth, but the vending industry is lagging behind due a number of reasons, such as: work site downsizing, outsourcing by large employers and increased competition. Vending machine prices are not keeping up with inflation rates or the cost of wholesale prices. However Antares vending machine operators can maintain profit, if they find a new action plan. Antares Corporation can help you establish one so that you can look forward to greater profits.

2006-04-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

Attributes of Vending Machine

A Vending business, high profit business, can be started for less than $50. One can start earning cash from the very first day. One can have a little additional income, part-time income, or full-time business income. One may think to own huge cola or snack vending machines, or small vending machines. But these days small vending machines are in fact more common. One can have machines of Soda, Snacks, Amusement, Bulk Candy, Beverage, Pay Phones, Gumball, packed Foods, Phone Cards, Office Coffee Service, Personal Products, and many more. Small vending machines can open more opportunities due to their size and they can be placed in many more places than a large vending machine like Grocery store, Specialty shops, Discount stores, Convenience stores, Department stores, Barber or Beauty shops, Indoor swap meets/flea markets, Doctor or dentist offices, Pharmacies, Government buildings or the local social services office.