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• 1 teresathegreat

  Usually a vending machine is owned and serviced and refilled by a vending company. The vending company makes a deal with the owner of the property on how they will split the profits. Either the machine is installed for free and the cending company keeps all or most of the profits, or the property owner pays a flat fee for installation and keeps most of the profits, or whatever.

  But no, it doesn’t make much money. I was in charge of getting vending machines installed for at least two different companies I’ve worked at, and they were always a hassle. Even at a busy location like a school, they barely earned $20-50 a month, and required a great deal of work to order repairs or make change.
  So no, it’s not a good investment unless you plan to run your own company and have at least 50-100 machines. And even then, you don’t make a huge profit, because you have to buy the treats to put in them.
  There are much better and more remunerative uses of your time. Consider a part-time job: it make take more time, but the relative payment per hour will be much higher, and you will gain value-added skills and experience.

• 2 johnny rico

  I tried this when I was around 21 for pretty much the exact same reason. It did not work for me, but I did learn some important lessons that could help you.
  1. Never buy machines from a salesman (like the ones who advertise in the classifieds.) They Seriously inflate the price. You can get the same machines they sell much cheaper if you just look around a little. Some good places to get cheap machines might be craig’s list, newspaper classifieds, and ebay. You will probably be able to buy at a discount from someone who bought them from the salesman (that’s what I did.)
  2. Do research. Certain types of products and vending machines sell significantly more than others. I bought ones that only sold york pepperment patties, which are not very popular. You would be better off with gumballs, m&m’s, or something else popular. Learn more buy searching for websites or buying a book (Vending Success Secrets is a pretty good one.)
  3. The hardest part is getting good locations. You want high traffic areas. Grocery stores are good. Smaller businesses are sometimes easier to get permission for. You can hire a professional to help you place them. This can cost around $60 per location may or may not be worth it, depending on how good they are.

  This is a business and, like any other, getting it running and profitable can take time. So if you are looking for something short term to help you get your own place, this might not be the easiest way. On the other hand people do make lots of money in the vending business, and I do not want to discourage you if you are serious about it. The most important thing to do is invest a little time and research the business before you start investing your money.