One of the most important parts of a strong bulk vending business is the locations of your machines.  A good location will produce a steady income and be a secure building block for your operations.  A poor location will yield little income, cause waste due to aging product and possibly be a risk of loss due to theft or vandalism.

So how do you get your bulk vendors into the high traffic low risk spots?  

You can try locating them yourself.  This is certainly the most economical way, but some new business owners may not be ready to do cold call sales just yet.  Maybe you need the help of a professional Bulk Vending Machine Locator. 

There are many services out there who are willing to place your bulk vending machines for you.  Prices range from $25.00 to $60.00 per location.  Some  can even be found on ebay when they auction their service to get your attention.  I  have used several different locators in the past and I will share some of  my experiences with you.

Fist let me tell you what to expect when using a locator.  When you first contact a locator you may be asked to pay up front.  You can try to negotiate for payment after you approve the supplied location, but the locator will probably offer a replacement guarantee and insist on pre-payment.  I have been offered both no-charge replacements and half-price replacements.  Find out what type of guarantee your locator will provide if you are not satisfied with your location BEFORE you pay!  I personally would not pay even half-price to a locator who has already failed, but that is just my opinion. Next you will be asked about what type of machines you would like to place.  Be careful here, some locators will consider your three head machine a multiple placement and want to charge you extra. Now you will be asked what zip code you would like them in and what charity you are affiliated with or what type of commission you are willing to provide.  This is your choice to make and I will address that in another article.

Now you wait.  The locator will now start making sales calls to businesses in your selected area on your behalf.  This can take three days to a week depending on how many locations you want, and how populated your desired area is.  You can help your locator by providing them with names and phone numbers for places you would like to put your machines.  When your locations are secured, your locator will give you the contact details for the location and you can deliver your machines.  

This is a fairly painless process if you don't think you are ready to sell your service for yourself.  In time you will gain the confidence you need to just walk in to a location and offer the owner an opportunity to provide a welcomed service to his or her customers, to contribute to a charity by donating space in the establishment or maybe make a little extra money.  I will publish a guide on locating for yourself soon. 

A quick word about me.  I am not a locator.  I have a small vending route that has been running for about 2 years.  I intend to share my personal experiences in the form of short articles which I will later compile into a single guide.  I do not claim to make a million dollars one quarter at a time, but I do run a route that doesn't take much of my time, and hasn't cost me a fortune to build.  I enjoy working with the machines, visiting with the business owners when I service their locations and spending the extra money I earn doing something I actually enjoy.   I hope you found this information helpful.  If you did, would you please answer yes below.  Thank you .

Shameless Plug:  Please visit my ebay store.  No vending supplies yet, but I will be adding items shortly. HireTechStore