Need some brainstorming help.

[entrepreneur640]

Hey everyone, I am 17 and going to be a senior in high school. I recently emailed my principal about putting a vending machine in our school. he responded with a very short explanation and a no. I wasn't satisfied with his answer, so i emailed him back further explaining my thoughts on it and completely bashing his reasons no. so then he emails me and wants to talk to me in person. So i go in the next day and basically he says that there has recently been legislation passed that you can't have vending machines with junk food in them in schools. That was fine but i told him that i was going to do health foods.He also siad that he wouldnt let me put something in the school for me to make money on, because it is a non-profit organization. and he said 100% would have to go to the school. But never the less it was a no. so i was wondering if anyone had any experience or wisdom to share about vending. Such as places to put vending machines.. etc. This is a great way to start in my opinion. Easy business not to bad start up cost and good profit with no taxes. Or if anyone has any other business ideas for a 17 year old entrepreneur please let me know.

[Ahern & Brucker]

well, not you should tell him that all the money the health food vending machine makes will go to the school or pta or the athletic fund of music fund... deduct your expenses and donate the profits... it will give you a good working experience and, a "in your's" to the principle... point is you want to win your point over the principle... if he still says no, take it to the pta and make them your deal... your kind of commnitted now so you got to get it done one way or another.

maybe if this vending machine is making money and you put it in a ton of schools, you will need a fine new sports car and threads to make your deals... that's a business expense... and, you will need a college education, surely your business can't deny you that, right??

so, i'd say prepare a better presentation, go over all your ideas hehas rejected and than, lead him to the answer you want him to give you!! how hard is that? and if he stil says no, than, ask him if he minds you presenting your idea (the 4th rejected idea) to the pta??

if the pta says no, go to a school board meeting and take your case to them!

you will learn lots and probably make a killing for the schools... (after your lexus and fine custom jewelry expenses)

[noumenon]

I don't have any experience with food or drink vending, but I do own a tri-headed candy machine. I'll do my best to lay out the facts for you.

1. The faster the product moves, the more you make money. Technically speaking, there is no limit as to how much money you can make if you're selling billions of your product every day, as long as you have a profit margin above 0%.

2. Do some research on which kind of vending machine you want to buy and why. Keep in mind that some vending machines don't carry as much product at a time, etc. Some are also more difficult to operate and maintain. So, put in your due diligence and look into it.

3. Don't expect to get rich off of a few machines. It's a game of small numbers when you're talking about vending. I make about $20 a month with my candy machine in an office with about 20 employees. If you want to get into vending, it should either be for a very small secondary income, or you should plan on owning and operating dozens of vending machines on a 'vending route'. You can make a full time living off of this, but it is going to be a lot of work, it's not easy.

4. The best location for a vending machine is in an office place. Most business owners will want a percentage of your profits if you don't know them personally. You want at least 15 people working in the office during the day if you want to sell out once every month or two. An alternative location, which I have less experience with but can be equally lucrative, is a store front. Put your vending machine near the entrance of a high traffic building. Keep in mind that most corporations will have to make the decision on a corporate level, you won't be able to walk in and talk to someone about it, you'll have to call their business headquarters. Because of this, it's best to try and talk to smaller businesses.

5. Know your customer. As far as candy goes, I've tried a few different items and had the most success with chocolate items like m&m's and reece's pieces. Try to conduct a poll of the employees before selecting your choices to figure out what they want the most. Don't be afraid to try new things, though, even if they weren't requested.

In the end, it really depends on how much money you have to invest. In my personal experience, the vending machine business isn't worth getting involved with, and there are better ways out there to make money. If you don't have a ton of cash to work with, try doing something online. Web-sites are very cheap and the possibilities are endless.

[entrepreneur640]

Thank you for your input. at first i planned on starting small, and seeing where that took me. this would be a secondary income at the moment. i am actually going to manager training this summer for my job. which i am looking forward to because its always good to gain knowledge as well as get in with the Men at Top. But i really liked the school idea because it is close to home, and it is easy to know what students want in the machine (being one and all). i was also going to take a student poll for what they wanted. I am still interested in that but at the same time i would just like the experience. so i would like to get some machines in some offices but i am wondering the best way to do that because all of the business's i know of in town have one in there break room and i wasn't sure how to go about looking for places to put them. And as far as online business goes, i would love to, i just am not sure how to go about that either. so if you have any advice i would love it. you can email me at entrepreneur640@mchsi.com

[entrepreneur640]

bump......

[innagle]

Hey

If there is one thing your standard vending machine can't do - a decent cup of coffee! Many office employees complain about the quality (may vary from type of industry?). For a brainstorming idea, my bet would be either:
1. buying a high-end coffee vending machine
or
2. rent out coffee-making equipment (there are many different, eg. espresso machines, Santos etc.) and throw in a maintenance agreement, and possible a course on how to make coffee.

Good luck with your plans,

Bjarne

[fredavila22]

How far are you from Chicago? Alot of the apartment buildings on the North Side don't have anything in their laundry rooms. You could put a vending machine that has snacks and laundry detergent/dryer sheets in it. In fact, try 2758 N Hampden Ct and see if they are willing to make a deal with you

[mike95910]

No taxes???? Please explain.