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Various Planet Antares Vending Machine Models

2010-04-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

Even though vending machines have gain huge popularity in the recent past, it is one of the oldest business models. Initially these machines were used to dispense few selective products. But with technology advancement, changing customer needs and lifestyles, these machines started dispensing almost all kinds of products. As a result several hundreds of vending machine models have been introduced in to the market.

Vending machines available in the market can be broadly classified into mechanical vending machines, electrical vending machine, combination vending machine and small or large vending machines.

Mechanical vending machines do not use electricity for functioning and do not have any automated features. However, there are several benefits associated with this business such as easy to locate, completely coin generated income, ease during transportation, easy refilling and repairs and most importantly low power consumption. However, there are few disadvantages with these machines. These machines are prone to frequent breakdowns and thus have lower earning potentiality.

Electrical vending machines are another category of machines that offer respite from all these problems and thus allow operators to earn more money. Combination vending machines are the third kind of machines that are capable of dispensing more than one product at a time. These machines are easy to operate, attractive, have higher capacity and provide higher revenue per vend.

Small or large vending machines are the fourth category of machines. These are the best choice for new or upcoming entrepreneurs. The reason being their compact size, ease of operation, easy to repair and refill features. Large vending machines on the other hand have greater profit making capacity and are preferred choice of business owners as they offer variety of products.

Hence it is always advisable that the operator analyzes his business objectives and choose the best model suitable for his kind of products to be offered.

Planet Antares offers state of the art vending machines exclusively designed for perfection.

Things You Should Know Before Starting Planet Antares Vending Business

2010-04-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

Why is it that even though several people start their own vending business, very few turn out to become successful? The main drawback is that most people lack clear cut idea on what needs to be done before starting their own vending business. This article aims at imparting things that need to be borne in mind before starting your own vending business.

• Thorough market research: To begin with, irrespective of the kind of business you take up, it is mandatory that you conduct a through market research. You need to find out answers for questions like Why do you want to take up this business? What is your budget? How do you plan to achieve your goals? Starting a business on your own is not as simple as it may sound to be. In fact to become successful in this venture, a lot of planning, hard work and strategic implementation is required.

• Guidance: Start interacting with people who are similar line of business. Their experience and knowledge would help you in understanding market scenario and also about competition and competitors strategies.

• Online research: Vending is one of the very few business models that gives you complete freedom when it comes to purchasing of vending machine or products that you would like to dispense in the machine. Operators need to make use of this situation very carefully. Before making any decision related to vending business, make sure you browse the net, gather information, analyse options and finally make a decision. In your quest for purchasing new vending machines you may come across fraudsters, this research would help you acquire genuine products and machine at most reasonable prices. Planet Antares has been around for decades and is trusted by almost everyone for its robust machines and a great business model.

• Advertising and marketing: By this time we all know that competition is very severe in vending industry and if you are looking at sustaining this competition, you may need to resort to latest technology or advertising and marketing strategies. These are time tested methods that have been quite successful in drawing more number of customers towards your business.

These simple aspects if borne in mind can give you success in your business venture.

How to Identify the Right Vending Company – Planet Antares Tips

2010-03-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Not only vending machines but companies offering vending machines are also available in all shapes and sizes. In such a situation how can you identify a right vending machine company? This article is an attempt to answer this question.

Does the company meet your requirements: The items offered by this company meet your requirements? If yes then you can go ahead. But one thing which new vending operators need to bear in their mind is that not everyone is keen in working with you. So you may even have to pay them something in return in order to do business with you.

How much do you need to pay them: 50/50 is the most commonly agreed upon amount? Anything beyond this is paid only in exceptional circumstances. Most vending companies provide games for free in exchange to the profit percentage paid to them.

The crazy for vending machine business is only increasing with changing times. In order to make use of this prevailing situation, several companies are coming up. Of these few companies are only trying to misguide you with their false and exaggerated commitments. This is when operators need to be very cautions. Vending is purely a customer related business and the peculiarity of this business is that there is hardy any interaction between the buyer and the seller. Since Vending machines do all the sales operators need to be very choosy while purchasing them?

No business guarantees success or high returns without any efforts and vending is no exception to this fact. Although anyone can start this business, only those who have understood the ins and outs of this business can survive this competition and create a unique position for themselves in this market.

All this clearly indicates that a lot of planning, hard work and strategies are required to become successful. It is advised to consult Planet Antares staff to know the latest into the vending business.

Factors to Be Considered Before Purchasing Vending Machines – Planet Antares Tips

2010-03-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

The kind of machine you purchase is definitely going to influence the success of your business. With increase in number of vending users, a wide variety of machines capable of dispensing different products are introduced in to the market. The choice of vending machine is no doubt influenced by several factors like financial ability of operator, kind of product he would like to sell using this machine, his target audience and the location in which he would install his machine.

Besides these operator also needs to consider few aspects while purchasing a Planet Antares vending machine. These are:

• Vending machines come in various sizes like Compact vending machine, full line vending machine and counter top machine. The location you choose influences the size of the machine you need to purchase. A small machine can be easily placed any where as it occupies less floor space whereas this is not the same with larger machines. However, each of these has its own benefits and drawbacks.

• Power consumption: The machine you purchase need to be energy efficient as none of us want to pay huge power bills.

• Ability to give competitive advantage to operator: Identify products and machines that are not very common. Do thorough market research for finding products and machines that are unique. This will help you sell and locate your products without much difficulty since no similar products or machines are available.

• Source from which you are purchasing the machine: Now that you have finalized on the product, location and kind of machine you need, your next step would be to purchase a machine that best fits your business requirements. Always prefer machines of reputed and established companies. Avoid purchasing used or refurbished machines. The price of these may be tempting but remember that you end up spending more than what you have invested. You will spend many time more that what you have saved by purchasing a used machine.

Healthy Vending-Huge Success among Schools

2010-02-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

Since inception of vending, schools have always been preferred location for installing these machines. However, in the last few years obesity has been on the rise. Obesity has been recorded not only among adults but even among children of all age groups. This has raised alarms in vending industry.

All this has lead to black mark on vending industry. Vending has been blamed because they are generally linked to junk food machines. In order to accommodate changing trends towards healthier vending and provide best services, only healthy snacks and food items are being offered for sales in schools. It is very difficult to place both healthy and less healthy items next to each other and encourage students to purchase healthy food.

If you are novice to this industry and looking to start your own vending business, try healthy vending. Healthy vending is gaining popularity these days as schools are encouraging healthy vending machines in their premises. These machines offer low calorie cookies, candy bars and baked black bean chips instead of the regular junk food.

If you are a vending operator, you can try Cold food vending machines. This machine also feature a wide variety of food items like healthy cereal, corn flakes, salads and combo meals. In fact few schools are introducing soymilk and juice vending machines from reputed manufacturers like Planet Antares. Vending machines are even offering vitamins, minerals, trace elements and several other pills in vending packs.

Most of these items are low in carb/carb friendly, low fat/fat free, sugar free/no sugar added. Hence they do not have any adverse effects on our health. With more and more customer switching to healthy foods, vending machine operators are boldly offering increased varieties of healthy items in their vending machines.

Thus healthy vending has gained huge acceptance among health conscious customers.

Controversy While Purchasing Vending Machine

2010-02-12T23:14:00.001-08:00

Vending business allows you to stand on your own legs by giving you self confidence and great amount of financial independence. A person interested in starting vending business of his own has the flexibility of either taking it up on a full time basis or a part time basis. To begin with, you can start with one or two machines working out of your home or by placing a machine in your locality. Once your customer base increases and you understand the trick of this business, you can start re-investing in more machines and grow your company as large as you like.

Once you have a clear cut idea on the kind of business you are going to take up, the next and most important step is to purchase the most appropriate machine that suits your business requirements. There are different vending machines available in the market. So, purchasing a right vending machine is often confusing hence you should carefully evaluate them before you finalize on one machine.

Some of the commonly found vending machine models are:

Mechanical vending machine: These machines do not run on electricity. These machines do not have any automated features. But still they have several benefits associated with them- easy to locate, refilling and repairing is also quite simple, small and portable size makes transportation pretty easy and most importantly there are no electricity bills.

Electrical vending machines: This machine gives you relief from all the problems that arise from mechanical vending machines. They also allow you to earn more.

Combination vending machine: As the name itself states, combination vending machine can dispense more than one product at a time. These are very attractive, easy to operate, have larger storage capacity and can generate high income. They also accept multiple modes of payment.

Small vending machines: These are best option for novice in vending business. These do not occupy much floor space and can be placed anywhere easily.

Large vending machines: These have higher potential to earn and are preferred by most vending operators. These machines are more secure because of their large size.

It is at the discretion of vending operator to choose the machine that suits his requirements. Planet Antares machines are said to be the best because of their quality and the trust they have developed over the years.

Location Of Vending Machine

2010-02-03T11:48:00.001-08:00

The place or location in which in install your Planet Antares vending machine is very crucial for success of your business. Operator has to look for the right kind of location with good customer traffic. Though this may look to be very simple, in reality choosing the perfect location is a tough challenge faced by vending operator.

Choice of vending location is influenced by several factors like products you vend, target customers and similar factors. There are two main aspects which every vending operator needs to consider before installing his/her machine. These two factors determine the success or failure of your business. Accessibility and visibility are the two factors we have been talking about.

Vending machines are generally located in schools, offices, shopping malls, street corners, parks, recreation clubs, gym, music store, bus station, railway station and other similar places where customers would spend some time in order to complete a task. The main motive behind placing these machines in such localities is visibility.

Vending business works completely on instinct buying. The moment a customer glances this machine, he is either lured by its attractive looks or product offered by it and is thus forced to purchase one. Hence choosing the right location is very vital for the success of your business.

Another option for locating Planet Antares vending machine which operators need to consider is either to locate them indoors or outdoors. Each of these options has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. For instance: if you place your machine outdoor, customer will be able to access it 24 hours without any restrictions. But is it safe to place your machine outdoor? On the contrary, placing the machine indoor is definitely safe but, there are restrictions on timings.

Hence before finalizing on the ideal location, operator has to compare both merits and demerits of each option and finally choose the best and most feasible option for him.

How to Identify New Vending Locations?

2010-01-28T19:57:00.001-08:00

There are no set boundaries for operating vending business. This is an open market and everyone can set up his/her business in any place of his choice. However, when it comes to choosing the right kind of location, it’s quite challenging. Operator’s choice of location is influenced by several factors like financial ability, kind of product and target audience. Hence it becomes imperative for the operator to consider few aspects like visibility and accessibility.

Both these factors help in creating more business and repetitive purchasing. Some potential places for locating your machine are near the entrance or exit of any shopping mall, next to water fountain, opposite a rest room, besides a coffee maker, near the reception, next to cash counter, near a music store, in a waiting area (petrol station) etc. The main aim here is to locate the machine in or near a place where there is some amount of customer waiting.

How can you find a prospective location? There are several methods of locating new and high customer traffic localities. You may do it all by yourself or even take the support and guidance of a locator. Planet Antares customer support also guides vending operators about selecting the best location in their preferred area. If you are looking for a location yourself, to start with, you can make use of flyers that carry information about the various services offered and contact details. Flyers is the best method when it comes to promoting information related to existing operators in the locality, most commonly used models of vending machines, their prices, services offered and similar information that impacts the success of your business.

Another way of identifying new locations is by advertising. With the prospects of success being very high, several operators are spending huge money on various modes of advertising. However, operators need to be choosy when it comes to investing their hard earned money and be very cautious so that they do not get carried away by any misleading information.

Once you collect leads, it is up to the operator to close the deal on location. Operators also need to be aware of the various local and state regulations relating to placement of vending machine. For instance: there are few states that do not allow vending machines to be placed outdoor. A thorough knowledge of all these would enable you to run your business smoothly without any operational hiccups.

If you plan to start your vending business, you can get in touch with experts from Planet Antares. They assist you in choosing the best location for vending business and also provide wide range of vending machines to choose from.

Tips While Taking Up Vending Business

2010-01-21T05:50:00.001-08:00

Since you have decided to start a vending business, you must be totally aware of its advantages. Before starting any business for that matter, it is imperative for the operator to obtain maximum information about the business, its scope, and existing operators, machines commonly used by them, products in demand and most common issues arising during setting up this business.

There is no doubt in stating that vending is a very profitable business that does not require huge capital unlike any other business venture. It is important for you to decide how much you would like to invest. Since the remaining process is influenced by the amount of money you are prepared to invest in this business.

If budget is your main constraint, you can decide whether you would like to hire or purchase a vending machine. The next important step would be identification of right location. The market research done by you earlier would come to your aid now. Vending business would remain profitable if and only if you learn the secrets of running it properly.

Most operators concentrate only on product, machine, and location and tend to ignore maintenance and customer service. These two factors are equally or in fact more important. Maintenance here would mean regular servicing of the machine, refilling the machine on time, replacing outdated or expired products and collecting cash on time. If you do not have time to do it all by yourself, you can delegate some of these works to an operator but one thing that is important is that you need to manage all these works personally, in order to make sure that everything is done promptly on time.

Staring a vending business is quite easy and can be taken up by anyone. However, withstanding the competition and creating a unique identity for yourself is quite challenging. This can be achieved with proper planning and careful and strategic approach.

Planet Antares can help you in every step when you decide to start your own vending business. All you need is to fix up an appointment with Planet Antares staff and start a profitable business journey today!

Simple Tips for Successful Vending by Planet Antares

2010-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

The mantra of successful business is choice of its Product, Price, Place and Promotion. All these four play crucial role in almost all businesses. However, all these factors are inter related and each of them play a very vital when it comes to a vending business. Since vending is a customer oriented business these factors are even more vital.

We all take up vending business for numerous reasons but the ultimate goal of everyone is to generate huge revenue. Let us look in detail as to how each of these factors influences the success of a vending business.

• Product: There are several products available in the market. There choice however depends on your target audience and location. For instance: If you have targeted children, you can choose to vend toys, chocolates, ice creams, pop corns, games, snacks, food items etc. The choice of this product would in turn depend on where you would like to locate the machine. In case you are looking to place the machine near a park, you can dispense pop corn, ice cream or toys.

• Price: Pricing is also crucial for success of any business. The choice of your machine is greatly influenced by your investment ability. You have several vending machines available in the market ranging from few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. The price of this vending machine depends on the model and features it includes. Smaller machines like candy and gumball cost you less in comparison with machines that come with sound and display systems.

• Place: Place or location is also very crucial for your vending business. Placing the right kind of machine in right location can give you guaranteed returns. Finding strategic locations for placing vending machines is not as easy as it may sound. It is only with thorough market research, that you will be able to identify the right location.

• Promotion: This depends on the kind of product you would like to dispense. In case you are dispensing branded products, you do not need to undertake additional promotional activities. However, if you are vending unbranded items, you can go for paper ads or try coupons and similar activities for boosting your sales.

These simple tips if born in mind can give you huge success. For more information, contact Planet Antares support staff.

How To Make Vending Successful?

2010-01-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Vending is one business that is gaining huge popularity these days not only among customers but also among operators. More number of operators prefers to take up this business. Besides its popularity, vending is best source for earning additional income.

Cost of living these days are so high that single income is not sufficient to maintain the family properly. So, it is advantageous of taking up a business that does not require much time but can guarantee you substantial income. Vending is one such business opportunity that gives you financial freedom and at the same time comfort and convenience of working at your own pace.

How to make this business a huge success? Proper planning and hard work can bring you success in vending. Not only vending, these aspects fit well for all kinds of businesses. Factors that can boost your sales and thereby bring success are mentioned below:

• 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 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.

• Gifts and coupons: 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.

These if properly implemented can bring smiles on your customers face and happy customers leads to successful business. For information on starting your own vending business, get in touch with Planet Antares staff and get complete insight about the vending industry.

How to Improve Customer Satisfaction Level

2009-12-29T10:06:00.001-08:00

The establishment of a vending business chiefly depends on location for vending machine placement and product selected for vending operations. Once you have the perfect location then the focus should be on stocking products and attaining total customer satisfaction. A vending operator’s success depends upon the customer satisfaction level he is able to achieve. Providing good quality products and services are the only way by which a good customer satisfaction level can be achieved. For a fruitful business it is important to satisfy your customers’ needs. Here are few tips to improve the customer satisfaction level:

1) Quality Products: An operator should always provide better products to its customers as compared to its competitors. Quality products always attract new customers and also help in retaining a regular client.

2) Attractive Offers: To attract new customers an operator should keep introducing nice and attractive offers time to time.

3) Working on Feedbacks: It is very important to keep working on the feedbacks regularly. This practice can help in providing better services to the customers and can help achieving a good level in client satisfaction.

4) Surveying Regularly: By doing regular surveys you can easily understand what do your customers like and need. If whatever they want and need is provided, it becomes easier to attain a good customer satisfaction level that can help you in increasing your profits.

5) Fault Free Vending Machine: It is important to have a fault free vending machine installed. It is advised to buy a brand new vending machine and as a vending operator you should never purchase old or refurbished vending machine. Fault free vending machine ensures no trouble to customer. With a faulty vending machine, you will surely lose your vending customers.

Any business is dependant on its customers. By following these few strategies it becomes easier to provide better services to the customers that help in achieving good revenues.

Growth Perspective in Planet Antares Business

2009-12-23T11:05:00.001-08:00

The vending business is one of the most rapidly increasing businesses in the US. The growth of vending business can be imagined through its sales that touched $40 Billion mark in the year 2007, and the business has grown ever since. Over the past two decades vending has proved to be one of the most revenue generating business, even in the shorter run.

The demand of beverages and fast food (Snacks) has increased swiftly in the recent past because of the changing lifestyle and varied odd office hours, and is increasing day by day. To meet all requirements and demands, vending machine manufacturing is also increasing with the same ratio. These machines are time saving; easy to use; round the clock available; provide fresh, hygienic and healthy food, offer more refreshment choices, and these features make vending machines so popular. These machines have successfully established themselves in the market.

Growth and profit perspectives have become brighter in the vending machine business. Vending business has grown, in terms of technology, product choice and services that have increased the chances of more earnings in the business. With evolution of the vending industry many machines have been invented time to time to meet the requirements of the customers and distributors. From holy water vending till now everyone has witnessed growth in the industry. Vending machines from Planet Antares have changed from single product vending to machines with high capacities, which enable them to house and vend a large number of products.

Product and location selection are the vital factors responsible for the growth of a vending business. In vending business you are bound to get revenue, and growth is definite if the selection of place and product are appropriate. Making this step right, there’s no possibility of a downfall in your vending business.

The vending industry is steadily progressing, and one of the main reasons for this is technology. The changes that have occurred have not only made vending more effective but also more convenient. This leads to a pleasant experience by customers, and a larger profit to the distributors eventually enhancing your growth.

Healthy Products in Vending Machines

2009-12-18T07:24:00.000-08:00

The satisfaction that customers get from vending operators in terms of quality products is one of the reasons of increasing popularity of vending business these days. And for an increase in sales, vending operators must make sure that the best is delivered to their customers. Vending machines are very popular among people who want a quick break from their hectic schedule or the ones who look for fast, easy and a delicious meal. So to provide delicacies that are healthy in all values, it becomes the responsibility of the vending operator to maintain quality of the products they vend in their vending machines.

Sanitation, hygiene and freshness of a product are few factors that make a customer stopover at the same vending machine again and again. For increasing the sales and to retain a customer, it becomes very important for the vending machine operators to take care of the following steps:

Sanitation: Operators must ensure cleanliness of the machine. Along with cleanliness, maintenance of sanitation near the vending machine becomes equally important for the vending operators for an enhanced sale of their products. An operator must check, identify and rectify problems like seepage, sewerage near the machine, overhead condensation and dispersing off wastage or residue. A neat and clean machine may attract a lot of customers.

Stock: The machine must be loaded with sufficient stock time to time to meet the requirements of the customers. It is essential to keep stock of quality products for better sales. An adequate amount of stock enables the customer to get his required stuff and reduces the chances of any customer going empty handed.

Freshness: It is a vital part of the vending business to make sure that the products stocked in the vending machine are fresh and not obsolete. Operators must regularly check expiry dates of the products and take care that the expired goods are replaced with the fresh ones immediately. In fact they should even replace the one that is not in demand.

Apart from these, maintaining levels of temperature for particular products and to ensure a power back up are some of the other important steps necessary for better working of your vending business. Few actions like satisfactory service, quality products and proper attention towards sanitation and stock, can help in the success of vending business, but are ignored often by the vending operators leading to a downfall in their business.

Advantages with Planet Antares Vending

2009-12-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Though Planet Antares has many feathers to its cap including being the only patent pending product manufacturer for ‘Office Deli’, the biggest advantage of starting your business with Planet Antares is that it is one of the leading and the most trustworthy vending companies in US. Since it’s inception in the year 1987 the company has grown to capture the top position in the industry and has maintained it ever since. Over the past decades into the vending machine business, the company has invented some of the best vending machines, the latest being ‘Office Deli’.

Planet Antares provides contemporary vending machine solutions to vending operators and has distributors’ network spread across the country. Some of the features of Planet Antares vending machines are that Planet Antares vending machines are robust and compact and come in attractive and lively colors. Planet Antares machines are contemporary which are equipped with the latest features and are loaded with state-of-the-art technology. The vending machines manufactured by Planet Antares can be used to vend multiple products—Liquid or solid. But apart from these features some of the advantages that make Planet Antares stand poles apart from other vending machine manufacturers are that Planet Antares ensures that their vending operators generate higher revenues by providing them complete guidance. And if the vending operators face any problems Planet Antares’ personal coach is there to tackle and suggest solutions to the problems.

With outstanding ratings from Dunn & Bradstreet, Planet Antares is a world-class organization. Apart from being a world-class organization, with over $500,000,000 in equipment and services sold, Planet Antares, is one of the largest and the most successful business opportunities in the United States and Canada. With a vast experience of more than 20 years into the vending business, thousands of distributors have been placed successfully in these places.

Starting up a business with Planet Antares is definitely an advantage in itself. With a wider vision, better knowledge and contemporary vending machines Planet Antares is definitely the best choice to begin and establish your vending business.

Vending An All Time Favourite Business

2009-12-02T11:56:00.001-08:00

Most of you might not be aware of the fact that Vending has a very long history. The very first vending machine was invented 215 BC by a Greek Mathematician. This machine was used for dispensing holy water in Egyptian temples. As people started accepting these machines, commercial coin operated machines were introduced. This was sometime in 1880’s in London and this machine was used to sell post cards. This was just the beginning and thenceforth there was no looking back for this industry.

More and more entrepreneurs are lured towards this business because of the guaranteed returns it promises. Operators are even prepared to invest any amount of money in order to harvest huge returns. Some of the benefits of this business are discussed below:

• Vending is perhaps the only business that allows you to earn money right from the day of installing your machine.

• This is not a business that is influenced by seasonal variation. You have almost the same demand throughout the year. So operators need not worry about season and off season.

• Starting a vending business is very easy. It does not demand specialised skills or huge floor space for installing the machine.

• In a vending business, most of the promotion is carried through word of mouth and hence operators need not spend money on taking up promotional activities. In case you vend branded products then you need not worry since these products are popular across the globe and their sales happen automatically.

• There are no set working hours and operators can work at their own convenience.

• You need not employ any sales personnel, no need for any franchise fee, no royalties and there are no set boundaries on the market for operating your business.

• Profit margins are very high in this business.

• An operator can expand his business without taking any loans and advances by reinvesting the returns on his existing machine.

All these benefits are prime reasons behind increasing demand for this business.

How To Start a good Vending Business?

2009-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Choosing the right vending machine is quite a challenging task for any vending operator. Several misguiding advertisements and false commitments make this job even more complicated. Apart from price and model, choice of vending machine is influenced by several other factors like product you would like to vend, target audience and many others.

First and foremost step while starting any business is market research. A thorough market research helps the operator to understand present market scenario, scope for new entrants, latest products, customer tastes and preferences and products with maximum demand. All this information helps in formulating a perfect business strategy. Planet Antares can be of great help while you are researching about this. Planet Antares staff can provide you with detailed view of how the vending business works and can also show some case studies of people who have grown in this business.

Once you understand what customers are looking for, you can decide on the product you would like to vend depending on your target audience. If you are targeting kids, then choose products like chocolates, ice creams, pizzas, plastic toys etc that can draw attention of kids.

After you have identified the product you would like to vend, decide on the kind of machine you would like to use. These days a variety of machines are available in the market which are capable of vending more than two products at a time. So, depending upon you requirement, you can select the machine.

Whatever kind of machine you purchase, make sure that you go for a new and latest one. If money is your prime concern, then you can go for used or refurbished vending machine. However, the efficiency and performance of a new machine is far more than a used one. Location is another key factor that influences the success or failure of your business. So, make sure you find a location that has maximum customer traffic.

If in any case you are unable to identify the most potential location for your machine all by your self, then you can take the help of Planet Antares staff. Planet Antares will not only help you in choosing vending location but also take you through the entire process and also assist you in times of emergency.

All these steps if followed carefully can help you not only in starting a vending business but also run it successfully.

Perfect Product Mix

2009-11-18T22:49:00.000-08:00

We often talk about the importance of product mix, right product mix etc. What exactly is this product mix? In layman terms, product mix is the sum total of all the product items and its variants offered by an organisation. An appropriate product mix will can not only keep your customers satisfied but also provoke them in repeat purchasing.

There are few items which are not at all influenced by changes in the market or introduction of new items. Operators must make sure that they offer these products in order to have continuous sales and maximise profits over a period of time. Operators also need to rotate the products offered from time to time. This is known as category management. This helps in offering a wide variety of products to customers and thereby gains their attention.

Category management simplifies product selection at warehouse and thus makes sure that operators have complete control over the entire process. Operators can also control costs and mobilise resources successfully. This process when implemented in your business allows you to reap huge profits and save immensely. The three main areas where such savings are possible are:

• Category management is successful in reducing number of stock keeping units at the warehouse. Hence you need to invest only little amount in purchasing stock.

• Because of close monitoring efficiency and performance of route drivers and warehouse labourers increases. Thus overall profitability increases.

• A good product mix will ensure higher sales and profitability from different vending locations.

The main aim of implementing this process is to select fast moving products for your vending machines. Once you stock your machine with these products your sales will automatically pick up. This is also effective in reducing your investment in inventory. It has been observed that category management has succeeded in reducing inventory cost by 40%.

So what else are you waiting for, choose the perfect product mix and reap huge benefits.

Importance Of Cleanliness In Vending Machine

2009-11-10T04:20:00.001-08:00

Timely servicing and proper cleaning of vending machine is essential part of vending operations. Though they may sound to be very simple and easy, not everyone is capable of performing these functions. These need a lot of practice and can be learned over a period of time.

The National Merchandising Association has come up with a book that guides route drivers on how to be professional in vending operations. If you are an operator who is vending food, the way you present it will definitely impact the success of your business. In food vending business, several personnel are appointed to handle food, cups and other material required right from the time of production till they reach the vending machine. In such a situation, food should be handled properly and thoroughly cleaned.

Improper maintenance and cleaning may lead to bacterial growth thus leading to spread of diseases or chemical poisoning. All this would drastically affect the business and create bad publicity in the market and thus lead to customer rejection. All of us are drawn by clean, attractive and well maintained vending machines. In fact, we would look for these features whenever we purchase products from a vending machine.

Operator should also see to it that the truck used for transporting food to vending machine is also kept neat and tidy. There are predetermined temperatures at which food needs to be stored. For instance in case of cold food, 41 degree Fahrenheit or lower temperature is required and hot foods need to be maintained at 140 degree Fahrenheit or above. The operator must be aware of these requirements and see to it that they are being properly implemented.

Another important thing to be noted here is that vending machines should always be maintained at right temperatures. This prevents food from getting spoiled. It is the prime responsibility of a vending operator to ensure that only quality food is being vended from their machines. This will keep your customers happy and healthy at all times. And satisfied customers can boost your sales thereby making vending a successful business.

Advanced Vending Solutions

2009-11-05T06:25:00.001-08:00

Vending industry has seen a lot of changes. Right from coin operated machines to those that work on the swipe of a card. All these have evolved due to technology advancements. We need to keep pace with changes in order to survive.

Initially vending operators used to manually collect information related to various aspects of their business. This data was mostly inaccurate and thus pose a big challenge to operators. Vending operators had no other option but to rely on route personnel for collecting data related to sales, cash and inventory. This process was not only time consuming but also produced inaccurate results. All this paved way to introduction of vending software solutions. These were specifically designed to gather and analyse information relating to vending operations.

This new software made vending business much easy and simple. Using this technology, operators can not only track performance of their machines but also analyze the data. All this software has empowered operators to plan their activities in advance.

Software becomes essential as the size of business increases. Lack of proper tracking systems can make the entire business unorganised and messy. The data thus collected provides insights into the following:

• How often you need to refill your machines.

• Identify slow moving products or those with least demand.

• Which products have maximum demand?

• Identify customer tastes and preferences.

Use of advanced technology helps in running your business profitably. These machines with latest features and technology can increase your sales by drawing more customers and they can also withstand competition. Survival of the fittest is the modern mantra of vending industry. If you do not up date yourself with latest changes, then you would be washed away by severe competition. So, adopt latest technology and create an unique identity for yourself in this business world.

Planet Antares Vending Machines For Complete Financial Freedom

2009-10-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

Choosing a vending machine is one of the most important decisions while starting a vending machine business. When you plan to buy a vending machine, you should always go in for the best. When we talk about the best, we mean a vending machine equipped with the latest technology and is brand new in condition.

Planet Antares Inc has been manufacturing vending machines since 1987. Some of the remarkable features of Planet Antares vending machines are:-

1. Planet Antares only sells brand new vending machines manufactured under strict quality guidelines.

2. Planet Antares is involved in constant R&D to come up with newer technologies for vending. All Planet Antares vending machines are equipped with latest gadgets.

3. Planet Antares vending machines are compact machines. They can be placed at any location.

4. Planet Antares vending machines are designed for fault-free vending operations. The machines are robust in nature and have a long life.

5. Vending machines manufactured by Planet Antares are energy saving machines.

6. Planet Antares has a remarkable after sales support. In event of any breakdown, experts from Planet Antares rushes to minimize the down time for operators.

7. Planet Antares not only sells vending machines, but also guides vending operators to set up vending business from scratch.

With growing demand for purchasing merchandise through vending machines, vending business is flourishing at a very fast pace. Competitive prices and ease of purchasing products through vending machines are few factors that have made vending machines popular among masses.

If you are planning to start a vending business, just contact Planet Antares . They will assist you in all steps you should take to start your vending business successfully.

Vending Machine’s increasing demand

2009-10-12T02:21:00.000-07:00

Today Life is fast and everyone in America is in a rush to reach somewhere. People do not even have time to stop and eat, let alone other things. The need to save time is such that eating on the run is a preference for many as they can save considerable time. Vending machines is probably the only way through which you can buy food and drinks quickly and eat while you reach your destination. Vending machines which was once only considered fashionable has now become a necessity of life for many.

Vending machines were first introduced in the 19th century just to vend holy water but now with changing time vending machines can vend almost anything. Starting from food, beverages, ice creams, popcorns, currency, mobile recharging cards and anything you can think of. However, food and beverages are still the most commonly vended products through vending machines. Now, with changing times vending machines are being used as medium to launch new products.

Healthy Vending has turned out to be the latest buzzword as Americans are getting more and more health conscious. Vending operators have started to act to the demand and are offering healthy food like energy bars, low carb food and health drinks. This is becoming increasingly popular amongst teenagers and young kids who are diet conscious.

This industry has brought in something for everyone, there have been many people who have attained financial independence by jumping into this all cash business. Companies like Planet Antares offer amazing business opportunity for those who want to get into this business. Anyone can start this business with a small investment and start their way to financial independence. Planet Antares staff also helps you at every step when you plan to start your vending business.

Strategy Development Key For Successful Business

2009-09-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Vending business has grown tremendously in the recent past. More and more operators are switching to this mode of business because of the attractive returns and high acceptance among customers. This is one of the few potential businesses that allow you to make money immediately.

After choosing the product, identifying the machine to be used for sales, the next step would be developing marketing strategies. Developing and implementing strategies is essential for success of any business. Some of the strategies needed to enhance your business are:

• Signage: Attracting customers to purchase products affects the success of vending business. Place signs depicting the product that if offered for sale.
• Visibility: In a vending business customer interacting is nil when compared to other businesses hence, vending machine location becomes very crucial. Try using glass front machines that enable customers to view and choose products of their choice. Glass front vending machines are also useful in selling multiple products at the same time.
• Pricing: Pricing is one of the important marketing strategies that influences sale of a product. Competitors price, demand and target market have to be considered while pricing a product. Usually teenagers try to purchase products that cost low.
• Alternatives: With growing health consciousness, customers are switching to products that are low in fat and which are made of natural or organic ingredients. Selling such items would boost sales.
• Gaining confidence: A clever operator is one who upgrades himself with changing customer trends and introduces products that match their requirements. This helps in gaining customer confidence and thus increases sales.
• Always choose new and latent locations which your competitors might not have even thought of. First entrant always has an added advantage over others in milking the market.
• Presentation: Attractive packaging or presentation brings life to the product. Packaging leads to brand promotion and increases sales of the product. Packaging creates a unique identity to the product and helps in clear demarcation from competitor’s product.

Survival of the fittest is the mantra of modern business world. Growth and survival is ensured and guaranteed if and only if the quality of the machine is excellent. High quality standard machines like from Planet Antares have maximum life and minimal chances of breakdown thus ensuring smooth functioning leading to growth and increase in sales. So invest in Planet Antares vending machine and who knows you might be a new trend setter.

Energy Vending - Modern Mantra

2009-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

In order to survive in this competitive world, it becomes imperative to constantly upgrade your self with changing trends. Vending machine business is no exception to this fact. Vending machines act as marketing devices which can attract customers and at the same time improve sales. Vending machines can also be set up in places where sale of retail products is low or not that easy.

Modern energy vending machines manufactured by Planet Antares are designed to capitalize dual benefits of vending and energy/ healthy products. So now you can make huge profits from vending and at the same time sell healthy energy products to customers.

These new machines from Planet Antares are useful to sell energy products in both solid and liquid forms. Their unique design, style and special features are alone capable of increasing customer footfall. These machines are highly successful in attracting large crowd. With growing health consciousness among people especially among youth, health drinks are becoming increasingly popular. With convenience added to it, these machines are successful in increasing sales.

Energy vending machine has been developed after spending thousands of man hours on research work and also after investing money to design a product that would surpass all existing vending machines. For instance energy mint is one product whose sale has more than doubled. Low price, convenience of purchase and heath aspects is drawing more and more customers towards purchasing them. Not only energy drinks you can also try out your hand at energy bars sales using your vending machine.

Few tips to be followed:

• Inquire from suppliers about energy bars that can be sold using vending machines.

• Choose that bar which has maximum sales in a grocery shop.

• There are some size limitations in your vending machine. Check out those bars that can be sold in your machine.

• To start with buy small quantities and collect customer feedback.

• Replace these with those bars that have maximum sales. Try to experiment with new flavours every time.

Energy market is on a rise, especially with the availability of wide range of health drinks and products for customers to choose from. So don’t lose this business opportunity. If you are the first one to introduce this in your area, you are sure to make a huge profit. This is appropriate for all those who want to take up new ventures.

Planet Antares not only provides modern “energy vending machines” to its customers but also provide support to set up vending business from scratch. Contact Planet Antares support staff and kick start your vending business on the right note.

Recession proof business opportunity – Planet Antares

2009-09-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about recession which has hit badly the global economy. America has been the worst hit by the economy slowdown. Almost every industry has taken a blow of this economic meltdown. However there is one such industry which is still riding high and people working in this industry are still making sales and earning profits. This industry is the vending industry. This has been possible because of the all cash business opportunity that this industry provides.

Vending industry is not a new industry; in fact it is a 40 billion dollar industry and people call it a recession proof industry. This one business opportunity can provide financial freedom to the common people in America. It is easy to get into this business at it requires small investment to start your business and can be easily managed part time sitting from home. You can even do this business while doing your present job. Once you feel you are ready to expand you can take your decision on getting into this business full time.

Vending business has changed lives of thousands of families in America and has helped them achieve their goal of financial independence. Planet Antares, a trusted name in vending business offers you with unique business opportunity which gives you a chance to fulfil your dreams. Planet Antares is a vending machine manufacturer and one of the most trusted brands. Providing you with complete assistance on starting your vending business, Planet Antares staff makes sure that you get the best out of your investment. Right from choosing a location to buying a vending machine and selecting products to vend through your machine, Planet Antares staff will help you in all possible ways to make your venture a successful one. With Planet Antares, you can be sure that you will learn all the trade secrets of this industry and be a successful vending business owners.

Healthy Vending Tips

2009-09-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

In earlier days, vending was considered to be related to junk food and high calorie drinks. People are now conscious about what they are eating. They want to stay fit and are actually making an effort for it. With consumer demand and high awareness for healthy food, vending operators are now stocking full range of healthy food products in their vending machines.

The following elements can help you in making sure you stay on top with your healthy vending campaign.

• For healthy vending, it is must that you buy vending machine from a reputed manufacturer. Refurbished vending machine should never be bought as they tend to fail frequently and deteriorate quality of products stocked.

• Choose healthier products to stock like low fat, low calorie snacks and drinks for example baked potato chips, diet soft drinks, fruit juices, low fat cookies etc.

• Make sure you keep your machine’s surroundings clean and hygienic.

• Always set the vending machine at appropriate temperature in order to keep food nutritious for long.

• Clean vending machine frequently.

• It will be a good idea to provide the nutritional information about the products.

• Do replace food products from vending machines after the shelf life is over.

These few tips can help you make the most of healthy vending program. To give a boost to your healthy vending campaign, you should buy compact vending machines manufactured by Planet Antares. Compact vending machine can store variety of products at the same time. Special temperature and humidity control keeps the food fresh and nutritious for long.

Ensure vending machine security through electronic locks

2009-08-06T05:03:00.001-07:00

Safety of the vending machine is the most important concern of the business owner. Vandalism and theft can jeopardize success and profits of the vending business. Technology has always been a savior even in sensitive issues. Electronic vending machine locks has left the conventional mechanical locks far behind. Electronic locks are proven to be more secure than old mechanical locks. The tighter seal of these innovative locks not only keeps the machines secure but also ensures the quality of food stored inside the vending machine.

What is an electronic lock?
An electronic lock is a locking device which operates by means of electric current. Electric locks use magnets, solenoids, or motors to actuate the lock by either supplying or removing power. Operating the lock can be as simple as using a switch. These locks offer a variety of means of authentication such as numerical codes, passwords, security tokens or biometrics like finger print scanning, voice identification, retinal or iris scanning.

The advantages of the electronic locks are:
1. These locks can be opened only with electronic key
2. Cannot be drilled
3. Only the vending operator will have access to key codes, thus duplication is not possible
4. Electronics have a programmed life, they cannot be used after they have expired
5. No need to change locks if key is lost as the operator can quickly change key codes

Planet Antares vending machines provides you with electronic locks to ensure the safety of your vending machines. A theft can cause a huge set back to the growth rate of your vending business. Planet Antares vending operators must understand that electronic locks will provide the better level of security as their mechanical counterparts. Moreover, they will also have the ability to control and monitor access of every vending machine. Electronic locks are certainly better than primitive mechanical locks. Moreover customer’s form a better opinion of your business. Advance your vending operations by using such locks in your vending machines.

Early advancements in vending industry

2009-07-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

The initial step taken by Thomas Adams Tutti Frutti gum vending machine set a trend in United States. Today automatic merchandising has become widely popular in marketing and selling goods. This profit generating industry keeps introducing an array of technological changes in order to keep a pace with high competition. Here we will discuss some of the early advancements made in the vending industry:

First, sound and audio recordings were added to promote the use of machines. A machine might thank customers for their purchases, or recite a slogan for the product being vended.

Second, would be vending machines ability to make a correct change for customers. This feature became increasingly important as the customers need not carry the exact amount to get a product from vending machine.

Third feature would be increasing capacity of the machine. This feature helped to increase a machine’s efficiency while decreasing the amount of visits that a vending operator has had to make to refill the machines.

Fourth advancement in vending machines has to be refrigeration and heating systems which were not developed until late 1950s. Prior to electric cooling, large blocks of ice were used in order to keep the drinks cool. This method was largely ineffective because the ice melted before the end of the day, leaving Luke warm beverages or spoiled milk. With Temperature control units, goods sold were fresh and safe for consumption which added to the reliability of vending machines.

One of the earlier advancements includes anti-slug technology, which used complex processes that measured, weighed, checked and bounced coins. With this technology illegal purchases were controlled and made vending more effective.

Above advancements is just a small portion of a big revolution in the industry. Today vending machines have become reliable source of shopping. The technological advances keep up the curiosity of the business men and attract consumers to use the machines.

Alluring Instant Return Vending Business

2009-06-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking of starting vending machines business as a home based business, here are three important facts that you must know.

1. Vending machines start earning revenue for you almost instantly.
2. It is quite inexpensive to buy a brand new, high quality vending machine.
3. If you choose the right locations for your vending equipment, there is great possibility of earning return on initial investment within the first year itself.

Ask any experienced vending business owner and he will confirm these facts. When you install the first vending machine and see immediate purchases by customers, it gives a wonderful feeling. The vending business is actually a unique opportunity to become your own boss and that is what attracts thousands of people towards it!

In the beginning, you must be careful while selecting the vending machines. Make sure that you don’t overpay for any equipment that is not worth the price. A good idea will be to look for a reputable vending company such as Planet Antares Inc and get high quality, durable vending machines from them at competitive prices.

Many times you will be approached by fraudsters who claim to offer the best vending machines, products and services and assure instant success to newcomers, unfortunately, they hardly ever deliver on their promises and you may end up losing a lot of money, time and energy in the process. To avoid such a situation, always carry out preliminary research about the different kinds of vending machines and suppliers in your area to get the best deals.

Once you have decided about the machines and products, it is essential to search for effective locations. This can be done on your own or with the help of a hired vending machine locator. Planet Antares Inc offers locating services as part of their deal with customers. Also, you need to match the location with the kind of vending machines you purchase and products to be sold.

Vending commissions are another issue to be taken care of while setting up a vending business. This is the percentage of profits that is given to the location owners in exchange for keeping your vending machines in their premises.

Over a period of time, you will understand that saving is essential for business growth and development. So, it is recommendable to buy your products supplies and equipment from a wholesaler and not the retail distributor. This will save you a lot of money.

All this can be time consuming as well as require constant hard work and inputs on your behalf. However, the returns of this all-cash, high profits business opportunity are worth the efforts you make in the long run.

Evolution Of Generic Technology And Planet Antares Vending

2009-06-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

In simple terms, a multi-drop bus is an internal communication protocol designed to ensure that coin mechanism, bill validators and cashless payment devices can be properly interfaced to a Planet Antares vending machine controller without regard to proprietary manufacturing. The key benefit of this technology is the fact that it is a generic technology.

Often, MDB has been compared to the plug and play standards common to generic computer component interfacing, one consistent standard covers bills, coins and credit/debit cards. This represents a movement towards open system architecture enabling a variety of peripheral devices to automatically become functional.

MDB is also called the multi drop bus/ internal communication protocol (MDB/ICP). The MDB standard defines the serial interface equipment communicate identically. The design of this system is such that it can capture transactional data, including the method of payment, purchase price and change paid. When combined with time of transactions and possibly column data, it can form an effective transaction record.

Planet Antares vending machines are enabled to determine which coins the mechanism accepts, which bills were stored by the bill validator and how much credit is available through a cashless payment device with the help of MDB. This can be a way for the vending machine controller to direct the coin mechanism to pay out correct change. The MDB standard allows a Planet Antares vending operator to select peripheral devices based on reliability, performance, features and price, in contrast to proprietary connectivity.

Instant updating of your Planet Antares vending machine status is also allowed by MDB. The system protocol allows for the attachment of an audit device that, acting as a passive slave, receives information of all events happening in the Planet Antares vending machine through MDB.

In short, the vending machine controller and peripheral units need to support the highest common level while maintaining backward integration of lower level device compatibility. The purpose of MDB is to make sure that the essential operations of any device on the bus is consistent with the capabilities of the vending machine controller.

Branding Your Planet Antares Vending Business

2009-05-28T04:12:00.001-07:00

In order to run a successful vending business, you need to ensure that you have the best products in your vending machines. These products play a significant role in determining the success of your Planet Antares vending business. Before selecting the products, you will need to carry out research on which products are popular with the public. This information can be obtained by going to various locations and watching customer buying pattern. Another way is to ask kids about which products to place in vending machines.

You will save a lot of trouble of advertising by placing branded items in your Planet Antares vending machines. These products are already popular with the public and of course, they are always being promoted on the media. By keeping these items in your Planet Antares vending machines, you can be sure that they literally sell themselves. Even though branding is one of the factors that contribute to effective merchandising, it has been underutilized in vending.

C-stores and supermarkets i.e. retail competitors 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.

Items such as sodas, juices and snacks are sold through Planet Antares vending machines. These products should always be branded. When you place such products in your vending machines, they will always sell. They have been around for a long time and advertised on media channels. This means that there will be no problem in selling these brands in your vending machine. All you have to do is place the machines in strategic locations.

All types of products can be placed in Planet Antares vending machines but it is best to go for branded products. Try out new products as well along with these branded items, you never know which product becomes popular with the customers. This can only be found out by placing new products in the machines.

Honor Box Planet Antares Vending

2009-05-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

With greater competition and tough profit earning capacity, the honor box market has become the exclusive domain of a few specialists. The increasing costs have forced many of the Planet Antares vending operators to ignore locations with less than 100 people. However, one segment of this market, the honor box customer, continues to hold on. With the rise in product and labor costs in past few years, even honor box snack operators have explored new business areas.

In the meantime, the honor box vending market remains the exclusive domain of a small group of operators who have learned how to survive the demands of a high annual account turnover, high employee turnover and practically, no means of product accountability.

Many times, vending operators are called on to take over the honor box accounts. As the owner of a Planet Antares vending business, you can take up an honor box account and serve the small population.

Of course, you will have to stay focused if you want to be successful in your Planet Antares honor box vending business. Part of this focus needs to be on account turnover, new sales, cash flow and labor.

In fact, cash accountability in this business hardly exists. If a box comes back to the office $5 short, there is no way to know if it was the customers or the route driver who has taken it. This is obviously a challenge for a vending operator who is handling an honor box account.

On the other hand, the labor shortage is also an issue of concern as it can hurt the honor snack business in the form of the quality of employees at customer locations. If there are employees who are stealing from the snack box, there is a chance that they may be taking things from the employer too. Thus, it is essential to look for trustworthy employees while searching for personnel in your vending business.

Placing branded products in your honor box machine is a good idea. If consumers don’t identify with any of the items, it means that they will not buy them. So, choose an attractive product selection to ensure high sales and profitability in your Planet Antares honor box vending machines.

Steps Toward Planet Antares Vending Business Sales

2009-05-13T06:52:00.001-07:00

If you want your vending business to be successful, you need to give constant commitment to a multidiscipline process. A good vending operator is one who is able to handle all the issues involved in the daily operations of running a business.

A key factor of the vending industry involves the product, machines and other goods and services. In contrast, the vending sales force represents the vending operators who go out and try to obtain new business.

Basically, a salesperson on the supplier’s side is involved in more of a relationship type of selling process. You will be calling on the same people every day whether its for selling vending machines or products at the regional level. To build and maintain these relationships, there are several steps that must be carried out. Some of these include the following:

a. Relationship building
Your customers can’t be approached directly to try your vending products and buy them. First, you will have to know the customer well by asking about the origin and starting of their business and the perople who are actively involved in running it. Don’t forget to enquire how they made their business successful. All this is critical for the success of your Planet Antares vending business.

b. Commitment
You must take your vending business seriously and treat it professionaly. To begin with, you must know your customer properly. Usually, the sales people on the operator side of business do cold calling. You will have to develop new relations that can turn into referrals and eventually more business.

c. Goals
A sales goal needs to be fixed for each month in order to determine how much work has to be done for achieving it. Do this on a regualr basis and review it from time to time. After this, you must determine how many appointments will be required to create enough sales to meet the monthly target.

Viable Planet Antares Vending Opportunity

2009-05-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

Since the beginning, vending operating costs have increased substantially. Still, financial realties make Planet Antares vending a good and lucrative opportunity for the serious entrepreneur.

Perhaps, vending is the last truly viable business opportunity for people with entrepreneurial skills to earn a decent income. Even though the vending industry has consolidated and has become more expensive for a business to enter the “big league”, there is still scope for the small enterprises to setup and make profits. This will not change anytime in the near future.

Most people find vending a very attractive and viable option for earning some extra money. While some prefer to start it on a part time basis, others build it into a full time venture. Vending opportunities offered by Planet Antares Inc are both easy-entry as well as flexible. You cans tart your own vending business from home and also decide how quickly to grow the business. Due to these qualities, it is a very attractive business program.

To begin with, you can purchase just one or two vending machines. Planet Antares glass front snack and cold drink vending machines are available at very competitive rates in the market. If you have reasonable amount of equity at home, it would not be difficult to finance the purchase.

Your garage can be used to store products and your car for transporting them to different vending machines. Once you have started running your vending business, opt for locations that generate average minimum sales of $100 per week, per machine and keep the commission costs below 10 percent of sales. Make sure that the products are priced in a way that you can derive at least 50% gross profit.

Eventually, you may decide to shift your business out of home. At that time, your startup costs will rise to that of running a full fledged business. The new establishment will bring along additional costs, so in order to provide the additional revenues to pay for all this, you will have to get more customers and machines for your Planet Antares vending business. As per the size of the entity, the Return On Investment will also vary. In an individually run business, operating out of home may make it possible to earn a realistic 40-50 percent ROI.

Making The Most Of A Planet Antares Vending Locator

2009-04-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you own a Planet Antares vending machine or plan to buy one soon, you must know the importance of choosing the right location for the placement of your machine. A good vending location can be recognized by considering the following factors.

1. Trust your gut feeling:
If you don’t like the location selected by the vending machine locator for any reason, make sure that you don’t agree to it until you are satisfied with its practicality to serve the customers and your own needs. Ask as many questions as you like to ensure that you understand all aspects of the locator’s services and decisions.

2. Remain vigilant:
You should not 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 profitable in the future. There may be places which you did not give attention before or others which can be acquired with help of your vending locator’s professional approach.

3. Diverse locations:
Different locations are suitable for different vending machines. A bulk vending machine or a toy vending machine needs to be placed with heavy traffic including kids and their families. In contrast, a Planet Antares snack or soda vending machine is larger in size and usually suitable for offices with more than 20 employees.

4. Personalized service
Maintain personal contact with the vending locator assigned to you by the vending company. Preferably, the locator should be from your area rather than a faraway place. Tell him your business goals for sales and profits as well as potential locations which you like. Learn the locating strategies by visiting various locations with him/her.

5. Independent location:
Once you have understood the fundamentals of location, try to secure vending locations on your own. It’s all about being creative and convincing the business owners to install your machines.

There is no best way to find the ideal locations for your Planet Antares vending machines. However, it is not difficult to follow a reliable vending locator’s guidelines and use a few strategies to find the right locations to find the right places for your vending machines.

How To Expand Vending Business Operations

2009-01-06T04:52:00.000-08:00

One aim that is common among all full line vending operators is to expand business scale as soon as it is financially viable. Planet Antares Inc provides vending programs that will make this task easier and help you achieve your dreams.

it is common for people to start vending as a home based business and buy a few vending machines. Thus, it will need low investment at the start since you will not be required to have an office or a warehouse to run your vending business.

All these factors make Planet Antares vending a great business opportunity!

When you have decided to expand your vending business, you will have to move your business out of your home or just simply acquire more vending machines and locations. Your Planet Antares vending business should be stable in terms of finance as well as structure.

Buying new vending machines

Purchasing new vending machines is the best way to expand your Planet Antares vending business. The locations that you have may not be enough to cater to your vending machines. As a result, you may have to acquire more locations. Just make sure that you understand customer needs in the new locations.

Purchasing established routes

Established vending routes are sold by people who are retiring or getting out of the business. As an alternative for expanding your vending business, purchasing established Planet Antares vending routes would be a quick way of growing your business.

Expand your horizons

Planet Antares Inc provides vending business with snack and beverage vending machines. You can try other vending businesses such as bulk vending and special products vending.

After considering all these factors, you can plan your vending business expansion in the proper way. Once you have expanded the business, you should only continue to make profits, not go at a loss.

Challenges Faced By Planet Antares Vending Operators

2008-12-29T02:55:00.001-08:00

All over the country, vending operators are facing the most challenging business environment ever. This has led to an urgent need for a direction-based plan.

Planet Antares Inc can offer strategies to existing vending operators as well as beginners to enable smooth operations in the current unstable economic situations. In times of recession, operating costs will rise and the opportunity to increase sales will become almost impossible.

Presently, all size companies get sufficient reasons to make an effective business plan. This will help in organizing “hard data” in a way that will give a Planet Antares vending business direction. With greater amount of information, you can set goals and monitor business performance in a better manner.

Planet Antares vending programs show operators how the different operations will be carried out and deploy the resources over a period of time. If you are thinking about profit maximization, this will be essential information. Mostly, you will have to focus on deployment of capital and operating cash flows that are generated.

Considering the present industry scenario, planning has become more important than ever before. Apart from being one of the most challenging economic environments faced by the vending industry, the current business climate requires more direction than in the past. Planet Antares vending operators serving a large metropolitan area need to understand the demographics of the customer base.

Successful vending involves a lot of research too. Customer preferences may differ from one location to another. Thanks to technology, there are better way to enhance customer service. Large vending businesses must consider investing in the technologies being launched in the vending market.

Vending software allows vendors to gather financial information quickly and more accurately. This information will be used to improve customer relations. Companies can also find information about products and strive for better product selection with the help of Internet.

Bilingual Training For Vending Personnel

2008-12-16T03:40:00.000-08:00

Majority of the American cities have felt the presence of the bilingual workplace and this includes the vending industry as well. Whatever the extent of need for translating training material into Spanish or any other language, these services are available for your Planet Antares vending business. Many vending operators insist that teaching in the unskilled sector, consists of person to person instruction.

On the whole, this sector includes:

Route drivers
Warehouse workers

An informal survey of vending operators, including Planet Antares vending operators revealed that many realize that they need to find ways to train foreign language workers. One of the common foreign languages being addressed is Spanish.

Generally, most workers are able to speak English as a second language. When you hire an employee for your business who doesn’t speak English, then the best thing to do is to team him up with a veteran who knows how to speak both languages fluently.

It has been observed by hirers that immigrants have more stringent work ethic, perhaps even more than their American-born counterpart. Of course, you would like to hire a hard working individual for your vending business, so that may even mean hiring a person who does not understand English.

Since they are in the United States, it is important for your Planet Antares vending business employees to understand English. In absence of such skills, they will be limited in what they can do for their own career as well as your business. Make sure that you hire a route driver who knows sufficient amount of English to be able to handle customers who speak only English.

In the warehouse, the individual can speak in their native language with their linguistic brethren. There will be situations when the employee would have to communicate in English, so basic knowledge of the language is necessary.

Make sure that the manuals and policies of your Planet Antares vending business provide information in two languages so that employees don’t face any difficulty in understanding all the terms and conditions of employment.

Easier Vending With Planet Antares Branded Products

2008-12-05T03:15:00.000-08:00

It is foolish to think that vending machines can make customers happy by themselves!
You will need to make sure that you place them strategically, stock quality products and do regular machine servicing. However, this doesn’t mean that making money with vending machines is tough. Almost every company needs a vending machine in their premises to keep employees satisfied and reduce time spent away from the work desk.

Planet Antares Inc is one reliable vending company that offers good quality vending machines. With such equipment, you can reap the various benefits of vending business. But as I said before, there’s more to the success of your vending business than just buying a vending machine.

#1: Product Suppliers
You may have a soda, snack or other vending machine but it needs to be well-stocked to fulfill customer requirements at all times. Choose a reliable company like Planet Antares to purchase your vending products from in bulk. This enables you to price your products reasonable and induce higher sales.

#2: Product Pricing
Before fixing the prices for products being sold by you, check the prices charged by competitors. However, you must be able to recover your costs and earn a decent profit in the process.

#3: Refilling
Set a regular schedule for refilling the vending machines. This includes restocking of popular products and replacement of outdated or low-performing items. A wide range of products need to be offered to customers to suit their varying needs and enable larger orders.

#4: Maintenance
A vending machine which doesn’t work when a customer is waiting for his/her order will have a negative impact on your business sales and reputation. Hence, you must always keep your machines in workable condition and ensure that technical service is available as and when required.

#5: Customer Opinion
high profits can be earned through customer satisfaction only. Analyze customer feedback and preferences to choose the products stocked in your vending machines. For example, there has been a rising customer preference for healthier products. This can be an opportunity to build brand loyalty by offering healthy food items and target new customer segments too.

Vending Elements: Product Flexibility And Brand Image

2008-11-24T03:11:00.001-08:00

As the owner of a Planet Antares vending machine business, you are free to put whatever the customer wants in your vending machines.

For example, some people prefer Coke while others like Pepsi. In this case, you would just need to store both brands. Depending on the kind of account, customer preferences will also differ. The more people in a vending location, the more will be the diversity in their tastes. Everyone will not like the same products.

According to a national survey, personal preferences for cold drinks are classified as follows:

Coke – 38.6%
Pepsi – 27.4%
Others – 34%.

By offering only a single product in your Planet Antares vending machine, you will be excluding the customers in other segments. By keeping a variety of soft drinks in your Planet Antares vending machine, you can keep all the customers satisfied. That will lead to repeat business for you.

You should ensure that the contractor engaged by you provides high quality, fresh merchandise. All products must be removed from your vending machine one the date of expiry of freshness. This will be important for health reasons. No vending operator would like consumers to buy expired items as this might be followed by complaints and cause loss of business.

Always go for branded products in your vending machines because they are the ones that are popular and easily recognizable. These products are usually advertised on national media, so you will not need to advertise them.

Just place them in your machine and the customers will purchase them. When you go for unbranded or local items, you will have to promote them by giving out free samples or just hope that the product sells. This makes it advisable to vend branded products.

A wide range of products must be offered through vending machines to keep your vending customers happy. Vend only branded products from your Planet Antares vending machine so that they are easy to recognize and result in quick sales.

Secret To Vending Greatness Revealed!

2008-11-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone trying to be successful in vending will gain valuable tips from this article…

Tip #1
If you want to maximize your vending business profits, look for locations that are affordable. Think of friends or relatives who own a vending business so that you can place your Planet Antares vending machines in these locations. Usually, they won’t charge you anything and even if they do, a very nominal amount. In absence of any such contacts, you must approach a business owner that is familiar with you and ask them if you can install your vending mahcines there.

Tip #2
While looking for the right vending machines, try to negotiate for the best possible deals. The common charges are usually about 10% to 30% of the profit of the machine per month. Aim for a lower percentage as compared to these figures.

Tip #3
Keep your Planet Antares vending machines clean at all times. This will make your vending machines look more attractive and arouse interest among customers who visit the location. This can go a long way in enhancing the profits of your vending machine business.

Basically, all that is required is servicing scheduled once in a week to keep them in good working condition. The glass front door should be clean enough for the customers to have a clear view of the products that are inside. A dirty vending machine will give them an impression that the items contained inside are also dirty, old or expired.

Tip #4
Keep an eye on locations with high customer traffic. Higher the customer volume, higher will be the chance of people buying from your vending machines. This increases the number of people who can buy from your Planet Antares vending machines.

Tip #5
Try to match the kind of location with the products you are selling. Places with a lot of kids are suitable for vending machines with candy or snacks that attract them. For adults, you should place products that will attract them. Vending machines at health clubs cannot carry fried snacks or sugary items.

Tip #6
Keep only fresh products in your vending machines. If it seems to have gone bad, you must replace it without delay. If a product is not being bought by most people, replace it with a more popular one. To be on the safer side, restock most of the products in your vending machines every six months.

Smart Ways Of Using Technology In Planet Antares Vending

2008-11-07T03:54:00.001-08:00

In the vending industry, many vending operators continue to struggle with low work site populations while others have found emerging technology to provide new ways to operate more profitably.

Established vending machine companies like Planet Antares Inc may seem to be at a disadvantage while competing with newcomers who are arming themselves with high-end computer systems that allow faster and more accurate accountability of machine and route operations.

The need of the hour for vendors is to understand that despite higher start-up costs being involved in advances in vending specific software, it will pay off in a more efficient operation of the vending business.

Cashless vending solutions form a major part of innovative and intelligent vending. It is believed to be a source of revolution in the industry. Surely, such smart techniques will lead Planet Antares vending operators to discover the other advantgaes of telemetry such as polling line item sales and machine malfunctions from a remote computer.

Another benefit of technology can be seen in the form of Remote data polling. As technology advances, vending operators using either of these will not necessarily use both. Most of them are almost evenly distributed on which of these key areas are to be focused on.

Planet Antares Inc encourages vending operators to take help of these advances in order to gain greater financial benefits. This can also get you at par with the competition. No longer will you have to compete with the new comers in the industry who are using this technology already.

Views Of Customers About Planet Antares Vending

2008-10-30T02:46:00.001-07:00

According to a recent study, the vending industry is losing many potential customers due to lack of consumer education. The study aimed to determine vending machine consumer motives for purchase decisions. It also examined potential areas to expand vending machine use and the general public’s awareness of new vending machine technology and products.

Planet Antares vending operator need to ensure that the consumers using their vending machines are well informed about the products being vended as well as any technology that you may have decided to incorporate in your vending business.

Some of the findings in the recent study regarding consumer perceptions on vending are listed below.

• Motivation for vending machine purchases. Consumers cited convenience and ease of buying as reasons for buying from vending machines.

• most of the consumers are reluctant to make vending machine purchases because of poor selection and the misconception that vending machines usually do not offer healthy options. Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines will make sure that you have the right product selection to suit the location.

• The success of your vending business also depends on brand recognition. Consumers expressed high brand loyalty. Consumers usually make purchases of familiar items from vending machines. Planet Antares vending machines are glass front vending machine, so a branded item would highly be visible.

• Surprisingly, majority of vending machine consumers are unaware of new vending machine technology. Cashless payment options appeal to the public since it makes the whole buying process more convenient.

Potential vending machine consumers hesitate to make vending machine purchases because they believe that vending machines do not offer healthy products and that the general prices of vending machine products are on the higher side.

All these misconceptions need to be set straight. Consumers need to understand that they can find health products in Planet Antares vending machines and that a good vending operator will not sell the snacks and beverages at higher prices than the retail market.

Better Sales At Planet Antares Vending Locations

2008-10-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

In the current scenario, vending operators are facing situations where workplace populations have decreased and operating costs continue to increase. With the aggressive competition in the vending market, it is difficult to find skilled labor too. Thus, it is important for you to sell through every vending machine that is already on location.

Basically, there are two ways to enhance the sales of existing vending machines at specific locations.

1. Firstly, you must focus on adding new locations.
2. Second is to generate additional traffic in existing locations.

The second alternative is much cheaper and will have a greater impact on the profits of your Planet Antares vending business. An increase of 1% in the same location sales can improve the profitability by 20% or more.

Most of the costs incurred in running a Planet Antares vending business and serving an account are fixed costs. These include:

• Vehicle costs
• Facilities expense costs
• Administration costs

This would mean that higher traffic at such an account would only involve additional product costs, higher commissions and sales tax.

Industry estimates indicate that the gross profit in vending presently runs at around 52.5% while operating expense averages at less than 25%. It has also been observed that operating profit has declined to an average 1.6%, being half of what it was 10 years ago. Hence, you must use the method of generating more dollars from each Planet Antares vending machine at every location without having to increase operating expense to any great extent.

Adding new locations is another way to increase sales in your Planet Antares vending business. However, this is also a costly technique. The best thing that you can do is to increase the sales in the existing locations by adding more products in your vending machines or adding more vending machines in that same location.

Impulsive Shopping With Planet Antares Vending Machines

2008-10-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares vending machines are the ultimate way to shop on the go with all the diverse items that are sold in it. You will find all the products sold at a grocery store available through modern vending machines. The only difference is that shopping through vending machines is much more convenient and faster than any store.

Generally, Planet Antares vending machines are placed in busy and high traffic locations that include:

a. restrooms
b. break rooms
c. next to entrances or exits
d. near waiting areas

A variety of products are sold in such vending machines. In the USA, vending machines usually sell snacks, beverages, newspapers, etc. Commonly, branded snacks and beverages are sold through Planet Antares vending machines. These are the most popular items among vending machine customers. These days, vending machines sell almost every item that you can think of.

In Japan, vending machines are widely used because of its highly mobile population that prefers to shop on the go on foot or by bicycle. A wide range of products are stocked in them including those which would be considered less conventional in the USA. This includes rice, eggs, toilet paper and underwear.

Among others, Planet Antares vending machines are some of the best ways to induce impulsive shopping by customers. These are considered shops on the go due to the availability of any product that you may need when you are on the move or maybe when you don’t have enough time to sit down and indulge in a proper meal.

Comparatively, the prices of vended products are lesser than that you would find at the local grocery store or any other place. This is the reason why people prefer shopping from vending machines rather than the local stores. Companies such as Planet Antares Corporation want to sell machines with a variety of items that the customer would want ready to purchase.

At present, vending machine business is considered an amazing opportunity to earn money for anyone. With a nominal amount needed for initial investment, it is a unique business that will provide substantial returns that are adequate to match the expenditure incurred in the first year itself.

What Makes A Planet Antares Vending Website Successful?

2008-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Currently, every business has already developed or plans to establish an online presence. As it is, the Internet has provided a great platform to people across the world to get connected as well as improve business scale without excessive investment.

The vending industry has also witnessed an increase in the number of companies setting up their website in order to reach a wider audience. A good website must be impressive enough to attract customer attention and entice them to place an order. For such an impact, you must use sophisticated layout and artistic graphics. Many innovations have been launched that can help in making your website more interactive and impressive that ever before.

Ensure that the home page of your Planet Antares vending business website informs the visitors about the company, products and services offered. It should not just be a simple index of other pages or links placed remotely. Place good quality content on the main page that includes various meaningful aspects like:

• Vision
• Mission statement
• Business philosophy
• History of the company

The information provided by these categories should be interesting and useful, not uninviting and boring. Also, it’s important to inform the visitors about the products and services and customer support facility. Customer feedback and queries play a valuable role in determining the service quality of any vending business.

Pay attention to the domain name of the website. Preferably, it should be unique, short, descriptive and easy to recall. An ideal domain name is that which can be easily remembered by the maximum number of people. Also, try to get a domain name that is parallel to the brand name or company’s name.

With increasing competition in the vending business, Planet Antares vendors can add new features and applications to your website. Graphics like auto-load images are a great option. These are small in size and take about 3-6 seconds for loading on the page. For uploading larger images, make sure that they don’t take too long to get displayed.

Choose a color scheme and background theme that matches the company logo and general brand image. On the whole, your website should look very attractive so that more and more people come and read about your vending operations. Keep a regular check to ensure that all the hyperlinks are working, content is relevant and updated regularly as well as customer queries and complaints handled in real time.

How To Induce Comfort Of The Vending Route Drivers

2008-09-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

As the vending business booms, vending operators are recognizing the need for more space for product upsizing, especially the 16 and 20 ounce cold drink bottles. This is a result of heavier loads, both on the driver as well as the vehicles.

This makes it imperative for suspension systems to be stronger. Also, more room should be provided in the body and the bottles have to be arranged in a way that minimizes the bending and lifting needed in the process.

Planet Antares vending operators must pay attention to vehicle capabilities, ease of use and driver comfort features. The conventional step in van still remains the vehicle of choice among most vending operators. On the other hand, the advantage step vans offer ease of loading and has become crucial with the growth in size and number of bottles. Moreover, it allows the driver to reach for the merchandise without stepping out of the vehicle.

Moreover, Planet Antares vending operators are discovering other options for reducing the driver’s work load and simultaneously achieving greater cost efficiencies. Greater driver comfort can be attained through bigger chassis and a higher capital outlay. Over the long term, this will also provide benefits like better maneuverability and higher cost efficiency.

Apart from these factors, you will also need to consider the individual requirements of your vending business while deciding upon the trucks and the requirements for enhancing driver comfort. For example, vending operators with dedicated food trucks are more likely to want built in temperature controls.

On the whole, the increasing truck loads have forced Planet Antares vending operators to pay attention to driver comfort, be it outside or inside the vehicle. The primary factor of concern is the ease of loading the vehicle while buying a new route vehicle.

As a recommendation, you should buy a dedicated beverage truck so that only beverages can be transported through it. Separate vehicles can be purchased for transport of snacks. This will make loading of trucks much easier leading to higher motivation among drivers and focus of attention on the tasks at hand.

Many vending operators make a mistake while buying a truck or vending route. It is underestimating the weight of the vehicle. As a Planet Antares vending operator, you need to assess the real weight of a typical truck before deciding what size chassis to buy. The capacity of drinks to be carried on the trucks must also be considered while making this decision.

Planet Antares Vending For Charity Programs

2008-08-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

Several charities have vending operators as members of their outreach programs. Some of them pay for the use of a charity foundation’s name or logo. In contrast, some display labels on their vending machines. Planet Antares vending operators can decide to support certain charities through their vending machines.

Some of them include:

1. Carolina Hair Foundation
Vending machine owners use their programs in order to secure locations. Once they have signed up CHF, they can present themselves to the location owner as supporters of the charity. Then, they ask the location owner to support the charity by allowing them to place their vending machine in the premises.

Under the CHF vending program, each vendor has to sign a royalty agreement in which they agree to pay a fixed monthly payment for the use of the foundation’s name or logo. As a Planet Antares vending operator, you will not be fund raising on behalf of the CHF.

2. Vanished Children’s Alliance
This is a non profit organization that helps in finding missing and abducted children. The VCA found that by putting photos by stickers on vending machines, they can locate the children and keep the issue of missing children in the memories of general public. As a Planet Antares vending machine owner, you can help parents and families in locating their children by using your equipment to spread general awareness.

This program also requires the vending operator to sign a Royalty Agreement, in which they agree to pay a fixed amount. However, you will not be fundraising on behalf of VCA as a Planet Antares vending operator.

By participating in and becoming members of such associations, you can make a difference in society as well as fulfill your personal motives. Certainly, there is no better way to work and reap benefits!

Planet Antares Vending Machines With Electronic Locks

2008-07-25T06:07:00.001-07:00

Since the launch of vending machines, burglars have found ways to break into them. Apart from the outside vandalism, vending machine operators must also guard against internal theft. Today, there are many types of electronic vending locks available to protect all kinds of vending machines, such as those provided by Planet Antares Inc.

There are several advantages of these locks as compared to conventional lock key methods. Some of them include:

1. Tough to pick
These locks can be opened with an electronic key only. Some systems use non-contact infrared key fobs for candy snack vending machines and soft drink vending machines. This eliminates a visible lock on the front of the vending machines, which will discourage theft.

2. Difficult to drill
Soft drink machine t-handle locks can be fitted with hardened steel roll pins to prevent drill bits from coming into contact with the actual lock.

3. No duplication of keys
Encrypted software is used so only the vending operator will have access to key codes.

4. Control of vending operator
The Planet Antares vending operator will have full control over when the key is active or how many times it has to be used.

5. No access to route people
It is not possible to use keys after they have expired. If someone tries to open the machine locks, it will be tracked back to individual keys.

6. No need for changing lost keys
Electronic vending machine keys are inactivated regularly and the operator is able to change the key codes quickly. The security of your Planet Antares vending machines will never be compromised.

7. Monitoring of route personnel
This is done via the audit trail of lock key interactions.
It will not take much time to replace conventional vending machine locks with new electronic vending machine locks. Some styles of electronic replace the barrel plug locks, leaving the main locking features in place. Tighter seals are offered by electronic locks in Planet Antares vending machines than conventional locks. This leads to lesser cold air leakage in your vending machine. The life of the compressor in your Planet Antares vending machine will be extended as well, this lowering energy costs.

Planet Antares Vending Machine Business

2008-05-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

In the U.S. most of the vending machines are operated either by store owners or by individuals who rent or buy vending machines. Some of these machines are maintained by governmental or quasi government entities. This can be a great way to attract people who want to become independent vending business owners. Planet Antares Corporation can provide the perfect opportunity for you to start a vending business.

To begin with, you will need to find and purchase quality vending machines like those provided by Planet Antares Inc. your machine must have great capacity so that when you go to service the machine you would collect more than $100. if you collect less than that, it means that you went early for collection or the machine does not have much revenue generating capacity.

Planet Antares vending machines are well designed and stylish. This is an important factor because the machine must draw the customer’s attention, especially if there is competition from other vending machines in the same location. Of course, the machine that stands out will be able to gain customer attention as well as generate higher sales and income.

An independent vending operator will have to act as a salesman in persuading locations to accept the machines. You should not get discouraged when your machines are rejected by locations. You will get turned down more times than you won’t be. So be prepared to face rejection in the early stage. Make sure that your concept is special to suit the unique requirements of a location.

While choosing a vending machine location, the area in the location where you will place your Planet Antares vending machine can make a huge difference in sales. Some of the possibilities include:

a. Next to the entrance
b. Near the exit
c. Next to other vending machines
d. In the waiting room
e. Next to the cash register

Make sure that you are vending with the right type of vending machine. For this, Planet Antares vending machines like the Planet Antares Refreshment Center is recommended. The ability to change your price quickly and easily is critical to the success of your vending machine business.

Vending As A Viable Business Program

2008-05-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

There has been a significant rise in the operating costs since the early days of vending. Still, financial realities make Planet Antares vending a good bet for the serious vending business owners.

In reality, vending may be the last truly viable business opportunity for those who have enterpreneurial skills and want to employ them to earn a good income. Even though the vending industry has consolidated and it has become more expensive for smaller enterprises to play in the “big league”, there is still enough space for the small operators to get their share of the vending industry boom.

Majority of the people start a vending business to earn some extra money as a part-time venture and then slowly build it into a full line vending company. The vending programs offered by Natural Choice USA are easy to start as well as affordable by most people. You can setup your business from home and decide the rate of progress you would like it to have. All in all, this is a very attractive business opportunity.

To start with, you need to purchase new or used Planet Antares glass front vending machines available at highly competitive prices. You may finance this purchase with your own capital. Otherwise, there is an option to get the machines financed by Planet Antares Inc and pay for it in easy monthly installments.

Once you have got the equipment and products to be dispensed through it, start looking for locations that will produce an average minimum sales of $100 per week, per machine and keep the commission costs below 10 percent of sales. Make sure that the products are priced in a way to derive a 50 percent gross profit.

Eventually, you will have to move your busines sout of home and figure out the real cost of running a business. There will be additional costs involved in the shifting process so you need additional revenues to pay for all this. For that, you will have to add new customers and machines to your Planet Antares vending business. Expansion is a must for your business to survive in the ever-changing vending industry.

Depending on the size of the business, your ROI will vary. A realistic estimate in the beginning will be to earn 40-50% ROI. What needs more focus is the cash flow needed to support your operations.

Vending Business And Products

2008-04-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

There are a number of factors to be considered while planning your Planet Antares vending business and products to be offered. These factors will have a direct impact on the sale of your products and of course, business profitability. Some of the main elements are listed below:

a. Customer preferences
One of the major concerns for a customer is the quality and taste of a product. This is even more important that the price of the products at most times and forms a critical factor for the success of your Planet Antares vending business. A good taste will bring customers back to your vending machines for repeat purchases.

b. Product price
The basic aim of your business is to obtain a sufficient margin for both vending operators and distributors. If this element is not handled properly, the other product attributed will not be enough to gain an opening in the vending channel. In well controlled and positioned sections of the vending industry, this is ideal for testing new products and introducing them in the market. The relationship between price and quality is very important. This implies that you must go for a product that is able to generate adequate revenue for your Planet Antares vending business.

c. Promotion
You must be aware of the different ways to promote your vending business products to ensure customer interest and purchases. It is essential for those operators who want augmented vending sales. Offering new products to customers is important and the route personnel must be familiarized with new items. It is a good idea to use planograms to get new items into all your Planet Antares vending machines. In short, whenever there is a new product, you must ensure that the product name is clearly visible in the glass front vending machine.

d. Special offers
Customer attention can be drawn through coupons and discount offers. You can even try sampling to try and get customers to buy new products. This is a unique way to promote the products as it will draw customer interest.

e. Freshness
Always check whether the vending machine products are fresh and high quality. They should not exceed their shelf life. After all, you won’t like customers to buy expired products from your vending machines.

The Art Of Locating Bulk Candy Vending Machines

2008-04-14T01:54:00.000-07:00

When you start a bulk vending business, you will find that locating your bulk candy vending machines will be a difficult thing to learn and do. Even though bulk vending business is a lucrative opportunity to become your own boss, you will not be successful until you learn the art of locating bulk candy vending machines.

Ordering, building and filling of vending equipment is time consuming but it is minor as compared to the task of vending machine location. Once you get the hang of it, you will not be daunted by the task as much as in the beginning. Only the initial task of going out and doing the first locating of your vending machine is tough.

There is no foolproof way to go about the locating of your Planet Antares vending machines. Ask any successful bulk candy vending business owner and you will get the same answer. Just jump in and get the confidence to ask. It’s as simple as that!

Before you actually take the plunge, it’s important to consider a few things like:

1) The machine must be bought from a reliable vending machine company. Now, there are so many providers claming to be the best in the industry that you are probable to make a mistake if you are not careful.

2) Planet Antares Inc is one such company that offers bulk candy vending machines as well as products that are of high quality and branded. You can also enjoy a lot of after sale services like refilling, repair and overall maintenance.

3) When you have purchased the vending machine, make sure that it matches the products to be sold and the locations to be served. The target customers must be considered while making this decision. This will make sure that the branded products are popular and you are able to cater to customers and make them happy.

4) You need to be patient while trying to locate your vending machines. Be ready to get rejected for a few times before you get any success at it. Locations owners may even get aggravated with you but after a week of doing this, you will gain confidence and be able to locate machines faster and faster and be able to anticipate what you will be asked and what you should say.

5) The trick is not to give up no matter how tough it may seem at first. As you gain success, you will get more confident and start locating your vending machines.

Eventually, locating of vending machines should become second nature to you. As you become equipped with this essential art, your vending route will only become more profitable.

Adjusting Price Points To Large Sized Candy

2008-02-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

With the introduction of large sized candy in Planet Antares vending machines, vending operators will have to raise the price of candy bars to adjust to this change. For example, if the vending price is $1 and $0.57 on large sized candy as blended cost and $0.75 on the smaller counterpart with blended cost of $0.38.

Also, you will have to take the commission paid to drivers into consideration (usually 6%). As a percentage of the gross profit, this commission will come to 15% on the large candy and 12% on smaller candy.

The product price needs to be at least $1 for the products to perform well in terms of sale of your Antares vending business. In some cases, it may even exceed one dollar if the larger size line is to be financially profitable. Definitely, higher price points will be beneficial for your vending business. As you strive for higher revenue, it may wreak havoc with the coin mechanisms but that is part of growth and expansion.

In the short term, the operating expenses of the Planet Antares vending remain fixed. These may include:

• Insurance
• Amortization
• Interest
• Depreciation

You must try to make strategies for enhancing each with your vending machines at each stop on the vending route.

The growing popularity of the large sized candy and its offering by many vending operators has provided an opportunity to Planet Antares vending operators to make more money and upgrade business scale. Some concerns associated with this new change include the perception that the proposition promoted by the candy companies is identical to those offered by salted snack companies and bottlers.

Reliable Product Supplier For Your Vending Machine Business

2007-10-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

For those who have a vending machine business, finding a reliable supplier of products is very important for customer satisfaction and the success of their business. People use vending machines to satisfy different kinds of needs. From toys, candy, gumball, soda and snacks to newspapers and digital products, vending machine satisfy diverse desires of customers.

Not only will you need a supplier that provides reliable merchandise but one that provides the same at affordable prices. Planet Antares Inc offers a vast array of high quality vending products at reasonable prices. This is essential to ensure that you get products at a reasonable price and can charge a competitive price from customers. When you fix the price for your products, take into consideration the costs incurred as well as the profit margin.

The $40 billion vending industry has thousands of suppliers who provide a variety of products at varying prices. It may be very difficult to choose the right one that fits all your requirements. Many times, you may end up spending too much time and effort on finding a good product supplier.

The best way to find a reliable supplier is to conduct preliminary research on the Internet for distributors of vending products. You can easily get access to a wide range of products, sellers and wholesalers. Compare different suppliers for the kind of products offered, quality and price. All this can be done from the comfort of your home. It’s just about searching, comparing and ordering the right products.

Online purchasing of vending products is characterized by competitive pricing. As there are many wholesalers and distributors vying for market share, there are plenty of attractive deals available for customers. Choose a reputed supplier after checking their past experience and customer reviews.

Enquire about the shipping and delivery system and charges of the company before ordering products from them. There should be speedy delivery of perishable products like snacks and candy on the same or next day of order while dry, non food items can be delivered within a few days of order.

You should be able to pay through credit or debit card. A website that accepts only cash will not be recommended as this may no be reliable. It is better to go for a supplier who allows you to pay through multiple options like credit card, debit card or check.

While looking for a vending products supplier, keep in mind:

Customer requirements
Business objectives

Serving customers with fresh, branded products is essential for enhancing sales but it is also important that you get these supplies at a low price so that you can earn a decent profit when deciding the mark up price. You must also keep an eye on the latest products in demand, innovations and healthier options to keep your customers coming back for more.

The Work of a Planet Antares Vending Operator

2007-08-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

As a Planet Antares vending business, you would want your snack and beverage vending machines placed in particular locations. Businesses, offices, schools, hospitals and other kind of locations usually require snack and beverage vending machines in their premises. As a vending operator your would have to provide the locations with the Planet Antares vending machines and you would also need to service the vending machines on a regular basis. This is all part of providing vending services to a location.

A vending operator usually cleans, maintains and refills vending machines. The vending operator also collects the money in the machine. The time that it takes to service these machines usually depends on the number of vending machines and the type of vending machines. The location owner usually just provides the location for the vending machine without servicing the vending machines. This is the part that is entirely up to the vending operator. If you fail to service the vending machines effectively, it will result in the location owner being totally disappointed with the services. The owner of the location can even ask you to remove the vending machines. This would mean that you end you losing your business and your company name will also be tainted. That is why it is important to provide quality vending services.

With your Planet Antares vending business, it means that you are providing top notch vending machines. These kind of vending machines never let you down because you will hardly ever experience any downtime. Downtime results in loss of sales. All that you have to do as a vending operator is practice preventative maintenance on the vending machines to keep the vending machines functioning at all times. The location owner should not experience any downtime with the vending machine because it will mean that employees or customers of the location will end up frustrated because of not being able to get what they want, when they want it.

Refilling the Planet Antares vending machines is an integral part of providing quality vending services. When the vending machine is in location you need to watch how it empties, so that you can know when you will need to refill the vending machine. There are items that are usually quick sellers. They are the ones that you have to keep your eye on. Work out a schedule for refilling the vending machine and stick to it. The vending machine should never run out of a particular item. Customers should always find their favorite product in the vending machine. When you are refilling the vending machine, you should also clean it.

As a vending operator you would be required to understand the needs of clients and customers. In other words, you should provide them with the products that they want in the vending machines. Your menu should consist of snack and beverages that are popular at any particular point of time. It is all part of providing services that will keep the customers satisfied.

Implementing Network Communications in your Vending Business

2007-08-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

In vending computer network technology is used to reduce paperwork and improve both internal and external communications. Vending operators have now started implementing state-of-the-art, network communications in their own operations. This is just to improve day to day vending operations. Internet based technology creates better external and internal communications. This is something that you can use in your Planet Antares vending business so that you can reap the benefits of the technology.

While automatic merchandising has gained a reputation for being slow to utilize new technology, only a small percentage of operators have been known 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 vending business, so that you can have a more reliable and effective business.

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 Planet Antares business, you will stand to gain a lot financially with network communications.

Network communications, led by computer and telecommunication providers, has made major 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 in the vending industry.

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. This would make the systems ideal for almost any size of Planet Antares vending operation. This technology is always evolving, which means that network computer communications will play a role in any industry where services are delivered from multiple locations.

Technology is changing the face of the vending industry. Implementing network communications systems in your Planet Antares vending business is a great way of improving the running of your vending business. With this technology, you can be sure that you will see an increase in your profit level.

Planet Antares Vending Machines

2007-07-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares vending machines have the advantage of functioning perfectly, looking great and being durable. If you want vending machines that will make you the most money for the best possible price, then these are the vending machines to buy. These are quality vending machines that will not let you down.

When you are a vending operator that wants to provide quality vending services to different facilities or locations, then you would need to start by acquiring quality vending machines like those that are provided by Planet Antares. Avoid cheap vending machines that are of low quality. If you buy these vending machines, you will end up spending more on repairs and you will experience loses due to downtime. This will all make achieving profitability in your vending business next to impossible. Low quality vending machines usually cost less money and that’s what attracts unsuspecting customers. To find quality vending machines, look for customer reviews on the vending machines that you are interested in. Those who have used Planet Antares vending machines, always have positive feedback about the machines.

With quality vending machines, you don’t really have to worry about the vending machine breaking down. These kinds of vending machines are made with the strongest materials using the latest technology. This is what makes them durable as well as trouble free. If you have a vending machine that continuously breaks down, you will end up losing sales that would have otherwise been made. The reputation of your vending machine will also be damaged, because if your vending machine is known to be a machine that breaks down at any time, people will end up avoiding the vending machine altogether.

If you question people on their vending machine experiences, you will find that some have had situations where coins have got stuck in the coin mechanism of the vending machine or a product refuses to eject from the vending machine. Customers get frustrated by such experiences because the money that they have placed in the vending machine goes to waste or they don’t receive their expected change. This usually makes them shake the vending machine, which can possibly cause damage to the machine. Planet Antares vending machines are made with the best mechanism and are designed in such a way that allows for easy delivery of products. These vending machines will help you beat out the competition in your area. Quality vending machines are reliable and durable. They can stand the test of time without giving you too much trouble.