Monday, March 29, 2010

Start Your Planet Antares Vending Machine Business with New Machines

Vending is a very simple and profitable business if only you know the intricacies of its operation. We often see that most of the times operators spend lot of money in starting a business but tend to compromise when it comes to purchasing of a vending machine.

The most common issue with new operators is that they get lured by attractive and misleading ads given by companies trying to sell their used vending machines. The only benefit as it may seem purchasing a used machine is that it costs less when compared to a Planet Antares new machine. However this is not true. Used machines have been subjected to a lot of wear and tear by its previous users and hence have more chances for a break down.

Which machine do I need to purchase? This is a very common question that keeps haunting most operators who are new to this field. Let us look at the benefits of purchasing new vending machines. This can help you in finding answers to all your queries.

• Latest features: Technology advancement can be witnessed in the progress made in vending industry. Several models of vending machines are introduced into the market and most of these come with latest and advanced features. All these would definitely aid in boosting the sales of your business.

• Efficient and reliable: Since new vending machines come with inbuilt features they are highly efficient and effective in terms of performance.

• Worth every penny invested: Operators are only under the myth that new vending machines are expensive in comparison to used ones. This is definitely not true in the long run as operators end up spending huge money on maintenance and repairs of used machines. Moreover operators can even go for basic models of vending machines that do not cost more but at the same time are highly efficient.

• Warranty: The main advantage of purchasing a new vending machine is that they come with warranty. So even if something goes wrong during the warranty period, the company takes care of it.

These benefits would definitely prompt you to purchase a new vending machine in stead of a used one.

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Two Sides Of Vending Business – Planet Antares

“Every coin has two sides” this saying holds good even for vending business. We have often been hearing that vending is an ever growing business that is least affected by fluctuating markets and economic crisis. Perhaps this is the only business that has been able to provide several unemployed with employment opportunities even during severe recession. All these facts make this business highly popular among the business world. Some of the benefits of taking up this business are:

• Absolutely Zero employees: Vending does not require you to employ any sales personnel. Your machine is your salesman and takes care of everything.

• Complete cash business: In other businesses there is every possibility of running into bad debts. But since vending is a complete cash business, you can generate revenue right from day one of installation of the machine. Since all transactions take place through cash there will not be any issues with credit card acceptances etc.

• Start up cost: This business does not require huge floor space and your major investment goes into purchasing the machine. Hence start up cost is less when compared to other businesses.

However, vending industry also faces two main challenges. These are:

• Repairs and breakdowns: In case you purchase a used or refurbished machine, they are more prone to repairs and frequent break downs. It is advisable that the operator knows how to fix minor problems. This will prevent inoperative machines for a long time and thus prevent you from losing customers.

• Location: Identifying the appropriate location may not always be possible. More over areas with high customer traffic have huge competition. This can have negative impact on your sales and profitability.

An able and eminent operator who finds ways to overcome these hurdles is sure to taste success in this business.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Vending Nutritious Food – Planet Antares Promotions

Although there are several locations with heavy customer traffic, schools have always remained preferred choice for vending operators. There has been some debate on this issue in the recent past mainly due to growing obesity concerns in children. It is quite shocking to know that majority children have fallen prey to obesity.

This has raised alarm in schools and among parents. Vending machines were amongst the first to be blamed for this crisis situation. In order to accommodate changing trends and shift towards healthier vending, operators are advised to dispense only healthy snacks and food items in machines installed in schools. This is quite challenging task as it becomes almost impossible to place both healthy and less healthy items next to each other and encourage students to purchase only healthy food.

How can this be achieved? Customer education is the only option left with vending operators. As obesity is a growing problem, the trend towards healthy vending is not just limited to schools but even expanding towards adults. In case you own a vending business operator, how can you mould this situation to your advantage? The answer is quite simple. Besides offering items, operators need to offer wide assortment of nuts, dried fruit, trail mixes, nutrition bars, yogurt bars, and meal replacement bars, several new introductions are made every month. Low calorie cookies, candy bars and baked black bean chips are also offered for sale.

Healthy food items like healthy cereal, corn flakes, salads and combo meals need to be dispensed in your machine. In fact few schools are introducing soymilk and juice vending machines from Planet Antares as a replacement to junk food machines. Vending machines are even offering vitamins, minerals, trace elements and several other pills in vending packs.

. With more and more customer switching to healthy foods, vending machine operators need to identify new methods for increasing varieties of healthy items in their vending machines.

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Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Planet Antares Vending Machines

Whenever we talk of vending machines or vending business, we are often reminded of machines located in schools, offices or shopping malls offering wide range of services to customers across the globe. It is quite surprising that most new operators are not even aware of the possibility of locating vending machines outdoors.

However, outdoor location of vending machine is still under consideration. This does not mean that none of these machines were ever located outdoors. We rarely find few machines located in amusement centers and parks. It is really interesting to know that vending machines located outdoors have the ability of generating huge sales.

Besides this, vending machines located outdoors have their own advantages, the main benefit being wider reach. Some of the attractive features of outdoor vending machines are mentioned below:

• Increase footage: Vending machines installed outdoors are capable of increasing footage in retail stores. This is a dual benefit of locating the machine outdoor. A customer who visits the retail store is automatically attracted towards the machine and vice versa with a customer who visits the Planet Antares machine. In both these cases, sales of both vending machine and retail stores can be boosted.

• Machines that are located outside parks have noticed that there has been an increase in the number of people visiting parks.

• National accounts of vending management companies that manage vending companies have advised vending operators to make better use of vending opportunities including outdoor sites.

The only negative aspect of outdoor vending machine lies in its maintenance. Indoor vending machines on the other hand are hassle free in terms of maintenance. But in terms of profitability, there is a mixed reaction in the market. Some people feel that outdoor and indoor machine generate the almost similar returns. While vending management companies are of the view that outdoor locations provide higher sales and revenue when compared to indoor ones.

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Friday, March 05, 2010

How to Start a Planet Antares Vending Business

There are several entrepreneurs who love to start their own vending business but hesitate to do the same due to lack of self confidence and lot of confusion. They do not have clear cut idea on various aspects including which products to be offered, kind of machine to be used and where to locate it?

These doubts can be clarified by conducting a thorough market research. The information gathered in this market research will answer all your queries. Profit margins are very high in vending business. This does not mean that it is the same across all products. Operators need to be very careful while choosing products to be vended in his machine.

Now that you have decided on what you would like to dispense, your next move would be to identify location that has maximum target customers visiting it. Ideal locations for installing Planet Antares vending machines are busy streets, commercial complexes, airports, rest rooms, bus stations, shopping malls or any other place with huge gathering is ideal. Customer reach is essential to make vending business a success and for this to happen, you need to install your machine in the right place.

Pricing of products offered is also equally important. The unique feature about this business is that it can be taken up by anyone and does not require any specialized skill set or technical knowledge. Another thing that makes this business attractive is the ROI it promises. The easy of operation, flexibility in working hours and no need of sales staff makes this a very cost effective business.

Besides the kind of machine used, products dispensed and location installed, vending business is also influenced by the kind of customer services rendered and the extent to which you have been successful in satisfying your customers. In order to achieve this and make your business a big success, keep your machine clean and attractive, detect and rectify faults with the machine, keep your machine fully stocked and ensure you vend only best quality products

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Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Things You Need To Know About Vending Business – Tips from Planet Antares

Vending is one of the very few business opportunities that gives you complete freedom in terms of its operation. You can operate this business either from your residence on a full term or part term basis. However, before starting this business, there are few things which you need to understand. You also need complete clarity in terms of the product you would like to dispense, location in which you would like to install the machine, kind of machine you would like to purchase and many more.

All this is crucial because different vending machines have different calibre and ability to vend different products. So before choosing any particular machine or product, you need to understand your target customer needs and preferences. What kind of vending product will appeal to customers and potential locations for installing them? For instance: the ideal place for locating healthy vending machines would be fitness centers, schools and hospitals. Thus it becomes imperative to consider potential locations you will be placing your machines while deciding on what product to vend and which machines to purchase.

Before purchasing any vending machine, consider the location in which you would be placing them. Ask yourself if a compact machine can serve your purpose or should you go for larger full line machines. Each of these machines has its own set of merits and demerits. The choice therefore would depend on the operator’s interest and his financial limitations.

Energy efficiency is another important aspect which operators need to consider while purchasing vending machines. Cost control is one aspect which every vending operator is particular about. This is another major reason why some operators prefer small preferably coin operated vending machines for starting their business.

The kind of products you offer should not be repetitive in nature. Dispensing rare and latest products or products with maximum demand is one way of grabbing customer attention. If required, operators need to do through market research and find products and vending machines that are unique.

These simple points if borne in mind can bring operators huge success. Planet Antares staff can help you in all your needs to get started and can guide you whenever you face any issue.

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