Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Product Selection in Vending Machine Business

With vending industry reaching its pinnacle, several hundreds of vending machine models alone with products to be offered in them have been designed. The success of this business is influenced by several factors and “products” dispensed is one among them. There are several factors that influence the choice of product selection. For instance: the kind of machine used, target audience, location and pricing. Keeping these things in mind operators need to select a product that he would like to dispense in his machine. Stocking your machine with the right kind of product is going to give you guaranteed success? How do you know if a product is perfect or not? There are few aspects that help you in your choice of product selection. These are:

• Branded items: Modern customers are highly brand cautious. So, try to offer branded products. Another benefit of selling branded products is that operator need not incur additional expenses on advertising as brand name itself creates a demand for the product.

• Vending is purely an instinct based business so presentation is very important. Attractive packaging is capable of grabbing attention of customers and even forces them to purchase the product.

• One of the attractive features of vending business is its high profit margins. Hence operators should always try to prefer products with high profit margins. This is the best way to generate more revenue from every single item sold.

• Quality is also vital for success of a business. Hence operators should never compromise on quality. Try to vend only high quality products. This has dual benefits. First, it will increase your good will in the market and second thing is that, it also boosts sales of your products.

• Consider your target customers financial ability while choosing the product: If you are setting up your vending business in a middle class locality, then vend products that are within their range.

• Try to vend latest and innovative products that have huge demand: With changing times, customer’s tastes and preferences are also changing. So try to introduce latest and novel products that meet their requirements.

For more tips of product selection for your location, get in touch with Planet Antares Inc’s support team.

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Tips for Running Planet Antares Vending Machine Business Successfully

All those who have an intention of starting there own vending business also need to familiarise themselves with few aspects relating to this business. If this is done, success is sure to touch your feet. If you are a full time employee looking for some additional income to support your family or an unemployed youth looking for a business that does not ask huge capital, vending is ideal business for you.

To begin with, it is always advisable to start this business on a small scale and gradually expand over a period of time. Operators should always remember one thing, kind of vending machine you have purchased products you are dispensing in it, location of vending machine and kind and quality of services rendered by you can either make or break your business.

Even though there is wide variety of vending machines available in the market, it is always advisable to start your new business with a new vending machine of reputed brand. These machines not only come with warranty but are highly efficient in terms of their performance.

There are hundreds of products available in the market. The kind of product you dispense should be one that meets customer requirements and best suits your vending machine. Besides this location is another key factor determining the success of your business? While finalising a location make sure it is easily accessible and visible to your target customers.

Quality of products dispensed along with the kind of service rendered will help in attracting new customers thereby boost your sales. Planet Antares Vending is a customer oriented business so keeping customers happy and satisfied is very significant. A happy and satisfied customer would be able to bring in another ten along with him.

Last and most important aspect is budget. Although this is discussed at the end it is the basis for establishing a business. If due attention is paid to these factors, success is inevitable.

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Monday, March 29, 2010

Is Advertising Required In Planet Antares Vending Business

Starting vending business on a small scale is the most common practice adopted by most vending operators. However at a particular stage in this business, expansion becomes unavoidable. Should operators adopt advertising techniques at this stage? What is advertising and is it really essential in vending business? Advertising is nothing but a mode of communication that tries to persuade customers and potential customers to purchase one or more products of a particular brand.

When it comes to necessity of advertising, over the past few years it has been observed that advertising has been able to create awareness in the minds of customers and create an instinct in them to purchase a product. The impact of advertising has been so high, that customers have started associating products with the ads they watch. With more and more medium for advertising increasing, businessmen and customers are enjoying the benefits.

Even if an operator wants to go for advertising he needs to be very careful and strategically select the most appropriate one suitable for his business model. Few things which operators need to bear in mind while choosing mode of advertising are:

• Message: This is a competitive market hence everyone is vying for the same set of applicants. That is why it is important for you to take some time out in order to design you ad in a unique way. This can distinguish you from other competitors.

• Unique: The ad you place should not be one among the group. It has to be unique and very effective.

• Scale of operation: The choice of adverting also depends on the scale of your operations. You can resort to internet if you want to reach a larger group of audience on the other hand if your services are just limited to few selected areas then yellow pages may be ideal for you.

Whatever may be the case, advertising is definitely going to impact your Planet Antares business by popularising your business and thus spreading your reach.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Finding Right Vending Locations – Planet Antares

“Product, Price, Place and Promotion” are the elements of marketing mix. Location is of great significance in vending business. Irrespective of the machine you purchase and the product you load with it, the final location in which you install this machine determines the success or failure of your business.

Schools, hospitals, colleges, malls, offices, recreation centers, railway stations, bus station and any other place with huge gathering are generally preferred for locating a Planet Antares vending machine. However, operator cannot decide on a location just like that. The choice of location is influenced by the kind of product you dispense and your target customers.

If you are offering candy bars or any other product targeting kids, schools or parks would be ideal for locating these machines. Similarly the price of the product you dispense also influences the location in which you place your machine. For instance- if you are dispensing a product targeting higher end customers, there is no point installing your machine in a middle class or lower middle class locality.

There are few aspects you need to keep on mind whenever you choose a vending location.

• Accessibility: Is the location easily accessible.

• Visibility: There should not be any problem in locating the machine. It is always better to place your machines in places where people wait for some time. For instance you can place your machines near rest rooms or entrance of a hotel or near the reception.

• Transport: You need to restock your machines at times so make sure that it is not too far from your regular vending route.

The aim of vending business is to attract people and create an instinct to make a purchase. To make this happen you need to make sure that your machine is in good working condition and properly maintained. An attractive and stylish machine can easily grab the attention of customers.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Vending Journey – Planet Antares

Although vending machines have gained prominence in the recent past, they have been in existence for quite sometime now. Initially these machines were used to dispense holy water in Egyptian temples. Gradually as people realised the benefits associated with the use of these machines, they started using them for dispensing almost all kinds of products and services.

This entire change did not happen in a day or two. Vending industry has been through lot of transition before reaching its present form. Coin operated vending machines were first introduced in London for dispensing post cards. The limitations in these machines resulted in designing of higher and better versions of vending machines. Coin operated vending machines were immediately followed by automated and glass front vending machines. Each of these machines has its own set of merits and demerits.

Soon vending machines started offering everything including cigars, postcards, stamps etc. In the next stage a completely coin operated vending machine was opened in 1902. Technological advancement has lead to designing of first ever automatic vending machines that dispensed sodas into cups. Since then there was no looking back in this industry.

Modern day vending machines from Planet Antares have completely changed the entire scenario. Modern machines have the ability to accept debit and credit cards as a mode of payment. These machines have been revived to such an extent that you do not need coins or dollar bills for buying a bottle of coke or any product for that matter. Vending machines have the ability accept any mode of payment right away.

There is no doubt in saying that there are several benefits for both operators and customers. Customers are able to access instant services at a click of a button while operators are able to generate huge revenue from this business. Thus this industry soon grew to become a billion dollar company giving huge employment opportunities to several upcoming entrepreneurs.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Planet Antares Tips For Purchasing Right Vending Machine

Purchase of vending machine is the first step while starting a vending business. The choice of purchase is greatly influenced by your own business needs. Operators should bear this in mind while selecting a vending machine. The kind of machine you purchase should be able to meet all your business requirements.

With increase in number of vending operators, a wide variety of vending machines are being offered in the market. Hence operators should carefully evaluate them before deciding which one to purchase. Vending machines available in the market can be broadly classified into three kinds:

Mechanical vending machines: These machines as the name denotes do not work on electricity and at the same time these machines do not come with any automated features. However there are many benefits associated with its purchase, such as

• Easy to install.
• Generates revenue in the form of cash coins.
• Easy to haulage.
• Simple refill and repairing process.
• Zero electricity bill.


Electrical vending machines: As the name suggests, these machines require electricity to work efficiently. The problems faced in mechanical vending machines can be over come by using an electrical vending machine.

Combination vending machine: In case an operator is aiming at offering more than one product at a time, combo vending machines are appropriate. Besides being attractive and easy to operate, this machine also has larger storage capacity and can also generate higher revenue.

In case you are new to vending industry, it is advisable to start this business on a smaller scale using simple machines that not only cost less but can also be operated and maintained easily. Before concluding, we would once again like to reiterate that the selection of vending machine is influenced by several factors including your business objectives, scale of operation and financial limitations. Hence operator needs to keep these things in mind while choosing the right vending machine.

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Location Significant For Successful Vending Business

Every business is started with an intention for further expansion. This is true even in the case of a vending business. When you are in the outlook of expansion and find a machine for sale, do not jump in haste. Take your own time and evaluate the business before to proceed. Few operators perceive vending as a mode for getting rich. This is a completely wrong conception. 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.

With the advent of vending machines trading has been made more simple and easy task. Immaterial of which place you are in, you can easy access your most favourite product anytime and at any place. Be it the traditional products like gumball, candy, beverage, snacks or the latest products like iPods, DVD, newspaper, laundry and many more, vending machines sell all of them.

Some very popular and promising locations for installing your Planet Antares machines could be radio and TV stations, club houses, lounges, night clubs, banks, restaurants, fitness centers, schools, hospitals, air ports etc. The main purpose of installing vending machines is to increase accessibility and convenience to customers. So operator needs to locate an area that has maximum customer traffic and to get this he may even need to pay some commission to the location owner.

It is a proved fact that all locations are not the same. For instance a vending machine with candy balls placed in a school and one that is place near a health club may not generate the same sales. There is no scarcity of locations. In case you are unable to locate suitable locations all by yourself, you can take the help of a vending locator. The success of your business no doubt depends on how well you choosing a location.

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