Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tips To Install Planet Antares Vending Machines

If you are thinking of installing vending machines in your office, it is a great idea!

For employees who can’t leave their office, snack and beverage vending machines setup within the premises are a good way of appeasing their hunger. There are various options available to you for the installation of vending machines in your company.

With a medium sized business with 20-50 people, you can get the local vending operators to setup vending machines at your location. This will enable you to enjoy the benefits of a vending machine while its maintenance, filling, collection and insurance will be undertaken by the vending operator himself. Try to negotiate the price of the products being offered to your employees so that you can get a subsidized rate.

If you are not ready to invest a large amount of money for installing vending machines in your premises, Planet Antares Inc can provide reasonably priced machines to you. Other options include vending machines on rent or even used machines. However, in this case you will have to take care of the vending machine on your own.

Rented vending machines may also have various conditions attached to them. Products may have to be purchased from the vending machine supplier only. This may include their profit margin and the products may be costlier than other sources. Your product cost may go up to $100 per month in such a situation.

As you can charge as much as you want on the vending products from customers and get considerable amount of control, this is a good way of starting a low-capital vending machine.

In order to gain total control over your vending machines, you should consider buying a new Planet Antares vending machine. This allows you ultimate control and freedom to price the products as per your discretion. You would not have to share your profits or agree to any stipulations given by the vending machine supplier.

While a new bulk candy machine costs about $350-450, snack machines can be a little more expensive ($ 3000-5000). Gather information about different kinds of vending machines and reliable vendors like Planet Antares Inc. This will help you decide the best vending machine for your office or store. You can find a good bargain if you compare different companies for the type of machines offered and their reliability.

Avoid ‘quick money’ schemes that claim to be the ‘golden opportunity’ for new vending machine buyers. If vending is not your primary business, treat it like a good supplement and not a money making machine.

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Planet Antares Vending Route Essentials

Starting a full line vending business requires understanding and implementation of various factors. Such information is available on the internet, library or any other source of information.

However, the best and first hand source of information about the vending business is vending operators. They can give you input about any aspect of the vending business from their opinion and experience.

For a thorough insight into the basics of vending route management, the best way is to go out on the vending route with other vending operators. Look for operators in your local area who can help you gather information before starting your Planet Antares vending business.

Despite being your competitors, there are several vending operators who will be ready to share this information and take you out on a vending route. This allows you to find out about locations that are ideal for snack and beverage vending machines. Different locations are suitable for different vending machines.

Search for specific locations if you want to setup snack and beverage vending machines. As a Planet Antares vendor, you have the advantage of having vending machines that are always in demand in diverse locations.

Also, it is important to see how the vending operator relates with the location owner. You can understand the needs of a location only when you have good relations with the owner. In the long run, it is a must to ensure the owner’s satisfaction with your vending services.

By going out on a Planet Antares vending route, you can also meet the suppliers who provide the products needed for your vending machines. They can tell you which products are in demand and how they sell.

Apart from this, you can know about and compare the prices of different products on the vending route. Purchases should be made from a supplier who offers products at a reasonable price so that you can make a decent profit in your Planet Antares vending business.

To ensure the growth and profitability of your vending business, you must focus on providing quality vending services. You will get an idea about the kind of servicing that a snack and beverage vending business needs by going out on a vending route. You may even learn how to do some minor repairs on the vending machines.

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Rising Costs of Vending Operations

Planet Antares vending operators, among others, have raised their prices in several product categories but the price increases are not enough to offset the losses in pre-location sales or machine placements. Usually, the price gains are only a few cents on an average. This implies selective increases on an account basis as opposed to “across the board” increases.

In contrast, the operating costs have risen in other sectors as well. Along with product price rise, there has been an increase in fuel prices. This trend of rising prices has given Planet Antares vending operators a double whammy, because besides raising their own operating costs, these increases also result in lower disposable income for customers, leading them to spend less on refreshments.

Moreover, currency upgrades can also add to cost of operations. Recently, the government introduced a new design for the 20 dollar bill. Upgrades of bill changers and validators continued at certain percentage points.

Planet Antares vendors viewed higher denomination as a way to support higher product prices. Higher denomination bill acceptance also made it essential to have dollar coin payout, which required more 4 and 5 tube coin changers.

Due to rising operating costs, market share has been driven to both the extra-large and small operators. The larger operators have the financial resources to meet increasing costs and offer a wider range of products and services at the same time. The small operators enjoy the advantage of low overhead.

The ability of Planet Antares vending operators to invest in new technologies that offer customer benefits can also be limited by suppressed revenues. Cashless payment options and broadband wireless internet facility have already been offered by convenience stores and other sectors to attract more customers.

Vending operators fall behind in this race to offer customers new technology. There has been hardly any improvement in the percentage of operators that use DEX handheld computers which allow for more accurate cash counting and the ability to match selections to account preferences based on line item sales.

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Planet Antares Offers Vending Enlightenment

This article is an eye opener for people who don’t want to one of the thousands who enter the vending industry with very little or no information about the way vending business works. Don’t make the mistake of investing your money in the wrong machines, products or even, the wrong line of business.

Defining “Vending”
A vending machine is the equipment that stores products purchased by customers in exchange for coins or other forms of currency. These machines are strategically located at places where potential customers are likely to visit frequently.

The products stocked in the vending machine will be displayed to make it easier for the customers to see what the machine offers. Planet Antares vending machines are of various types, including food and non-food vending machines of different sizes, styles and colors. They may offer a variety of products or a single line of items. Also, a vending machine can be simple or complex in features and technological terms.

Location Matters
Even though it seems like vending machines are everywhere, there are still many untapped places that can be used as potential profit areas. Usually, vending machines are located in offices. Even hospital corridors, lunchrooms and cafeteria are common ground for vending machines. Such places have many people waiting for long periods of time. Other good locations include hotels, schools, museums and retail stores.

Business Tips
As you enter the vending business, gather information about the rules and regulations applicable to the vending industry. You will also need a license to work as a vending operator. The next step will be to find a vending machine manufacturer or supplier. You can either buy a new machine or take it on lease. Planet Antares Inc can provide reliable machines and other services at competitive prices.

Vending franchise is also gaining popularity as you can start as a novice and get guidance regarding the vending locations, machines, products, tax and legal issues from the vending company that offers the franchise to you.

Vending Machine Maintenance
A good vending machine supplier will help you establish and manage your vending business effectively. You should have access to continuous technical and customer support to keep your machine up and running at all times. Also, you must track product performance and replace outdated products.

In short, you need to carefully analyze, interpret and implement the various factors involved in vending business for it to be profitable.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Recent Sales Scenario In Vending Business

The 2005 Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report reported that the vending industry witnessed its first sales gain since the recession that began in 2001.

With the slowly recovering economy, the vending industry’s total sales rose to $21.26 billion. This growth can be mainly attributed to higher product sales. Planet Antares vending operators were also faced with an increase in operating costs along with the increase in product prices.

According to a recent study, consumers are drinking more speciality coffee. The percentage of Americans who drink coffee daily is also going up. Other than the workplace, people are also going out to buy coffee. This is a great opportunity for coffee vending machine operators to grab a larger market share and increase sales and profits.

In the past few years, vending operators had to face the challenge of pulling equipment out of large traditional industrial accounts. This resulted in a fall of the manufacturing/warehouse/fabrication accounts below 30% of the total customers in the vending industry in 2004. Such shifts in the customer base indicate the changes witnessed in the nation’s workforce.

Moreover, many vending operators retreated from accounts in schools and correctional facilities. They realized that these accounts were based on commissions and must be periodically rebid.

In contrast, the school authorities consider vending machines as direct competition to their schools and not as support service. The nutritional restrictions also compromised the school accounts to a great extent. Planet Antares vending operators can tackle such situations by placing healthier food items in the vending machines.

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Fuel Saving On Vending Business Operations

The problem of high fuel costs is being faced by almost all the vending businesses. There seems to be a constant rise in cost of fuel. A vending operation always uses a vehicle to transport products from the base to the locations.

If you are running a Planet Antares vending business from your home, you would be using your personal vehicle. On the other hand, if you are running your business from a warehouse, you will be using a vending truck since it is more spacious.

For sizeable Planet Antares vending business, you will probably have to hire a route driver. A route driver can easily waste the fuel of a vending truck by using it for personal reasons. This would be added cost for your vending business. Your fuel usage may increase due to lack of maintenance of the vending machines. That is why you need to look for ways of saving fuel.

Technology
Planet Antares vending operators should be aware that technology offers new ways to save fuel, but these are long term and not short term solutions. However, technology will require an upfront investment.

One technology that some operators have added in their vending operations is satellite-based fleet monitoring, known as Global Positioning Systems (GPS). This system can improve operating efficiencies and employee accountability. This allows you to save fuel in several ways, like: 1) they allow you to know if there is any unauthorized use of the vehicle; 2) they make it easier to determine more efficient routing; and 3) it allows you to monitor the speed of the drivers.

Alternative fuel
Another long term solution for your Planet Antares vending operations is to use alternative fuel. Today, propane is less expensive than either diesel or gasoline. This is just one fuel option that you can use in your vending business so that you can cut down on the amount of money you spend on fuel. Vending operators need to consider performance differences when looking at alternative fuels.

Fuel saving tips for route drivers
1) Keep tires properly inflated because under inflated tires can decrease fuel economy.
2) Drive at a steady pace. Unnecessary speed-ups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy.
3) Perform maintenance checks according to schedule.
4) Avoid lengthy engine idling. Turn the engine off when you are delayed for more then a couple of minutes.

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Monday, December 8, 2008

Planet Antares Inc Offers Snack And Beverage Vending

A Planet Antares snack and beverage vending business can be a profitable venture.
If your vending machines are well maintained and you use the right vending program, you will earn great rewards within no time. Here are a few tips that can be used to make your vending business more profitable:

a. Spread out your route in a way to increase your sales volume. More the selections placed in your Planet Antares vending machines, more will be the profits that the location will generate.

b. Be smart and try to avoid paying commission to the location owners who keep your vending machines. Make an offer of free advertising of their business on your other vending machines in other locations. If the owner of the premises still wants a commission, set the sale price at a level that covers the commission.

c. Vend sodas for 50 cents and your chips for the same amount. The customers will be inclined to spend the whole dollar in your Planet Antares vending machines.

d. Always keep “mountain dew” in your vending machine. It is a favorite among kids and popular among adults too.

e. Keep in mind that 24 oz bottles cost you much less than 20 oz bottles.

f. To pull canned drinks from the lanes of a vending machine at a faster pace, try using a toy arrow.

g. By using only quarters in your bill changer, you will only get the whole dollar fed back into the vending machine. Focus on maximizing the profits of your Planet Antares vending business whenever it is possible.

h. Make sure that your Planet Antares vending machines are well maintained. Service on a regular basis is essential along with replacement of slow moving products to alternatives whenever required.

i. Attractive looking vending machines have greater potential for encouraging impulse buying by customers. So, try to make your vending machines look nice and interesting.

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Planet Antares Inc Recommends Vending E-books

When you go online, you will find thousands of e-books about different topics, including the vending business. The internet allows you to learn whatever you want to know about starting and running a vending machine business from these e-books and articles on the web.

Here you can find bookstores with books related to vending business that allow you to download the e-book of your choice for a reasonable price.

Once you starting searching, you will come across e-books on every subject imaginable and you won’t even need to leave your computer. Usually, e-books can be downloaded through Adobe Reader, Mobipocket Reader and Microsoft Reader. You can even find complete start-up guides for starting a Planet Antares vending business. You will slowly learn how to bring in big profits from vending machine sales.

Every year, Americans utilize vending machines to the tune of more than $40 billion or more in buying sodas, candy, water, coffee and snacks of all kinds. The booming vending business is attracting a lot of interest from people who want to become entrepreneurs. Vending e-books will effectively guide you for just that.

Planet Antares vending is a great way to start your own business. There will be very little maintenance required and it is an all cash business, no fooling around with checks. It is best to start with a part time business by placing a few vending machines with local businesses. Gradually, you will be able to invest more in your business and take your vending business to greater levels of growth and success.

Vending e-books will show you the entire do’s and don’ts of the vending business. This includes the best locations to place your vending machines, where to purchase new machines at a discount, tips on account management and other helpful information. You can buy them for very less price.

Don’t get confused by all the books on the subject of vending that are found on the internet. Just browse through what is available and choose one that you think will give you the information you seek. You may even want to read more than one vending e-book on the subject to learn everything possible about the Planet Antares vending business.

The best thing about e-books is that these don’t take up much time space and no shelf space at all. You will be able to find certain subjects on a larger and more efficient scale than you would a physical book. Starting a lucrative vending business will become much easier with a well chosen e-book.

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