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- 🍫 What If My Vending Machines Don’t Make Money?
🍫 What If My Vending Machines Don’t Make Money?
Here’s how to minimize risk
Hey there, Vendpreneur!
Welcome to Becoming a Vendpreneur—where every week I help you navigate the challenges of running a vending machine business, whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your operation.
This week, I want to tackle something I keep seeing everywhere - Reddit threads, TikTok comments, DMs in my inbox. People asking the same question over and over:
"What if my vending machines don't make money?"
Here are 5 ways to reduce that risk:
🍫 Test before going all in
🔍 Research before you place
📊 Know your breakeven point
💸 Protect yourself with contracts
🔄 Learn how to adapt from slow months
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Look, it's a totally valid concern.
I see the same stories everywhere - operators complaining their machines haven't sold anything in weeks, expensive equipment just sitting there making zero money because they chose terrible locations.
But most of those failures were completely avoidable.
Here are 5 things successful operators do differently 👇
#1: Test before going all in 🍫
Vending machines run $2,000-$4,000 refurbished and $4,000+ brand new.
That's too much money to gamble on a broken machine.
Before you buy, make sure your machine:
Accepts cards and tap-to-pay (cash-only is dead)
Has clean motors and coils that actually work
Comes with a warranty or service guarantee
Fits your target locations (compact works best for nightlife)
And here's the biggest mistake I see - don't buy any machine until you've already secured a location for it.
Too many people get excited, buy the machine first, then spend months trying to find somewhere to put it while it sits in their garage eating up their investment.
Location first, machine second. Always.
#2: Research before you place 🔍
Not every bar or club is the same, and some won’t make you money.
Go on a random Tuesday night and count foot traffic yourself.
Check if there’s another machine already nearby.
Ask staff when the club is busiest and when it’s dead.
Pay attention to the crowd too - college kids, working professionals, and tourists all have different spending habits and needs.
Doing this up front saves you from placing in a dead location.
#3: Know your breakeven point 📊
Most machines need 30 to 50 sales per day to cover costs like the machine, product, and card reader fees.
But that’s for machines that sell $1 chips and sodas.
In nightlife, the average price of each item is $13.
Which makes breaking even and taking home profit waaay faster and easier.
Track sales closely for the first 30 days.
If a location isn’t consistently hitting breakeven, don’t get emotional.
Pull the machine and place it somewhere stronger.
What would you put in your nightlife vending machine? |
#4: Protect yourself with contracts 💸
Loss doesn’t just come from bad locations, slow sales, or theft.
It can also come from miscommunication with the venue.
Always get agreements in writing.
A simple one-page contract should cover commission, placement rules, and terms for removal.
One piece of paper can save you thousands down the line.
#5: Learn how to adapt from slow months 🔄
A few months ago, I hit my lowest sales month of the year: $27,374.62 - that's 72% below my average.
Why? Summer break in Oxford, MS. Students left and sales tanked.
Seasonal dips happen. College towns die in summer, tourist spots slow in the off-season.
The key isn't avoiding it, it's planning for it: spread your locations, stock year-round products, and use slow months to test and optimize.
Remember - machines aren't sunk costs, they're mobile. If a location goes dead, move it somewhere better.
📉 The Truth About “Failure”
Bad location ≠ business failure. It just means you haven't found your goldmine yet.
Successful operators move fast. Wrong products? Switch them. Dead spot? Relocate the machine.
It's problem-solving, not rocket science.
But let’s be honest - most people aren't cut out for this business.
They want passive income without doing any actual work. They want guaranteed results without taking any risk.
That's not how real money is made.
But if you're tired of playing it safe and ready to actually build something:
Pod Plug has the system, the locations, and the proven products that work. We've eliminated most of the guesswork so you can focus on what matters - making money.
This opportunity is perfect if you have:
💵 $15K in available capital
💼 Sales experience (or willingness to learn)
🔥 Drive to build something real
💪 Commitment to make it work
Sound like you? Let's talk.
And That’s a Wrap!
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter.
Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I read every single reply and I’d love to hear from you!
See you next Saturday!
-Ethan
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