Planet Antares Resources | Planet Antares | Planet Antares Vending

Friday, November 30, 2007

How To Reduce Vending Business Delivery Trips

When you are running a vending business, there will be several issues that need to be effectively handled to reduce costs and increase productivity. One such aspect will be the fuel cost which can be lowered by using less gas. This will be possible with lesser deliveries. Doing this will allow for better use of the driver’s time and provide higher value to your business for the same health care and wages costs.

Most vending operators are concerned about the rising product costs, vending commissions and overall, operational costs. This reduces the potential for substantial profits. If you are one of them, you must start looking for ways to cut down on those rapidly climbing expenses and costs.

It’s important to look at certain “metrics” for your Planet Antares vending machines and plan for the updating of delivery schedules and Plano grams accordingly.

Vending machine technology has witnessed great advances and innovations in the recent past. The modern vending software system allows you to collect and analyze the appropriate metrics in a much simpler way. If you don’t want to spend excessively on buying and installing such software, the task of cost reduction can still be successfully accomplished.

Here are the most important metrics to be analyzed for each vending machine that has been recently serviced and repaired.

a. The number of columns in the vending machine that were empty or in other words, empty.
b. The number of products that have been sold out.
c. The portion or percentage of machine that was empty when the driver arrived at site to refill and service it.
d. The percentage of machine capacity that was filled when the driver or operator left after servicing it
e. The value of vending sales in dollars

The aim is to service the vending equipment when it is completely used or sold out with no products remaining. However, some columns of the machine may remain filled due to the products which are not in high demand by the consumers. You have to ensure that the items which are required by most of the customers are always in stock.

To reduce the impact of rising cost of operations in the vending business as well as aggressive competition, you can greatly benefit from the Planet Antares practice of reducing delivery trips. This not only helps in cost cutting but also in optimal resource utilization as well as enhancing profit margins.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

How To Increase Vending Business Sales

To run a vending business successfully is not a cakewalk. If you want to get good returns on the time, effort and money spent in establishing and running a vending business, you must be ready to put in dedicated efforts for the same.

Constant commitment and ability to face changes will be necessary to bring efficiency to operation, be it a small vending operator or a large vending company. Make sure that you are equipped to handle the highs and lows of daily business activities in the right way. Many people enter the vending industry to make quick money but end up losing even their initial investment. This article will elaborate how you can avoid being one of them.

On one hand are the vending machine manufacturers and distributors who create and sell vending equipment, products and other related items to people who want to become vending machine operators or own a vending machine for their business. When selecting such providers, you need to analyze your requirements and budget and look for reputable companies like Planet Antares Inc.

On the other hand are the vending operators and their representatives who do the marketing task and go out to find new locations. These may be professionals hired by large enterprises or the vending operators themselves.

The success of your vending business depends on various factors like:

• Your understanding of the customer’s needs. This includes other business owners, location owners and consumers. You must understand their tastes and preferences before you actually offer a product or vending machine to them. This will ensure that you are able to convince the location owners to keep your equipment and get customers to use it for obtaining the desired products.

• Meet the people involved in your vending route and create a personal touch with them. Also, joining a vending association is a good idea for you to establish your name and reputation as a reliable vending machine operator. You will also get many ideas and tips for improving your business by interacting with other members.

• Once you have chosen vending locations and setup strong relations with your customers, its time to get return on your investment. Make sure that your vending machines are in good condition, the products are branded, popular and fresh and the customers are able to access them easily. Even if you start with a small scale vending business, these factors will make a lot of difference in customer satisfaction and potential profitability of your vending machines.

• With time, you can revise the sales targets for your vending machine business and expand your business by buying new machines, introducing new products and technology. Also, you must keep an eye on new sites which can become effective vending locations.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Vending Business Secrets

Today, it is a proven fact that vending business is one of the most profitable forms of ventures available. It started gaining popularity in the early 1990s but has become a full fledged booming industry now.

You may not even possess any technical knowledge to qualify as a vending business owner. You just need to be creative and able to use your skills to get good results. If you though that your job is the best way to earn money for yourself and your family, think again. A vending business allows you to make substantial income without a college degree or the headache of dealing with your boss.

Imagine the comfort of deciding what to do during the day, when to work and when to spend time with family and friends. More than that, you will even earn a lot of money from this convenient source of income.

Read this article to get an idea about the important steps for starting and operating your own vending machine business.

#1: The first step will be to look for good quality vending machines. For this, you must browse through and compare a variety of vending machine companies for the machines and after sale services provided by them at competitive prices. Planet Antares vending machines are superior quality machines with technically updated features and reasonable price. You can even get your machines located, refilled and repaired by their technical support staff.

#2: If you want to start on a smaller budget, go for good quality used machines. Another option will be to take vending machines on rent. It is essential to check the vending equipment for any faults or broken parts before buying them or taking on rent. You will be able to satisfy customers only if our vending machines are attractive and updated.

#3: You must prefer vending machines with multi payment options. Check the vending machines for bill acceptors and validator. Go for electronic vending machines rather than manually operated ones. This can help you ensure smooth, uninterrupted operations at all times.

#4: Another key factor is customer service. If you give your customers what they need at the time they want it, they will visit your vending machines again and help you earn higher profits through enhanced sales level.

#5: Your vending machines should always be stocked with the latest, branded and fresh products. Keep an eye on what sells best and which items are outdated. Replace the low-performing products to replace them with demanded ones.

#6: Finding locations is a very important part of vending business. This step will require a lot of research and observation of different aspects of your region like customer preferences, popularity of potential location, number of employees, etc.

#7: Set a time schedule to carry out servicing and maintenance of vending machines at regular intervals. Make sure that there is no operational problem and the machines are clean. Take the required tools and supplies with you to increase efficiency while visiting the various locations in the vending route.

Even though this article may not be exhaustive in details, the basic aim is to equip you with important vending business secrets and guide you in the right direction for setting up a successful vending business.