School vending machines present entrepreneurs with excellent opportunities to create income streams by selling a variety of foods, drinks and other goods. You should, however, begin your research by looking into laws that apply to school vending machines in your state, county and/or city. You should also be aware that certain jurisdictions, particularly on the county level, have also overtaken the job of managing school vending machine contracts. In such jurisdictions, school boards have complete control over the operation and management of vending machines and usually take half the profits, with the other half being pumped back into the school. Independent operators do not stand to profit from vending machine operation in these jurisdictions, which have turned to self-reliance in an increasingly health-conscious society.

Industry estimates suggest some 20,000 school vending machines are in operation across the United States. Each of them is governed by federal and state laws regarding hours of operation and, more frequently nowadays, the types of foods and drinks that may and may not be sold. Almost all elementary, middle and junior high schools in the country now enforce strict policies which do not allow foods of “little nutritional content,” particularly soda pop, chips and candy bars, to be sold in vending machines. However, high schools that do permit the sale of sweets and treats in vending machines hold the potential to earn their operators high profits.

Consider the following statistics, drawn from a recent study:

• Approximately 71 percent of the items students purchase from school vending machines are soft drinks.
• Similarly, 71 percent of the student body surveyed in the study purchase soft drinks from campus vending machines on at least a semi-regular basis.
• Of students who use vending machines at least semi-regularly, 68 percent of them usually buy at least one snack item in addition to a soft drink.

The study also found that consumption of sugary beverages is higher in schools that are located in close vicinity to fast food restaurants, owing to the habits kids form from indulging in quick, cheap lunches. To the vending machine owner considering operating in a school that permits high-calorie snacks and sugary drinks to be sold, these figures suggest a combination snack-and-soda vending machines placed in a school near a high concentration of fast food restaurants are the most likely to generate sustainable profits.

Stocking School Vending Machines Healthfully

Of course, one way around the restrictions on foods offered in vending machines is to stock them with healthier alternatives. But will kids accept them? It seems they will. Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida made changes to high school beverage machines in 2004. Only one-third of their machines still stock soft drinks. Another third offer only low-fat milk, and the remaining third offer water and juice. Water is an increasingly popular choice, and revenue from the more health-conscious machines increased by $400,000.

Yogurt, nuts, string cheese, fresh or dried fruit and vegetable-and-dip packets are popular choices for restocking snack machines. With technological advances in refrigeration, machines that accept swipe cards and other innovations, it is becoming easier than ever before to offer healthy options such as salads, sandwiches and fresh produce to school children.

Perhaps no segment of the vending industry has benefited more from improvements in computerized technology than the ticket machine sector. Featuring everything from touch-activated screens to customized ticket printing in mere seconds, ticket vending machines are widely used for many applications, notably in the transportation and entertainment industries. Proprietors and operations managers of movie theaters, sporting venues, parking lots, subway stations, bus and train terminals and anywhere else ticket lines get long can improve efficiency and manage customer demand by using ticket vending machines.

Features of Today’s Ticket Vending Machines

Depending on its specific application, a typical ticket machine will come equipped with a variety of features designed for user convenience and easy management. As sophisticated technology powers most modern ticket vending machine designs, the vast majority of ticket vending machines being produced by manufacturers today accept a wide variety of payment forms, including credit and debit cards, bank notes, coins and specially created vending cards. Ticket vending machine manufacturers that service subway stations, for instance, can accommodate special pass cards issued by the municipality’s transit authority. These features can both enhance customer accessibility and improve the machine’s intake of revenue.

Data transfer within ticket machines is managed by a centralized computer system, and can usually be set according to the requirements of the machine’s application. Usually, vendors have the choice of two options for data transfer: the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or a Local Area Network (LAN) configuration. Both permit users to customize their ticket purchases, and are very useful for vending tickets when a variety of options are available to the consumer through the machine.

The touch-screen interfaces of modern ticket vending machines can also be customized by the operator for virtually limitless uses. Programmed into the computer technology that drives the machine are endless settings options that allow proprietors precision control over the types of ticket products offered and their costs.

Types of Ticket Vending Machines

Three common sub-types of advanced ticket vending machines are manufactured for commercial markets: mobile, stationary and cashless. The difference between a mobile unit and a stationary unit is simple–mobile units are stand-mounted for easy transport between different end locations, while stationary units are wall-mounted. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Stationary units are smaller but less versatile, while mobile units have more uses but are costlier. Cashless units typically fall at the high end of the pricing spectrum and feature sophisticated electronic technology to process sales rapidly while simultaneously logging comprehensive details of every purchase.

Simpler ticket vending machines provide a cost-effective alternative when the machine is needed only for a single application. These machines often employ similar user features, such as varied payment options, but use much simpler technology. They’re ideal for providing an alternative to long lines at ticket kiosks in businesses, such as amusement parks or concert venues, which sell general admission tickets at a single price. No matter what you intend to use it for, when shopping around for ticket vending machines, it’s recommended that you make direct inquiries with the manufacturer to determine a particular machine’s suitability for your intended application.

Especially popular in offices and on college campuses, coffee vending machines now offer more than just coffee. Improvements in technology have promoted a rise in the sale of specialty caffeinated (and decaf) beverages from coffee vending machines, including fresh-brewed cappuccinos, espressos and even iced drinks and teas.

Features of a Typical Coffee Vending Machine

Expect to find a variety of shapes and sizes of coffee vending machines, but shop with a compact design in mind. At the large end of commercial coffee vending machine sizes are models that measure as high as 6 feet, with a unit weight of at least a couple of hundred pounds. Larger units require more electricity to operate, so expect to see power costs increase proportionally with the size of your coffee vending machine.

Beyond the variation in size and weight specifications, coffee vending machines are also equipped to offer a variety of products and features designed to enhance convenience and ease of use. One example of an ingenious touch featured on modern coffee vending machines that drums up additional business is the ability to allow customers to fill their own coffee mugs. These machines are ideal for school or work environments, where much of the traffic around the vending machine is there on a daily basis. Many machines also come with a complimentary service option, allowing for versatile use on special occasions when coffee is offered free of charge.

Where Should You Locate a Coffee Vending Machine?

With more than 100,000,000 coffee drinkers in the United States alone, locating a coffee vending machine near people who enjoy a cup of joe isn’t the challenge–it’s choosing a location where large numbers of people in need of a pick-me-up converge. When you consider that the average coffee drinker enjoys an average of more than 3 cups per day, with 18 percent of those people purchasing specialty coffee beverages on a daily basis, it’s easy to see how a versatile coffee vending machine can become profitable very quickly.

Employers who want to generate a little extra revenue might consider adding a coffee vending machine to the company lunchroom and lounge or break areas. If you’re interested in becoming an independent operator of a coffee vending machine business, consider approaching established companies. Ask whether they’re open to an agreement that will allow you access to the company’s employees in exchange for a percentage of the machine’s intake. Well managed, such arrangements can become win-win situations for employers and entrepreneurs alike.

Where else do coffee drinkers mingle with tired, thirsty folks? Lecture halls and school dormitories, bus and train station waiting areas, airports, hotel lobbies and convention centers, exhibition grounds, entertainment venues…in short, just about anywhere you can think of. When considering a location, anticipate its need for a coffee vending machine by observing the flow of pedestrian traffic, areas where people gather or pass through and what’s available nearby in terms of caffeinated beverages. If you find the right place, earning a strong income can become a simple matter of stocking your machines and collecting your money.