Vending as a business is on the surface an attractive option and in truth there advantages and problems associated with it, just as there are with any business concept. So let’s take an unbiased look at some of the key pros and cons.
A vending machine business, once established, can provide a steady income. Many businesses can take several years to truly become profitable but with vending, if you work smartly, can start to turn a noticeable profit within a few months. The profit that you see and the income that you can generate from vending of course relies on how many machines you are operating and the venues where you have your machines placed.
Vending is also a business that is relatively easy to operate. With less concerns such as staffing, business premises, huge overheads and so on, it is easier to maintain a flow of profit. Plus there are fewer management issues which can take up so much operation time and costs with most other types of business.
Vending is also a business that can be fun to operate. Meeting different people, being able to work to your own schedule, more freedom in your own choices: these are all reasons that people have highlighted as the lighter side of vending.
The costs of the actual equipment can be both an advantage and disadvantage, depending on the type of machine that you use. Initial outlay is one of the most important factors to consider when looking to start any business from scratch so the smaller the initial investment, the sooner you can recoup that cost. Cost however should also factor in the maintenance cost – anything mechanical will experience wear and tear so it is very important to be able to include the cost of repair and maintenance into your projections. However electronic machines if they break down can be very expensive to repair, with printed circuit boards and electronic components. Decide on the type of machine (and product) only once you have this information available.
Without a decent location for your vending machine, you don’t have a business. Competition for the “high-end” sites is strong and can sometimes be aggressive. In some cases to gain floor space in these types of venue can involve high rental fees, guaranteeing a minimum income to the venue which could mean that you have to make up any shortfall from time to time. In some cases you may be asked to enter into a fixed-term contract or agreement with the venue, taking away much of your freedom and the ability to re-locate your machine if it isn’t generating the income.
It is important to remember that with the right type of vending machine, you don’t necessarily have to target the more sought-after venues. Opting for a form of vending and product that is applicable to a more generic range of venue will help.
Remember also that for every venue that closes or is lost, there is another around the corner. Vending operators sell their businesses or retire which can free up options so networking and keeping up to date with what is happening in your area is key – keep an eye out for new businesses and developments that are due to be starting in your region and get in touch with the developers as soon as possible.
There are of course companies or individuals who provide locating services. While this can help get your machines active and generating sales more quickly, it of course come at an extra cost.
As soon as you put your machine into a public environment, you are placing them at risk of misuse. Most vending machines are difficult to actually break into but this does not necessarily mean deterrence. Another issue can be the wrong coins put into the machine causing vending jams– the product may not be dispensed but your equipment could be rendered dormant until you are able to attend to it. Most members of the public do not associate vending machines with a person trying to make a living; they are often regarded as a faceless entity so becoming aggressive or boisterous with them doesn’t pose a moral issue to some people. You need to be prepared for this as no matter what venue you consider, you can never fully predict how your equipment will be treated there. However this is quite rare and if you are friendly with the site owner/manager they with keep an eye on your equipment and will do their best to make sure your equipment is no being misused.
Finding the right product is important – almost as important as matching the product to the venue. There is no point placing a snack machine in a venue where healthy-eating is a major concern. In the same vein, there is little or no point having a toy capsule machine in an adult-orientated environment. Maintaining an especially varied product supply for a limited number of venues can be inhibitive, particularly during the start-up period.
When you are just starting a vending business, you are going to want to keep things simple so common advice is to start with a product that will have as much of a wider appeal as possible. This will help keep a level of focus for you in terms of location and product supply. You can then start to diversify. Some of your existing venues will be suitable for more than one type of product. Once you are established, you will become more adept at matching certain types of vending to particular types of venue. It will also be easier in terms of cash flow to accommodate different concepts within your business.
Although the last 40 years have seen the presence of women in the UK workforce strengthen considerably, with the gap in pay between men and women becoming narrower in the last 10 years, it is no secret that the lower-paid occupations are largely dominated by women. [1]
Some of this can be attributed to longstanding (and out of date) attitudes toward gender in the work place. A good proportion of the difficulties for women, especially single mums, are found as a result of not being able to juggle the many different roles that they have to fulfil. In fact, statistics show that only around 8 per cent of single parents are fathers. [2]
The availability of affordable and reliable child care is a primary concern for many women looking to enter and maintain employment. According to National Statistics, 46 per cent of people using childcare said it was informal. “For single parents working 16 hours a week or more 34 per cent had a childcare arrangement with the child’s grandparents, and 17 per cent had an arrangement with their ex-partner”. Working single parents are more likely to struggle to meet childcare costs than working couples. [2]
Balancing work with their duties at home places not only restrictions on women but also considerable stress.
Single working parents are more likely to find it difficult to meet childcare costs compared to working couples.
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, has been quoted as saying that “all too often the jobs in the sectors where women tend to work … are underpaid and undervalued. We’ve come a long way but sex discrimination, unaffordable childcare, a lack of quality part-time work, and the undervaluing of women’s work still cast a shadow over our labour market.” [1]
The imbalance seems to also extend to the higher-powered jobs, with less than a third of the UK’s senior employment positions being held by women [4].
Facing this sort of adversity, it is no surprise that more and more women are seeking alternative routes of employment with self-employment and business ownership amongst women increasing considerably.
“Twenty years ago, fewer than 650 thousand women were self-employed – now there are more than 950 thousand self-employed women in the UK” (www.isbe.org.uk/facts) [3]
Over the last decade more and more women are starting their own businesses or achieving the top jobs in major companies, including IBM, PepsiCo, DuPont, Facebook, Yahoo and Mondelez ( Kraft ) There are certainly far more opportunities available today for Women who want to start their own business than there were only five years ago.
When faced with the facts, it comes as no surprise that vending is becoming an attractive option for a lot of women. With flexibility of working hours and the affordability presented by vending, Tubz Brands have seen a marked increase in the number of single and working mothers looking to vending as an employment alternative. Here are some of the more common benefits that have been identified:
• Flexible working times – you can in essence choose your working hours to fit around school, leaving more time to spend with the family in the evenings and at weekends.
• Affordability – starting a business for yourself can be expensive and when funds are limited, it is important to find a business concept that can yield a quick return for comparatively little outlay. Concepts such as tower vending can do just that.
• Income top-up – many women in the workplace find that part-time employment doesn’t quite offer a suitable income but working part-time is their only option. Because vending can be operated on a part-time basis, it can lend itself to providing an opportunity for an extra income that isn’t going to be detrimental to family life.
• Safety and security – although you are handling cash, there is less risk to you than there would be with a business that involves doorstep collections such as some of the popular mail-order concepts (for example). You can be working during daylight hours and even if some of your sites are licensed premises, you can be attending them during the safer times of the day when it is less busy. Plus you do not have to be attending the same sites at the same times on each visit so it would be less easy for someone to identify a pattern of cash collection.
• Support – It is easier to start a business when you have the support to do so. “There is consensus in the research literature that women who are self-employed often face additional problems associated with lack of business knowledge and training, discrimination and prejudice (particularly in obtaining finance), as well as increased home/work conflicts and stress.” (www.isbe.org.uk/facts) [3] There are increasing government initiatives to help women move into the self-employed sector but being able to work with a company that is progressive and established in its field can provide much of the support that has been missing. If a franchising company, for example, can provide you with professional advice, tools and training, this can help pave the way to personal success. With low start-up costs, finance or loans are not necessarily the only option to fund starting a vending business – if you have a little capital that could be all you need. Also, having a marketing service made available to you to help reduce the amount of time that you spend getting your business established can be invaluable, especially when you are already working.
• If you are already working, you don’t have to make an immediate and complete life change to get started in vending. If you can commit to just a few hours a week to begin with, you can soon build up your business to whichever level you wish to take it.
• Being your own boss – to be responsible for your own income and to not be answerable to someone else when you are working not only brings you a greater sense of pride and confidence but also helps to extend that freedom than employed work doesn’t always provide.
[1] – Katie Allen, The Guardian Sep 13
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/25/uk-women-lower-paid-work-figures
[2] – http://www.gingerbread.org.uk/content/365/Statistics
Family and Children Survey 2008, Table 16.5. DWP, 2010
Family and Children Survey 2008, Table 16.1. DWP, 2010
Childcare and early years survey of parents 2009, p.83. NatCen/Department for Education, 2010. Research Report DFE-RR054
[3] – http://www.isbe.org.uk/facts
(Marlow et al 2005, 2006, Carter et al 2004, Dti 2004). http://www.isbe.org.uk/facts#sthash.aUVhZI1c.dpuf
[4] BBC News research, 29/05/12 – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18187449.
It seems that Tubz vending towers and products are everywhere these days! We were watching TV and spotted some of our vending machines and tubs of sweets on some top telly programmes. Of course we were very excited by being part of famous shows such as…
Ok it might not be the clearest picture, but there it is, a Tubz vending tower stood just behind Deidre Barlow. It seems the residents of Coronation Street love our tubs of treats as much as we do.
We also spotted one of our unmistakable tubs on Channel 4 hit comedy series Fresh Meat. The award-winning show looks at the lives of students who love drinking, partying, getting in hilarious scrapes and, evidently, eating Tubz sweets.
Hollyoaks is a real teatime favourite, having been on our screens since 1995. Some of us are fans of the show, so imagine our surprise when we spotted a Tubz vending machine at a party on the Chester-based soap opera!
A Tubz tower vending machine also appeared on Inbetweeners, making us feel that we really are getting everywhere these days!
Have you seen us on anything that we might have missed? Let us know if you do – our eyes will certainly be peeled!
Many people are tempted by the idea of setting up their own business. It is an exciting prospect but often ends up as nothing more than a pipe dream. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Setting up your own enterprise really is a viable option these days, so let’s take a look at the benefits of setting up shop on your own, and the advantages of a franchise start-up.
• Work your own hours: A very attractive prospect to anyone getting up at 6.30 on a cold Monday morning. And the ability to take holidays when you like is a very appealing prospect too. domain server Flexibility is a major reason working for yourself is so appealing to so many people.
• No boss: Another major advantage of running your own business is that you don’t have any bosses to answer to. This can reduce daily stress levels and make going to work a pleasure.
• Reap what you sew: Working for yourself is also the best way to make money. With your own enterprise there is no ceiling to what you can earn, so if you want to be wealthy running your own show is the way to go.
• Sense of achievement: Standing on your own two feet and being a success in your business leads to a great sense of achievement and pride.
Here at Tubz Brands we can help you set up your own franchise and the benefits of this kind of business are the same as those mentioned above, plus the fact that you can take advantage of a brand that is already successful and well known. The additional benefits of a franchise are as follows:
• Speedy start-up: One significant advantage to setting up a franchise business is that in many cases it can be set up very quickly. This is certainly true with a Tubz franchise, with which you can start earning from day one.
• Established brands: Franchise businesses are successful because the franchisee can take advantage of established brands that potential customers are already familiar with. This minimises the amount of marketing needed and means you will already have fans of your products.
• Profitability: The fact that your business name is already well known means that you have a great chance of being profitable.
• Low start-up cost: When compared to other businesses setting up a franchise can be very economical. With Tubz Brands, for instance, you can start your own vending machine franchise for as little as £2299 plus VAT.
It is evident that there are plenty of good reasons to start your own small business; is this something that appeals to you? To find out more about setting up your own franchise continue to browse the site and feel free to get in touch.
Tubz Brands will be at the Franchise Show in London’s ExCel venue in February 2014!
Exhibiting alongside some of the top franchisors available today, Tubz Brands will be there to present our unique opportunities for the vending industry.
This prestigious exhibition is open to the public on 14th and 15th February 2014 to showcase more than 100 of the best franchises available in the UK today and Tubz Brands are proud to be a part of the event. The two day show is set to be very informative to anyone who is seriously committed to finding a business that is right for them.
Why not come along and see us at our stand and have a chat with one of our experienced team in person to see how our simple business start-up packages can benefit you and put you on the ladder to independence. (Oh, and look out for Mr Tubz! You can’t miss him!)
Click here for
more information
or see us at
Franchise Expo
to learn more.
Thinking of purchasing a Franchise, well Tubz Brands has the answer to starting your own business and you won’t have any on-going fees. Our business bundles come complete with everything to start your own business. Included in your business bundles:-
Vending Towers
Floor Stands
Stock
Sites to put your vending towers into
Marketing material
Corporate clothing
Full training
Complete back up from the largest company
in tower vending business
What more could you possibly want and no
on-going fees or charges!
You will own outright the equipment that comes with 2 x year warranty and no extra fees.
There is NO selling involved, all you have to do is visit your towers once a fortnight and collect your money. Then order your stock from Tubz Brands who have over 40 x lines to choose from including all the major brands, Nestle, Haribo, Jelly Bean Factory and Swizzels Matlow.
Tubz Brands is well known in the tower vending industry having been established over 12 years with over 250 franchisees trading at present. So you can be assured that when you join us, you are joining the best in the business with all the back-up, training and advice you would expect from the best. So if you want to start your own business whether full or part time at a price that won’t break the bank. You need to talk to us.
You can operate it between the school run and dovetail with your existing business. Whatever your needs we have a bundle so suit you. This could be YOUR Fresh start working for yourself.
