Guides
How to vet vending machine demand trends before changing your route
A practical way to judge vending demand trend claims: test them against your own sales, hosts and payment mix before changing machines or the route.
Desk
Guides Desk
Complete walkthroughs of vending site selection, written to be followed rather than skimmed.
Guides
Bilingual vending machine labelling requirements in Canada
Bilingual vending machine labels Canada: federal and Quebec rules for vending operators. Learn what to submit and what happens if you skip French label requirements.
Guides
GST and vending machine sales in Canada: what to charge each province
Vending machine GST Canada rules set what you charge, collect and remit. This guide covers GST, HST and PST by province, plus registration and penalties.
Guides
Choosing vending machine products for a laundromat versus a gym
Choosing vending machine products for laundromat versus a gym means reading dwell time and foot traffic. This method details the sequence, checks, and stop point.
Guides
Vending machine downtime costs: formula and fault log
Calculate vending machine downtime costs with a formula for lost contribution, extra trips, and repairs, then log faults to guide route decisions.
Guides
Vending machine sales tax by state: 3-state comparison
Vending machine sales tax by state varies. Compare California, Texas, and New York on food exemptions, resale certificates, registration, and local tax.
Guides
ADA compliance for vending machines, a checklist for American operators
Vending machines in public buildings must meet ADA reach range, clear floor space and signage rules under Title III. Here is the working checklist.
Guides
What OSHA and FDA rules mean for vending machine labeling and placement
Vending routes answer to two federal rulebooks: FDA calorie disclosure at the machine and OSHA standards for servicing, wiring and placement.
Guides
Vending site selection: LA, NYC and Chicago placement rules
Vending site selection in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago depends on placement: keep machines clear of exits and accessible routes, and watch sign limits.
Guides
Vending Site Selection: Screening Markets With Public Data
Vending site selection uses QCEW employment density, OEWS occupation estimates, Census demographics and drive-time limits to screen markets before site visits.
Guides
Four vending machine compliance checklists, from before the first machine to the annual review
What to ask the health department, licensing office and revenue department before the first machine, at each site, and on every service visit.
Guides
The startup budget for a vending machine business and the ways to finance it in 2027
What a vending machine startup costs in 2027, one-off and recurring, plus the finance routes operators use and the costs first budgets miss.
Guides
A local SEO checklist for vending operators, from listing to reviews
Local SEO checklist for vending operators: the listing, the service area page, review practice within the rules, and the parts that are not worth your time.
Guides
Reading vending machine suppliers with a sceptical eye
Vending machine suppliers assessed by a 15-point review method covering fill rate, date codes, parts availability and terms, rather than a list of names.
Guides
How to evaluate vending machine software subscriptions with a twelve check trial
Run your own twelve check trial to evaluate vending machine software subscriptions, covering data export, offline behavior, permissions and recurring cost.
Guides
How to analyze vending machine locations before you pitch a host
How to find vending machine locations that pay: build a prospect list inside your service ring, run a stopped count, and qualify hosts before you pitch.
Guides
Why do vending machine routes keep slipping behind schedule?
How to schedule vending routes: anchor the day on access windows, sequence by real drive times, and use slack deliberately so one delay does not cascade.
Guides
How to think about vending machine expansion
Vending expansion guide: grow in rings rather than leaps, know the capacity of your route in machines per day, and decide when a second area earns a driver.
Guides
What a vending machine business needs to operate legally
A vending machine business needs licenses, permits and registrations, plus a sales tax permit, and each state office issues specific documents.
Guides
The margin math behind a vending machine business for new owners
Vending profit margins and break-even worked three ways: per machine, per route and against the debt on the equipment, using inputs from your own records.
Guides
Vending machine faults, loss control, and repair or replace decisions
Vending machine faults, safe servicing, four kinds of loss, connected machine account security, repair or replace arithmetic, spares, and maintenance rhythm.
Guides
Vending machine startup and market guide
Vending machine startup guide covering route density, host commissions, converting traffic, card fees, and the three ways operators enter the trade.