Vending is trading using vending machines. The use of vending machines turned out to be so profitable that more and more goods began to be sold this way. However, as it turned out, not every product, despite low costs, pays off. The most profitable area of vending has become the coffee machine.
Selling coffee and tea using coffee machines is so profitable that in public places even in small towns you can see several of these machines at once. Vending trade has a number of advantages compared to other types of trade:
Vending coffee machines have one significant drawback. They can be hacked. Most often, it is the fear of losing proceeds from the actions of criminals that prevents many entrepreneurs from starting this type of business. But if you install them in a secure area, then there will be no reason for concern.
The profit from an installed coffee machine largely depends on its location. In uncrowded places, in buildings that are rarely visited, the revenue will be very small. It will hardly be enough to pay rent, pay taxes and buy toppings (coffee, tea, cream, etc.). Therefore, the choice of retail location should be treated with particular scrupulousness. At the planning stage, statistical data is studied, personal experience and observations are used. The most advantageous places for installing coffee machines are:
At all of the above facilities, conditions of fierce competition have already developed. To get maximum profit, simply installing a coffee machine is not enough. It should have many functions so that the buyer has plenty to choose from, and a convenient control panel. You can try to squeeze out competitors by installing several coffee vending machines at once in a profitable area, but for this you need to have more funds than a novice businessman can afford.
Coffee and snack machine
It is profitable to sell coffee on vending machines, but only if economic factors were taken into account when opening a business. The level of business risk has been determined. An analysis of the work of competitors was carried out. The break-even level and the minimum price per unit of goods were calculated. The market volume was determined.
Despite some peculiarities, this is a business like any other. The problems that an entrepreneur will face are exactly the same as with regular trading behind the counter. Only it will depend not on the behavior of the seller, but on the state of the equipment. If the device does not work, it runs out of materials, then the businessman will suffer losses due to repairs and downtime. To prevent this from happening, you should check the condition of the coffee machine at least once every 2-3 days.
Timely checking and price comparison will help increase your competitiveness. If competitors have reduced prices, then the only way to maintain the market is to set the same price, even lower, provided that this step does not lead to a loss. If you cannot do this, you should change the location of the device.
You can place a table and/or bench next to the coffee machine. In some cases, this improves operational efficiency better than cutting prices, but only works when the competitor's machine is much further away.
For a novice businessman, the main selection criterion most often becomes price. The price depends not only on the functionality of the device, but also on the brand, country of origin and date of manufacture. A novice entrepreneur can purchase a coffee machine for business that has already been used. It costs less than a new one. This is often an outdated model, but it can be a good start. But if funds allow, it is better to buy a new one. When purchasing, you should consider the following factors:
Buying a new and expensive coffee machine for business is often more profitable than purchasing an old but cheap one. The new one performs more functions, works faster and without failures. There is virtually no risk of downtime due to breakdown. This means he can sell more drinks per day.
A coffee vending machine is installed in a building that is visited every day by the same people. The main task of an entrepreneur is to make them his regular customers. If coffee from one machine is tasty, but not from another, then people will buy more often from the first. Therefore, coffee for vending machines and other products must be of high quality. Before signing a supply agreement, try drinks made from the supplier's ingredients, but not from samples. You can try drinks from competitors. If you like the taste, feel free to sign the contract.
To fill, use the following components:
These components differ in shape and processing technology from conventional ones. For vending machines, coffee is roasted and ground in such a way that during the entire storage period, grains of sand or granules cannot cake and lose their taste and aroma. In addition to fillers, you will also need paper or plastic cups and stir sticks made specifically for vending machines.
You can start a business with coffee machines only after registering as an individual entrepreneur. During registration, a businessman will be offered several taxation options to choose from. It is more profitable to use the simplified tax system or UTII. Keeping records using such systems is simpler and taxes are lower.
A license to run a coffee machine business is not required. But there must be quality certificates. In case Rospotrebnadzor employees or buyers demand to see these documents. Certificates can be obtained from suppliers of fillers for coffee machines.
First you need to find out how much a coffee machine costs and calculate the approximate costs of fillers, materials and maintenance. On average, the price of coffee machines for business ranges from 90 to 350 thousand rubles and depends on many factors. A used machine can be bought for 40-60 thousand rubles. Although such devices are cheaper, they can be expensive to maintain. For obvious reasons, it is better not to take them. Usually they have already exhausted their resource and often fail. The coffee machine sits idle for several hours and days. As a result, the businessman receives less profit.
Therefore, it is better to buy new coffee machines. This will not make your business any less profitable. The payback period may only increase, but it will last longer, and repair and maintenance costs will be minimal. It costs on average about 150-160 thousand.
How profitable coffee machines are as a business can only be assessed after calculations of costs and revenues have been made:
In addition to the costs of purchasing components, that is, variable costs, there are also constant ones, let’s do the calculation:
From the given expense it is clear that the profitability will average 23,000-25,000 rubles per month. This level can be achieved with the right choice of location and inexpensive rent. This combination is rarely successful on the first try. You may have to change the location of the device several times.
The coffee machine does not require much space
The payback for a coffee machine usually occurs within 1-2 years, depending on how well the location was chosen, the level of competition and the cost of purchasing equipment and materials. At the same time, a coffee machine gives a monthly profit of approximately 20 to 120 thousand rubles. The income will be stable for a number of years. As you can see, coffee machines are a profitable business.
The main source of risk, as strange as it may sound, may be the manager of a public building or the owner of a store in which the coffee machine is located. Since a lot depends on the right location, there is a high probability that the owner of a retail outlet will want to install a coffee machine for the business himself, rather than rent out the place.
Selling coffee using coffee machines is a profitable business that quickly pays off and does not require large initial investments.
Our morning most often begins with a cup of aromatic coffee; it always accompanies us during lunch at the office, a walk in the park, or waiting at the airport or train station thanks to the coffee machines. Wherever we are, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee will always lead us to a cafe or coffee machine. Recently, coffee machines are increasingly found in universities, business centers, shopping centers, train stations, airports and many other places. And as you may have guessed, you can make money from your favorite drink.
Coffee machines, snack machines, mechanical machines with chewing gum and toys, selling tickets or newspapers through machines - all this is business - entrepreneurial activity without the participation of a seller - vending. For some, it may immediately seem incredibly profitable and at the same time uncomplicated. But this is a wrong view. Vending will require your ingenuity, patience, you will need a good level of communication, with certain skills you have, small investments are possible at the initial stage, but in return you will receive a stable and quite pleasant profit. After all, your goal is to earn good money while providing people with convenience and pleasure. Reviews about the business with coffee machines are positive, but you should not focus only on coffee machines, any business requires development.
This income was invented a long time ago. Due to the fact that coffee machines are more common, this business is quite successful. You can read real reviews about coffee machines and equipment manufacturers at. The payback on equipment varies and it all depends on you. Many people love coffee; business expenses are relatively low. With the right approach, you have the opportunity to earn a good income.
Even entrepreneurs with no experience can start their own business trading using special equipment. You can verify this by reading the vending forum. Those who are looking for where to invest funds can consider this type of business. It is important to think through and correctly calculate your actions - then the profit will not be long in coming.
Key points for beginners:
It all depends on you and your capabilities. If you want to try and you have a friend or acquaintance who is willing to help you get started, then you can sign a contract for it and see how this business works. Well, you should understand that coffee machines are a business and you will need official registration in the future. Now it is very easy to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC using the State Services portal or just contact the MFC. Licensing for this activity is not provided, which is an additional advantage; a hygienic certificate for equipment is not required. It is usually included with the purchased device.
The main expense item is not only taxes and rent, but also the filling of coffee machines - ingredients. You must understand that going to the store and buying ingredients there will not work. Even if you find something, you can’t use them other than grain. They are not intended for use in coffee machines due to their production technology. Owner reviews advise purchasing ingredients only from specialized companies that supply ingredients and consumables for the vending business. It is important! Coffee and other components of drinks that can be bought in vending machines are prepared in a special way, and their sticking and caking are completely eliminated. In addition, the raw material does not absorb foreign odors, dissolves easily and well, which makes the drink taste great.
What we need to refuel the device:
For maintenance, we will need to purchase detergents and disinfectants to clean equipment, which will have to be brought into a marketable condition either through our own efforts or by hired personnel.
How to start a coffee vending business? First of all, you need to study. Find out which equipment is preferable to work on. Do you have a company in your city that supplies ingredients and coffee machines? Based on the information collected, make a plan on how to start a business (coffee machines). Reviews indicate that this business should under no circumstances be started in partnership. In order to see profit in the shortest possible time, you will need to purchase five to ten coffee machines, and for this you need a certain starting capital. Check out the selection.
The profitability of a business depends on the cost of equipment, components (payment systems and additional options), the amount of rent, taxes and salaries of staff and, of course, the number of cups prepared per day. Today, the cost of one 165 ml glass is about 10-12 rubles. It is advisable to sell finished products for at least 30 rubles and it is better to focus on cafes and divide the cost of the cup in half. Profit can be made provided that the machine produces from 20 to 50 cups per day, that is, high traffic at the location of the coffee machine must be supported by good quality of the product, so that customers strive to drink the next portion of coffee from this machine. With such indicators and compliance with all the conditions for good business practices (operating condition of the device, high-quality water and components, favorable combination of price and quality of products), investments in this business will pay off in a period of 24 months or more. You should not believe what equipment sellers write on their websites. A lot of factors are not taken into account and you need to understand that the success of your coffee machine business depends only on you. Yes, there are rare cases when a coffee machine paid for itself in 3-6 months. The location of the machine played a role there, for example, a university or a large train station or airport, lack of competition, and weather conditions.
Every business has risks. On the vendors' forum, entrepreneurs write reviews about whether it is worth installing in such a place or not. Colleagues share their failures and warn other vendor entrepreneurs not to waste their time. It is very important to take into account traffic - no people - no sales - no profit! For example: weekends and holidays in factories, offices, universities are downtime. Risk of machine breakdown. This is the most important point. You simply must know how the machine works and what important components it has. This risk can be minimized by having a small warehouse of spare parts, and thanks to the vendor forum, you can quickly get advice on repairs. And you need to understand that buying new equipment in Moscow does not mean that under warranty you will be quickly repaired in Vladivostok; you need to take a step or two to calculate the possible probabilities of breakdowns and purchase everything in a timely manner.
Against the backdrop of another wave of the economic crisis, the government once again thought about preferences that would attract the maximum number of people to small and medium-sized businesses. They are guaranteed numerous advantages in matters of its organization and management. It remains only to consider those types of entrepreneurship that will be equally successful both in the event that the promised benefits are actually provided and in a situation where the real assistance turns out to be not so significant. Many market analysts for individual entrepreneurs, small businesses and joint ventures recommend paying attention to the vending business, which has been constantly gaining popularity in recent years, regardless of external macroeconomic and microeconomic factors.
A special feature of this form of business is the ability to minimize the costs of maintaining staff and renting premises. Most likely, everyone remembers the very first examples of this production - vending machines for soda water, metro tokens, and railway tickets, which appeared back in the 70-80s of the twentieth century. Moreover, the first automatic machines ready to sell various goods appeared more than a thousand years ago in China. A prototype of vending equipment found by archaeologists sold pencils. Waves of development of vending were noted at the end of the 19th century - in the 20s and 30s, such devices offered cigarettes and matches to customers on the streets of Moscow and other Russian cities.
Modern technologies have made it possible to make such equipment more advanced and visually more impressive. Today, such equipment allows us to offer customers a wide variety of products. They can be either packaged or bottled. The general principle is the opportunity to make a substantial profit from using a device installed in a high-traffic area. Moreover, this profit actually goes solely to the owner of the vending machine. After all, its purchase fits within the budget, installation requires a minimum area, and the device works independently without the participation of an additional hired salesperson.
Only at first glance it may seem that in order to start a vending business and receive a stable income from it, you don’t need to make any effort at all. This option for small or individual entrepreneurship is actually quite accessible and simple to operate, but it will still require certain financial investments and an assessment of market risks.
So, how to open a vending business? The first step for each future recipient of profit from using an automated trading device is a clear assessment of the potential demand for its offer to customers. To evaluate, you will need to understand where the machine can be installed, what is the social and demographic spectrum of consumers of its services.
Currently, there is equipment on the market that is ready to provide services to consumers, offer industrial goods and food products. From the point of view of making a profit, it is food products that are in stable demand among any buyer. Moreover, here too there are leading directions.
The highest profitability indicators are shown by equipment offering hot and cold drinks. Considering the obvious seasonality of supply, soft drinks are most in demand during the hot season, which in our latitudes rarely lasts longer than three to four months. But it can be difficult to refuse a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in any weather.
Regardless of the choice, the next step is to evaluate potential locations for the proposed equipment. And in order to install a coffee machine, you will need to register as an individual entrepreneur, a representative of a small or medium-sized business.
The simplest option is registration or PBOLE, depending on the experience of activity and the intended use of a convenient taxation system.
By switching to the “simplified tax system” (USN), it will only be possible to sell bags, chewing gum or chocolate bars.
Why do experts recommend choosing coffee vending equipment to start a business?
Equipment for vending services appeared on the market as a convenient and inexpensive alternative to going to a cafe. And today, this purchasing option is most convenient for those who are not ready to set aside time in their busy schedule for a long trip, even to a fast food restaurant. It is also convenient to combine a light snack and a sip of an invigorating drink with your usual activities.
Experience in using vending machines has shown that coffee is in maximum demand in such situations. It is not such a simple and familiar drink as, for example, tea. Carbonated drinks are harmful to health, and hot chocolate often finds its admirers among children and visitors to women's cafes. However, in pleasant cafeterias, waiters usually bring hot chocolate for the fair sex, and its connoisseurs choose to relax at a table or bar counter.
Coffee brings almost everyone together. This vending machine is equally popular in the office, shopping center, and just on the street near the metro or at the train station. Considering the variety of options for drinks that a coffee machine can prepare without the participation of a barista, it makes it possible to get a pleasant moment of relaxation during a working day or a trip.
Where to put the coffee machine?
However, the success of a future enterprise depends not only on the choice of drink or food and the choice of a vending machine that is ready to provide both. It is worth immediately understanding where such a compact “catering point” is convenient and appropriate to place. It becomes a win-win situation when the device was installed in an office center. Moreover, not only in the dining room or dining room, but simply next to the offices of office employees. In such a situation, its services will be readily used by the employees themselves, who will definitely prefer the opportunity to use the machine to simply throwing a spoonful of instant coffee into their cup.
In an office meeting room, this equipment will defuse the most difficult negotiations, and in the reception area or next to it, management visitors can while away the hours of waiting.
Waiting areas generally become an appropriate option for placing a vending machine for preparing instant or natural coffee. Today such equipment can often be seen at airports, railway and bus stations. Ease of use and financial accessibility ensure a constant flow of people who want to diversify their time waiting for departure or arrival with a cup of coffee. It is convenient to place machines here that are ready not only to offer coffee, but also to provide the opportunity to buy already packaged goods. Today, the choice of such machines is large and varied - from options that provide the opportunity to buy a pack of chewing gum and a chocolate bar, to equipment that is ready to send a heated sandwich, a package of salad or even soup in a plastic container to the receiving box.
Is the vending business profitable in a movie theater, in a hall where slot machines are located, in a shopping center? Undoubtedly. Coffee machines are increasingly being installed in the waiting rooms of financial institutions and post offices. What all these placements have in common is a large flow of people passing by or, even better, waiting.
It is important that the machine is located indoors, since such equipment is ready to operate successfully only at temperatures from -4 to +40 degrees Celsius.
Coffee machine installation and maintenance
Installing a coffee machine does not require any special skills. All you need is a dedicated, level place and the ability to connect to an electrical outlet. In the future, such a device is ready to work independently.
The involvement of a specialist will only be required at the time of assessing the successful operation of the coin acceptor and bill acceptor. It is how successfully they operate and how well the relationship is ensured with sending the amount of funds to the receiver and receiving the finished product that becomes a guarantee of obtaining a stable profit.
It is advisable to refill the devices and remove the received funds daily., monitoring the quality and condition of the products in the device. Today, as an additional service, many owners of vending systems install reading devices that allow them to pay for food products received using bank cards.
How many machines are convenient for running a vending business?
The first assessments of the prospects for using different numbers of devices can be made already at the stage of choosing their location. In this situation, the flow of potential buyers and the willingness of the future “king” of vending to work with several types of products or goods at once are calculated.
At first, experts recommend limiting yourself to installing one vending machine or a maximum of two. This applies equally to those entrepreneurs who are just starting their own business in this area, and to those who are trying to explore new territory.
Experts recommend not taking into account the profit of the coffee machine for the first two months when assessing further business expansion. It is either excessively high (due to the new offer to clients), or, on the contrary, it is small, since the client is not yet accustomed to the new type of service.
On average, with the right placement strategy and type of product, the payback period for a coffee machine is from 1 to 2 years.
How can placeable coffee vending machines work?
Most vending coffee machines have quite significant dimensions. The height of each type of equipment is comparable to the average height of a person. It is determined by experience of use. After all, it is more convenient for the buyer to pick up the purchased drink without bending or jumping. It is for this reason that the window in which the purchased drink is displayed is located approximately one and a half meters from the floor surface.
The outer bar of the device is equipped with buttons that allow you to select up to 13 types of coffee. Milk can be immediately included in the drink preparation or additionally poured from a separate tank. Depending on this, the coffee machine can be programmed to produce a variety of coffee options. For ease of use, the equipment is equipped with coin acceptors, bill acceptors and devices that read the amount from a bank card.
Profitability of coffee machines
The multifactorial components of the potential success of such a business include a large list of parameters. Either personal experience or marketing research will allow you to accurately compare them. But a minimal idea of the potential profit can be obtained based on the simplest financial calculations.
An average vending machine of this type costs its owner from 1,500 to 5,000 US dollars. The variability of cost ensures both the complexity of the model and the possibility of choosing used equipment.
The purchase of coffee for one medium-power machine will require from 150 to 200 dollars per month.
Approximately the same amount will be required to purchase tea and hot chocolate.
An average portion of coffee in such a machine costs the buyer from 10 rubles. On average, the machine dispenses from 40 to 120 cups of plain coffee per day. Even such minimum indicators guarantee the owner a monthly profit of at least 12,000 rubles. Even such modest results, plus the amounts received from the sale of portions of coffee with additives and food products, will increase this amount to 20,000 per month.
Excluding from such profit the costs of servicing the coffee machine (no more than 2,000 rubles per month) and the purchase of ingredients (from 4,000 rubles per month), the net profit for each machine for the month will be at least 5,000 - 6,000 rubles.
Protection from vandals and hooligans
Vending market specialists point out that the most serious cause of damage can be a machine breakdown due to the actions of hooligans.
To exclude this possibility, it is important to pay attention to the placement of equipment in a crowded place, preferably in places where it is located in the field of view of representatives of security services, and also to carefully monitor the availability of everything declared in the assortment and the serviceability of coin and banknote acceptors. Failure to do so may result in a deliberate attempt to damage the equipment. Most modern equipment options are equipped anti-vandal protection.
Today, the vending business is just beginning to develop in our country, although throughout the world it has long become a noticeable player in the market for making pleasant and simple profits. It is this, coupled with the relative cheapness of equipment and components to support the work, that becomes a good basis for using this type of activity as a successful option for obtaining a virtually guaranteed income.
Coffee is one of the most popular modern drinks. It accompanies our morning getting up, lunch in the office, traveling by transport, waiting in the cabin. Almost anywhere in the metropolis, an alluring aroma will attract our attention - these are coffee machines. It turns out that you can not only spend money on your favorite drink, but also earn money with it.
Entrepreneurship for the inexperienced seems incredibly profitable and at the same time difficult and inaccessible. This is not always the case: there are areas in which you can get by with your own ingenuity and small investments, and in return receive a stable and quite pleasant profit.
Remember the phrase “To live well, but to live well is even better?” The same can be said about business: making good money by providing people with convenience and pleasure. This fully characterizes coffee machines - a business whose reviews are very positive
This type of income was not invented yesterday: this method has long been used by experienced entrepreneurs in various variations. Such a remote business is called the fashionable word “vending” - from English “to trade through machines.”
This business (coffee machines) is quite successful. Reviews indicate that the equipment will pay for itself quickly. Many people love coffee, business expenses are relatively low, and with proper marketing it is possible to earn a good income.
Reviews indicate that even entrepreneurs with no experience can start their own business trading using special equipment. And this option is just as suitable for experienced businessmen who want to develop another line of activity. It is important to think through and correctly calculate your actions - then the profit will not be long in coming. Several points are important in this matter:
It should be understood that coffee machines are a business. Reviews from those experienced in this matter testify in favor of official registration. Supplying electricity, supplying water, renting premises, paying taxes - for these purposes it is preferable to have official permission.
In the current conditions, it is not difficult to obtain the status of an entrepreneur: you can contact the district tax office directly or intermediaries who will take care of the registration. Once you register, you can work peacefully. How do reviews recommend running a business (coffee machines)? Do I need to register an IP? The answer is clear - yes.
There are no activities provided, which is an additional advantage, but it is required for equipment. It is usually included with the purchased device, so receiving it will not create much trouble.
What kind of material investments will coffee machines as a business require? Owner reviews advise purchasing ingredients only from specialized companies supplying the vending business. Why is it important?
Coffee and other components of drinks that can be bought in vending machines are prepared in a special way, and their sticking and caking are completely eliminated. In addition, the raw material does not absorb foreign odors, dissolves easily and well, which makes the drink taste amazing.
To “refuel” the device you will need the following products:
If at first it is not possible to hire an employee to service the device, you should also include in the costs the purchase of detergents and disinfectants for cleaning the equipment, which will have to be brought into marketable condition with your own efforts.
Where to start? We need to make a plan for (coffee machines). Reviews indicate that it is beneficial to start this business in partnership. To get a decent profit in the shortest possible time, experts advise purchasing five coffee machines, and this requires a certain starting capital. Based on this minimum, we obtain the following calculations:
Monthly expenses:
From the calculations carried out, even those who doubt it will not be difficult to understand that coffee machines are a business.
Depends on the cost of equipment and components, on the size of the rent and, first of all, on the number of cups of aromatic drink prepared per day.
The averages are approximately as follows:
Experts say that a decent profit can be obtained if the machine produces from 30 to 50 cups per day, that is, high traffic at the location of the coffee machine should be supported by good quality of the product, so that customers strive to drink the next portion of coffee from this machine.
With such indicators and compliance with all the conditions for good business practices (operating condition of the device, high-quality water and components, favorable combination of price and quality of products), investments in this business will pay off within 9 months to a year.
Some talented entrepreneurs managed to arrange things in such a way that the business began to make a profit within 7 months! In this case, the seasonal factor also played into their hands, because in cold weather people are more willing to buy hot coffee.
Like every business, vending has its own risks, which is confirmed by some reviews from entrepreneurs.
Often business ideas lie on the surface, but people do not notice them or underestimate them. But in vain, sometimes you can make good money on familiar and ordinary things. One such idea is a coffee machine business. They do not require the constant presence of an operator and bring good money. That is, the owner of the devices has passive income with minimal effort and time.
Sale of drinks and goods through automated systems (vending machines) - vending. This is a fairly profitable business with a short payback period and guaranteed profit. To open your own business, you only need to buy a coffee machine, ingredients and choose a location for installation. With proper organization, business profitability can reach 130-150%.
There are many sellers of coffee machines. An Internet user just needs to enter the corresponding query in a search engine and select an acceptable option. It doesn’t hurt to study the reviews and capabilities of the device before purchasing. The leading positions in this business are occupied by European and Korean technology. In the first case, you will have to pay 130-150 thousand rubles for a high-quality device, in the second – 100-120 thousand. If there is no start-up investment, then the equipment can be rented.
You need to request the availability of documents for the machines from the seller or lessor. Their absence can lead to problems with regulatory authorities. A license is not required to operate this business.
Beginning entrepreneurs often wonder: how to properly organize a coffee vending business - buy or rent? Each solution has its pros and cons: