Why Use Vending Machines for Fundraising?
Here are seven reasons why a vending machine is a wonderful fundraising idea:
- Very high profit margins – for example, you buy a case of gumballs for $25, and sell it for $212 – a 700% return on your investment.
- Vending is an all-cash industry, with no bad checks, charge-backs etc. One million coins will go through vending machines in the next five minutes.
- Vending is not labor intensive. It only takes a few minutes per month to service a vending machine.
- No personal selling required.
- No advertising costs.
- Immediate cash flow.
- Ongoing revenue with little extra effort.
From coffee and soda machines to gumball dispensers, vending machines are hassle-free and reliable, and they are easy to use and clean.
Vending machines are mainly purchased by organizations such as colleges, churches, police and fire departments, government agencies, hospitals, hotels, lodges, Wal-Mart, major TV networks, military branches, museums, public offices and schools.
Schools have come under fire recently for filling their vending machines with junk food, thereby giving the appearance of making money at the expense of student’s health. But there are lots of healthy alternatives to junk food: water, fruit juice, milk, granola bars…the list goes on and on.
Getting A Vending Machine For Fundraising Purposes
The year 2000, the end of a century and a millennium, was a year for change. That year also marshaled in the prospect of a more technology-savvy consumer, as heavy manufacturing continued to give way to a service-based economy. Automatic merchandising revenue reached $25.62 billion in 2000, according to the 24th Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report.
Getting a vending machine for your fundraising cause is easy – both new and refurbished machines are available online. Most locations do not warrant the use of new commercial grade equipment, and refurbished machines sell for 20-50% of the cost of new ones. Buyers beware – anyone can sell vending machines on the Internet, so make sure that any company you buy from has a good rating with the Better Business Bureau.