Vendor Locators Tips for Vendors
Tip 1 - Beware of National Charity Programs
In my opinion, this is another trick promoted by both business opportunity sellers of vending equipment and by some locating companies.
They promote it to make it easier for them to sell to you today. They demonstrate how much money you could make by buying from them, with their guidance. It helps offset the high price that they are selling their vending machines to you for.
What is a national charity program?
They suggest for you to use a national charity (like Hugs not Drugs, Child Search, Children's Cancer Center , etc.) - so you do not have to pay the store a commission. Therefore you keep almost all the money.
This is how it works: They give you various charities' names to call. These charities will send you a sticker to put on your machine. In return you will send them a monthly donation of one or two dollars per machine. And they tell you to pick one.
Now let's say your 3 header does $40 a month. You send the charity, let's say $2, and you keep $38 in your pocket. Whereas, if you had to pay the store the market commission percentage, you may just put only $28 in your pocket. Multiply that $10 difference by your number of machines, and you make a lot more money. Sounds good, right?
The problem is - you are using deception. Trust me, it will come back and hurt you.
Why?
You, or your locater, are being deceptive with the store owner. They are allowing you to put your machine there only because they believe it is to help a charity. Not you. If they knew you were only sending $1 or $2 to the charity, and were putting the rest of the money in your own pocket, they would never let you put it in their business.
And once they find out (and they will one day) you will lose the location. And picking up your machine will be unpleasant, as the business owner will give you his/her opinion of the deceptive way you do business. Assuming the business owner hadn't already put your machine outside their back door yet.
Also this approach hurts local charities like the volunteer fire departments that are honest. These machines are donated and serviced by volunteers. The revenues actually go to the charity. Not to a vending owner.
Tip 2 - How to hire a locator if you do not hire Vendor Locators, or if I'm unavailable:
The best way is to spend 2-3 hours in a local grocery store and approach a salesman who has that store as his/her account. These salespeople are in and out of stores all day long. Offer them fair compensation and someone will help you and find locations for you.
If you're not comfortable with this approach, just place a sales ad in your local paper classified section. A salesperson will respond, then interview them. This person may not know locating, but they do know sales. And they're local. Plus they know your area, as they live there too.
Or attend a vending convention, and ask experienced vendors for the name/phone number of the locater they use.
Or there's the obvious - You're on the Internet right now. Go to Google.com and so a search for a Locator for Vendors, a Locator service or other search terms that describe what you're looking for. See what their terms are, the areas they service, and their prices.
Email Me at:
VEND @VendorLocators.com
