Starting a Healthy Vending Business
Starting a healthy vending business is a great way to build a business with an established framework, generate income and promote healthy eating habits in your community. With the growing demand for healthier snack options, there is a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs to capitalize on this trend.
What Do You Need To Start a Vending Machine Business?
If you’re considering how to start a healthy vending business, you probably have some questions. First, you’ll need to decide if this will be a full-time undertaking or a side hustle. Next, decide how much you want to invest. Do you want to start your business from the ground up or buy into an established business model?
Another question might be “what’s your why?” Some of our most successful operators shared their reasons for choosing the Healthy YOU Vending business model.
Supporting the Health Movement
“Being from Colorado—one of the fittest states in the United States—people are very health-conscious. I was a college and international athlete myself and so I’ve always been very healthy. My family, we practice healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, so it really was a natural progression for us to…move into the healthy vending business.”
–Mark G., Denver, CO
Making healthy snacking choices works best when convenient choices are available. A Healthy YOU Vending machine provides convenient and affordable access to healthier snack and drink options to employees, students and consumers. Find out how to get Healthy YOU Vending at your school or place of business.
A Business That Doesn’t Need Employees
“We decided to get into that business because we were looking for something where we didn’t have to continue having employees. Betsy came to me one day and said, “How about this?” She’d seen it on the internet. So, I looked at it and said “That’s not a bad idea. Let’s look deeper into it.” It was a picture of Healthy YOU’s vending machine. At that point in time, we just dove into it and started doing research…on healthy vending. We went with the healthy part because we ourselves had just decided within the last year to start eating healthier and living a healthier lifestyle.”
–Hudson and Betsy, Clarksville, TN
Healthy YOU Vending allows entrepreneurs to start a healthy vending business without the need for employees. The concept is simple and proven over 20 years’ experience. Our machines are fully automated and our business model provides the training and support you need to get your business up and running within weeks. Our machines feature eManage Vending Software, which allows you to monitor inventory from any device 24/7, so you know exactly what you need to stock in each machine and when.
Partnering With Your Locations
“We have hotels, a casino, law firms, Microsoft, Apple, Carnival Cruise call center, car dealerships. It’s a big range. They do all have one thing in common: hours of operation, which helps us generate more income. That’s one thing we try to target, not industries but hours of operation.”
—Andre B., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Location matters, and it’s one of the things we specialize in here at Healthy YOU Vending. Partnering with your locations is key to understanding their needs—and gives you the ability to customize your vending machine offerings for maximum sales. As Andre and Brittany B. remind us, it’s important to remember that healthy vending isn’t cookie cutter across the board. Really understanding what each location is looking for—and being able to take that need, own it and customize it—can be a huge contributor to your success. And your locations are sure to appreciate it.
Healthy YOU Vending operator Roland S. of Flint, MI agrees that it’s important to accommodate different tastes and nutritional needs. One way he achieved this was by placing a note asking for suggestions on one of their machines. The HR department sent a newsletter to their employees and folks volunteered ideas. “I want to accommodate. We have the ability to do it, so we did.” At another location—a college—oatmeal, cream of wheat and mac and cheese are big sellers in Roland’s SmartMart Side Vendor. Supplements are big sellers at a gym. “We’ve made it our own,” he says.
A Viable Option for Additional Income
“I try to stay healthy and I believe that health is a big problem in the U.S. Eating healthy is something I try to do as much as possible. I have kind of a passion for that. Vending seemed like a way to make an additional income in between jobs. You always have a steady income as long as you pick a decent location. It was a viable option for additional income.”
–Kenneth P., Jacksonville, NC
Whether you want to earn some passive income through a side hustle or are ready to leave your full-time job behind to be your own boss, operating a Healthy YOU Vending business allows you to decide your profit margin. Plus, it has the added benefit of being a primarily passive income stream.
It’s Important To Teach My Son Healthy Choices
“We wanted to get into this because it reflects our lifestyle. We try very hard to be healthy. I have a six-year-old and it’s important for me to teach him healthy choices, wise choices. And it seemed like it would fit my schedule, my life at this time. Having this vending business…lets me schedule things on my time, allows me to be a mom to my son and to do something I’m passionate about: Health. Healthy choices.”
–Donna W., Vestavia Hills, AL
One way Healthy YOU Vending supports better nutrition and making healthy food choices from a young age is providing healthier snack options for school vending machines. When students form an early understanding of healthy eating habits, they can make informed decisions about the foods they choose to eat throughout their lifetime.
We Are Health Advocates
“We really wanted to focus on healthy vending because we’re health advocates as it is, and we didn’t want to pollute the world anymore with other types of traditional vending machines out there. So, I looked a lot at some of the other alternatives out there and found that this one was the best fit for us.”
–Jason and Jamie W., Goleta, CA
What has sparked your interest in HealthyYOU Vending?
A passion for health? Flexibility and freedom? An additional source of income? A desire to leave your 9-to-5? What are the reasons that are important to YOU? Have questions about how to start a healthy vending business? Give us a call, and let’s make your healthy vending business ownership dreams a reality!