At VSI Vending & Coffee Services, we are often asked how much one can reasonably expect to make from a vending machine. We are experts in this business, and we have the real answers that you can rely on to help you make a confident decision about if going into this type of business makes sense for you or not.
How Much Can I Make off of a Vending Machine?
We aren’t going to leave you in too much suspense here. If you want to know "can I make money off a vending machine?", the answer is yes, but there are caveats. You aren’t going to get wildly rich in the vending machine business in all likelihood, and there is a considerable amount of maintenance that you need to consider when installing vending machines.
Typically, vending machine owners earn between $300 to $600 per month per machine. That is not a huge amount of money, but it isn’t exactly insignificant either.
The Pros and the Cons
Most people who get into the vending machine business realize that they can use it as a way to generate a side hustle for themselves. Here are some things to think about when considering the pros and cons of vending machine businesses:
Pros:
- If you already own a business, you can generate extra revenue on top of what you already earn from the business by installing vending machines.
- If you get an established route that works well for you, then it is possible that you can sell that route to someone else down the line for a nice profit.
- You can run the route yourself and make a bit of a side-hustle out of the profits you can generate.
Cons:
- The initial cost of getting into the business can be quite high.
- You will need to constantly run your route to ensure your machines are always properly stocked.
- You are responsible for collecting your money, maintaining your machines, and replacing them if they are damaged or stolen.
These are all considerations that people thinking about getting into the business need to consider.
Profit Formula
Finally, you should think about the profit formula that you need to consider in this business before you get involved with it. The way it works is pretty simple. You just calculate the profit you make per item multiplied by the number of items sold per day subtracted from the expenses of running the machine.
It might look something like $0.50 profit per item multiplied by 50 items sold per day minus a $250 monthly expense to run the machine. That would equate to $25 profit per day multiplied by 26 days that the machine is available (assuming it is not available on weekends) equals $650 in profit minus the $250 in costs gives you a $400 monthly profit on the machine.
Those numbers are reasonable for a vending machine; it is worth considering this if you are thinking about operating one (or more!) for yourself.