1-Snack box operators enjoy the friendships they make on a daily basis. This is one of the things I enjoyed the most about the business. I was taking off in the morning and as I was driving I was thinking of one of my clients that I would be looking forward to seeing. Usually it was someone with whom I had a connection in the sense of something that we both enjoyed. In my case, most of the time it would be racing, since at that point in my life we had our son involved in kart racing.
2-Start-up cost is the reason I got into the snack box business. Prices have gone up since the day they sold out, but even in today’s world you can place a box for about $ 40.00. When you stop to think about this, it becomes clear why this is a great deal to get into.
3-Business reliability. This is a business that is based on impulse buying. Can you think of any other items that grab people’s attention like a bag of potato chips or a candy bar? These items are sold every day to people on the go who, for whatever reason, find the need to reward themselves or eat something while traveling.
4-Being able to travel was one of the reasons why I entered the business of selling sandwiches. I enjoy hanging out with people and making friends. The snack business is a relationship business. If people like you, they will help keep your honor snack box honest. I have friends throughout the southern half of the state of Iowa, which is where I built my business.
5-Limited quantity of product needed to fill boxes. The snack box business differs from most forms of the vending machine business in that it only takes thirty to forty different items to fill a box. This in itself is a great advantage for a business start-up. You won’t need a large warehouse full of many different items that will commit large sums of money to your new business. As I have said before, my wife and I started our business while living in an apartment.
6-20% Shortage – Wondering how this can be an advantage in starting a snack box business. Keep in mind that with vending machines you will have around $ 2,600.00 tied up in a snack machine (other vending machines can cost up to $ 8,000.00 each). And after tying up so much money, your account will often want a share of the stock, which can go as high as 30%.
7-The shelf life of the product is another advantage to starting a snack box business. Most of the items you will sell will have a good shelf life to work with. Candy bars in many cases are one year old. Chips will have the shortest life and, in most cases, will last 6 to 8 weeks. The chips have a very good markup and are one of the items that you will want to have in abundance in your boxes.
8-Limited number of suppliers. If you’re starting with limited funds, you may need to start with a couple of local vendors, but it doesn’t take that long and you will be able to buy from a company like Jones in St. Louis or Vistar, which is a national company. .
9-Vehicle Expenses: I started running boxes from the back seat of a 1979 Chevy Impala. This car had a 3-speed manual transmission, AM radio, and had no power steering or air conditioning. Let me get back to the topic and what brings back good memories. My point is, if you are just starting out, you can get started in just about any type of vehicle. Once you’ve made a little money, of course, you’ll want to upgrade to a full-size pickup, such as a Ford E150 cargo van or any other equivalent make and model.
10-Start Part-Time: When you are starting out, this is a business that is very easy to own and operate part-time, but don’t go into this business thinking it’s just something you need to do on the sidelines to make a little extra money to spend. If that is what you plan to do, you are only limiting your own future. My wife and I make a very good living from the snack boxes and you can too. It just takes a little dedication and willpower to follow your dream.
11-Freedom from self-employment-This is the illusory dream that many people are never able to achieve. I’m not here to promise you the moon and the sky. What I’m here to do is take the person who has the willpower and drive and help them achieve great things in their life. My question to you is: “Are you one of those people I seek to help, and are you a dreamer with the urge to make great things happen in your life for you and your loved ones?”