Recommended Reading
Vending
Business-In-A-Box : A step-by-step guide to starting a profitable
vending business without getting burned [DOWNLOAD: PDF]
by Bryon Krug, Don Elfant
Price: $14.77 - Click
here to buy
Review by one of Amazon customers, Robert
Morris (Dallas, Texas):
My rating is based entirely on the value of
this manual for those such as I who know nothing about vending machines
except as a consumer of what they contain. On that basis, it offers an
excellent introduction. However, its ultimate value will obviously
depend on the nature and extent of what anyone does with the
information provided. To those who are actively interested in "starting
a profitable vending business," Krug's manual offers a step-by-step
process by which to begin. Although I have no such interest even after
reading his manual, I commend him on his efforts to determine whether
or not "vending is as good as the hype" claims. As with any other
enterprise, success or failure in vending probably has much less to do
with the nature of the industry than it does with having business
acumen, an appropriate strategy, effective marketing, sufficient
resources, and (yes) at least some luck.
An ancient aphorism suggests that before
embarking on a journey through unfamiliar territory, it is highly
desirable to learn as much as possible from others who have already
completed that journey. Ask questions. For example, what do you know
now that you wish you had known when you were completing preparations
and then underway? More specifically, what worked and what didn't?
Which avoidable mistakes did you make? What were the greatest barriers,
obstacles, perils, etc.? How did you overcome them? What were the most
valuable lessons learned? Krug frames much of his material in response
to questions such as these. Along the way, in Heloise fashion, he
includes dozens of helpful tips such how to use a lubricant to deter
ants. Does he answer every question anyone could possibly ask about
"starting a profitable vending business"? Of course not. This is a
manual, a primer, not an encyclopedia.
If you are curious about the vending
industry, Krug will tell you about all you probably want to know. If
you are seriously interested in vending as an investment (perhaps
suggested by a family member or friend) or as a business in which you
would be involved on a full- or part-time basis, Krug will help you to
make an appropriate decision. However, I am reminded of what Derek Bok
observed while president of Harvard at a time when many parents were
enraged by a tuition increase: "If you think education is expensive,
try ignorance." With all due respect to Krug, it would be foolish to
rely entirely a single source of information when making a business
decision. Also, it is important to recognize the significant
differences between possessing sufficient information and knowing how
to make the most effective use of it.
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