FAQ - Kick Start Vending Locators

Definition: The ability to reject a location if you don’t think it is a good fit for your vending machine.

Yes, you have the right to refuse a location if you deem it unacceptable for any reason.

Keep in mind, even for the most experienced vendors, it is very difficult to judge how a location is going to perform.

This is why we backup every location with our Platinum Warranty. Please read the Warranty Information section of our FAQ for more information.

*Keurig K-Cup Locations do not qualify for Right of Refusal. All Keurig Locations must be attempted for at least 14 Days.

This is a general, but not comprehensive, list of the most popular types of businesses for vending machines.

How it works:

1. Agree to a commission percentage with the business, generally 20%.
2. Pay them monthly or when you service the machine.
3. Log your payments for record keeping.

The question always comes, “How long will it take to get my machines located?” There are many variables that go into it but we will go over the most important things you should know.

• Order Size – The more locations you order the faster we’re able to get them located. It’s not that we’re prejudice against small orders (we have no order size requirements) but it’s just faster to locate for larger orders. The reason for this is we can batch out a greater number of calls initially for larger orders. We can’t call 1000 businesses for an order of 5 locations because during the call back phase (we make a lot of call backs to managers) we would end up with way too many locations for you.
• Management Systems – We won’t bore you with the details but the fact is we are the only locating company that allows you to track and manage all of your locations online. This means you can provide us feedback instantly so we always know what needs to be worked on.
• Search Area - The search area is comprised of two different parts; Size and Demographics.

• Size – The larger your search area (the amount of zip codes you provide) the more businesses we have to work with and thus the faster we can locate. If we run out of fresh leads to call and have to rely solely on callbacks then the locating process slows down.
• Demographics – Every city is different but here is what you need to know. Middle to low income areas tend to do much better than let’s say Beverly Hills.

Quality is comprised of two separate but very important parts; The Lead List and Call Verification.

• The Lead List – This is a list of businesses in your area that we use to call from. There are many different ways to get lead lists. The best way is to use a service like Sales Genie (they had a Super Bowl ad one year) to generate leads. This is because they constantly update their data and do what’s called Phone Verification. Phone Verification means that they actually call a business to verify the integrity of the information on their list and they gather additional information such as; Number of Employees that work there, Manager or Owners Name and Gross Sales. By using the best lead list we are able to curate the data and make sure we are only calling the best businesses for you.
• Call Verification - Call Verification is the process of doing quality control while we are on the call. We have a series of five checkpoints that must pass quality control on each phone call. Our competition is probably reading this page as we speak to figure out how we do it, so if that’s you... Here are the quality checks that must pass on each call:

• A manager or owner must approve the placement.
• The manager or owner must be there for the appointment and an exact appointment time must be set. For example: Monday at 2PM.
• They must have enough space for your type of machine.
• The charity information must be given accurately.
• The management must have a belief that the machine will get used.

Platinum Warranty:

Additional Replacement Locations:

Starting a vending business can be a great way to supplement your income or even replace your current full time job. Working with so many incredible entrepreneurs like you has provided us with many insights into what makes someone successful in the vending business. We’ve broken it down into four categories; Machines, Locations, Products and Service. By creating a business model that considers these four areas you will be well on your way to running a successful vending business.

Machines
Choosing a machine that is a good fit for your business is very important. Here are the three key ways that bulk vending machines vary.

• The number of products they offer.
  • The majority of bulk vending machines offer between 1 and 8 product selections. Generally we have found that 2 – 4 product selections are adequate for the majority of locations.
  • After 4 product selections you begin to see greatly diminished returns; the cost of adding an additional product is greater than the profit it returns.
• The type of products they offer.
  • Depending on the machine you choose it may vend gumballs, candy, stickers or toys. Deciding what type of products you’re going to offer is important because it impacts your decision on what machines to buy.
• The size and footprint of the machine.
  • Machines with a small footprint can go into many businesses whereas larger machines are more limited. How much floor space your machine takes up will impact the types of locations you’re able to get into.

Locations Everyone has heard the platitude “Location, Location, Location.” Location does matter but what is more important is matching your business model with the right types of locations. And, understanding how your location decisions affect other areas like Machines, Products and Service.

There are two primary types of locations; Kid Friendly and Adult Friendly.

• Kid Friendly
  • Locations like restaurants, pizza parlors, ice cream parlors and anywhere else you might find children.
  • It is more difficult to build a route quickly if you only target these types of businesses.
  • These types of locations lend themselves to machines that offer the following products; gumballs, stickers and toys. Since these products have a long shelf life you can increase the time between services.
• Adult Friendly
  • You have more flexibility on the types of products you can offer.
  • It’s quicker to build a route since there are more potential businesses.
  • Generally you will be offering candy products which require you to service the machines more regularly like M&M’s, Skittles, etc.

Other things to consider:

• Most successful, high traffic businesses already have vending machines. Don’t hesitate to compete with other vendors in the same business.
• It’s difficult to predict how a business will perform until you try it. The most successful vendors are willing to try almost any location.

Products
The products you offer will affect the types of locations you can target and your service cycle. This is the one area that most new vendors don’t realize is so important.

• Gumballs - Should be in every location unless the business doesn’t want them. They have the highest profit margins and are consumed by both children and adults. In addition, they have a long shelf life which allows you to increase the time between service cycles.
• Toys and Stickers – You are limited to kid friendly locations. However, the shelf life is unlimited which means you can increase the time between service cycles.
• Candy – The shelf life can be very limited on some candies. Well branded candy like M&M’s, Skittles and Reeses tend to sell very well. You are not limited by the types of locations you can target if you offer candy.

Service Enough can’t be said for providing outstanding service to your customers. Dressing professional, being friendly and having a smile on your face will go a long way. The most important aspect of providing quality service is sticking to a regular service schedule to ensure your customers are cared for properly.

Service Cycles:

• Candy Products – Maximum 30 days between services.
• Gumballs - Maximum 90 days between services.
• Toys & Stickers – Maximum 90 days between services.

• Orders of 50 or Fewer Locations - We require 90 calendar days to complete the order before a refund will be granted.
• Orders of 51-100 Locations – We require 120 calendar days to complete the order before a refund will be granted.
• Orders in excess of 100 Locations – We require 60 calendar days for every 50 locations ordered.  For example 150 locations would = 180 days before a refund will be granted.
  • Why do you have a required time before you can Grant a Refund?  - This is due to the upfront work that is put into each and every order.  Some of the most time consuming work is done up front, generating lead lists, setting up new accounts, loading our dialer, etc.
  • What happens if I just want a refund prior to the Required Time is up?  - We understand things happen and situations change.  Should you require a refund before the required time and not want us to complete an order we will refund 50% of any remaining locations that have not already been secured.
  • The required time is up and my order is not completed, now what? - In the rare circumstance that we are unable to secure all of your locations in the allotted time we will grant you a full refund on any remaining locations that have not already been secured if you request it.

How We Calculate Refunds

• Location Calculation Refund
  • Refund = (Total # of Locations Ordered – Placed Locations) X Sale Price per Location.*
  • For example, if you order 10 Locations at $69.99 each and 8 of the 10 Locations have been placed. (10 – 8) X $69.99. Total Refund: $139.98.
  • With our Platinum Plan we provide Free Replacements. Locations in which you have requested a replacement due to performance or kickout cannot be refunded.

Other Stipulations

• You must login and update the placement status of your locations in our Admin Panel within 30 days of a location being secured. If a location is not updated within 30 days it will go into “locked” status; we cannot refund that location and the warranty on the location is voided.
• After 200 days if a refund is requested on any remaining locations we will refund the replacement cost of $20 each.
• We allow a maximum rejection rate of 20% of locations. If this is exceeded we reserve theright to refuse a refund.
• We do not offer refunds on limited quantity promotional sales. This is because ordering these affects others opportunities at purchasing the offer.
• If you add additional zip codes to the system we require an additional 60 days to complete the order. This is due to increased lead generation costs.
• A minimum of 3 zip codes is required per 5 locations ordered. If adequate zip codes are not provided or removed from the system we cannot provide a refund. *Zip Codes must have active business listings; some postal codes are for USPS Mail purposes only.
• Locations secured must be sufficiently followed up with and delivered by client or we reserve the right to refuse a refund.

Interested in becoming a KickStartLocations.com affiliate?

What we offer:

• You receive 10% commission on all sales that come from anyone you refer.
• Referrals are automatically tracked using our affiliate tracking software.
• We provide you with custom links to put on your website to track referrals.
• Any future purchases from that client are also credited to you.
• We make affiliate payments once a month to your PayPal account. You must reach our minimum payout of $50 before a payment is made.

What we’re looking for:

• Professional websites that have vending related content on them.
• Blogs, Forums, Charities and Vending Machine Sales websites are preferred.
• There must be sufficient traffic to your site to warrant making you an affiliate.

How to apply:

Please visit our Contact Us page and provide us with the following information:

• Website URL
• Unique Visitors Per Month
• Why you would make a great KickStart Affiliate.

We will review your website and get back with you within 24 hours to let you know if you’ve been accepted. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not accepted. You can always apply again at a later date.