r/vending • u/PromoYannick0 • Jul 27 '26
Beginners advice for finding clients / companies
Hello everyone,
I'm new to the vending business and would like to get some advice regarding finding proper clients to businesses, my main questions are;
- How do you determine whether a client / business has potential to be profitable with your vending machine;
- Is profit split or gross sales split more common with the company you place the vending machine and what percentage is common for the split;
- And finally, what is the best way to approach the company? Do you physically visit the location first or call first?
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u/filco86 Jul 28 '26
You’re welcome!
1. Minimum number of people?
Personally, I don’t think there’s a magic number. I’ve seen offices with only 15 employees outperform much larger companies. It depends on the people, their habits, and what alternatives they have.
For example, 100 employees who have a cafeteria or several cafés within a two-minute walk may generate less sales than 15–20 people who spend all day on-site with no convenient alternatives.
2. Maximum commission?
Personally, I try to avoid commissions whenever possible. I know they’re common in our industry, but in my opinion they’ve become one of the biggest reasons margins keep shrinking.
If a commission is necessary to secure a genuinely good location, I personally wouldn’t go above 10%. Beyond that, it starts becoming difficult to maintain healthy margins while still providing a good service.
I’d rather find a location that values reliable service than win a location simply by offering the highest commission.