The Vending Machine Business Playbook: Real numbers, real locations, no hype

How to Start a Small Vending Route the Honest Way: Real Numbers, Machines, Locations, Taxes and a 90-Day Launch Plan

Most vending advice is either selling you a "turnkey" package or showing you a full machine and a big number. This book does neither. It shows you how a small vending business actually makes money, where it loses money, and how to decide before you spend a dollar.

You get three worked profit-and-loss examples with every assumption labeled, from a quiet office that barely pays to a 24-hour warehouse, plus a simple break-even formula that tells you how many sales a location needs to be worth your time. You learn the machine types, what to inspect on a used machine (a 20-point checklist), and how to turn card reader quotes into the only number that matters: cents per sale.

Then comes the hard part, locations. You get word-for-word walk-in, phone, email and follow-up scripts, answers to common objections, commission math, and a plain-English placement agreement to adapt with your attorney. Sourcing, pricing, par levels, restocking routes and basic troubleshooting are covered step by step.

The legal side is current for 2026: sales tax and how to find your state's vending rules, licenses, FDA calorie labeling, ADA reach ranges, LLC and insurance basics, the 2026 IRS mileage rates, and the FTC Business Opportunity Rule, so you can spot a vending scam in ten minutes. It ends with telemetry, scaling, an official sources list and a 90-day launch plan with clear decision points.

Educational content only. No income promises.

What you get:

• Three worked P&L examples with every assumption labeled
• A break-even formula for judging any location
• 20-point inspection checklist for new and used machines
• Copy-ready walk-in, phone, email and follow-up scripts
• Plain-English placement agreement and commission math
• Sales tax, permits, LLC, insurance and FDA labeling basics
• FTC Business Opportunity Rule scam checklist with 15 questions
• A 90-day launch plan with two clear go/no-go decision points

Instant download: PDF ebook (6x9 in), readable on any phone, tablet or computer. Educational content; rules change, so check the official sources listed in the book.