The Everest Blog

One thing people see all the time but never really consider owning is an ice vending machine. You can find these at almost every convenience store you go to, but very few people ever consider looking into the possibility of owning one as a source of additional income. Even if you have considered this option, you’ve likely written it off as something that’s not worth your time.

However, you’d be wrong to do so. Ice vending machines are a great business venture to get into. If you’re seriously considering investing in one, there are some things you should know beforehand. In this guide, we’ll cover each point in-depth to fully explain what makes these machines so great.

The Low Start-Up Cost

When people see the size of an ice vending machine, they assume it’ll probably exceed their budget—this isn’t the case, though. In fact, most ice vending machines are actually quite reasonably priced, especially when compared to the upfront cost of most side businesses.

One thing you should be aware of, though, is that this isn’t the case for all ice vending machine sellers. While the initial costs might be similar across the board, most other companies charge a reoccurring fee to own their machines.

That’s not the case at Everest Ice and Water Systems. If you start your ice vending business through us, we won’t charge you any additional fees after you buy your new machine. You’ll only need to pay us again if you want more ice vending machines. We’ll even put your business logo on the machine, making it completely yours.

Other Potential Fees

However, one thing you should be aware of is that there might be some other fees that you’ll need to cover. These fees include things like plot rental and your share of the water and electricity your machine uses. Fortunately, these are minor in the grand scheme of things.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore them, though. Rental prices can be quite high depending on where you want to position your machine. Be sure to negotiate a deal that’s fair to both parties. Luckily, if you own a property that can support your ice vending machine, you can avoid this charge altogether.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to avoid water and electric bills, but if you buy one of our machines, you can reduce the overall cost of both. Our machines have upgrades that can significantly reduce the amount of water and electricity they use, improving your overall profit margins.

Runs on Its Own

One major plus to getting into the water and ice business is that you don’t have to run these machines yourself or hire someone to do it for you, which will save you a lot of time and money. Our ice vending machines work without any supervision needed. That means customers simply pay for how much water or ice they want, and the machine takes care of the rest.

That doesn’t mean you never have to check up on your machine, though. Weekly checks are a good idea to ensure everything is running smoothly. If you have a large network of these machines, you might need to eventually hire a part-time employee to help you out with this task.

However, the fact that these machines rarely need maintenance means that these checks should take up very little of your time. Plus, you can use an app to check on how they’re doing from the comfort of your own home whenever you want.

Expansion Is Quite Easy

Since we’ve already mentioned the possibility of expansion, let’s cover how easy it can be. Once you’ve had one ice vending machine for a while, you’ll come to a point where expansion becomes the next logical step. Even if your first machine is wildly successful, it can only serve so many people since those who need ice will only travel so far to get it.

Adding more machines to your network is the best way to expand your reach. Luckily, it’s very easy to raise funds for your new machine with the profits made by the old one, meaning that you won’t have to pay as much out of pocket this time around. Plus, the more machines you own, the easier it’ll become to buy a new one.

Through the help of proper branding and online marketing, you’ll be able to create a small ice vending machine empire in no time. Plus, the additional machines won’t increase your time investment too much, leaving you with plenty of time to still work a full-time position.

No Inventory Needed

At this point, you might be wondering why we haven’t suggested creating a diverse network of vending machines. If water and ice are doing so well, why not add snack and pop machines to the mix? The main reason is inventory. With most vending machines, you need to get into contact with a supplier who can provide items for you to sell.

Suppliers aren’t always the most reliable. Even if they are, the amount of time you’ll need to take out of your day to refill machines will be much more extensive than giving them a weekly checkup. With a water and ice machine, your inventory gets made inside the machine itself—no restocking will be needed.

As long as you have a reliable supply of water, your vending machines will never run out of products to sell. Plus, paying for the water you use each month will be much cheaper than managing the inventory and shipping costs that come with other vending machines, increasing your overall profits.

Location Is Very Important

The final thing you need to know before investing fully in an ice vending machine is probably the most important, and it’s the fact that the location you choose for your machine is vitally important. You can’t just pick a cheap location in the middle of nowhere and expect high profit margins. While online marketing can significantly help a machine in a nonideal spot, putting it somewhere with high visibility is better.

That’s why you need to take your time when picking a location. Find something that is easily visible from the main road and try to find a street that gets a lot of traffic. If that’s not possible, pick a store or venue that gets a lot of customers of its own. Even if the people there aren’t looking for ice, they’ll see your machine and keep it in mind the next time they need some.

The key is to find spots that are highly populated. Fortunately, the more machines you add to your network, the higher your chances will be for someone who needs ice to find it. However, if you don’t place your ice vending machines strategically, you won’t find nearly as much success.