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Why Partnering With H.U.M.A.N. Makes Sense
Aside from our amazing machines and unparalleled customer service, here is the #1 reason you should partner with HUMAN Healthy Vending when you start your own healthy vending business:
In vending, it’s all about finding the best locations. LOCATIONS, LOCATIONS, LOCATIONS!
Premium locations with high traffic is what any vending machine owner strives for. We at HUMAN could keep our strategies a secret, but we like our operators and potential operators to be fully informed. Check out our 6-Step premium location acquisition process:
Step 1 – 4 stage direct mail campaign to the top 250 locations in your region
Step 2 – 4 to 6 Weeks of Telemarketing to every single healthy vending conducive location in your region that meets our criteria (at least 20 vends per day)
Step 3 – 1 week of in-person location discovery & acquisition training with a HUMAN location pro
Step 4 – A HUMAN location pro attends 30-40 top-tier meetings over the course of a week
Step 5 – Custom press release and media outreach to every newspaper, tv and radio outlet
Step 6 - Constant follow-up marketing and outreach to EVERY location in your region for the lifetime of your partnershipWith Step #3, this is all about the “Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.” We’re training you to be successful in the short and long-run! Which brings me to my next point, #6. We perform continual follow-up marketing for the lifetime of our partnership to ALL of the locations in your region. We have a custom email and customer marketing solution that helps us with this. Additionally, as our brand grows nationally and internationally, you’ll benefit from our success. Everyone who comes to HUMAN is passed along to you. And as our brand grows to tens of thousands of machines, it’s very, very good for you.
Here is a sneak peak of The Media Mogul! My next post will highlight the features of this unbelievable automated retailer/digital media money maker!!!!
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Childhood Obesity And The 2010 TED Prize Winner
The TED Prize is awarded to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000 and, much more important, “One Wish to Change the World.”
Congratulations Jamie Oliver – 2010 TED Prize Winner
Jamie Oliver’s Wish: “I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”
H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending supports this movement by actively placing 100% healthy snack and drink vending machines across the world! Our interactive network of healthy vending machines have streaming LCD screens that display nutritional facts, offer healthy eating tips, and promote healthy products that are not only healthy but taste great!
Check out his presentation at the TED Awards….
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H.U.M.A.N.: Creating Healthy Vending Success Part II
Why We Succeed at Schools While Traditional vending Companies Fail Part II
Products that are Actually Healthy AND Taste Good
When a healthy vending program fails to reach optimal success, it almost always has to do something with the products. The products must taste good and they cannot taste that much different than what students are used to. You can’t just change students’ taste preferences on the flip of a dime. Therefore, you must work with them. Take what products students like, find healthy items that taste similar, and offer those products to the students. Healthy snacks don’t have to taste like cardboard, and they shouldn’t!
Healthy products have made a huge stride over the past five to ten ears when it comes to taste. The problem is that many of the best products are not available via standard vending machine product distributors. A vending operator needs to build a network of new suppliers and distributors with different rules, policies, and prices, and many time they’re not willing to do that. HUMAN has never been involved with anything other than healthy vending. Therefore, our suppliers and our network is dialed-in to allow for the distribution of the healthiest, tastiest products that students love. We know what students like, and what they don’t, and that’s the foundation of our program.
With over six years of taste-test research (and many, many mistakes along the way), we know how to put together the perfect healthy snack and drink plangogram (product mix) for students. It’s been a learning experience, but without this experience, success would not be possible today. Without creating the optimal product offering, nothing else matters!
LCD Screens that Educate Students & Catch Their Attention
Beyond the fact that they make the machine look much better, cooler and more innovative, LCD screens also help increase sales at healthy vending machines by educating students about the products inside the machines, providing them with the products nutritional information, & offering nutritional tips & tricks that are useful to students throughout the day. This is all done vi streaming video that can be remotely loaded and, therefore, kept fresh. When getting students to switch to healthy vending, education is so important, and the best way to educate students without doing so in person is via digital LCD screens.
The 1-2-3 Punch
In order for healthy vending to work & succeed at your school, you need all of the above to exist. You can’t do one thing right and two others wrong. You can’t have the best machines and the worst products or vice versa. The entire program needs to make sense and needs to be built for healthy vending success. Healthy vending is not the same game as traditional vending–the delivery method, in that it’s automated, may be the same, but that’s about the only similarity that exists. Everything else is a 180 degree difference. A paradigm shift is needed.
At H.U.M.A.N., healthy vending is our game. Our only game. And our goal is to create healthy vending success where others either cannot, will not, or are not able to do so. I hope we’re able to serve your school and provide your students with a ton of value!
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H.U.M.A.N.: Creating Healthy Vending Success
Why We Succeed at Schools While Traditional Vending Companies Fail
Education, Marketing & Promotion at School
In the world of traditional vending, an operator will conduct next to no on-location marketing & promotions. They place the machine, fill it, and once in a while change out products that aren’t selling. That’s it. This is a flawed model regardless of the type of business one is running (what’s more important than marketing & education?), and it’s especially flawed when running a business whose goal is to implement healthier snacks & drinks at school.
Healthy snack brands are often times less recognizable than traditional vending machine fare — students need to be taught about the items. Most importantly, they need to taste the items and learn for themselves that healthy snacks & drinks can and should taste good! These are not your grandma’s healthy foods — they taste just as good as traditional vending fare, but are just a whole lot healthier. Via sampling events, coupon giveaways, digital & standard signage, and consistent promotional strategies (all optional but highly recommended), H.U.M.A.N. operators get to know students and integrate directly into the school’s healthy vending initiative. This has a huge impact!
Innovative Machines Made for Healthy Vending
Selling healthy snacks from a standard, ugly, and boring vending machine is like trying to sell a new car from a used auto parts lot. It’s not going to work. Healthy vending success is all about creating a paradigm shift in the students’ minds regarding what vending, or automated retail, is all about. If the delivery channel is the exact same as standard vending, the students’ minds will expect the same products & experience. The delivery channel needs to change.
By using only new, unique looking machines with customized graphics that tell students “these machines are cool, premium, and good-for-you,” students are much more likely to approach them. And when they do approach them, they’re going to expect something different than traditional vending, and this is what we give them. That’s the whole point! Additionally, by adding innovative technology such as LCD screens, cashless card readers, and automatic conveyor sensor systems, the machines’ “cool” factor is maximized in a big way.
Running out of time today! So check out the next blog post for Part II of this bloviation…
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90 Day Optimization Period: Do You Have What It Takes?
Every entrepreneur hits road blocks along the journey to the top. The difference between successful and unsuccessful business owners is that successful individuals stay resilient and find a way to get things done!
The vending industry is no different. The first 90 days after a machine is placed can make or break any vending operator’s confidence. If the operators see great sales immediately, they are happy. If not, they label it as a bad investment. What can an operator do to avoid the feelings of disappointment? Work harder!
A lot of learning will take place over the first 90 days of running any business. But hard work and precise planning will set the stage for success. In healthy vending, hosting sampling events, analyzing sales data, and testing new products are a few key tasks that help to optimize the business.
How do these tasks help?
Sampling Events: Hosting on-site sampling events allow potential customers to TRY the products. Some of the healthy brands are not as recognizable, but once a customer tries out a product, he/she will love it! Just 10 years ago many healthy snacks and drinks tasted like cardboard, but with advancement in technology and nutritional science there are TONS of healthy products that taste just as good as junk food!
Analyzing Sales Data: Recognizing what sells and what doesn’t is extremely important. This allows you to create more efficient inventory management and route driving systems. The H.U.M.A.N. machines are equipped with remote monitoring capabilities, which allow you to print sales reports and quickly identify any significant trends. Once you analyze the data, many decisions can be made: lowering prices, raising prices, removing products, placing products differently in the machine. All of these factors effect sales in some way or another.
Testing New Products: Although H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending customizes planograms for optimal sales at each machine location, small tweaks will always need to be made along the way. Once you have analyzed the sales data, there may be an underperforming product that needs to be swapped out. Make the switch to a different product, see how it sells, and then reevaluate.
Learn as much as possible, don’t let a minor road bump stop you, and adapt when necessary! Entrepreneurship can be a bumpy road sometimes, but the strong always survive!
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The Future of Retail: Automation
Having face-to-face interactions in business is becoming more and more obsolete. Of course, companies still have huge call centers and high rise buildings with employees that interact daily… but how often do these company employees speak in-person to their customers? In most cases, not often.
Some may argue the need for face-to-face interaction is becoming less of a necessity. With limitless Internet access and easy-to-use search engines, like Google, consumers are becoming educated on products in a short period of time. This has allowed online retail stores to see unprecedented profits. The one problem with ordering products online, is not being able to see the item. This is a turn off for some buyers as these people would likely feel more comfortable going into a store. Retailers, both online and in store fronts, are noticing a gap in the marketplace. What about 100% Automation?
The vending industry is being shaken up by different initiatives put forth by a few major brands.With the advancement in technology, companies like Best Buy, Apple, and Sony are breaking into the world of automated retailing. Vending machines are no longer your standard black box machines with unhealthy snacks and drinks. They are becoming mini automated retailers with interesting, eye-catching graphics that can sell anything and everything. These interactive “stores” require little servicing, no employee supervision, and can be open 24/7. What a business!
From the start, H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending has been pushing the limits in automated retailing. Not only do we have a great product catalog with over 1000 healthy snacks and drinks, but also, our machines are capable of vending just about anything that fits. Our custom, healthy vending machines are being used in locations across the country to serve customers what they want! In our gym locations, for example, we offer our nutritious snacks but also incorporate tanning goggles, lotions, head phones, workout towels, gym clothes, and much more into our location-friendly planograms!
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Nutrition Matters: Schools Revamp Vending Machine Programs
In most instances, people choose the easiest, cheapest, and closest things to eat. People are obsessed with fast options that give them a “quick fix.” What happened to that good ol’ home cooking? It seems to be a lost art.
The problem with these “quick fix” food/drink options is that they are usually unhealthy. An even bigger problem is that a large percentage of these fast and convenient options are being purchased from vending machines in schools. This sets the precedent at an early age for children to develop unhealthy eating habits. The federal and state governments are taking action to stop this trend.
Massachusetts is the most state to pass a school nutrition bill that requires public schools to serve healthier meals to students, and to overhaul vending options. A Massachusetts news articles reads, “The measure would ban candy and sodas from vending machines on school property and encourage the sale of non-fried fruits or vegetables, whole grains, nonfat and low-fat dairy products.”
What a coincidence! H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending will customize a machines planogram, or product mix, to meet any nutritional requirements put in place by state and local governments. With a product list of over 1,000 healthy snacks and drinks, H.U.M.A.N. has the necessary products to meet your specific dietary requirements. We can create a plan that is 100% Organic, SB-19 compliant, Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free, Low-Fat, Low-Carb, or No Sugar-Added!
According to the Chicago Tribune, President Obama has asked for an additional $1 billion in funding for school lunches. This is a valuable addition to the battle against childhood obesity. I suggest President Obama allocates a portion of this billion dollars to a healthy vending initiative! Most kids who bypass the cafeteria altogether and head straight to a vending machine end up with a bag of chips and a can of soda for their lunch meal. H.U.M.A.N. can and wants to help. Making school lunches healthier, will not help these rebellious students who spend their lunch money on honey-buns and a soft drinks from the vending machines. If we can’t change the kids, let’s change the food options! Surrounding these kids with healthy vending machines is a beneficial step in changing purchasing options at a young age. Why not buy a bag of Stacy’s Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips and Hansen’s Natural Soda instead of a Snickers bar and Cherry Coke?
Checkout a couple articles about school nutrition in:
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How To CRUSH It In The Vending Industry…
Many people think the vending industry is simple. Simply stated, it’s not!
When looking at all facets of vending, the most valuable factor is finding the right location. Smoothly operating machines equipped with healthy snacks & drinks, in addition to great service, mean nothing without solid location placement.
Having constructive marketing materials and the perfect pitch are two important aspects of this placement process. Here at H.U.M.A.N., we have developed a location acquisition process that directs us to prime locations. We use a combination of direct mail, fax blasts, e-mail blasts, and telemarketing to narrow down a list of 1,000 locations to just 25 optimal healthy vending sites. Next, we have a H.U.M.A.N. team member, not a third party, travel to the placement site. This member explains to the location personnel the goals of our healthy vending program and why we have considerably more to offer when compared to a standard “junk food vending machine.”
So what comes next? After visiting a potential placement site, our team is sure to follow up. Our team is easy to contact and easy to talk to. Once a contract is signed, the new healthy vending machines are ready to be placed in their new home!
From a business aspect, sales may be worse, better, or equal to what was expected. Many vending operators and companies believe they can do very little to improve their machine sales. H.U.M.A.N. argues the opposite. Of course there are different marketing initiatives that can be done to improve sales at specific locations! A few of the H.U.M.A.N tactics are listed below:
1) Free Vending Dollars: We pass out vending coupons to customers at different locations, allowing them to purchase products for free. This gets consumers to use the machine, so the next time around they are more likely to make a purchase on their own.
2) On-Site Internal Marketing Campaigns: We conduct e-mail blasts, fax blasts, and hand out flyers on-site to make potential customers aware of there new healthy vending machine and what it has to offer.
3) Sampling Events: Typically, healthier brands are not as recognizable when compared to traditional junk food brands. Hosting on-site sampling events allows people to try these new-aged healthy products. Just 10 years ago, many healthy snacks tasted like cardboard, but now, with the advancements technology and product development, companies are sending products in the marketplace that are not only healthy for you, but also, taste amazing!
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Creating The Most Profitable Healthy Vending Program Ever Wasn’t Easy…
The Top 4 Blunders Sean Kelly, H.U.M.A.N. CEO, had to overcome before the business model was completely optimized…
Blunder #1: I didn’t REALLY know the ins and outs of the vending industry. I had no idea how opposed the industry is to progression, innovative technologies, and health promotion. In the beginning, I tried to work completely WITHIN the old-school good ol’ boys club that is the traditional vending industry. This simply caused me to waste months of time and thousands of dollars in a stagnant industry that didn’t want to budge.
Solution #1: I analyzed and improved upon our business from the progressive, innovative, and demanding perspective of a discerning, health-conscious customer, instead of a traditional vending operator. This means our machines attract customers, rather than being the last resort of a passer-by.
Blunder #2: I tried to have us operate all of our own machines. To maintain complete control of our operations and maximize profit, I thought it would be a good idea for us to operate machines across the country by ourselves, or more specifically, via people that we hired on an hourly basis. This wreaked-havoc on our supply chain, slowed-down expansion, and created logistical nightmares. We weren’t fully opening-up our arms to others, and this minimized, not maximized, profits.
Solution #2: I now share our expertise, experience, and innovation with open arms by having our partners operate all H.U.M.A.N. machines, while we help them by managing locations and advertising.
Blunder #3: I set-up 100% in-house product distribution. Another BIG time whammy! We stored and shipped-out every product order ourselves, focusing a great deal of effort on the wholesale side of our business. Even though this generated profit, it meant higher prices, slower delivery times, and less-the-optimal service for our vending operators. My focus was not where it should have been.
Solution #3: I refined our business model so that we now completely outsource our product distribution to 20 warehouses across the country, meaning w make zero profit from our product sales in order to ensure that our partner vending operators receive the lowest possible product prices with the fastest delivery time.
Blunder #4: I allowed partner vending operators to start-off with fewer that five machines. Talk about a bad decision for everyone! Almost always, operating a route of only 1, 2, or 3 vending machines requires too much time and hassle for the reciprocal amount of profit that is produced. My parnter vending operators could have been making more money in less time, but my planning was off-target.
Solution #4: I placed our partner vending operators’ profits as my top priority, and therefore, require operators to start-off with at least five healthy vending machines to maximize their “profit to time” ratio, experience immediate positive cash-flow, and set themselves up for long-term success.
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The “Super Human” Vending Machine Is Dominating a Stagnant Industry
From the moment you see a H.U.M.A.N. vendor, it’s obvious this it’s not your average vending machine. H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending machines were engineered specifically to make YOU, our vending partner, more money in healthy vending…period.
We use an effective blend of new technology, attractive graphics, and optimized product offerings to maximize your revenue potential and reduce the time you need to spend on & in your business. This allows you to spend more time doing what you love to do. Isn’t that what life is really all about?
The 3 Primary Goals of the H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending Machines are:
1. First and foremost, maximize revenues and profits for our vending operator partners.
2. Make operating and maintaining our machines easier for our vending operators.
3. Create happy, healthy customers and fight obesity and malnutrition though charitable giving.
How the Super Human Machine doubles to triples your profits!!
Advertising: The LCD screens, internal PC computer, and advanced ad-serving system allow you to display a variety of digital video ads on your machine. An additional profit stream!
Education: Consumers are provided with the product info, nutritional advice, and health tips via your machines’ LCDs, leading to increased loyalty and purchasing frequency. Increased customer loyalty!
Interactivity: Touch-Screen controls and LCD videos allow customers to interact with a previously inanimate object, improving the customer experience. Improved purchasing experience!
Appearance: Digital LCD screens attract more eyes to your machine and enhance its image. leading to a higher perceived value and intrigue of machine and its contents. Higher margins and increased sales volume!
Technology: Limitless updates and software enhancements, cashless payment capabilities, advanced remote monitoring system, interactive SMS messaging and much more. A machines that is ALWAYS on the cutting-edge!
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