How do I show a buyer my vending route is profitable?

Telling a buyer the route makes money is easy. Showing it takes records that agree with each other. Vending is partly cash, so buyers look for a trail they can follow from the machine to the bank. Build that trail before you list, so you can answer the questions buyers raise.

Start with each machine

A single total hides too much. Break collections down by machine and by location, month by month, and note which machines are new, moved or retired. Buyers will compare strong and weak sites and ask why. If you have restocking logs or route sheets, include them. They show how often each machine is visited and what it needs.

Match card sales to deposits

Card-reader and payment reports are the easiest evidence to verify, so line them up against your bank deposits. For cash, show how collections are counted and when they are banked. Where gaps remain, explain them. Your accountant can help you reconcile them so the sales in your financial statements match what the machines and the bank show.

Show the costs behind the sales

• Product purchase invoices and supplier terms.
• Commissions or rent paid to each host.
• Fuel, vehicle costs and repairs.
• Your own hours on the run, and who covers your absence.

Costs matter as much as sales, because a buyer pays attention to what is left after the route is serviced. Our page on how a buyer checks a vending route’s sales lists what they will ask for.

Offer a ride-along

Once a buyer is serious and has signed a confidentiality agreement, a day on the route lets them see the machines, meet the routine and check the records against what is in front of them. Agree beforehand how hosts will be introduced, so you keep their trust.