January 8th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Joe Nichols
When talking about the value of vending machine equipment, you are talking about more than just its market value. Market value is important but is by no means the only important factor in determining the value of the machine. When you are trying to determine the machines true value you need to look at it from many different factors:
1. Storage value
2. Collector”s value
3. Scrap value
4. Parts value
5. Operational value
6. Market value
Each of these items is significant to the true value of the machine. Lets look at each one in a little detail.
Storage value: Machines that are in storage are considered to be a liability as they are costing you money to store them and not making money by dispensing product to paying customers. Even if you store them in a facility that you own such as your garage you are still having to deal with the inconvenience and risk of having the machines just sitting around not doing anything. This makes them a liability no matter how you look at it.
Collector”s value: Collectible machines have a value all on their own, a very old vending machine or one that has logos or coloring from a brand that is very popular or maybe out of production can be highly favored among collectors. One way to find out what the value of such a machine is would be to call the product distributor if they are still available and find out what the collectible market for their merchandise is looking like these days. Another option would be to have the item looked at by experts in the field of brand collecting or to check out some of the many websites on brand collecting and collectible branded merchandise that are online.
Scrap value & Parts value: Old vending machines have a value of scrap and parts as well. If the machines are similar to those currently in use then they can often be parted out to other machines that you have in your fleet for use when something breaks; this trickle down system can keep some machine alive for many more years even if the parts that they need to have replaced are out of production. Also remember that the basic components of a vending machine have changed much in the last 25 years or so and vary only slightly from one manufacturer to another. So, if you have a machine that is being parted out then there is a good chance that another machine in your fleet can use a part from it even if they are seemingly totally different systems. If all else fails and you cannot use anything else from the machine then you can always sell it for scrap and recoup a little bit of your investment as a final deduction of its cost.
Remember that you also have to bear in mind the operational value as well as the market value of the machine when trying to ascertain how much the machine is actually worth. Be mindful of the machines value at all times, it”s the one true thing in your business that can make or break you real fast. Machines will move from one category of high value to another as they age and progress though their lives, this is normal so you will need to reevaluate the machines in your fleet on a regular basis to stay on top of how much your fleet of vending machines is really worth.
About The Author
Joe Nichols is the second-generation owner of A & M Vending Machine Sales, a family owned and operated business, for over 40 years. A&M Vending Machine Sales ships soda vending machines all around the world. Find a full-service vendor at the vending operators directory.
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January 8th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Joe Nichols
The concept of paying for a location in the vending business can be categorized under one of three headings:
1. Placement Fees
2. Commissions
3. Locating Fees
It”s important that you understand the unique nature of each of these items. Snack and soda vending account placement require a bit of effort in marketing and sales to make the right placement locations. Using a vending account locator service to find accounts for you might seem like a simple way to land locations for your machines but understand that when you use such a service you will have to pay a Locating Fee to the service when you close the deal with the property that your machines will be placed at. These fees are generally only one time expenses but can be very large in some cases based upon the perceived value of the account to your business, meaning the amount of money that you are expected to make from the account over the course of the first year.
Placement Fees are in a word BAD in another word STUPID and in a final word REDICULOUS. Never agree to pay a placement fee. If the property owner asks you to pay a placement fee it means that you are not important to them, they do not value your relationship to them and they will replace you as soon as your competitor comes along willing to pay a higher fee than you are.
Commissions are a normal part of the vending machine operations business. Not all accounts need or warrant commissions but they are a good way to keep the relationship between you and your accounts strong. The only problem with commissions is that they require a higher pricing scale than their non-commission counterparts. When it comes to the bottom line a commission can turn your previously profitable accounts into a liability that can support itself. Most of the accounts are going to want a higher level of service more reliable attendants and better product choice. This along with a lower pricing scale can be more advantageous to both you and the accounts property owner.
A commission based program requires extra effort on your part; most of the accounts will want sales reports that can be used to verify the integrity of the commission earning statement that you offer to them; you or someone on your staff will need to formulate, compile and manage these reports. This means labor cost is being used toward an activity which makes no extra profit to the business.
In low volume accounts avoid commission programs like the plague if you can. Also be mindful of not falling into the trap of paying commissions for power bills or space requirements, these type of “commissions” are really just placement fees in disguise. What most of these property owners don”t know is that the great idea that they have to try to sneak a little money out of you is not such a new idea and has already been tried on vending machine operations business owners a million times in the past. Commissions can lead to lost accounts, just as placement fees can when a competitor offers a better plan.
About The Author
Joe Nichols is the second-generation owner of A & M Vending Machine Sales, a family owned and operated business, for over 40 years. A&M Vending Machine Sales ships soda vending machines all around the world. Find a full-service vendor at the vending operators directory.
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January 6th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Eddie Lamb
It seems as though every week a new articles surfaces about the pros and cons of drinking either coffee or tea. One week caffeine is a mortal enemy, the next a tolerable friend. Likewise, green tea surfaces as a miracle cure all, only to fade to a questionable metabolic stimulant. If you enjoy either coffee or tea, here are some things to consider.
According to an article released last year by ABC News, Study: Drinking Coffee Has Health Benefits, coffee is America”s number one source of antioxidants, the agents that help protect you from toxins, starve off cancer and heart disease. But what about the barrage of information about the negative effects of caffeine that surface along side articles like this one from ABC News? Even this article from ABC points out that caffeine does in fact raise your blood pressure. So is tea a better source of antioxidants, since it contains less caffeine?
Tea has less than one third the amount of caffeine than coffee, which can be great for people who suffer from indigestion or headaches after drinking coffee (Grieger). Grieger goes on to mention some additional benefits of drinking tea, such as an increased metabolism and disease fighting qualities. According to ABC News, coffee also helps prevent disease, so coffee and tea seem to be on equal par there. And in reference to an increased metabolism, Grieger mentions that drinking green tea can help you burn up to 80 calories a day. 80 calories? It seems as though you would burn just as many calories lifting your coffee cup.
So Which Is It… Coffee or Tea?
Most of the other information out there about the benefits of coffee and/or tea seem to say the same things: coffee is an antioxidant but high amounts of caffeine can be bad; tea also has healing qualities, but is not the diet miracle the headlines would like to suggest it is. Many studies have mentioned that decaf coffee offers just as many antioxidants as regular coffee, which removes any negative effects brought on by caffeine.
When it comes down to it, drinking coffee or tea can be mutually beneficially in moderation. If you prefer drinking coffee over tea, consider drinking less to limit your intake of caffeine, or switch to decaf. If you prefer tea, great, but don”t assume that drinking high volumes of it will magically burn off the donut you had for breakfast.
Sources
ABC News Online. Study: Drinking Coffee Has Health Benefits. 28 August 2005. 31 August 2006. abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1074559
Grieger, Lynn. “Top 10 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea” iVillage.com 5 April 2005. 31 August 2006. health.ivillage.com/eating/0,,7kq79l90,00.html.
About The Author
Eddie Lamb provides an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. Click on any of these links to find out more about single cup coffee maker, organic coffee and french press coffee maker.
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January 6th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By seomul Evans
In fact, these days, when I actually prefer to feed myself images of tantalizing salads an assortment of multi textured breads, pasta and rice and a whole spread of other exotic dishes come to mind. If for no other reason I”d recommend turning to dietary needs with low calorie and vegetarian recipes for the great tasting food.
You see, I worked out pretty speedily that my commitment to health through a vegetarian lifestyle would not stand a chance if I did not get excited about cooking and eating. After all, cooking and eating had been a little of a passion for me.
I had, what I thought was a loving relationship with food. When I discovered low calorie and vegetarian recipes later in life I came to recognize that I was having nothing but a one sided fling. The food I loved much, just did not love me back. Low calorie and vegetarian recipes care for us.
Among the 1st things I did to assist to adopt a vegetarian diet was to read. It was not long before I found books on vegetarian cooking that were written from a spiritual basis. The spiritual aspect was an unforeseen bonus. I started to get excited. Apart from the fantastic recipes they contained, they also offered me insight.
Allow me to explain. I tended to be suspicious about food because I secretly believed that foods that I wished made me fat and foods that I did not were just not tasty. I was frequently disappointed with food because, even though I loved most of my meals, it would not be long before I was hungry again. I did not like the thought of having to eat frequently. It made me experience as though I was greedy and that wasn”t a nice feeling.
Through reading, I started to see that going vegetarian wasn”t just a change of diet. It was actually a change of life style. In fact, instead of going, I was becoming vegetarian. This sincerely represented a change in mindset, not just a change of recipes. Looking back my relationship with food helped me take our relationship to a whole fresh level one that promoted me to observe the food that I was putting into my body.
Which brings me to the subject of this article: Why low calorie, vegetarian? For me, the answer is quite a simple. A good relationship looks for to draw on and promote the better in both parties. In the case of my relationship with food, it seems to me that nature has a way of supplying us with nutritionally ample foods that could be low or high in calories.
As a caring partner in the relationship, I”ve learnt to aggregate these foods in ways that admit them to supply their best for my health and well-being. The result: Low calorie, vegetarian recipes to live for.
But mind before you eat that total low calorie food.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that following a low calorie diet will be the answer to all of their weight loss supplications.
And while people who follow low calorie diets are yet being healthier than those who subscribe to all of the latest fat diets.
They are however making a grave mistake.
See following a low calorie diet and searching free low calorie recipes will surely help you to lose weight in the short term. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
The trouble however comes out the long run.
See, when the body absorbs few calories, it eventually goes into what is called starvation mode. Starvation mode is a very critical place to be. Besides the body not admitting you to lose any weight, your metabolism slows down (due to the loss of muscle).
People who continue low calorie diets too long also typically feel neglected, and therefore cranky. Most dieters end up giving up shortly after they start diets as they cannot fit their diets into their life style for long term.
One alternative to this is to use calorie cycling. Calorie cycling still accounts for healthy eating, but the dieter switches up calories so that there”s no adjustment to any kind of seriously low calorie routine. Because of this, the body cannot go into starvation mode, and it remains healthy.
This technique of eating has been used for years by bodybuilders and has recently been given a spin for normal dieters.
About The Author
Seomul Evans is a copywriter with an interest in: Website Marketing Services, Healthy Foods, and Low Calorie Recipes.
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January 5th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Joe Nichols
When you are choosing products for your vending machine it is important that you try and find products that fit into your customers requirements. Your product selection will determine if your business fails or succeeds. The selection is crucial in order to get people to buy from your vending machine.
The first thing that you will need to do is an account analysis, this will be a vital first step in the process of determining what all your vending business will need to provide to your new customers. Many times a person will just fill the machine with whatever items are on their truck. They may also decide to buy items at a discount warehouse and place the items in their vending machine. These people tend to take the attitude that the customer can eat what is offered to them since there are no other options.
If you take this viewpoint with your customers then you will find that your logic may be a little flawed as these people will prove that they do in fact have a choice. These people will either bring items from home instead of buying from your machine. The may also decide to go to the closest store in order to get the snacks they desire. They may also just choose to not use the machine at all and as a result this will hurt your overall sales down the road.
The first thing that you need to do is what is called an analysis of your demographic as to who all will be using your vending machines. Is the demographic young, old, male, female, business or college students? This will have to be determined long before you place the first item in the machine. One thing that you need to remember is your product turn. This refers to the amount of time that it takes for a product to sell. The faster the time then the better it will be on your overall sales.
One thing to keep in mind is will your customers buy health foods in your machine? Your customers may not be the health nut type and therefore will not buy health foods. If this is the case then you will find yourself in a position where you will not be able to move the product. Health food items can go either way and affect whether or not you are able to make a profit off of your items.
About The Author
Joe Nichols is the second-generation owner of A & M Vending Machine Sales, a family owned and operated business, for over 40 years. A&M Vending Machine Sales ships vending machines all around the world. Find a full-service vendor at the vending operators directory.
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January 5th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Stephen Daniels
If you”ve ever eaten rotisserie cooked foods, you already know that healthy doesn”t have to mean a salad for every meal, and delicious doesn”t have to mean high fat. Rotisserie cooking results in tender, juicy meat and flavorful vegetables that have been slow cooked to perfection… without the added fat and calories of frying, or the potentially dangerous consequences of grilling.
Most people know about the cholesterol-raising and artery-clogging side effects of deep-frying, but what could make grilling unhealthy? While this method of food preparation is certainly lower fat than frying, recent studies showed that particles called benz pyrenes found in charred food might lead to cancer. In other words, if you like your steak or hotdogs charbroiled black, beware. Carcinogens might be lurking in those crusty black bits.
Another possible health hazard in grilling is the use of lighter fluid and some charcoal with additives to help start the fire. Overuse could make these unhealthy chemicals end up in the meal. Grease dripping down into grills can also cause dangerous flare-ups that burn food (or even an unwary cook).
Rotisserie cooked food does not suffer from any of these problems. When meat is cooked in this way, the fat and drippings from the meat baste the meat, while the excess is collected in a pan on the bottom of the rotisserie unit. The result is delicious, moist meat with less fat than other cooking methods. (You can also choose to make a wonderful sauce or gravy out of the pan drippings if the fat isn”t a concern.)
Chicken, turkeys and Cornish hens, as well as various beef, pork and even lamb roasts, are easy to prepare on the rotisserie. However, innovations in kitchen products can allow you to cook almost anything using this delightful method. Fish, whether store bought or freshly caught, can be placed inside specialized baskets to further add to the variety of your meals.
Fruits and vegetables can also easily be skewered on a rotisserie. You can choose to cook them alone or alongside meats as a part of delectable kabobs. Peppers and onions are only the beginning of the many healthful, scrumptious vegetables that can be prepared with this type of oven. Even vegetables that don”t skewer well, such as Brussels sprouts, can be placed in rotisserie baskets for easy cooking.
Conventional rotisserie ovens are designed to cook turkeys and other large roasts. By necessity, they take up quite a bit of space. However, this is not the only option. Counter-top models enable single people and small families to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful cooking method, while taking up very little space in your kitchen. These smaller models are more energy efficient, and more affordable, than conventional size rotisseries, but it is important to recognize that most of them can”t accommodate the larger roasts that their bigger cousins handle.
If you or your loved ones feel that most healthy cooking methods are boring and flavorless, a rotisserie might be the perfect solution. Whether you are cooking for twenty people or just one, this method of cooking can help you easily prepare delicious, healthy foods.
About The Author
Rib-O-Lator is an award-winning barbecue sensation – a unique rotisserie that fits on almost any medium to large grill. The 4-tray design gives more cooking space, plus it can cook more types of foods than you thought possible. Easy to set up and use, it frees you from constantly hovering over the grill. Perfect results are guaranteed from the very first use! Powered by SEO 2.0 Services
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January 4th, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Lawrence White
It is rightly said that a way to the man”s heart is through his stomach and in all probability this even holds true for all the esteemed wedding guests. Therefore along with the room decor and floral arrangement, right menu planning lies high on the priority list of all the wedding planners.
There are numerous factors which should be considered while planning wedding food, the first being the number of guests as well as your budget. For a big wedding having a large number of guests one can plan a lavish spread with cuisines from across the globe to suit different palates. On the other hand heavy evening snacks could be planned for a small informal gathering. Here are some wedding food ideas that will etch your wedding day into the memory of your guests for a long time:
If you have decided on an informal wedding ceremony by extending invitations to a small bunch of near and dear ones or if you have a tight budget, then plan a morning ceremony followed by a multi cuisine brunch at the reception. You could maybe fit in an exotic menu including English beans, European rich creamy eclairs, bacon and sausages from US and exotic collection of cheese from Greece.
If you are planning an elaborate day ceremony followed by a lunch at the reception then you need to serve something more elaborate and heavier. Pasta and an exotic collection of soups and salads are increasingly being preferred for such wedding parties.
A spit roast can also find a special place in almost all wedding venues as first it is possible to take the spit machine anywhere. So you can include a spit whether you are having reception in a hotel or have decided to erect a marquee at a beautiful country-side as it is easy to prepare this dish anywhere. Also, spit roasts are generally liked by people. By adding a portion of salad and apple sauce to a spit roast, you can make them appear more appealing and taste better. Having a spit roast in your wedding menu could also help in considerably decrease your catering bills.
While planning a wedding reception dinner, you have to plan a grand party and should also increase your budget as along with food special emphasis has to be laid on the drinks. You need to serve good quality wine and cocktails to the guests and make arrangements for fruit juices and non alcoholic beverages for teetotalers.
It is important to keep in mind the tastes of the invited guests while planning your wedding menu. Ensure that at least one fourth of your wedding menu contains vegetarian dishes and salads for vegetarians, fitness freaks and also people who are diabetic or are on a low cholesterol diet.
Last but not the least, after planning your menu, selection of a suitable caterer who will come up with lip smacking dishes that are also well presented is equally important. And don”t forget to order a lovely wedding cake from a well known confectioner or selected caterer.
About The Author
Are you looking for something different on your Wedding Day? Why not try Hog Roast. This Wolverhampton based Caterer will add something different with its range of Spit Roasted Pigs. Find us at http://www.hogroasts.uk.com/ for more information.
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January 3rd, 2010 | Uncategorized
By Danielle Brooks
Entertaining for your friends and family can offer great fun and wonderful memories. But, what if a guest comes that needs a special diet, like vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or diabetic, and you don”t know about it?
Having guests over your house is all about making people feel welcome and make them want to come back again. So, if you have a guest that has these dietary requirements and you don”t try to fill their needs, they may get offended and never come back.
If you don”t know if any of your guests have special dietary needs, you can call them before you start cooking or go grocery shopping to make sure they don”t need a special diet. Also, when you call around, your guest might offer to bring a dish that they eat to your gathering that may expose you to new foods. This will make sure that when they come over, they will be able to eat something.
Lactose intolerant people cannot have any foods that contain dairy products like milk, butter, sour cream, or ice cream. So, buying substitutes like almond milk or soy milk will work just fine, and most people won”t even notice the change. One thing to look out for is food products that have hidden dairy products in them. Most lactose intolerant people are used to looking at the ingredients on food labels, so keep the labels from the food you use so they can check them if they want to.
If you have guests over that are vegetarians, do not automatically assume they are picky about what they eat. Vegetarians only exclude all meat and their products from their diets. Products from meat that you may use normally are chicken and beef broth, lard, or gelatin. Serving vegetables, salads, or even pastas as your side dishes to your entree will make any vegetarian feel like they can enjoy the same meal as everyone else.
Vegans, who are similar to vegetarians, also nix eggs, dairy, and honey from their diets. Going back to the milk products, using the almond milk, soy milk, or a dairy-free butter substitute will make any vegan feel welcome in your home.
People who have diabetes cannot eat too many sugary foods. So if you have a guest who does have diabetes, make sure that you don”t use too much sugar, or even use sugar substitutes. And not using sugar in your food is never a bad thing for your health, and it still tastes terrific.
If only one or two of your guests that are coming have special diets, don”t feel like you can”t still cook your favorites like turkey, ham, and pork roasts because you still can. Most people with special dietary needs will not be offended if you have something they can”t eat as the main entree. If you supply another entree that fits their needs or a lot of side dishes, they will be grateful that you did so don”t worry.
Your guests will really appreciate your efforts to make sure they feel like a part of the gathering. Your friends and family will be calling you to make dinner plans if you make good food that everyone can enjoy.
About The Author
Danielle Brooks is a freelance writer who loves to entertain. When entertaining she likes to use sengWare dinnerware.
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