Choose a vending service to take care of the details

A full-service company will provide the machine, handle repairs and re-stocking, and provide a customer service number for lost money and other problems. The vendor will set the prices and, in some cases, pay you a commission on the sales. However, many full-service vendors won't put a machine in small offices, and you may not earn much money in commissions.

I recommend: US Vending offers nationwide full vending service for Coke products and snacks, while Vending Solutions offers full service on Coke and Pepsi products, snacks, and more to workplaces with more than 40 employees.

Operate a machine in cooperation with a vendor

If you pick one major company - like Coke or Pepsi - to work with, you can contact them to see about leasing or renting a machine directly from the vendor. Your product choices will be limited and you'll do most of the maintenance and re-stocking work, but you'll get to set your own prices and keep more of the profits.

I recommend: Visit I Want To Serve Pepsi or Hershey's Vending for information about vending products from these major companies.

Do it yourself.

Purchasing a new or used machine outright offers you freedom in both pricing and product selection. You'll get to keep all the profits, but you'll also have to deal with re-stocking and maintenance yourself.

I recommend: Usedvending.com sells new and used vending machines of all types.