July 2008 Winner
Organic Food Vending machines for school use
I would like to start a vending company that sells organic or all natural snacks, organic milk and milk alternatives, and food for special dietary needs. I would ideally place this in schools and would love to expand
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Q1: How can I promote this idea? (1 pieces of advice)
by blobalicious07.14.08 | 02:49 PMPromoting would be easy if it is for natural foods. You also would not need to promote much if you had an in with the school districts. I would see if they have such vending machines at all and what you could do to get a contract if you build this all out.
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Q3: What could I do to keep the cost to consumers low? (1 pieces of advice)
by Economist07.17.08 | 10:08 PMYou have to show the school districts and parents that organic food or snacks are much better for the student’s performance and behavior. Having a better performance and behavior of students means lower costs for the schools therefore, the school or the city should be able to subsidies you to make affordable to students. It would not be hard to convince the parents or the school district that chemicals, colors, and preservatives are not good for the body. There is a study that was done on something similar in one of the schools in U.S. Good luck!!!
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Q4: How can I prevent issues such as spoilage since most natural food contain little or no presevatives? (1 pieces of advice)
07.28.08 | 08:11 PMYou may want to look into selling only foods that can be pasteurized. All foods eventually spoil, so the key is to pasteurize the foodstuffs long enough to last in the vending machine. Also, foods with high acidity will most likely last for quite a long time. Look into foods that historically have not needed refrigeration. Those will have natural anti-spoiling mechanisms already within the foods themselves.
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What advice do you have to help me grow my idea?
(10 pieces of advice)by amackens08.14.08 | 08:41 PMHi Elizabeth! My vending company has been doing healthy vending since 2003. If you want to chat, I can give you some advice on what and what not to do. Certain products sell better than others in schools and we have that data. Anyway, I'm all for spreading the healthy vending idea, so let me know if you want to talk. I might be able to save you months of mistakes. :-) andy@andymackensen.com. Talk to you soon!.
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by spk200808.14.08 | 09:59 AMLiz, I'd check out www.healthyvending.com. They work with entrepreneurs such as yourself to ensure that you set-up a successful program including the right machines, technologies, products, etc. They've been doing it since 2003 and I know people close to the company. Ask for Andy, he's one of their sales reps and is a really nice guy. Don't go into this blind when you do not have to. Good luck!
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by Taminar07.30.08 | 09:14 PMIf there is a way to split profits with the schools that allow your vending machines on site, that would probably help sell them on the idea. It's also good P.R. to say that you're profit sharing with our educational system.
Send press releases to announce everything! Announce the start-up of your business, each and every contract you sign (with both the vendors you'll be stocking and the locations that will install your machines), new employees, everything. You never know when your local paper or TV station will need a short business item to fill space in the paper. If you write your release in the style of a news article, they may publish it verbatim.
Meet with the PTA at each school you want to interest in your machines. The support of parents and teachers will mean a lot. Take samples of the nutritious snacks for them to try. Create a website where parents, students, and schools can read the nutritional information and prices of the available snacks, as well as where machines are located.Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
Liz that is a wonderful idea. They so need something like this and as a grandma of 3 I would be glad to pay for my grandkids lunches so they could have healthy organic food at school!
This is an idea whose time has come, finally! Schools would be a good start, but I would also like to see such machines almost anywhere there are vending machines, including college campuses, hospitals and airports. I am particularly thinking of times when I was stuck somewhere with vending machine junk as my only option, and I needed nutrition. How wonderful of you to think of a healthful alternative.
Did you post this idea before? It seems familiar
Wonderful idea... us vendor feeders need better selections !!! OLS OCKS !!
There is a company doing this called YoNaturals www,yonaturals.com
I'm familiar with yonaturals.
I'm familiar with yonaturals.
With the high level of obesity in the US today, I think this is a must have in all schools. This gives kids a healthy option instead of chips, or candy. Plus, parents can guide their kids to choose from these healthy items instead of unhealthy sweet, or salty foods.
That is a great idea! I would love to have one in our office!
You should check out www.earthpure.org and their program earthpure ONE (organic nutrition and Education)
thats a totally awesome idea !!!!!!!! :)
great Idea! you got my vote ! cindy's hubby !
you have my vote! I love it! wish this was available at TRAVEL REST STOPS as well! GOOD LUCK! I HOPE YOU WIN! its a win win situation
You received my vote. Best of luck and God Bless!
You received my vote! Good luck!
What a great idea. I hope you win and you can carry your idea further. KATE
You got my vote! What a FANTASTIC idea!!
You got my vote!! That is an awesome idea!! Big HUGz! Jules
Yes! I love this idea and I truly support your efforts. I hope I see one soon in my office!
You got my vote, too. I think this is a wonderful idea. I have Celiac Disease, and it's almost impossible for me to find anything that I can eat in vending machines. When I travel I have to make my own snacks to take along, and if I run out of them before the end of a trip I just have to do without.
Great idea Liz! Miki
Great idea Liz! Diabetic children need better options to control their blood sugar! Best of luck!
Excellent idea -Liz! Voted for you!
Voted for you! Good luck!!
Beyond schools, this is something that would be fanastic in places with limited food selections, like airport terminals and bus stations. Grown-ups like healthful food, too!
I think this is a most wonderful idea! And would have comment before on it, but they change everything, so wasn't sure how till today! My girls are into healthy, organic foods, but schools don't do a great job there! It's pizza sloppy joes ectra! We need something like your idea to supply the schools! GL on a great idea!
Splendid idea! We are constantly reminded that Kids are becoming more and more overweight - w/o mentioning diabetic, yet manufacturers are busy turning them into sugar addicts at an ealy age..... This idea could very well turn things around. I wish you the best of luck - you deserve it!
That is a wonderful idea! Not everyone is a junk food junkie!
Great idea - you can make the vending machine "cool" looking on the outside with bright colors or cartoon characters - to tempt the kids away from the chips.
What a great idea as a parent of a child who had dietary problems and the constant battle with the school cafeteria's to conform to what he could eat or make special provisions. About time we take a stand.
What an excellent idea - I hope you have the chance to implement it!
Hey Liz, shoppinqueen here, this is an excellent idea, my son is exposed to such unhealthy food choices on campus, having healthy alternatives in vending machines would be awesome!
This is such a needed thing in the school system. Good Luck!
What a Really wonder idea I hope you can win and put this into action!
What a fabulous idea! Our society has so many health issues because of our food choices. Good for you for thinking this one up and pushing to make it happen. You got my vote!!!
Really love your ideal! i think it's going to be a huge hit, as well as something that's really needed!! Good luck!!
regardless if other companies are doing this or not it is not a common idea and is GREAT and so so needed in schools!
Excellent idea...school districts would have a viable option to put healthy type snacks in place for students that are not only healthy but tasty. Kids wouldn't feel as if they are being deprived because they would have many options and choice is always empowering.
Right on! Start them out right when they are young and healthy eating can have a maximum impact on future health and longevity!
That's a fantastic idea Liz!
Great idea, good luck! :-)
although my idea as a finalist (j5uh Raising Money for Charity through music) did not win, im glad that a worthy cause WILL! I was becoming very aggravated and upset, not because we were losing, but because we were losing to pathetic "unapologetic radical feminists" and horny lingerie lovers. congratulations on the victory.
Liz, This idea is revolutionary! I just wish I would of thought of it first. lol Vending Machies for Schools that have Healthy Lunches - Perfect! A dream come true for parents. This could even work really well in companies! Great Work and Good Luck. Victoria99 (SA)
MoreNingDew here. My whole family is behind you on this one....what a great idea!
Fantastic idea!
This is a wonderful idea! I hope this is something that comes to fruition.
nice idea. Too bad you have to beg on another website (OLS) for votes
thats rockin. do it.
Just be sure someone maintains constant functioning of the machines! We had one in our Nordstrom employee lounge that dispensed frozen Amy's Organic Meals, which are produced locally in Sonoma County. It was a great option since the entire food court in our mall was replaced by a clothing store. But Amy's upgraded(?) the machine to only accept credit cards and the swiper thing NEVER worked. They lost so many sales after that change- and eventually the healthy vending machine was replaced by a **** soda pop one.
Great Idea. I just had to mention it again. Take Care from SA member - Victoria99
YAY Liz!!! We are sooo happy for you. (((HUGS))), - Denise http://www.StretchThatDollar.com .
since 2003 a company has already been doing this - www.healthyvending.com. they used to be owned by Fit Fuel but h.u.m.a.n. (helping unite man and nutrition) recently bought them out. they might be able to work with you Liz, check it out and good luck!
A company called YoNaturals (<a href="www.yonaturals.com">www.yonaturals.com</a>) has been doing this for a while, and even targets junk food vending for extinction with initiatives like <a href="www.schoolhealthyvending.com">www.schoolhealthyvending.com</a>