Is This the Death of Traditional Vending?! ($117 Startup)

Thu, 22 May 2025 18:50:17 +0000

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Meet Michael Hoffman, a former athletic coach who transformed his life through the vending machine business. Starting with just $14,000 in savings and a sharp eye for opportunity, Michael built his vending company, Modern Amenities, into a nationwide operation generating $75,000 monthly in revenue.

Growing up on a farm, Michael learned early lessons about entrepreneurship from his father. After college, he became a traveling athletic coach, making just $1,200 per month. During his countless hours in airports, Michael noticed something: vending machines were everywhere, but they offered overpriced, unhealthy options. This observation sparked an idea that would forever change his life.

Despite having no prior experience with vending machines, Michael taught himself the industry from the ground up. Today, his company stands at the forefront of vending machine innovation, with smart machines that use AI to track inventory, prevent theft, and even recognize customer preferences. His machines can be found in prime locations across the country, serving quality products that break the mold of traditional vending machine offerings.

In this episode, Michael shares his journey to becoming a successful vending machine business owner. Learn how he identified untapped market opportunities, negotiated prime locations, and leveraged AI technology to build a thriving automated retail empire – all while starting from zero industry experience.

Resources:

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👉 Check out Mike’s channel - https://www.youtube.com/@mrpassive_

👉 Mike’s choice for vending machines – https://hahavending.com/

Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:48 - From airport idea to vending empire
01:23 - Scale of operations
02:06 - The team
02:40 - “Traditional machines are dead!”
03:41 - Startup costs and funding
04:08 - Going all in… with nothing
04:37 - Thank God for YouTube!
05:18 - Smart machine demo
06:37 - Picking the right products
07:32 - Revenue breakdown
09:09 - What you (really) need to start
09:55 - Fan blitz
11:52 - The Micromart
12:15 - Location is everything
13:22 - Secure locations (the smart way!)
14:29 - A foolproof hack
15:17 - No traffic, no traction
15:59 - Cheap isn’t always better
16:54 - Basement setup
17:24 - Pricing dynamics
18:01 - Working one hour a week?!
18:40 - Overhead and margins
20:10 - Micro market vending
21:11 - AI tech is the future
22:08 - Setup costs
22:39 - Benefits of mentorship
23:10 - All about AI tech
24:55 - Insights and analytics
25:41 - Making the full-time leap
26:37 - Don’t buy a machine yet!
27:11 - Vending improves the experience
28:13 - Old vs. New
28:36 - Humans buy from humans
29:23 - Sneaky fees to prep for
30:00 - Leverage “incidentals”
31:08 - Fast-track your way up
32:16 - Vending routes aren’t for everyone
34:07 - Outro