Posted by Chi, Thursday, July 03, 2008 05:12
| Ignore The Knock of A Business "OPP"! |
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The advertisements are enticing: Earn between $60,000-$80,000 a year investing in DVD movie rental vending machines! Earn $500 per week doing medial billing; we provide the training! Honest, serious home workers can make up to $800 per week for assembling products at home, with NO SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED! Join our Web-broker program and earn substantial commissions as we team you up with Fortune 500 companies!
These and other business opportunity ads may trumpet "be your own boss," "set your own hours," "work from home," and "earn money quickly," but the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau know that the end result is substantial consumer injury. BBBs process 10,000 complaints each year from consumers who states they were misled by or lost money to such promotions. In a recent major business opportunity assault launched by the FTC, the 200 defendants caused tens of thousands of consumers to lose a total of more than $100 million.
Before investing in any "biz opp," the FTC and BBB suggest that consumers:
- Look at the ad carefully. If you are being promised lots of money for little time, little work and little experience, there is little chance that the ad is legitimate! If it claims buyers can earn a certain income, it also must give the number and percentage of previous purchasers who achieved the earnings. If an earnings claim is there - but the additional information is not - the business opportunity seller is probably violating the law.
- Get earnings claims in writing. If the business opportunity costs $500 or more, then the promoter must back up the earnings claim in a written document. It should include the earnings claim, as well as the number and percentage of recent clients who have earned at least as much as the promoter suggested. If it is a work-at-home or other business opportunity that involves an investment of under $500, ask the promoter to put the earnings information in writing.
- Scrutinize franchise offers. If the business opportunity is a franchise, study the disclosure document. Look for a statement about previous purchasers. If the document says there are no previous purchasers but the seller offers a list of references, be careful: the references probably are fake.
- Interview each previous purchaser or investor. Do so in person, preferably where their business operates. Beware of paid "shills." The FTC requires business opportunity promoters to give potential purchasers the names, addresses and phone numbers of at least 10 previous purchasers who live the closest to the potential purchaser. Interviewing previous purchasers helps to reduce the risk of being misled by phony references.
- Check on complaint records. Contact the attorney general's office, state or county consumer protection agency and BBB -- both where the business opportunity promoter is based and where you live to find out whether there is any record of unresolved complaints.
- Is a well-known company involved? If the business opportunity involves selling products from well-known companies, call the legal department of the company whose merchandise would be promoted. Find out whether the business opportunity and its promoter are affiliated with the company. Ask whether the company has ever threatened trademark action against the promoter.
- Consult experts. Talk to an attorney, accountant or other business advisor before you make the deal.
- Take your time! Promoters of fraudulent business opportunities often use high-pressure sales tactics. But, if the business opportunity is legitimate, it will still be around when you are ready to decide.
3/2/2005
© 2005 Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
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Posted by Chi, Friday, June 27, 2008 03:12
Step 1 Browse the different coffee vending machine models available. Some machines dispense one size cup while others offer a few choices. Larger machines also offer soup, hot chocolate and tea. Avalon offers a selection of tabletop and freestanding coffee vending machines, and some of them also dispense espresso and cappuccino.
Step 2 Decide whether you want a generic vending machine or a smaller cabinet model. Some vending machine wholesalers specialize in sleek cabinet-enclosed machines that sell carafes of coffee in addition to the usual cups. If you’re concerned about the look of your coffee vending machine, ask about cabinet vending machines. Check out manufacturers like Necta and their Brio line for sleek machines and a selection of gourmet coffees.
Step 3 Choose a capsule coffee vending machine. These tabletop machines dispense coffee or cappuccino through micro channels and into the cup. Look into vending machines by manufacturers like Gevalia.
Step 4 Purchase a pod coffee vending machine. This system automatically dispenses the used pod in a trash bin and contains a leak detector and a bin full light. Check manufacturer models like the Cafejo Cafe Pod Coffee and Tea Brewer.
Step 5 Look at refurbished vending machines. Several major vending machine companies sell used coffee vending machines. Inspect the machine and try out its functions before purchasing.
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Posted by Chi, Thursday, June 26, 2008 07:35
Introduction
Snack vending machines come in many different styles and sizes. You can buy snack vending machines that are small enough to sit on a coffee table or large enough to require a whole wall of floor space. Most snack vending machines have a clear plastic or glass face so the customers can see what they are buying.
Difficulty: Easy
Step One
Consider flexibility of product packaging. Chances are good you will want to offer a lot of variety in your snack vending machine and not all snacks are packaged the same. Many snack machines use coils for product delivery, others use columns. You will want to buy snack machines that offer an assortment of product delivery sizes.
Step Two
Find locations for your machines before buying them if possible so you can purchase a machine that is the right size for the business. If you need to buy the machines before finding the accounts, think about the type of businesses you will approach to place your machines in. Consider the number of employees they typically have when buying your machines.
Step Three
Decide if you want electronic or mechanical vend snack machines. There may be some exceptions, but in general mechanical snack vending machines are considerably cheaper than electronic vend. However, mechanical snack machines also tend to have move vending problems and they can not stand up to abuse from customers.
Step Four
Play with the snack vending machine before buying it whenever possible. If you are going to look at a used vending machine for sale bring along a couple of candy bars and a few bags of chips as well as a pocket of change. Ask the person selling to show you how to load the product then try vending the machine to see how it handles coin acceptance and product delivery.
Step Five
Ask the make and model number if you are considering buying snack vending machines off of the Internet or through mail order and you can't see the machine in person first. Research the machine on the Internet to see if the machine is still being made and how much it typically sells for. Visit vending forums to see if users have posted any feedback on the machine you are considering.
Step Six
Buy from a reputable vending machine dealer if you are going to purchase machines from a company rather than an individual.
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There are a lot of companies offering vending packages where they will sell you machines and some combination of business support. Use caution when considering package deals like this because they often charge you much more than if you found the machines on your own and the support received from them is often very little.
Source: eHow Business Editor
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