HealthyYOU Vending Review: Is It A Good Opportunity?

HealthyYOU Vending started the healthy vending revolution by selling the nation’s first healthy vending machines in 2007.

What is HealthyYOU Vending?

HealthyYOU Vending is the nation’s oldest and most respected healthy vending company. They provide a complete business including state-of-the-art vending machines, locations for the machines, franchise-level support, software, coaching, training, and more.

Some business owners have reported that the training and support provided by the company surpassed that provided by a previous franchise they were involved in – and without a franchise fee.

This level of support has propelled HealthyYOU Vending from the top company in the healthy vending industry to a top choice of all franchise seekers. FranchiseHelp has named HealthyYOU the fastest-growing franchise or business opportunity in the nation.

While franchising has been called the “greatest business model ever created”, HealthyYOU Vending has improved on the model. After a one-time investment, the company provides lifetime support but does not charge royalties or other ongoing fees.

They are independent business owners and not franchisees of a vending machine franchise. They really are their own boss. This gives each new owner the ability to try new ideas and strategies without needing authorization from the HealthyYOU corporate headquarters.

These machine operators/owners then share their successes with the company who passes these practices on to all other business owners.

How Much Can You Make?

Because of state and federal business opportunity laws, the company cannot legally provide income or return on investment numbers directly but they provide business owners to talk to.

Many owners report monthly sales from each machine in the range of $1,000-$1,500/month. (Obviously, some machines will make more and some less.) On average, new business owners buy 10 machines. So it's not uncommon to earn $10,000-$15,000 per month in revenue once the business is up and running.

A HealthyYOU Vending business owner reported that they were notified that one of their vending machines was named the Highest Grossing Machine in 2022, grossing $10,762 in June of that year.

Typically vending machine owners double the cost of the products placed in their machines. A product purchased for $1 is sold for $2 in the machine. Some products, like water, have a much higher percentage markup.

Other companies in the vending machine industry provide ROI spreadsheets and other income promises. Still, recent cease-and-desist orders by various states against these companies show these projections are unlawful.

HealthyYOU has a reputation for scrupulously following the law, so don’t get frustrated by their refusal to give numbers directly.

Pros and Cons

Pro 1: HealthyYOU Helps Your Business Grow

HealthyYOU puts the machine owner’s name on their machines, which allows them to grow their businesses faster. Here’s how this benefits vending machine business owners.

An owner of a large company comes into the gym to work out and sees a healthy vending machine. They want one for their employees. They scan a QR code on the machine that links them to a website HealthyYOU built for the vending machine owner.

They see all the benefits of providing a healthy vending option for their employees and guests. The Contact Us page connects them with the machine owner who now has a new location to place several machines in.

Pro 2: High Quality Machines

Unlike their competitors, HealthyYOU‘s machines are made in the U.S. This not only results in a higher quality machine but has allowed the company to design the machine and have it built to their specifications.

It is built for the vending novice so that as parts wear out over the years the machine owner can replace the parts themselves and never have to hire a vending technician.

This plug-and-play concept also allows the machine to be easily updated as new technologies emerge. Machines never need to be replaced but merely upgraded.

Pro 3: Lifelong Training and Support

The investment includes lifetime training and support. Every business owner attends an intensive in-person, two-day training. All questions are answered and every facet of the business is covered.

Each new owner meets the entire support team along with many other new owners like themselves. They leave the training confident in their new healthy vending machine business and ready to begin the location process.

Locations that are seeing employees be more interested in healthy living naturally want to provide healthy food at work and bringing in a healthy option drink and snack vending machine just makes sense.

Con 1: No Corporate Oversight

While HealthyYOU provides franchise-level support, they are not a franchise. Because they don’t charge royalties, they do not require submission of monthly financial statements. So, they cannot monitor the performance of business owners’ vending machines.

The company strives for but does not mandate regular contact with business owners. This means that the company may not be aware if a business owner is not hitting their financial goals. First-time business owners should determine if they have the self-discipline to stay in contact with the company.

If they don’t, they may want to consider a company in another industry where regular reports are mandated.

Con 2: Vending Machines Are Not a Brick-and-Mortar Business

The HealthyYOU model isn’t a traditional franchise on the franchise directory. Many people who dream of owning their own business look forward to the feeling of physical ownership of a building – standing in front of a brick-and-mortar building and thinking, “This is MY business”.

Likewise, some people are energized by a “company or team meeting” where they meet with all of their employees. These social interactions and the feeling of “being in charge” signals success to some people.

These feelings are not there with a HealthyYOU business and success is measured in different ways. If you’re looking for an opportunity that requires a retail location with in-store employees, this might not be for you.

Typical Costs and Returns

While there are several different package sizes to begin the business, most people start their new business with a 10-vending machine package for an investment of about $106,000. This includes machines, locations, training, support, software, and more.

The company ships the machines to a local white glove delivery facility in the new owner’s area so they are ready for immediate delivery into locations.

After delivery, the machine owner stocks the vending machine with the initial fill of healthy snack and drink selections and downloads pricing and other machine settings in the machine with a flash drive.

The vending machine operator then begins the process of trying different drinks and healthy snack options until they ensure each machine is filled with the products that people in that location will buy the most of.

Getting better sites and using the eManage software to maximize revenue help HealthyYOU vending machine owners generate greater revenue than healthy vending machines sold by other companies.

The cost to fill a machine is about $300 and those products when sold typically generate $600 in revenue. Most machine owners stock their machines once per week though some locations, such as schools, may require daily stocking.

Conclusion

HealthyYOU Vending is a great option for entrepreneurs who want to truly run their own business that can be scaled based on individual goals. All profits stay with the small business owner as no royalties are paid. Contact HealthyYOU for a clear and simple discovery process.

Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.