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Sally Cohen

Looking at starting a small business? What about a vending machine business?

Looking at starting a small business? What about a vending machine business? 1000 656 GAD Vending

Coming out of stay-at-home into safer-at-home, many are looking for different ways to start a business with less contact. The vending machine route business could be for you.

  1. Be your own boss.
  2. Today’s hard work earns money for you, not someone else.
  3. Your time becomes yours. As your route grows, you set your hours (along with your customers) of when to fill, clean and service your machines.
  4. You control your business.
  5. Create a business with passive income so your family isn’t reliant on only one channel of income.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Like any business you’d look at to start, do your homework.

Research the vending machine business. There are many articles and books on what this business is about. If you want to shadow a vending route sales person, let GAD Vending know. We can help you find someone in the industry. You’ll want to learn what a typical day could look like. What the newest technology brings to the business. How you can manage your inventory and time during your day.

Ask if there is an existing vending route for sale. Do the numbers with your trusted financial team to determine the best ways to start your business.

Discuss within your family and friends to see if this business makes sense for you. With any business start-up, it’s important to have support of your network.

READY?

  • Start by contacting the SBA and SCORE. These organizations have resources for business planning, legal start-up, financing options and free business mentoring.
  • Talk with your banker, CPA and other trusted business sources.
  • Research the best vending machines, vending machine repair parts, payment acceptance options and refill inventory options.
  • Find the best locations for your vending machines, and go secure those locations.

Starting any business requires tenacity, hard work, and perseverance.  GAD Vending has sold vending machines, games, ATM and other equipment for over 30 years. Our sales and equipment repair service are located in Omaha, Des Moines and Kansas City. We are here to be a resource for our customers, the vending machine route operator, and for you. Call us, we are here to answer your questions.

New! Hot Wheels Pinball

New! Hot Wheels Pinball 1600 435 GAD Vending

New from American Pinball – Hot Wheels!

For over 50 years, Mattel’s HOT WHEELS™ die cast cars have been sought and collected by hundreds of millions of fans all over the world. Over 5 billion cars have been sold incorporating more than 20,000 different car designs. For all the action playing with the cars comes alive with this pinball machine.

Today this multi-generational franchise is bigger than it’s ever been, and by far the #1 selling toy in the world!*

And now American Pinball is proud to present the first officially licensed HOT WHEELS™ pinball machine. The exciting and fast-paced world of HOT WHEELS™ comes to life under glass, featuring a dazzling array of game play objectives that will keep players of all ages racing back to play again and again.

True fun for the entire family. And, GAD Vending is offering $100 off now through July 4, 2020.

hot-wheels-pinball-machine-flyer-ap

Vending Machine: Combo Machines Make Sense for Single Machine Spaces

Vending Machine: Combo Machines Make Sense for Single Machine Spaces 2100 3755 GAD Vending
crane_006321_011_MEDIA2_MerchCombo_SellSheet_8.5x11_1-4-19_V6 (1)

GAD Vending can assist you with the best configuration for your audience. Add Cashless Payment Systems to reduce touch. Add colorful graphics, suggestive selling digital displays and a healthy mix of products. Keep your audience coming back again and again to use your vending machine.

Could the NEW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stern Pinball be better than the Stern Jurassic Park Pinball Game?

Could the NEW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stern Pinball be better than the Stern Jurassic Park Pinball Game? 2560 1709 GAD Vending

ABOUT STERN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES PRO EDITION

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, trained in the art of ninjutsu by their wise rat sensei, Master Splinter. Is New York City ready for these radical reptile brothers?  With a sick sewer lair and tough friends like April O’Neil and Casey Jones, the Turtles are about to face evils more dangerous and pizza more delicious than anything they could have ever imagined.  In this pinball adventure players will go to battle as the Turtles fight villains like Shredder, the Krang and loads of super-powerful mutants, to become the heroes they were destined to be, and have loads of fun along the way!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as a comic book, morphed into a hit animated show, and has grown into a beloved and iconic global pop culture phenomenon.  We have worked directly with Nickelodeon to bring these heroes in a half-shell into the pinball dimension.  This game has pure pinball power,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.

The Premium and Limited Edition models feature an interactive custom sculpted Turtles Van, equipped to lock up to 4 balls inside with a mechanical opening/closing side door, ready to unleash multiball havoc upon players.  These models also feature the iconic TMNT Glider, a custom-sculpted, player-controlled diverter assembly stationed above both ramps, giving players the ability to control and transport the ball to the flipper of their choice.  In addition, a custom-sculpted mechanical Krang toy hovers over the pop bumpers, jumping up and down while taunting players throughout game action.

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature distinct hand-drawn art in addition to a high speed magnetic spinning pizza disc capable of holding and throwing 3 balls during pizza multiball mayhem.  The original 1987 theme music complements the action with custom video scenes and events created exclusively for this pinball experience.  All models include 3 flippers, 3 high speed ramps, and a hidden ninja training ball lock area.

The LE model is limited to 500 units globally.  The LE model includes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored back glass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

MSRP $6,099

Pinball: Run a Casual (or Professional) Pinball Tournament

Pinball: Run a Casual (or Professional) Pinball Tournament 640 646 GAD Vending

You may already be running dart tournaments, trivia games off your digital music jukebox, and Golden Tee digital tournaments. Your audience is already competitive and looking for unique experiences, running pinball tournaments is a naturally fun addition.

*The suggestions in this article are general. Make sure you check your local NE, SD, KS, MO or IO laws about gaming, awards and tournament rules before you choose the tournament type and rules that work for you.

Play Control

Try an app like Match Play to control your tournament. Players can enter their score, with you controlling the official approval. You choose the games from head-to-head, round robin, elimination, best score, ladder brackets…. This allows you to run tournaments over time. Change the type of tournament to entertain your audience. And – extend the contest so everyone who wants can participate.

If you want a simple, manual bracket game – try printing a large format bracket. Or use chalkboard paint on a wall and draw or paint a bracket.

Approachable

Think ahead to make the game approachable. Everyone likes to participate and win!

  • Grand “Prize”
  • Best Fan Club
  • Announce winners across your TV screens with AMI Ad Manager
  • Consolation “prizes” – worse ball, best flipper, etc
  • Prizes can be money, trophies, medals, gift cards, bar swag (free advertising!), or other prizes

Don’t Drag It Out – But Maybe You Can

Pay attention to how long your tournament will last. You don’t want people to get too bored and leave. Or you can’t finish within last call.

Think about your tournament running over multiple evenings or on a particular week day. Invite players back for a “best of” tournament – along with drink/food specials.

Here’s one real life example from SkyKing2301, Pinside member:

“The last tournament I held was probably more complicated than necessary, but it kept everyone interested (most of whom were just casual / rare players) and they all had a blast. Here was the format I used:

  • 16 people
  • 6 operational pins
  • First: ‘Mini-tournaments’ on each individual pin
  • Players randomly broken into two groups of 8
  • All players play 2 games. (For reasons Bugsy described — sometimes you just have a crap game, or need a chance to figure it out.)
  • Players with the top 2 scores in each group advance to a semifinal match
  • Semifinal winners play one more game to determine individual pin champion
  • Overall Finals: After all 6 pins’ champions are established, each champion then plays one more game on each of the six pins
  • Champion who wins the most games out of the six is the overall tournament winner!
  • Tournament winner receives a trophy and a few scratch-off lotto tickets.
  • High score on each machine gets a scratch-off lotto ticket.
  • Low score on each machine gets a scratch-off lotto ticket.
  • Fun is had by all!”

Start Your Own Pinball Tournament

Interested? Looking for more resources?

  1. Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA.org) guidelines.
  2. Stern Army
  3. International Flipper Pinball Association
  4. Bullshooter Dart League Downloadable Ads

Call GAD Vending office closest to you or our Omaha office at (402) 553-2812. Our staff has extensive knowledge in tournament resources

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming Soon from Stern

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming Soon from Stern 2560 1420 GAD Vending

Reviewed at Kotaku.com: The latest silver ball playground from Stern Pinball is a trio of machines based on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. They’ve got a spinning magnetic pizza. They’ve got a sculpted Turtle Van that can capture up to four balls. They have a floating Krang. They even play the original theme song.

A new licensed video game is nice, but a new licensed pinball game is a glorious convergence of pop culture and precision mechanical and electrical engineering, a monument to play that will one day hold a place of honor in dirty dive bars and dark, dusty arcades. I can almost see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machines there now. Read the full review at Kotaku.com.

 

New TMNT Pinball. Stern Authorized Dealer in NE, IA, KS, MO.

 

 

 

Just Say “Stern” to Save $100

Just Say “Stern” to Save $100 1261 553 GAD Vending

Just say “Stern” (as in Stern Pinball) to save $100 on any game available through GAD Vending.

Sales on for any of our pinball games – including from Stern, American and Chicago. Includes all our games – including our popular Classic-Cade and shuffleboard. And our digital darts.

Your choice of one game for $100 off, two games at $200 off, you get the idea….

Check out our current inventory in our warehouses in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas  City. Or call us for quick ship options.

Offer ends 7/4/2020

 

Up Your Home Gameroom

Up Your Home Gameroom 2083 2083 GAD Vending

When the entire family is looking bored – and looking bored at you – what to do? Up your gameroom!

Many families think that buying a game at a discount box store is the best, cheapest way to entertain the family. But the price, hassle for getting to your home, and assembly can all be challenging. Not to mention that many home version games are not built for long term use and abuse.

At GAD Vending, we sell to the public.

Our commercial table games are developed for establishments that get the most abuse. And, if they can hold up to that they can stand your family.

GAD Vending can disable the payment mode and set to free play. However, we have also set games to a pay setting so family members have to earn they play time.

With so many table games in stock, we can help you determine what fits your family ages, desire to play together and/or remote play, and what size space your have for games.

Choices include, but not limited to:

Foosball, Pool, Shuffleboard, Electronic Darts, Pinball, Arcade Games and more!

And, GAD Vending has a large stock of parts with trained service personnel. Our staff is located in Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha. If your game does break, we are here to help.

So, up your game(room) with GAD Vending!

AMI – It all begins with great music!

AMI – It all begins with great music! 431 284 GAD Vending

 AMI Introduces Online Tech Support Chat for Operators

Faster Access to Resolve Issues

May 07, 2020  AMI Entertainment is pleased to announce a new, online Chat feature for operators in need of tech support. The service is available on the AMI Operator Website and through the Co-Pilot mobile app. It allows operators to chat with the tech support team, providing another way for operators to access AMI’s best-in-class service. Traditional phone support is still available, as always.

The chat feature connects operators to a live agent for real-time communication. It’s perfect for a quick resolution to common and smaller issues. In addition to solving problems faster, chat also allows operators to avoid long wait times that can occur when calling in during peak hours. AMI still encourages operators to call in with complex issues, especially those that require rebooting the jukebox.

AMI’s Chat service is powered by Zendesk, a leading CRM company. This helps ensure reliable and robust support through chat. The interface is simple to use and similar to existing chat services. Operators can access the chat feature on the lower right-hand corner of the operator website or the Account page in the Co-Pilot app. It is hosted entirely online, so operators don’t need to connect using a phone number, nor does it use SMS text.

This new feature is part of AMI’s commitment to providing the best service possible. It gives a fast, reliable, and friendly service to all operators. AMI is proud to offer the Chat feature.

GAD Vending is a stocking and servicing dealer for AMI. For equipment, service or questions in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, contact GAD Vending.

Retrofit Your Vending Machines To Go Touchless

Retrofit Your Vending Machines To Go Touchless 767 527 GAD Vending

With COVID concerns, unattended machines may not be as appealing to consumers as they once were. Consider this – go touchless with Crane Cashless Solutions.

As people go back to their routines, we expect a few things to change. In the past, people were twice as likely to have a phone on them vs. cash. And, 1 in 5 consumers didn’t care cash at all. With COVID concerns, expect mobile pay on even the smallest purchases to increase.

CRANE FLEXIBILITY AND CHOICE

The most flexible, user-friendly solution for cashless vending:

  • Vending consumer can use their mobile app to purchase and pay.
  • Powerful cloud based reporting and analytics tool enables performance tracking for cash and cashless sales.
  • Remote management of vending machines for improved operational efficiency.
  • Accessible deposits that correspond to the cashless sales for increased accountability.
  • Designed as a flexible solution capable of offering online services such as remote management of planograms, advertisements, cash discounts and promotions.
  • Connect to payment systems for major card acceptance, mobile pay and premium service options.

PLUG AND PLAY

The most advanced retrofit telemetry device. Crane Cashless units are module for easy upgrades. And, have multiple USB ports for additional beacons and cameras.

Crane Cashless systems can be retrofitted into most vending machines, claw game machines and more.

Consumer confidence in touchless ordering and payment are worth the retrofit alone. The added management reports, inventory management and remote capabilities are the added bonus to your machine business. Ask GAD Vending for a demonstration today!