UpFlip

Why Vending Machines Are the Most Profitable Side Hustle

I'm proud to have Bizee sponsor this video. #ad Their platform makes launching and managing an LLC straightforward, and it’s a service I genuinely believe in and recommend to anyone ready to start their business. https://bizee.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=content_sponsorship&utm_campaign=upflip A vending machine business wasn’t part of Kyle Davey’s original plan. After a corporate buyout made it clear his physical therapy job wasn’t secure, he knew a layoff was coming. Like a lot of people under pressure, he tried to juggle everything. He kept his training clients, bought a carpet cleaning franchise, and, after learning how to start a vending machine business, decided to test it on the side. Nineteen months later, that vending machine business is generating about $40,000 per month with 25 machines (from old-school cash units to newer AI models) run by a team of three. But it wasn’t always easy. In one two-week stretch, he lost every employee across his businesses. Machines sat unstocked. Carpet jobs were booked. That pressure forced him to simplify and build real systems. In this episode, Kyle breaks down how he financed his first vending machine with just a few hundred dollars in inventory and grew it into a vending machine business built on simple, repeatable actions — no website, no social media, no paid ads. Just flyers, door-knocking, and consistency. 💥 Ready to start your own business? 💥 FREE Training: The $50K/Month Vending Machine Blueprint → https://learn.upflip.com/the-vending-bootcamp-masterclass MicroMart Vending Machines: Use code "upflip" to get $1,000 off your machine → https://www.upflip.com/go/micromart Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:40 - Vending, out of all dreams… 01:38 - Everybody starts in their garage 02:05 - Forget fancy! 02:44 - Let the kitting begin 03:16 - Staying small on purpose 03:48 - The restock game plan 04:21 - Revenue per machine 05:09 - Inventory check 06:08 - Let’s talk numbers 07:33 - Going beyond Costco 08:28 - Foot traffic IS everything 09:05 - Earning without owning?! 09:50 - Paid off in a year (or less!) 10:42 - One last round of check-ins 11:14 - No warehouse? No problem! 13:08 - Real money is in the wait 13:43 - Rental fees 14:33 - Inside a high-revenue spot 15:40 - Revenue sharing 16:25 - When vending meets AI 18:33 - No luxury pricing. Ever. 19:43 - Bring flyers and your best smile 20:56 - Relationships close more deals 21:20 - Residential vs. Offices 22:36 - Fan blitz 23:42 - Behind the scenes of “passive” 24:00 - 15-hour workweek 24:18 - Growth starts with your first hire 25:18 - The mighty team of 3 25:43 - Forget marketing. Try this instead. 26:46 - Organic all the way 27:52 - The real cost of new vs. used 28:17 - When incentives make sense 29:15 - From 3 days to 8 long months 30:18 - Licenses and insurance 31:36 - All you really need is courage 32:32 - Sounds good, doesn’t work 33:13 - What works and what doesn’t 34:15 - From $0 to $10K… fast! 34:35 - Risk wisely 35:03 - The only rule? Don’t quit. 35:29 - Outro #vendingmachinebusiness #vendingmachine #howtostartavendingmachinebusiness