Tag Archive for: atm business owner

ATM Business Basics Part II: How to Start Up and Operate an ATM Business

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Understanding how to start up and operate an ATM business might be one of the most overlooked parts of owning and operating ATM machines.

Yes, the ATM machines are important. But, most of the time investment actually goes into operating the business. After all, it only takes a few minutes to load cash into an ATM.

There are plenty of resources that explain how ATM owners make money. So, we’re going to focus on the process of starting and running your ATM business.

How to start up and operate an ATM business

Contrary to how it might seem, buying an ATM machine is not the first step. First, you need a place to put it (that isn’t your garage). These are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Identify potential ATM locations. There are plenty of options—gas stations, convenience stores, bars, and so on.
  2. Talk to the business owners and negotiate an agreement to provide an ATM for the business. You will need a contract for this agreement.
  3. Buy the ATM machine.
  4. Install the ATM machine, and secure it properly.
  5. Fill the ATM with cash.
  6. Tell people about your ATM.

Three of these steps actually have very little to do with the ATM machine itself. These three steps are major cornerstones of any business. And, these are the steps that most new business owners struggle with.

So, we’re going to break them down.

Identify ATM locationsGreat ATM Locations

In other businesses, this would be called “lead generation.” And, in many businesses, it’s a tricky process that some people never quite master.

But, in the ATM business, identifying leads can be as simple as visiting nearby businesses, choosing good candidates for an ATM placement, and asking if they have an ATM machine.

If the location already has an ATM machine, that doesn’t mean that you can’t place an ATM there. But, it’s an additional hurdle, since you’ll have to replace the current ATM provider. The business owner may or may not be willing to do that.

Either way, you can generate leads simply by visiting businesses and tracking which ones have ATMs and which ones don’t. Keep notes on locations, and remember locations that may be worth the extra effort to replace an existing ATM.

This list of businesses is essentially your leads database.

Negotiate with business owners

In traditional business terms, this would be the “sales” stage. This is where you actually sell your ATM services to the business owner. And, this can be the most challenging and time-consuming part of the process.

First, you have to convince the business owner to talk to you at all. Business owners are busy. And, people generally don’t like being sold to.

But, even though this is a sales process, it doesn’t have to be salesy.

Approach this as a relationship-building process. It’s important that people trust you and are willing to work with you. Focus on understanding what the business owner needs and helping them solve their problems. The agreement is beneficial to both you and the business owner. Be willing to make the arrangement lucrative for the business owner, and help them understand how it benefits them.

If you struggle with negotiation and sales, it’s wise to develop a script for starting the conversation. It’s impossible to predict how any interaction will play out. But, it’s easier to start the conversation if you at least know what you’re going to say first.

Using a script or some sort of plan also enables you to optimize your negotiation and sales process. If you’ve tried something several times, and it’s not working, try something else. Once you find the thing that works, put it in your plan and stick with it.

You’ll also need a contract for this step. A verbal agreement won’t cut it.

You can get a lawyer to draw up a contract for you. However, this will usually cost about a thousand dollars.

Or, you can use a contract template, which is much more affordable. We offer contract templates as part of our membership at ATMDepot.

You can probably find other templates on the internet. But, if you download a free contract template, make sure that it has all the necessary recitals and protections you need. Your contract is the only thing that protects you in a dispute.

ATM at a Gas Station via StockPromoting your ATM

This last step is otherwise known as “marketing.” You’re going to get some organic transactions simply by having the ATM placed.

But, more transactions are better. And, the more people that know about your ATM, the more transactions you’ll get.

You’ve probably seen the “ATM” signs in the windows at gas stations and convenience stores. Adding one of these signs will raise awareness about your ATM.

But, if there are nearby businesses that don’t have ATM machines, go tell them about the new ATM. That way, when people ask if they have an ATM, these other businesses can direct people to your ATM machine.

As a bonus, it’s a good reason to have a conversation with more business owners who don’t have an ATM of their own. It could lead to installing a new ATM.

The business cycle

These three steps will essentially be your ATM business. Yes, there will be accounting and service calls. But, the vast majority of growing your business will be going through these three steps over and over. If you master these steps, your business will boom.

Get leads.

Negotiate an agreement.

Support and promote your ATM.

The rest is just the manual labor of installing the ATM machines and filling them with cash.

It might seem daunting. But, the first step is the easiest: just go out and visit businesses and find out which ones have no ATM. It’s simple, and you’ll start building your book of leads.

After that, you just need to follow up with your leads. Then, go through the core business steps to start up and operate an ATM business.

Need more help mastering these core business cycle steps? Get contract templates, sales scripts, and tons of other resources for starting and scaling your ATM business from ATMDepot.

How to Choose an ATM Processor

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Learn How to Choose an ATM Processor

Whether you’re just starting your ATM business or you’ve got machines already, your ATM processor has a big impact on the long term profitability and success of your business. So, knowing how to choose an ATM processor is vital information for new ATM owners and owners looking to switch ATM processors.

It’s not enough that your ATM processor just transfers money to the right account on time. You want an ATM processor that’s going to provide ongoing support and assistance beyond simply processing transactions.

If you call your ATM processor for help with ATM programming and setup, and your ATM processor says, “Hey, we just send the money where it needs to go. You’re on your own,” that’s not helpful. Your ATM processor should behave like a good business partner, not just a service provider.

So, what services should your ATM processor offer? Here’s what to look for as you evaluate ATM processors.

What Your ATM Processor Should Do for You

There are some obvious things that an ATM processor should do. But, there are nuances, even with the essentials.

ATM Sales

How to Choose an ATM Processor - ATM Sales

A company can certainly function solely as an ATM processor. However, there’s an upside to working with a processor that also sells ATM machines: you know the machines you get from your ATM processor can process using their service.

It wouldn’t make sense for an ATM processor to sell you an ATM that’s incompatible with their service. A processor that also sells machines is especially handy if they sell used or refurbished ATM machines. You get machines at a better price, without the headache of potential compatibility issues with your ATM processor.

Automated Payments

How to Choose an ATM Processor - Automated Payments

Obviously, your ATM processor needs to send your money to your bank account. But, it should actually be much easier than transferring money from your checking account to your savings account on your bank’s website.

Automated Payments

First, your ATM payments should be automated. Or, you should at least have the option to automated payments. The ATM business is all about building passive income. If you have to initiate transfers yourself, it makes your income less passive.

Automated payments might seem like small potatoes. But, it’s actually important in terms of choosing an ATM processor that provides service that aligns with your business goals.

Payment Splitting

If you need payments sent to multiple accounts for any reason—because you have a business partner with a separate account, because you have multiple accounts to deal with different expenses, or anything else—it’s easiest if your ATM processor can split your payments for you.

Yes, you can split those payments yourself using online banking. But, again, this makes your income system less passive.

So, look at the options for payment processing that your ATM processor offers, and make sure you’re working with a processor that’s going to help you build an ATM business that meets your goals.

ATM Vaulting

How to Choose an ATM Processor - ATM Vaulting

As you know, keeping your ATMs stocked with cash is vital to keeping your business humming.

Now, there are a few options for ATM vaulting:

  1. You can do it yourself. Just get the cash, and take it to your ATMs to restock all your machines. This is the most profitable way to vault your ATMs since it doesn’t add any overhead to your business.

    If you vault your ATMs yourself, it’s most convenient if your ATM processor provides monitoring services that alert you when one of your machines is low on funds.
  2. You can get the location owner to do it. This is a good option, since the business owner is there frequently, maybe every day. And, they have a vested interest in the security of the ATM because they’re stocking it with cash from their register. Additionally, this minimizes your workload.

Clearly, the business owner will want to be compensated for their efforts. But, it’s often a worthwhile expense.

  1. You can have your ATM processor vault your ATMs for you. This takes the responsibility of vaulting your ATMs off your plate completely.

Whether or not you use this service from your ATM processor, it’s a good option to have. You may have ATMs that are in locations which are difficult to refill yourself, or if you want an armored truck service to protect your cash, having your ATM processor vault your ATMs may be the best option.

Now, your ATM processor will charge you for this service. This is the crux of choosing whether or not to have your ATM processor vault your ATMs. The service shouldn’t be so expensive that it kills all your profit. Around $1.00 per transaction is reasonable and manageable. In any case, make sure that the cost works for your ATM business model.

In the end, you don’t need to use your ATM processor’s vaulting services. However, working with an ATM processor that offers ATM vaulting can help expand the potential locations for your ATMs and reduce the workload of keeping them full of cash.

ATM Installation and Setup Support

How to Choose an ATM Processor - ATM Installation

Getting ATM locations is largely a sales process. But, ATM setup and programming is a more technical process. It’s also the part where many ATM owners get hung up.

So, it’s important that you work with an ATM processor that provides instructions for setting up and programming your ATMs. And, it’s important that you can call your ATM processor for free if you get stuck and need help.

You lose money for every day that your ATM isn’t functioning. So, it’s important that your ATM processor is there to help you overcome challenges in the setup process and get your ATMs up and running.

Alternatively, a quality ATM processor will offer to send a technician to install an ATM in a new location for you. This isn’t free. But, it will save you a lot of time and headaches, especially when you’re new to the ATM business.

Just like the ATM vaulting service, you shouldn’t be required to use your ATM processor’s setup service. But, it can be a good way to get some ATMs going while you’re still learning the ropes of ATM setup and programming.

Service Agreement Templates

How to Choose an ATM Processor - Service Agreement Templates

Creating your own service agreement from scratch is a bad idea. You’ll most likely end up leaving something out. Then your service agreement won’t properly protect you if something goes wrong between you and the location owner. Obviously, this can be very bad.

A good way to avoid this problem, without hiring a lawyer, is to use templates. This way, you can create a service agreement that’s customized to the situation, without leaving anything out.

Service agreement templates will save you a lot of money in legal consulting fees and long-term losses from botched service agreements. So, an ATM processor that offers service agreement templates makes it easier and less expensive to get the paperwork done and get your ATM machines up and running.

Low Fees and Shorter Contracts

There are ATM processors that sell new ATMs at an impressively low price. It seems like a great deal at first.

However, most companies that discount their ATM machines wrap up a lot of fees in their service. You might save a few hundred upfront. But, the ATM processor gets that money back through fees over time.

Often, companies that make money on slightly higher fees will require 3 to 5-year contracts. Longer contract requirements ensure that the fees cover the cost of the discounted ATM machine. If you sign a 5-year contract, the fees could end up being more than the initial discount you got on the ATM machine.

ATM processors that charge slightly higher prices for their ATM machines usually have a lower fee structure. And, these ATM processors usually offer shorter contracts, in the range of 1 to 3 years. They can offer shorter contracts because they don’t need to make up for discounted ATM machines.

So, look at potential ATM processor fee structures and contract requirements, and consider how much those fees are going to cost you over the life of the contract.

Flexibility

How to Choose an ATM Processor - Support Flexibility

The last thing is flexibility and support. Your ATM processor should be responsive and easy to work with. If you can’t get the help you need, when you need it, your ATM processor isn’t helping you much.

It’s best if your ATM processor offers some sort of 24/7 support. You never know when you’ll need help with your machines. So, your ATM processor should offer anytime support for their services.

As we mentioned earlier, your ATM processor should be more like a business partner than a service provider. Availability and responsiveness are key to getting this sort of partnership from your ATM processor.

Last step: Choose an ATM Processor

Ultimately, the ATM processor you choose is one of the first major decisions in your ATM business. You’re already on the right track by reading about how to choose an ATM Processor. You’ll be working with that processor for a year or more. So, you want to work with an ATM processor that’s going to support you and your business, in addition to processing transactions.

If you’re ready to compare ATM processors, start by checking out ATM Depot. ATM Depot offers complete support and education for everything from ATM purchase to installation and everything in between.

ATM Machines and Bill Paying

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ATM Machines and Bill PayingWithout a doubt, we are now all living in a digital world, one that’s full of technological advances and conveniences that were not afforded to us years ago. This is great time to be in business as an ATM business owner, and a great time to get into a sound, solid and profitable business.

The income gained from being an ATM business owner is highly flexible, meaning, you can make as much or as little money that you want to make. With multiple machines and/or multiple locations, you will of course make more money. With one or two machines, you will still make a great profit, and you also get to keep your inventory to a reasonably manageable size that’s ideal for the solo business owner.

With the convenience of ATM machines and accessing cash as needed, there is also the added convenience of taking care of other financial duties and responsibilities that most everyone has to deal with, and that’s bill paying.

We do it every day, week or month, and for some people, the task really requires a dedicated amount of time to focus on getting the job done. Whether they are paying those bills online, in person or mailing them in, getting those bills paid are a fact of life that you’ll need to stop and do on a regular basis.

But what if there was an easier way, or perhaps a quicker way to get it done? Maybe on their lunch break, they could easily grab a hotdog and soda from the street vendor AND pay their mortgage all at the same time? That would be pretty cool!

With the ATM machines that also offer bill payment options, it can be done easily and quickly, and as often as necessary. Bill payment kiosks that are a part of the ATM machine and its functions have become and is becoming a popular and sought-after feature for many individuals. Why? Well, mainly because they offer such flexibility and convenience, but also because there are less fees and less paperwork for customers to deal with. With the options to:

1.) withdraw cash

2.) pay bills online

3.) get financial statements from bill vendors and

4.) transfer cash between accounts and bill payors

all of the many benefits of ATM usage turns out to be a very attractive solution for customers. There are many other beneficial uses, but for customers, the main goal is to do as much as they can in an allotted (limited) amount of time, but yet enjoy the maximum amount of benefits as possible. In this day and age, multi-tasking is the fruit of choice, so giving customers multiple options with their ATM visits is ideal.

Although ATM machines and bill-paying is going to be a draw for some customers, for others it may be something that they want to stay far away from, which can likely be due to either a bad experience or not having or knowing enough information on the subject. As an ATM business owner, you can certainly offset their reasons by being as proactive as you can be to make sure the customer’s gravitate to and embrace the idea. Here are some things you can implement to ensure that this happens:

  • Make sure the ATM machine is in a safe location so customers will have confidence when using it, especially if it’s in a high-traffic area.
  • Ensure that the machine has the proper and the most current software available so that customers can find and interact with their bill payors. Make sure also to have as many high-profile bill payors and utility companies that you can so that you attract customers. Of course, this depends on location, so update your list as often as possible.
  • When customers experience issues like statement paper jams or a problem connecting to a vendor, you need to know about it so that you can remedy the problem. Because of this, always make sure that you have contact information visible so that customers can contact you with any machine issues. This includes offline and online contact information.

The only thing for the bill-paying and ATM machine concept to do is to grow. That’s because there are so many benefits and advantages that customers and ATM machine owners will receive. As it continues to grow, ATM owners will continue to enjoy the growing profits while customers receive another service that saves them time and offers them flexibility in one of life’s recurring tasks.