1. Adopting A Pet 

According to the director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond located at Purdue University, having and caring for a pet encourages relaxation. Interacting with animals is a natural means of reducing stress. Petting or cuddling with a cat or dog inhibits cortisol, the stress hormone that contributes to hypertension.

Caring for a pet can be difficult due to various health issues. There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to manage if their families opt for professional home care. El Dorado County families can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep their loved ones safe and comfortable while aging in place.

2. Volunteering

A study published in Psychology and Aging explains how researchers followed more than 1,000 adults aged 51 to 91. The participants were first evaluated in 2006 and all exhibited normal blood pressure readings. Four years later, the subjects were once again evaluated. The scientists learned that the adults who volunteered a minimum of 200 hours of their time were 40 percent less likely to have high blood pressure.

3. Meditating

A study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management found that meditating twice a day reduced the risk of hypertension. Meditating requires seniors to sit quietly with their eyes closed for 20 minutes. The research divided participants into two groups. One group was taught to meditate and attended a basic health education class. The other group adopted lifestyle changes that included losing weight, limiting salt intake, reducing alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly. At the end of the study, both groups were successful in maintaining healthy blood pressure. Meditating and lifestyle changes ensure that telomeres on the end of chromosomes remain healthy, which is necessary to prevent cardiovascular disease.

4. Socializing

Several studies indicate that seniors who regularly have social relationships are less likely to have health conditions such as cardiovascular disease. When placed in a social setting, adults naturally tend to take care of others. In turn, they are more likely to better care for themselves.

For families that moved here, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.

5. Walking

Walking strengthens lower body muscle groups while enhancing balance and cardiovascular performance. Seniors should start walking at their own pace for up to 30 minutes 5 times each week. Once the body becomes accustomed to the activity, older adults should increase the pace to a brisk walk. Other options include parking further away from building entrances and taking the stairs instead of an elevator.

6. Engaging In Moderately Intense Exercise

Moderate exercise requires engaging in activity that increases the heart rate. Cycling, dancing, hiking, and swimming all qualify as being moderately intense activities. The key to gaining health benefits from exercise involves consistency.

In El Dorado County, elderly care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. To create a customized home care plan, call us at (916) 581-5946 today.

All your employees probably have at least one thing in common: They love healthy snacks.

A beloved workplace perk, healthy office snacks bring people together, provide sustainable energy, and make everyone smile. Growing evidence even suggests employees don’t just love healthy snacks; they also want their employers to provide them.

A ZeroCater survey revealed that 88% of surveyed employees said it was important for employers to provide snacks. Plus, a healthy chunk (38%) of respondents even said they rank free office food as a top company perk, sharing the spotlight with age-old standards such as paid vacation and professional development.

That’s not all. ZeroCater’s survey also found that:

• 65% of employees crave access to healthy office snacks and not just any old junk food.
• 53% of employees say office snacks help them stay healthy.
• 35% of employees find a major cost benefit in company-provided snacks, saying provided snacks save them more than $20 a week on food costs.

Think snacking doesn’t matter to your team’s overall health and wellbeing?

Consider this – there’s nothing that impacts your overall health and wellbeing more than how you eat, and these days, how you eat is largely determined by our snack choices. Recent studies show that 94 percent of consumers snack at least twice daily (Mintel, 2016), and snacking accounts for 50 percent of all eating occurrences. (Hartman Group Study, 2017)

In short, healthy snacks are a win-win, and we’re here to help you deliver with the complete guide to creating a standout office snack station. These tips make it easy to add some creativity and flair to your presentation of healthy office snacks—the perk every modern employee wants.

Free bonus: Want to get an amazing office snack station that everyone raves about? Get a free box of healthy snacks, jam-packed with America’s most delicious snacks, delivered right to your office.

Designate a snack master

Fine restaurants employ sommeliers to select and procure delicious wines that compliment the establishment’s personality and cuisine. Gourmet grocers recruit cheesemongers to provide customers with unparalleled cheese options and knowledge. Follow this tradition of culinary excellence and designate a snack master to keep your snack station stocked with crowd-pleasing treats. Consider the snack master the steward of the snack station, the foodie force that beats down office hunger and promotes goodwill.

The snack master’s responsibilities include:

• Choosing snacks
• Ordering snacks, including deciding quantities and establishing re-stock timelines
• Maintaining the snack station
• Spreading word about the snack station

To make your snack station a success:

• Find someone who actually craves the snack master designation. Ask for volunteers instead of delegating the job to young staffers with the lightest workloads. In the role of snack master (and any other job for that matter), enthusiasm is the key to success. If multiple people are interested, then assemble a snack crew.
• Give the snack master a budget and the ability to place orders, whether that involves providing a company credit card or a procurement code. The snack master needs these resources to dynamically purchase snacks and do the best job.
• Make sure everyone knows who is snack master! Announce the position in your newsletter and create a pin or badge for the master to wear with honor. This lets everyone know who to thank for the expertly managed snack station.

Design a creative, on-brand display

Like your front desk, conference rooms equipped with chairs with event chair covers, and break areas, your snack station should put forward a “face” you want employees and clients alike to associate with your company. If you work at a famously efficient accounting firm, then your snack station should be tidy and organized, with snacks arranged in some logical order, perhaps alphabetized by snack name or grouped by dominant flavor profile. Creative offices can offer a snack station with some artistic flair, incorporating color-coordinated displays, snack sculptures, and more. Check out Calibre furniture for some fun commercial office furniture ideas.

How to:

• Use baskets, jars, and crates to group snacks into artistic, organized displays.
• Opt for stacked, tiered displays that make snacks easy to see and grab.
• Save table and counter space by organizing snacks in clear, wall-mounted or magnetized bins.

Choose a strategic location

HUMAN Healthy Vending Franchise & Foods Distribution Platform

Back in the 1920s, a real estate tycoon came up with the simplest way to describe what matters in property value: location, location, location. If you want your snack station to be a success, then choose a location that puts your snacks in the direct daily paths of your “target audience.” And believe it or not, “the kitchen” isn’t always that place.

Here are some tips for pinpointing your best snack station location:

• Consider your prime snackers. If you want clients to enjoy your snacks, then put your snack station in the most impressive conference room.
• Picture how people walk through your office. If your flexible seating area gets more foot traffic than your closed-off kitchen, then put your snack station in the seating area.
• Try to boost other initiatives. A snack station could make a welcomed, eye-catching addition to the hallways where you put that bulletin board people just refuse to notice.

 

Follow some snack station best practices

We encourage you to be as creative as possible when setting up your snack station, but we have found some best practices that will make your experience as smooth as possible.

• Always use that gorgeous display you worked so hard to dream up. Leaving snacks in shipping boxes looks sloppy and creates chaos among hungry employees.
• Choose individually packaged snacks to promote portion control and snacking equality.
• Avoid emptying snacks into large communal bowls to stop the spread of germs.
• Ask employees not to hoard snacks. The station is all about sharing, and you’ll provide plenty of snacks for everyone.

 

Create opportunities for engagement

Engage happy employees as they reach for free, healthy snacks. Add a gratitude board or other bulletin board around your snack station.

As employees browse, snack, and chat, they’ll organically engage with these items. (Just think of how people automatically shuffle through the magazines and newspapers piled in the break room.)  Adding a few interesting elements around your snack station will turn it into a hub of both engagement and snacking.

 

Explore office food preferences

What’s the secret to creating a popular snack station? Providing snacks catered to your employees’ preferences! Encourage your snack master or snack crew to design a survey to find out what people want to eat. You can also figure out what snacks people love by creating an inventory tracking system (see below) and observing which snacks disappear the fastest and which snacks linger on the shelf. You can even add a jar near your snack station labeled “snack suggestions” to find out what people want.

Pro tips:

• Keep the survey short and sweet or few people will respond.
• Have some fun by asking employees to play food critic and “review” the snacks. The reviews will give you insight, and you can post them around the snack station to add some personality to your display.
• Keep your snack purchasing system flexible. As you will soon find out, employee snack preferences can change with the seasons and even with the days of the week. (Some may refuse healthy cookies on Monday but love them on Friday!) Plus, one “trendy” snack might have a popular streak that lasts only a few weeks.

 

Create an easy inventory tracking system

Tracking and managing inventory is a necessary part of any peddler’s life. Luckily, you don’t need an intense tracking system to keep your snack station running efficiently.

1. Decide how often you’ll order snacks. A monthly ordering schedule shouldn’t be too overwhelming, and it provides plenty of flexibility to swap out snacks and keep employee excitement levels high.
2. Calculate the quantity of your first order. How many snacks do you think you’ll need for your snack station’s first month? We recommend planning for 2-3 snacks per employee, per day to be safe.
3. Plan to make daily or weekly counts, depending on your schedule.

For a daily count:

• Visit the station the first thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening.
• Count the snacks.
• Record the overall quantities.
• Record quantities of each specific snack.
• During your end-of-day visit, restock the snacks accordingly.

A few days of this practice should reveal the average quantity of snacks your employees consume in a day and also the relative popularity of each specific snack.

For a weekly count, follow the same steps above, but do counts and restocking when you come in on Monday and right before you leave on Friday. Your numbers will be less granular, but they should still reveal patterns you can use to inform your ordering.

1. Keep an eye on trends and update your ordering accordingly. For example, if you noticed all the protein bars flew off the shelves consistently during week 1 while the pretzels didn’t budge, then you may want to adjust quantities of each item if your budget allows.

 

Choose healthy options

We know what you’re thinking: Duh. Of course I’m going to choose healthy options. Unfortunately, many grocery store aisles brim with junk food masquerading as healthy food. We recommend reading labels carefully before you purchase anything.

Some go-to rules:

• Choose snacks filled with brain-boosting nutrients, including protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
• Favor snacks with ingredients you recognize. (If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it!)
• Avoid sugar-dense candy and beverages. Go for low-glycemic options whenever possible to avoid energy crashes and weight gain.

If you have no idea where to start on your snack shopping, try SnackNation’s conveniently delivered snack boxes. Your custom box includes a rotating selection from our library of over 5,000 premium snacks. Get delicious bars, chips, jerky, granola, trail mix, dried fruit, and more. SnackNation provides optimal snack discovery, helping people find the brands they love.

 

Provide a variety of choices

Your office is likely filled with too many types of eaters to list: carnivores, vegans, keto dieters, high-protein lovers, organic-only eaters, and so much more. Please them all with plenty of variety. 

A crowd-pleasing snack assortment should include at least one:

• Vegan option
• Gluten-free option
• Organic, non-GMO option
• High-protein option
• Low-calorie option
• Healthy indulgence

To satisfy different cravings, be sure to offer a variety of flavors as well.

 

Create a feedback loop

While your inventory system will reveal what your office snackers like, it’s always a good idea to request direct feedback. Create a monthly survey where people vote on their favorite snacks of the month (and explain why they like them), or just add a chalkboard or write & wipe board near the snack station where people can vote on their favorites while the flavors are top of mind.

 

Have a once-a-week snack swap

Include employees in the success of your snack station, and they will love it even more. Create a sign-up sheet where people can volunteer to contribute a special weekly “guest snack” to the snack station. Employees will love showing off their favorite homemade or store bought healthy snacks with the rest of the company. Plus, this practice will solidify the sense of community inspired by the snack station.

Pro tips:

• Create a special display just for the weekly “guest snack.” Leave a space for the employees’ picture, and if their snack is homemade, a recipe.
• Circulate healthy snack ideas to inspire employees to bring in feel-good options.
• At the end of the month, give a “blue ribbon” award to the employee who brought the crowd-favorite snack.

 

Build onto your program

Your snack station makes the perfect foundation and location for other health and wellness initiatives you’ve been considering. Since employees will be flocking to the station to pick up healthy snacks, it’s the perfect place to start building a complete “wellness corner.”

Here are some ways you could add onto your snack station:

• Host wellness giveaways. Carefully open one snack, empty (or eat) the contents, put a tchotchke or token inside, and reseal the package with strong glue. (Make sure it doesn’t look obvious; you can even add eco-friendly packing peanuts or similar materials to further disguise the winning bag. ) Email or post clues, such as “Find the snack with the most protein. Win a Fitbit if your package contains the golden barbell.”
• Add a Bevi near your snack station. Bevi dispenses sparkling, flavored water that is sure to reduce soda intake in your office.
• Promote local health and fitness events. Keep a running list of local 5Ks, yogathons, and other fitness events when they give shows of snacks and fitness supplements that are even sold online, find more info here about this. (Someone will have to coordinate group enrollment, but the fun is so worth it.) Even if you send emails about these events, inbox fatigue might be keeping employees from paying attention. Plus, a tangible sign-up sheet reveals who’s already signed up and motivates more people to participate.

Find even more employee wellness program ideas.

What do you guys think of the snack station idea? Does your office have one? Do you wish it did? Let us know in the comments below!
Free bonus: Want to get an amazing office snack station that everyone raves about? Get a free box of healthy snacks, jam-packed with America’s most delicious snacks, delivered right to your office.

Pop quiz: what does “wellness” mean to you and your team?

And yes, your answer matters.

Attracting top talent. Reducing turnover. Boosting productivity and morale. Prevent a lawsuit due to emotional distress from an employee.

When your office makes a conscious effort to focus on employee wellness, these are the upsides you can look forward to.

Skeptical? Think about the common threads between the best places to work. Sometimes employees involve themselves with best casino site for removing stress.

It’s no surprise that top-tier companies overwhelmingly emphasize wellness as part of their office policies, perks, benefits and take into account this interesting article to know what not to do to prevent any legal dispute. And if you want talent to see your workplace as a cut above the rest, it’s probably time to revisit your own wellness programs.

The good news? Promoting wellness doesn’t have to some sort of lofty, expensive goal. In fact, there are dozens of employee wellness ideas any given office can start rolling out ASAP.

To get the best out of your team, managers need to rethink what wellness means in the workplace, League City Integrated Counseling and Wellness can help you finding the answer. As a result, we’ve broken down a whopping 105 employee wellness ideas to consider. These are fair game for businesses both big and small, all of which work toward the end-game of a happier, more engaged office.

And with that, let’s dive right in!

Free bonus: Download our entire list as a PDF. Easily save it on your computer for quick reference or print it for your company’s next Wellness Meeting. Includes 10 bonus ideas not found in this post.

1. Keep your employees well fed

Staying fed is a basic human need. However, not all offices are created equal in terms of what snacks they offer their workers.

Strive to go beyond sugar-filled, processed fare and instead stock your break room with healthier options. Providing workers with brain food not only keeps them focused, but encourages better eating beyond work.

SnackNation is a great option if you want to get an awesome mix of curated snacks delivered to your office each month without any work on your part.

2. Use walk and talk meetings as an excuses to get out of the office

Nobody wants to be cooped up in a cubicle all day, right? A great way to get the blood flowing and take people out of their traditional environment, consider holding your next meeting on-the-go.

3. Accommodate employees with a more flexible schedule

Perks such as flextime and remote work opportunities represent two of the most-requested benefits of modern employees.

Rather than force your team to stick to a rigid schedule, consider how you can loosen the reigns a bit. As long as workers are meeting expectations, the time on the clock shouldn’t hold them back.

4. Pay for your employees’ gym memberships

Not all employee wellness ideas happen within the walls of your office.

There are plenty of reasons why your workers might avoid hitting the gym, so don’t let the price tag be one of them. As an added bonus, encouraging employees to frequent the same gym is another way to promote healthy habits and team-building.

5. Hold regular office fitness competitions

Lighthearted fitness challenges (think: hula hoop or jump rope competitions) are a brilliant way to bring your team together. Likewise, they can help ease workers into fitness who might not already be on board.

6. Encourage employees to keep track of their activity level

Fitness trackers such as Fitbits represent perfect gifts to promote wellness. Likewise, they’re crucial to tracking office-wide fitness competitions. Again, any small step that encourages your workers to get up and moving is a plus.

7. Frequent community meals and potlucks

Nothing brings people together quite like food, right?

Frequent potlucks represent a way for workers to show off their favorite flavors and bring departments together with out forgeting about treating lunch once in a while with the private event planner for San Jose special events healthy catering. As workplace loneliness is such serious problem, something as simple as a team lunch can make the world of difference. Try to hold community meals on a consistent basis (monthly, weekly) as well as during holidays.

8. Keep your office kitchen stocked with fresh options

This idea is a two-way street.

For starters, eating the exact same snacks week-in and week-out gets stale. Switching up your office fare on a regular basis is a nice surprise for your employees.

Also, don’t neglect the need to throw in some literal fresh selections as part of your office kitchen. Think about fruits that are currently in season or perhaps something you can pick up your local farmers’ market.

9. Designate remote work days

To piggyback on the importance of remote work, consider implementing specific days for employees to work on their own. Either as a reward or opportunity to give someone a change of pace, a new environment can work wonders for productivity.

10. Offer opportunities for working outdoors

No matter how decked out your office space might be, there’s no denying the need for some fresh air.  Rather than watch your employees stare out the window, think about putting together a patio or remote work spot on those days where being stuck inside is a drag.

11. Rethink your office layout

Despite popular belief, there is no “right” way to arrange your office, That said, ask yourself the following in regard to your current layout:

• Does everyone on your team have a space to call their own?
• Does your current office arrangement have a sense of flow where it’s easy to get from Point A to Point B?
• Does your current layout allow for opportunities for teams to comfortably work side-by-side?

12. Set up some standing desks

Adjustable standing desks work in preventing back pain and other health problems associated with being totally sedentary. While some might be hesitant to such an arrangement at first, you might be surprised at how much workers warm up to them. Get more information on these online from office furniture stores such as Calibre Office Furniture.

13. Get moving with an office 5K

5Ks are perfect for offices because they’re typically friendly to runners of all fitness levels. The purpose of these races aren’t to smash PRs, but rather promote healthy habits outside of work.

Also, there’s a good chance there are multiple 5Ks happening in your city on any given week. Regularly running as an office is yet another smart way to ease workers into a more active lifestyle.

14. Encourage frequent brain breaks

Don’t just allow workers to step away from their desks: encourage it.

In fact, frequent breaks promote productivity versus trying to power through a mental plateau.  As highlighted in many of our employee wellness ideas, there’s more to modern work than staying glued to your desk.

15. Squash your company’s workaholic tendencies

To quote Basecamp CEO and Rework author Jason Fried: “Workaholics aren’t heroes.”

On a general note, make a point to create a company culture that puts your employees’ well-being on a pedestal. Remember: employee burnout is a company problem. Workers shouldn’t feel guilted into putting in late hours or overtime “just because.”

Of course, employees should still get down to business. To avoid workaholic syndrome, strive to maximize productivity while your workers are on the clock.

16. Make vacation time mandatory

Have an employee that totally knocked it out of the park? Feel that someone on your team needs a much-needed vacation?

Cool. Let them have it.

Unconventional companies such as  Valve are infamous for requiring employees to go on vacation after a period of high stress. While not your typical perk, it’s a nice touch for noteworthy workers following a major product.

17. Shoutout your team members on your company site

Including employees bios on your company site is a friendly way to show that you’re proud of your team members.

Also, conducting a mini-interview can teach you more about your employees’ quirks while also allowing them to put their personality on display.

18. Ditch the traditional company dress code

Ask yourself: what’s the purpose of your company dress code policy?

Sure, you might want some form of office etiquette, consider picking your battles in terms of dress code.

Is it really a big deal if someone wears flip flops? Is covering up tattoos worth losing a potential star hire?

If you’re working in a “suit and tie” industry, consider at the very least implementing a casual Friday where workers can let loose in terms of their attire.

19. Let your coworkers bring their critters to the office

Think about how important your employees’ furry family members are to them.

Consider opportunities to allow your team to bring their pets to work from time to time. Many companies today have their own dedicated office mascots to lighten the mood and bring team members together, too.

20. Find time for families in the office

Of course, don’t forget about your coworkers’ human family members as well.

Bringing kids to work is a great way for fellow parents in the office to connect. Also, doing so is a reminder of your employees’ lives beyond the office walls. Perhaps the key to making your team feel more like a family is by seeing firsthand the families your office supports.

21. Keep your office stocked with supplies

It’s always a good idea to have extra supplies that your team has constant access to. Whether it’s traditional office fare (paper, post-it notes) or their tech needs (cords, external hard drives, peripherals), your employees should always feel like they’re well-equipped to work.

22. Give your break room a much-needed boost

Although you don’t necessarily need the sort of playground-style break rooms swagged out with beer taps or scooters, you should offer your workers a place to unwind. A playful break room signals that you both appreciate your employees and know that from time to time they need, well, a break.

Encouraging them to rethink the way they commute can also play a big part in their health. More and more people are considering using scooters or bikes to go to places. Maybe you can get them to try. MyProScooter offers discounts on their reviewed lists of makes and models on scooters, skateboards, and bikes. See for yourself, you might find something that you really like on their site.

23. Surprise your team with free time

Not all employee wellness ideas need to be explicitly planned or announced.

Want to take your team on an impromptu lunch? Want to let everyone out an hour early on Friday? If your employees seem stressed and you can sense the tension, don’t be afraid to reward them with free time at a moment’s notice.

24. Reward workers who ditch their gas-guzzlers

Commutes represent a massive source of stress and wasted time for the average worker.  As such, consider incentivizing workers to ditch the traditional traffic grind. For example, you can offer bonuses to bike-riders or those who use downtown bike-share programs. You can also pay the fee for your workers willing to take the local train or light rail.

25. Encourage desk decorations

The more opportunities for your workers to show off their creative side, the better.

Allow your workers to make their workspaces feel more like home. Whether through artistic flair or something as simple as family photos, give your employees free reign over their space.

26. Keep your team educated with an office library

Anything you can do to encourage your team to become lifelong learners is a plus. This might mean providing community access to industry literature, technology or even fictional favorites your coworkers can read during their free time.

27. Get creative with a community wall

Perfect for office-wide announcements, employee recognition or just letting workers sound off, community walls are a creative way to bring people together.

28. Bring in an office chef

Give your employees something tasty to look forward to from time to time. Guest chefs are awesome for keeping your workers fed and also teaching your team a thing or two about the art of cooking.

29. End any and all meetings on a positive note

Don’t overlook the power of praise and recognition.

Ask yourself: how often are you highlighting your coworkers’ great work?

Making a conscious effort to end your interactions on a high is a much-needed morale booster for many offices. Even in the midst of a serious meeting or bad news, people should feel empowered rather than beaten down.

30. Make maternity (and paternity) leave a priority

More and more companies are offering comprehensive maternity and paternity leave for parents to show their support. After all, employees shouldn’t feel punished for parenthood: make sure that your company puts family first.

31. Organize office pick-up games

Whether it’s soccer or basketball, pick-up games at your local park or rec center are great way for coworkers to connect and stay fit.

32. Support your local sports team as a company

If you live in a city with a notable sports team, consider buying a set of season tickets on behalf of your office. Such tickets are great for office rewards and giveaways, and are also a good way for employees to bond.

33. Compensate your coworkers for continuing education

Reality check: 51% of workers are actively looking for new jobs and opportunities.

You can’t stop your employees’ desires to grow, so why not encourage their growth under your watch? Whether it’s work-related courses or conferences, picking up the tab shows your support and could ultimately result in retaining them long-term.

34. Shower your team with office swag

Let your employees quite literally wear your company on their sleeves. Decking out your coworkers with office swag is a playful idea for showing off company pride while also keeping employees well-equipped to work.

35. Hold a different health challenge every month

Promoting a healthy lifestyle among your employees means being consistent.

Holding healthy challenges month after month constantly promotes new habits for long-term fitness.

Which department scored the most steps in October? Who’s been keeping up with the 100 push-up challenge?

These challenges represent a way to commit to a culture of wellness that isn’t overwhelming or in-your-face to employees who are new to fitness.

36. Pick your employees’ brains on how you can improve office morale

If you want something, sometimes it’s best to just ask.

For example, if you’re struggling to figure out what’s off about your office, consider a digital check-in or a face-to-face meeting with employees in private. Gathering feedback is key to any effective wellness program.

37. Make wellness part of your company newsletter

Make sure to include wellness tips and news as part of your company newsletter. These pointers might be reminders for flu shots, updates on upcoming fitness events (think: yoga in the park, a local 5K) or congratulating the winners of your office fitness competitions.

38. Join a sports league as an office

Chances are some of your employees are serious about sports and want something more than the occasional pick-up game. To support those with a competitive streak, consider paying for your team to join up with a local sports league.

39. Pay for your workers’ health screenings

As part of reminding people to take care of themselves, pick up the tab for procedures such as breast cancer screenings or physicals. Again, the price tag shouldn’t deter someone from focusing on their long-term health.

40. Rethink your office seating options

Beyond standing desks, also consider revamping your office’s chair situation with creative seating options such as yoga balls. In short, do what you can do to make your workers feel comfortable and literally more supported.

41. Encourage flu shots and seasonal wellness

Poor health and frequent illness are both huge factors in employee absenteeism. Keep your coworkers up-to-date on bugs going around as well as general health tips via email, social media or signage in the office.

42. Volunteer as a team

Another common thread between the best places to work is that they boast dedicated days for workers to volunteer.

Philanthropy has become a staple of modern companies, and rightfully so.  Volunteering both brings you closer as a company and is a positive for your local community.

43. Sponsor a local youth sports team

This wellness idea combines fitness with getting closer to your local community. Sponsoring or coaching a youth team is a prime for working parents whose kids are already involved in sports.

44. Build your own on-site gym

Boasting a gym on-site provides less of an excuse for your workers to neglect their next workout. If nothing else, it’s a great way to give your employees somewhere to let off some steam.

For smaller businesses, an office gym doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, you can pick up second-hand gym equipment for a bargain on Craigslist. Meanwhile, yoga balls and mats are a cost-effective basis for building up an area for workers to work out, even get a yoga teacher training goa to motivate them to assist.

45. Let workers get fit at their desks

Also consider opportunities for employees to work out without having to leave their desks.

For example, you can encourage office exercises to get people’s heart rates up in a matter of minutes. Pieces of equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance bands are totally fair game for working out in a small space, too.

46. Hold the occasional company cook-off

Some people take their recipes seriously. As part of your company potlucks, think about holding the occasional competition so your coworkers can pit their dishes against one another.

47. Provide your workers with vegan options

Vegetarianism and veganism are both on the rise among the public at large. A subtle way to support your workers’ lifestyles, introducing cruelty-free options can actually introduce non-vegans to new dishes and perhaps open their minds a bit in the process.

48. Give employees stake in the office snacks

On a related note, consider running a poll to see exactly what your coworkers want in terms of food options. Providing variety is a great start, but giving your employees stake in what they’re eating is even better.

49. Keep your coworkers hydrated

There’s a direct correlation between hydration and productivity. The water cooler is a staple of the traditional office: make sure your workers have constant access to H2O having the edr3rxd1 filter helps reduce chlorine taste and odor, giving you clean, great-tasting drinking water, furthermore, you might want to consider providing some fruit-flavored waters (think: orange, cucumber) to workers for the sake of variety.

50. End the week on a high note with a Fun Friday

Admit it: you’re probably pretty fried by the time Friday rolls around, right?

Whether it’s office cocktail hour or a Mario Kart tournament, ending the week on a fun note is a good idea. Doing so sets the tone for the weekend and makes sure everyone’s batteries are recharged by the time they return to work on Monday.

51. Visit your local animal shelter

As part of your office’s commitment to volunteering, consider a local animal shelter. Shelters are constantly understaffed and in need of help, presenting a great way for your animal-loving employees to put in some volunteer hours.

52. Jam out with a collaborative office playlist

Hey, some people are just plain more productive when they’re jamming out. Creating a collaborative office playlist through Spotify both shows off your coworkers’ music tastes and is great for lightening the mood.

53. Keep your team members caffeinated

No matter how you slice it, some people just plain run on caffeine.

As such, you should offer up a variety of caffeine options to keep your coworkers going.

We’re not just talking about Folgers, either.

Think Kenyan and Ethiopian blends. Chai and green teas. The list goes on and on.

54. Provide opportunities for deep work

While many of our employee wellness ideas are fun-focused, bear in mind that the ultimate goal of wellness programs is happiness and productivity.

For example, there’s growing research that supports the notion of  “deep work” for modern workers. In other words, employees deserve uninterrupted time to get down to business that’s totally distraction free.

Providing such opportunities to employees helps foster a sort of “work hard, play hard” mentality.

55. Give your workers a quiet space

On a related note, there’s actually been a recent shift back toward cubicles because many workers lack a sense of privacy and privacy in totally open settings. Remember that not everyone is a total extrovert, and also that some people flat out can’t focus when they’re surrounded by others.

Support workers who need a quiet environment by providing them with a space with a “do not disturb,” library vibe. Whether it’s a dedicated meeting room or a portion of the office, such space should send a clear signal to fellow employees to be respectful.

56. Breathe some life into your workspace with office plants

Feel like your office space is a bit lifeless? Change that. Hard-to-kill office plants such as aloe and cacti are perfect for a change of scenery and don’t require too much upkeep.

57. Switch up your workplace scents

Representing natural mood boosters, scents such as cinnamon, rosemary or vanilla sprinkled throughout the office are a subtle way to keep your work environment fresh.

58. Equip employees with company water bottles

Remember what we said earlier about staying hydrated? Hooking your employees up with water bottles ensures they don’t need to leave their desks to hit the water cooler.

59. Be willing to talk about mental health

Modern offices can’t afford to shy away from conversations about mental health.

Unfortunately, nearly 50% of employees fear talking about the need for therapy because they don’t want to be judged by their bosses. Taking the initial step to talk about mental wellness eases the mind of your employees and again signals your support.

60. Provide financial incentives for a healthier lifestyle

Sometimes jump starting someone’s fitness journey requires a bit of a financial push.

Whether it’s smoking cessation or regularly hitting the gym, connecting healthy living to cash bonuses is a huge motivator. Doing so also shows your commitment to employee wellness at large.

61. Hold a stair challenge

If you’re stuck on the top floor of your office complex, use your company’s stature to its advantage. In conjunction with your office fitness challenges, seeing who can scale the most stairs over the course of the month is a fun way to promote more steps among your team.

62. Support creative hobbies outside of work

How many of your coworkers are artists? Musicians? Do you know what their creative aspirations are?

Here’s some food for thought: approximately half of workers struggle with work-life balance. As such, showing interest in activities outside of work is a must-do toward promoting workplace friendships.

63. Offer over-the-counter medication on-site

No matter how healthy your coworkers might be, headaches and colds are inevitable. Providing a pharmacy with over-the-counter meds on-site provides peace of mind to workers and prevents them from having to step out.

64. Let sick workers stay home

On a related note, workaholic culture guilts people to come into work even when they’re feeling low and slugging. This is a lose-lose situation as sick workers can’t be expected to be productive, meanwhile you’re potentially exposing the rest of your office to widespread sick days.

As such, foster a culture which encourages workers not to second-guess their health. Whether it’s remote work or time off, remind your employees that their wellness comes first.

65. Consciously promote acceptance and equality in the workplace

Although this might seem like a no-brainer, no worker can truly feel comfortable in the workplace if they don’t feel accepted for their gender, race or religion.

Consider how companies such as Salesforce have consciously worked to close the gender wage gap and encourage an active dialogue about the equal treatment of workers.

66. Implement a volunteer time off (VTO) policy

Another popular emerging policy among top-tier companies is providing explicit time off for workers to go volunteer.  This allows companies to highlight their commitment to local communities as well as workers being a force for good.

67. Provide an avenue for anonymous employee feedback

Approximately 50% of all employees are afraid to speak their minds at work. Anonymous surveys (think: SurveyMonkey or tools like Officevibe) and digital suggestion boxes allow your workers the chance to spill their guts without fear of repercussion.

68. Encourage team huddles versus formal meetings

Formal meetings aren’t the only ones that matter. Frequent team huddles and five-minute check-ins promote positive touchpoints among employees and are respectful of your team’s time.

69. Offer a support program for new parents

Can you name anything more overwhelming than becoming a new parent? Providing explicit support in terms of time off and flexibility are crucial for employees who are either expecting or just welcomed their latest bundle of joy.

70. Hold the occasional giveaway just because

As noted, not all employee wellness ideas need to follow strict guidelines. Giving away the occasional iPad or weekend getaway represent random acts of kindness that show your heart to employees.

71. Go all out at your office parties

Office parties are perfect for letting loose, but they also serve as an awesome opportunity to recognize your employees. Whether it’s a company-wide toast or epic swag bags, remind your workers that they’re worthy of celebration.

72. Take time for team-building

Inclusive team-building activities such as escape rooms or drink-and-draws are brilliant for bringing your company closer together.

73. Make a point to mentor new employees

Here’s a sobering statistic:  28% of new employees quit within the first 90 days of a new gig. Lack mentorship is detrimental to new hires. Make a conscious effort to make sure your latest talent is supported and the lines of communication are wide open.

74. Plaster positive signage throughout the office

Something as simple as a mission statement or motivational quote on the wall serves as a reminder to what your company is all about it. If nothing else, creative signage gives your employees something to look at beyond a blank space.

75. Decorate for the holidays

A subtle way to raise your coworkers’ spirits, decorating for the holidays is another idea for keeping your working environment from ever feeling uninspired.

76. Let your boss take workers out to lunch

Offices should encourage positive relationships between higher-ups and all team members. Transparency is especially meaningful to young workers, so something as simple as having your CEO take new hires out to lunch is a good way to get off on the right foot.

77. Offer bereavement leave to support employees during tough times

Your employees can’t be expected to be 100% present at work if their emotions are elsewhere.

Offering time off to struggling employees who’ve lost a loved one is just one way to show your support. Also, consider how companies like Kimpton offer bereavement leave for employees who’ve lost their pets.

78. Pay for your workers’ biometric screenings

Monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol are crucial components of staying healthy but are easy for busy workers to overlook. As such, paying for screenings provides an incentive for workers to receive regular checkups.

79. Celebrate totally random holidays

From Pi Day to National Donut Day, embracing the conventional holidays on the calendar represent fun opportunities to surprise your team with the occasional party.

80. Impromptu office awards

Who’s the best dressed in your office? Who has the most creative workspace?

Not unlike random holidays, providing each of your team members with impromptu rewards shows that you recognize their personalities.

81. Conduct monthly charity donations on behalf of your company

Creating a charity pool for your office is another thoughtful opportunity to give back. You could also add a stake to your office competitions by allowing winners to choose which charity receives your donation.

82. Offer tuition reimbursement for workers furthering their education

Companies today are expected to offering continuing export for budding workers. Although it may seem a bit backward on the surface, tuition reimbursement results in long-term savings on recruiting and talent management.

83. Invest in employee engagement software

Getting feedback from your coworkers is important, but so is doing so in a timely manner. Employee engagement tools like Officevibe’s employee net promoter score only require a few seconds for your workers to answer as you gather valuable information.

84. Take time to say “thanks”

“Thank you” emails are a nice touch, but taking the time to handwrite something for your employees shows that you appreciate a job well done. Plus, thank-you’s plastered on your workers’ desks serve as positive reminders of your appreciation.

85. Put your coworkers in a Post-it-note war

Office-wide activities such as Post-it note wars provide your coworkers a creative way for departments and teams to stay in touch with each other.

86. Start an office book club

Promoting community within the office, a book club promotes long-term learning and meaningful conversations with your coworkers.

87. Bring in a food truck for lunch

For truly special occasions or in celebration of a launch, considering bringing in a local food truck to serve your coworkers.

88. Provide alternatives to the traditional cubicle

While there’s plenty of debate about cubicles versus open offices, providing community spaces for employees to meet and work is a must-do. Coupling community spaces with individual workstations ultimately gives you the best of both worlds in terms of design.

89. Actively promote office friendships

Did you know that only one-in-five workers claim to have a  best friend at work?  Lack of personal connections in the office is a drain on productivity and happiness at large. As a result, don’t have hang-ups about employees forming friendships both inside and outside of the office.

90. Open up the office for weekend activities

Chances are your weekend office space would be the perfect place for a jam session, hackathon or lan party. As a reward, consider opening the office up for weekend activities if the space otherwise isn’t being used.

91. Embrace the occasional half day

For the sake of avoiding burnout, taking the occasional half day is a good move. This can be done to provide employees with a chance to do some remote work or just take time for themselves.

92. Take your new hires out to lunch

Another piece of welcoming new employees, celebrating new talent with a dedicated lunch puts the spotlight on your latest hire.

93. Make a point to discuss employee feedback

In addition to gathering feedback from your employees, make it a point to actually discuss what you’ve learned. As a part of your regular meetings, discuss results from surveys and questionnaires to ensure that your team is all on the same page.

94. Put out a community idea box

Old-school suggestion boxes still have their places in the modern offices. Beyond suggestions for the workplace, you can also use a community box to hold joke contests or pose a question-of-the-week.

95. Frequent social media shoutouts

If you need to fill content for your social media calendar, look no further than your own employees. Showing off your team members is a popular way for companies to put their personalities on display while also showing their coworkers some love.

96. Sprinkle stress-relievers throughout the office

Simply put, sometimes work is a drag. Equipping your coworkers with stress balls or even put up an office punching bag for people to let out some of their frustrations is playful way to acknowledge those rough days.

97. Encourage more face-to-face meetings

Digital check-ins are important, but they can’t totally replace one-on-one talks. Managers should regularly make face with their teams on a day-to-day basis, even if it just means saying “hello.”

98. Hold on office movie night

Another great way to unwind and bring your coworkers together, consider screening the latest blockbuster in your office’s break room.

99. Designate a remote work spot

To help transition employees into regular remote work, designate a particular coffee shop or coworking space nearby where your team can meet. Such a spot can also represent your team’s sort of hub away from the office to hold client meetings or just relax.

100. Host an on-site yoga session

Yoga represents the ultimate stress-reliever, which is why so many companies are holding on-site yoga sessions on a regular basis.

101. Curate art to support creativity in the office

Artwork plastered throughout the office can really get your coworkers’ creative juices flowing.  Whether it’s old-school paintings or a stylish mural, art is a subtle way to inspire your employees.

102. Implement a coworker buddy system

For the sake of accountability and office friendships, designating an office partner for your employees helps keep workers on task. Always having someone available to ask questions to is a game-changer for employees who otherwise might not speak up.

103. Provide a comprehensive childcare bonus for parents

On average, people spend anywhere between 10% and 25% of their income on childcare costs alone. Anything your company can do to relieve that financial pressure is a massive bonus, especially to new parents.

104. Bring in speakers and industry professionals

Bringing in industry leaders to speak to your team is a proactive move. In addition to educating your coworkers about your industry, a good speaker might work to inspire someone who’s otherwise in a professional slump.

105. Offer sabbaticals to workers who need them

If someone has shown their commitment to your business for years on end, perhaps it’s time to return the favor. For example, companies such as Basecamp reward long-term employees a three-month paid sabbatical as reward for their dedication.

Because at the end of the day, committing to your workers is exactly what employee wellness is all about.

And with that, we conclude our list!

Which Employee Wellness Ideas Are Right for Your Office?

Offices of all shapes and sizes need to make a conscious effort to emphasize wellness.

Think about it. Your office perks could be the difference between your best hires sticking around or bouncing to a competitor.

And again, wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

You could start rolling out some of these employee wellness ideas today to create a happier, healthier office.

And as long as you recognize the need for wellness to keep your employees engaged, you’re on the right track.

We want to hear from you, though. What are some of the coolest perks you’ve seen offices promote for wellness? Anything that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments!

Free bonus: Download our entire list as a PDF. Easily save it on your computer for quick reference or print it for your company’s next Wellness Meeting. Includes 10 bonus ideas not found in this post.

What is a successful vending machine business really built on?

Selling product?

Minimizing cost?

Locking down the most vending machine locations?

Actually—and perhaps surprisingly— none of the above. The real answer: the most successful vending  machine businesses are built upon an unwavering dedication to providing value at every step. Some people call this “customer service.” HUMAN franchisees call it being a “WOW Technician”; that is, someone who can methodically and consistently deliver service, products, and results that leave locations and customers saying “WOW!” It’s a simple concept: value received always follows value provided.

To do this most effectively, shift your focus away from questions like “How can I find the most ROI positive locations” to questions like these:

How can I find locations that will benefits the most from my business model?

What kind of machines would my ideal locations enjoy?

What kind of products do people in my community like?

What sales and promotional events can I be hosting to get my prospective locations excited?

How can I serve my locations better?

These are the true questions and true initiatives of a successful vending machine business owner.

How can providing value help you secure the best Automated Vending machines a location? Keep reading to discover how value can help you every step of the way:

Step 1: Define Vending Machine Location Strategy 

What comes first, the vending machine or the location?

Some of the biggest questions in the vending business center around location acquisition and equipment.  It’s important to stay up to date on the latest equipment trends, so you know what your locations might be interested in. Some of the most popular vending options to date include: credit card readers, LCD screens, healthier options, and micro markets.

How do you know what equipment is the best investment? 

Honestly, you won’t really know until you know what each location wants. Moral of the story: before you buy equipment, you need to find your locations. 

Step 2: Generate Vending Machine Location Leads & Tracking Method 

What’s the secret to finding high quality vending machine locations?

The first thing to do is realize that you’re not in the vending machine business. You are in the lead generation business—specializing in vending.  The lead generation business is hard work, but with maximum effort and productivity, there’s no doubt you’ll be successful. 

Buyer Persona Analysis

If you’re like many business owners, the phrase lead generation seems a little bit daunting. Let’s make it easier by breaking down a basic action item checklist. Step one: prospect for ideal locations. To make it easier, start by creating a buyer persona analysis.

Buyer personas (sometimes referred to as marketing personas) are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers. Personas help us all — in marketing, sales, product, and services — internalize the ideal customer we’re trying to attract, and relate to our customers as real humans. Having a deep understanding of your buyer persona(s) is critical to driving content creation, product development, sales follow up, and really anything that relates to customer acquisition and retention.

In other words, you may know your target buyers are schools and hospitals, but do you know what their specific needs and interests are? What is the typical background of your ideal buyer? In order to get a full understanding of what makes your best customers tick, it’s critical to develop detailed personas for your business.

The strongest buyer personas are based on market research as well as insights you gather from your actual customer base (through surveys, interviews, etc.). Depending on your business, you could have as few as one or two personas, or as many as 10 or 20. But if you’re new to personas, start small! You can always develop more personas later if needed. Click here to download a buyer persona worksheet from Hubspot.

Although buyer persona analysis is extremely important, it’s not the only necessary factor you have to consider. Here are several additional variables that you must know about each location:

• Direct Foot Traffic
Student population, employees, check-ins, patients, etc. This is considered the primary type of foot traffic, and is broken down into either static traffic (such as students who are there every single day), or transient traffic (such as patrons at a gym who might not be there every day, but the overall traffic numbers are still the same despite the different faces).

• Indirect Foot Traffic
Location rental traffic (like rec leagues using basketball courts at a YMCA), community events, sports leagues, neighboring offices or buildings that have access to the machines

• Exclusivity Potential
Can you secure an agreement to be the only provider of snacks and/or beverages at said location?

• Other Food Service Options
Are there other things such as a student store, after school snack program, free lunches, or a nearby supermarket that competes for patrons’ attention in addition to any cafeteria or primary food option?

• Machine Accessibility
Are there mandated “lockout” hours when the machine must be off to make way for federal or state programs? Is the machine accessible during all hours of the day? Is the machine going to be out in the open or tucked away from the center of activity?

• Current Refilling Timetable
How often is the current vendor coming in to refill the machine? This is a big indicator as to how profitable a location currently is. As a subset, finding out simply what their current commission numbers are will help as well.

Tracking

After you determine who your ideal location is, you’ll need to discover locations that meet this criteria. And you’ll have to acquire contact information for the decision-maker at this location. This process is known as prospecting, but before we get into the specifics of how to do so most effectively, let me emphasize the importance of tracking. Tracking your prospecting efforts can be accomplished easily through a CRM or Client Response Management System, which will allow you to manage location information, and behavior.  There are also vending softwares, such as VendSoft, that can help with this process. These types of systems will help you to store information about current and prospective locations, including sales notes, email history, purchase history, etc. This can help you provide better service to your locations, handle objections during the sales process, and close more deals. Here are some things you should track with your CRM system:

• Contact Name Location
• Contact Information (Name, Email, Phone Number, Address)
• Last Interaction Type & Details
• Crucial Dates (RFP, Contract Expiration, Wellness Meetings, Birthdays, etc.)
• Follow-Up Items, Resolutions, Next Steps

Types of Vending Locations:

Now that you have a good idea of the types of locations you want to go after, you need to put together a master list of potential locations that you can begin researching. The resources listed below help you find location lists for the following:

1. Schools

2. YMCAs

3. Boys & Girls Clubs

4. Professional Offices

5. Other Locations

Remember that your best lead generation tool is YOU! Your feet on the ground, your local knowledge, and your understanding of where the largest opportunities lie will take you further than any computer program can direct you. These lists will get you started on the right foot, but do not let them be your only tools for finding potential business opportunities.

And, as always, be sure to be tracking all of your findings in your CRM. This is absolutely vital in order to stay organized!

School Lead Lists:

 

The one-stop-shop for finding comprehensive lists for most schools (colleges, universities, public & private middle schools, public & private high schools, etc.) is the National Center for Educational Services (NCES). The NCES has a website (http://nces.ed.gov) with an incredibly robust search function.

Using the NCES:

• Go to http://nces.ed.gov

• Click on the “Data & Tools” tab at the top of the page

Based on this you can search on basically any criteria you see fit (both simple & advanced)

• School type
• Geography
• School size minimums
• School demographics

This allows you to pick out schools one by one, or do a search at a larger school district level, if the schools send out bids for vending at the district level. In any case, you have at your fingertips all the local schools that could be great destinations for your Vending Machine Locations

YMCA Lead Lists:

 

Here’s how to use the YMCA Database

• Visit www.YMCA.net

• On the right side of the page, click on “Find Your Y”

• Enter in your zip code and a radius, and see what is around! There is no export function for this search (like the NCES has), but all worthwhile leads need to be recorded in your CRM anyway.

Boys and Girls Club Lead Lists:

The B&G Clubs of America give us the chance to make some of the largest positive impact, as we have a chance to work directly with the youth of the country – many of which need access to healthier items more than most. This fact, coupled with their national database, means you should always have tabs on what’s in your area, and where they stand with providing healthy options.
Using the B&G Club Database

• Visit www.BGCA.org/WhoWeAre/Pages/FindAClub.aspx

• Enter in your zip code and radius, and see what is around!

Office/Professional Building Lead Lists

This is the largest opportunity for growth that you’ll have based on the sheer numbers that exist here (especially with the HUMAN Micro Market Program). Of course, they need to meet the requirements we’ve laid out, but offices are always a good place to be exploring. When it comes to compiling lists for these location types – you have two standout resources at your disposal.

Resource 1: Manta.com

The first resource is Manta.com. Manta is a service that gives you a very robust idea of what professional organizations exist within your community, and will allow you to filter down from there.
Using the Manta Database 

• Visit www.manta.com
• On the top, click on the “U.S. Companies” tab
• Use the simple filters to get the master company list down to only the offices in your community
• Use any necessary advanced search filters to scale down the list to the types of offices you’re looking for

Resource 2: Your Public Library

One of the most overlooked resources of all time is the vast amount of information that exists inside public libraries. Particularly, the ReferenceUSA database that most all public library systems subscribe to, and make available to their members for free! ReferenceUSA is like Manta.com, but much more extensive in it’s search functions and filters. You’ll get the best possible list from using the ReferenceUSA Database. Unfortunately, not all library systems subscribe to this service, so you need to call your libraries and inquire about it. But, if they do subscribe to the service:

• Visit the library and register for a library card
• Work with the library staff to get the appropriate web link and login information to access the database
• Once you have this information, you’ll be able to access the website remotely and won’t have to go into the library every time you wish to use it.
• Log in to ReferenceUSA using the appropriate information
• Click on the ‘US Companies’ tab to begin searching
• From here, use the series of simple and advanced searches to find what you seek
• Export your custom data summary to Excel for you to upload to your CRM

Other Location Lead Lists:

Of course, there are an incredible amount of lead types in addition to the ones we just covered. Just because certain locations (gyms, medical centers, community centers, etc.) do not have readily accessible, consolidated information sources does not mean they should not be researched and checked out. Locations such as specialty trade schools, boutique fitness centers, aquatics centers, and more, are hidden gems that need a little extra attention to find.

One of the best tools you have in drawing out these locations is Yelp. Yelp is designed to pull out all local businesses based on what you’re searching for – and we can use it to qualify. Entering in zip codes, coupled with key terms of what you’re looking for (fitness center, community center, trade school, school, aquatics, etc.) will get you more results than you initially thought were possible! Yelp will not provide the traffic numbers that other services will, but that’s why you’ll become a master qualifier!

Related Article: Vending Machine Locations

Free Trial Resources:

Finally, there are several additional resources available that provide great search results, but eventually require you to pay for their subscription-based service. Using them for a brief time period on a trial basis is a good way to enhance your prospecting efforts. The big thing to remember if you sign up for a free trial is that you must know what you’re looking for ahead of time so you aren’t wasting trial time on things that prove to be inefficient.

• There are many resources out there, but the big websites we recommend are:
• www.Lead411.com
• www.SalesGenie.com
• www.DataBaseUSA.com

Bonus Tip: Track the the amount of time you’re spending on each of the activities mentioned above using a time tracking tool. You’ll be surprised on the breakdown of your day and you might learn something surprising!

Step 3: Discover & Engage Vending Machine Location Decision-Maker

I have a list of leads, but how do I contact them? How do I get them to respond to me?

Now that you’ve discovered the best prospective locations for your business, it’s time to engage them. How do you get their attention? The best engagement sequences include a combination of direct mailers (including samples), emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings.

It’s important to note that in order to set meetings and build business relationships, you will sometimes need to speak with the same person over and over again. To keep things unique and fresh, I recommend that you diversify your methods of communication in order to make the process more enjoyable for the contact, and to yield higher results for yourself. Variety creates novelty!

Here’s an example engagement sequence:

Step 4: Define Nurture Strategy for Vending Machine Locations

 

They didn’t say no, but they didn’t say yes? How long do I wait to let them think about it? When should I follow-up?

Fact: most locations will not buy after the first phone call—the process takes time. This means that you have to have a comprehensive communication strategy which will help you make an initial contact, and stay at the top of your contact’s mind until you can get the deal done.

The most important thing to note here is that ALL communication with a potential location must include some sort of value proposition for the end user. A value proposition should highlight the potential outcomes that a specific location will enjoy because of your vending machine placement. Before you engage any location, make sure you know this value proposition, and you have  a system to relay this information.

Try on this nurture sequence for size:

Step 5: Recognize & Handle Location Objections 

What if they say they’re not looking to switch vendors? What if they say no outright?

Getting a location to respond is probably the biggest challenge when trying to secure a vending machine location. Once you’ve gotten their attention, you have to make sure you’re ready to answer every question that arises. So, it’s time to get a bit deeper, taking a look at the variables that exist, what they mean for the location AND for you, and where the large opportunity lies. In other words, the more you know about a location can help help you predict their objections. In order to get to know every location, you should activate a second level of questioning during your initial correspondence. This is known as Iceberg Questioning, which will help you get to the core of what a potential location truly desires, what they cherish, and what their existing vendor is not currently providing.

Here are a couple of Iceberg questions to get you started:

1. What do you like and/or dislike about your current vending operator?

2. Ideally, what types of products would you provide to your students or employees?

3. What’s the approximate cost of your current vending options?

Step 6: Secure A Vending Machine Location 

The location is interested, and I know my business would be a good fit, but we’re just going around in circles…how do I close the deal?

So you’ve determined your ideal location, made contact, handled objections, and they’re interested. You’re ready to close the deal, get the contracts signed, and order your equipment…but they just won’t commit. What are you doing wrong?

You probably haven’t clearly defined your value proposition. It’s easy to get excited about your business, and it’s only natural to want to tell your prospects about all of the cool things that come with your program. You’re going to talk passionately about your mission, the machines, the great-tasting products, and the countless other additional elements that your program can bring to the table.

What you don’t want to do though is feature-dump! Feature dumping is the biggest killer of machine placements. Many times, the more features you talk about, the less likely you are to get the placement. Strange, we know, but it happens – a lot.

Here’s a real life example:

One of our operators in the Northeast had a meeting with a potential location that she was super excited about. She went in there prepared, knowing her business inside and out; left the meeting thinking she had gotten the placement, only to find out weeks later that they decided to go with someone else. When she asked why, they told her that it was because they didn’t think the students would adjust to the taste of her snacks. She was confused because she had told them that there was a list of 5,000 snacks that tasted great so we reviewed her meeting with her.

During our review, we found that she talked about the machines’ ability to vend any food item, the machines’ ability to eliminate mis-vends, the catalog of 5,000 snack options, sampling events, and her love for yoga. All of these are great features of her business, but she did not take any of these features and describe how their benefits add value; specifically, she did not address the location’s concern for their students’ adjustment to healthy snacks.

She probably would have closed the deal had she said, “Another feature of my program is our sampling events. We hold sampling events to give students an opportunity to taste some of our 5,000 products and provide feedback on what they like and don’t like. This way, I will know which direction to head when choosing the product selection, and I can choose one that your students will love and easily adjust to. Not only will this event help your students choose what is available to them in the machine, but they’ll also be introduced to healthier products—this type of health education can help them live healthier today, but they’ll also be able to take the education with they learn with them for the rest of their lives.

…and that’s how you close a vending machine location. Understand the difference?

Conclusion:

Securing a vending machine location might seem like a complex process—but with the right tools, it doesn’t have to be. The main things to remember: understand what you’re trying accomplish with your business, determine what types of locations will benefit from this type of business, seek out decision makers at these locations, and track everything so that you can maintain consistency, professionalism, and provide value better than your competition.

If you follow the instructions in this article you will secure high quality locations. But, don’t forget that the lessons learned here don’t stop once the contract is signed. If you truly want long term success, you must define a value expectation, and follow-through on it each and every day.

Now you know what it takes. So get out there, and make it happen.

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about owning a Healthy Vending Business, download our Ultimate Guide by clicking the image below. It has bonus tips and best practices from over 10 years of healthy vending experience, plus breakdown of the benefits of  joining a vending franchise.

If you think vending machines are only stocked with chips, candy, and soda, and their healthier alter-egos, think again.

These days, there are very unique vending machines sell well, just about everything: think cupcakes, burritos, and even marijuana candy these are a sweet way to get your daily dose of CBD and that’s not even close to the weirdest thing on this list, since CBD products are really popular now a days, since people can get CBD oils via DiscountPharms.com to get this products, you can get even cbd oil for dogs. We compiled a list of some of the coolest, weirdest, and downright shocking vending machines from around the world.  

Here goes:

1. Gold to Go Vending Machine

Where to find it: Dubai

It’s called the Gold to Go machine, and it’s the first-ever gold vending machine, found in Dubai Mall, UAE. 

This machine is guarded by armored guards all day long, and rightfully so. This glittering ATM spits out 24-karat gold in 320 different forms: gold bars, coins, and even jewelry.  

It’s possible to spend your whole life stuck on a train called corporate America, or a train called blue collar, or maybe one called American dream; you keep thinking about how you’ll escape one day, how amazing it will be to break free from some preconceived notion of “who you’re supposed to be…” You think about what it would feel like to take back control of your life, gain financial independence, create a future for your family, finally start playing golf, learn how to fix a slice, and even make a positive impact on the world.

It’s a nice fantasy.

Think for a moment…does this sound familiar? If not, what is your fantasy? Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? And, when are you planning on making it a reality?

You’re reading this, so it’s fair to assume that you’re at least considering the possibility of franchising, or starting your own business. 

How do you choose the right franchise business opportunity?

I’m not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t believe, and I’m not going to sell HUMAN as your best option. I don’t know if HUMAN is the right franchise opportunity for you…and I don’t know if you are the right fit for a HUMAN healthy franchise. I do know that, before starting any long term business relationship (or any relationship for that matter), it’s necessary for each partner to understand the values, goals, and ambitions of the other. It’s not about finding a franchise with the “right” qualities, it’s about finding the franchise (or business opportunity, product, etc.) with the qualities that fit you.

There are hundreds of different franchise opportunities out there, and there are a lot of factors to consider with each of them. Here are a couple questions to get you thinking.

How does their business operate?

“Ideas are commodity. Execution of them is not.” —Michael Dell, Dell chairman and CEO

Liking the basic values of a company is a great sign, but if the operational aspects are not align with what you’re looking for, you might have a problem. What products and services do they provide? Is it a self-standing business, or are there movable parts? Is there a lot of support, or more freedom? Will you need to make important decisions, or will you be given a detailed road map?

Example: HUMAN is a nutritional distribution platform that uses healthy vending machines, healthy micro markets, and direct snack distribution programs to bring healthier foods and drinks to people across the nation. What do you think about owning a franchise with multiple units, each placed into a different school, hospital, or company?

Who are they & what drives them? 

“The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.” —Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder

Discover who you’re jumping into bed with, and decide if that’s the person you really want to be with—what kind of people are they? What kind of values do they embody? What drives them?

Example: HUMAN is made up of many different types of people, but largely we attract franchisees who are driven to lead, and hope to place a positive impact on the world around us. Many of us are self-proclaimed entrepreneurial spirits, “honey badgers,” and idealists — we’re dreamers who think anything is possible with hard work and determinism. We crave challenges, take calculated risks, but we fearlessly push the boundaries, because we’re genuinely passionate about solving the problems HUMAN seeks to solve. Does this sound like you?

What’s their mission now & for the future?

“Entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.” —David Karp, Tumblr founder and CEO

When purchasing a franchise, you’re aligning yourself with the ideology and the vision of the company. Are you passionate about the company’s vision? Will their platform help you to create the future you want for yourself, and your family? Can you grow alongside the company?

Example: The HUMAN mission is to help unite mankind and nutrition. Our goal is to bring healthy food into every business, school, and place of leisure in the world. We want to completely change how the world eats, how the world feels, and in doing so we hope to play a huge part in eradicating obesity related health issues. Are you excited about the idea of making people healthy?

How do you know it’s the right fit?

“When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” —Josh James, Omniture CEO

When all is said and done, you’ll know when you’ve found a business that’s right for you. The basics of the business model will align with what your looking for and the investment will make sense. At a deeper level, you’ll know that you’re values and personality are aligned, the mission will excite you, and you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. That’s when you’ll know.

“Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” —Drew Houston, Dropbox founder and CEO

If you like what read, and you’d like to continue exploring the Vending Machine Business Opportunities, click here!

Before taking the plunge into entrepreneurialism, it’s important to make a list of questions you need answered. It’s also important to ask yourself what questions aren’t on my list. What have I forgotten to ask? One of the main advantages of starting a franchise is that your questions have probably been brought up by many others. I decided to kill the suspense, and answer the top 5 questions prospective franchise business owners ask about healthy vending machine snacks. 

Why questions about healthy vending machine snacks? Because if you’re considering a vending franchise business, one of your biggest questions is (or should be)…what about the healthy snacks?

Here goes:

1. “Do I have to find the products myself?”

What You Might Be Imagining

Your vending machine runs out of kale chips unexpectedly. It’s Wednesday around lunchtime, and you have no choice. You must make a midday run to Costco — just in time for the lunch rush. You battle the traffic on the way in, find a parking spot a mile away, and proceed towards the door. You avert being trampled over potstickers, then again over asiago bagels… You finally reach the back. And the kale chips are out of stock.

How It Really Works:

At HUMAN, we have a Product Portal, a one-stop shop for HUMAN approved products. Franchisees are able to order their products easily, affordably, and receive free shipping.

How We Got Here:

Franchisees used up to 5 sources for products that they couldn’t order directly through the manufacturer. Costco and Sam’s club generally have the cheapest prices, but this does require a shopping trip, which can be tiresome and also frustrating when they don’t have every product for your vending machines. Additionally, many source though wholesale distributers like UNFI (they have a focus on healthy food, but higher minimum purchase prices) and Vistar (less catered to healthy products , but they have lower minimums), or through Amazon (15% off when ordering 5 or more products monthly).

2. “Are all of your products 100% healthy? Do they even taste good?”

What You Might Be Thinking:

Not every product on the HUMAN website is really healthy—everything is still packaged and there are still preservatives. What’s so great about these products?

The people in my community eat poorly, and I’m not sure if they’re going to start eating carrot sticks just because they’re convenient — how do you know healthy vending will catch on in my market? Is there some kind of guarantee?

The Better-For-You-Balance:

HUMAN takes snacking very seriously (we like to call ourselves “Snack Masters.”) We are committed to helping unite mankind and nutrition — to do so, we work with industry leaders, as well as registered dietitians, public health professionals and nutrition activists, to provide our franchisees and locations with the most, delicious and affordable foods and beverages on the market. That said, our product guidelines were designed to provide healthier options— you won’t see any artificial ingredients or huge quantities of preservatives in HUMAN healthy vending machines, but we also don’t only sell carrot sticks.

In a recent interview, Sean Kelly described our snack methodology. “Our goal is to look at a particular population, what their taste profile is, what their needs are, and then integrate products with the highest potential health and nutrition profile that they’ll actually consume and eat….You might have healthy stuff, but if people don’t eat it, it doesn’t matter.”

HUMAN has incredibly expertise and experience providing healthy vending machines snacks throughout the country. Over the years, we’ve learned which healthy products sell the best and we’ve created our Product Portal with this in mind. We only carry the best vending machine snacks that have proven to meet our high standards for quality, taste and profitability for both our franchisees and locations. Additionally, we’ll guide you and work with your locations to determine the perfect product offerings. That way you can focus on establishing the best possible business.  With all the health terms flying around you may even have to ask yourself what actually is organic?

3. “Do I have to use your products?”

What You Might Be Thinking:

What if there’s a sale on a HUMAN approved product, what if I know of a local healthy product, what if there’s a brand I really like that’s not on your Approved Product List?

What the Facts Show:

As previously mentioned, many of our franchisees purchase their products from a variety of sources.  The HUMAN Product Portal is a means to make product sourcing much easier. Due to our purchasing power and partnerships with the nation’s largest healthy product distributors, we’re able to offer our franchisees greater convenience, and the lowest pricing on healthy snacks, foods and beverages. However, as long as it’s on our Approved Product List, our franchisees are welcome to purchase products anywhere. If a product is not yet approved, you must seek pre-approval from our product department. If the product is deemed healthy, it will be approved for sale.

4. “What are the margins?”

What You Might Be Thinking:

Healthy products are expensive…is it possible to make money selling healthy snacks?

What HUMAN Franchisees Experience:

Many HUMAN Franchisees currently see gross margins between 55-60%. This is just an average, of course. Some products do better than others. We hope this will continue to decrease as we find more P3’s (Preferred Product Partners), and expand our proprietary line of snacks (Super HUMAN Snacks).

5. “What are some top sellers?”

HUMAN has products that you’re familiar with — we have great relationships with some of the big names in the health food business. But, we also are always looking for innovative new product trends, and we love trying snacks from the new companies out there.

Here are some of our favorites:

Pop Chips

Kind Bars

Cliff Bars

Beanitos

And, if you’re interested in learning more about Owning a Healthy Vending Business click here:

Where We Were: Vending 1.0 

It was the year 2003, a time when … the potato chip celebrated its 150th birthday and we learned to just keep swimming. That year, most vending machines still looked like these:

And most had never imagined a vending machine might offer healthy options like these:

An Idea That Changed The World: Vending 2.0

But it was also the year that one “crazy kid” got an idea that would change the world.

It all started with Sean Kelly. Here’s his story:

The Why: 2003

“I began to see the impact that proper nutrition and exercise could have on somebody. I mean emotionally, from a work performance perspective, from a relationship perspective, to self image, and to how they felt about themselves.”

“And that kicked me off on this journey of exploring how to make nutrition more convenient, how to bring it directly to people, and as they say, the rest is history.”

The Trend Setter

“It wasn’t easy. I think one of the jokes I say the most often is the only thing worse than missing the train is catching the one before it…It’s a lot easier to give people what they want than what they need.”

“The nice thing is that over the last decade plus, health awareness has been on a ramped trend upwards. People are starting to realize how important health is for all aspects of their life, and it’s getting a lot easier.”

The HUMAN Key To Success

“We’re not only adding healthy products, we’re completely changing the products out… Our goal is to look at a particular population, what their taste profile is, what their needs are, and then integrate products with the highest potential health and nutrition profile that they’ll actually consume and eat….You might have healthy stuff, but if people don’t eat it, it doesn’t matter.”

“We’ve figured out how to create healthy vending programs, how to create 100% healthy micro market programs that deliver just as high of sales, if not higher sales, than the unhealthy counterpart.”

The Healthy Vending Trend: Results

Across the country, schools, hospitals, gyms, and companies, including Tesla, Edmonds, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, are embracing the HUMAN Platform. The result: In 2014 alone, HUMAN impacted the lives of over 2 million people.

The Future: The Healthy Vending Trend 3.0

A lot’s happened at HUMAN in the last 12 years. We’ve made history repeatedly, and more importantly we’ve saved lives. And it really all started with one crazy idea, and it was made possible by a team that doesn’t just hope for change to come; we make it happen.

What’s next?

An Idea That Will Change The World Again?

“I want healthy food in every single business, school, and place of leisure in America and beyond. I just think that if you maximize access—if you put great tasting healthy foods directly in front of people, make it super easy, we’re going to completely change how our country eats, how we feel, and we’re going to get rid of so many of the existing health problems.”

Healthy Vending 3.0 is catching on fast! Edmunds.com just loves their Healthy Market!

Would you like to own a micro market at a company like Edmonds.com, Tesla, or Oprah Winfrey Network?

To learn more about owning a Healthy Vending Business download the Ultimate Guide here:

24 Hour Fitness, 7-Eleven,Fed Ex, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble:

HUMAN Healthy Vending

What do they all have in common? The short answer —they were each founded by a military veteran.

Coincidence? Not really.

The Entrepreneurial Trend

According to the Small Business Administration, Veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than nonveterans. Along these lines, it’s estimated that 2.4 million or 9 percent of all small businesses in the United States are owned by veterans. Based on these figures, we can assume that Military Veterans are responsible for more than $1 trillion in annual sales.

This entrepreneurial trend also extends to the franchise space —a study conducted by the International Franchise Association found that one out of every seven franchises in the United States is owned by a veteran.

The Why Factor

Why do so many veterans choose to be business owners?

HUMAN Co-Founder, Andy Mackensen is a prime example of this trend. He attributes much of his success to what he learned as a Naval Officer during the first and second Iraqi Wars. He notes that military training makes veterans ideal small business owners — especially in franchise systems. According to Andy, “