4 Basics Of Starting An ATM Business

If you’re thinking about buying an ATM you may need to consider all of the most important factors that go into an investment such as this. You might think that once you buy an ATM machine, the rest just sorts itself out.

But you must remember this is a business and in order for it to thrive, you need to put in the time and effort to ensure that you make the most profit possible. One of the things that makes starting an ATM business such a great idea is that ATM’s are always in demand.

Consider how much money the banks make in ATM fees every year, there’s no reason you can’t participate in earning some of that revenue. Besides, how many times have you been in a situation where you need cash now and there isn’t a machine in sight. It happens quite often and that’s where you come in.

More and more people just like you are getting their piece of the proverbial pie by supplying ATM machines to individuals in need. They’re finding that owning and operating an ATM business is a financially rewarding endeavor, one that doesn’t require a lot of time and effort even if it demands a high level of commitment in selecting your location and maintaining the machine on a routine basis.

Sounds pretty simple, right? Well before you start looking for places where you can purchase or rent a reliable ATM machine, let’s review some of the basics that you need to know about getting an ATM business up and running.

Financial Investment

Like any business, operating an ATM machine is going to require some upfront initial investment of capital. How much you spend is entirely up to you because the bulk of that investment will go into the acquisition of the machine itself.

You won’t need to pay a staff or employees, your costs are going primarily towards the machine. The amount you spend will be dictated by the kind of machine you purchase or rent.

That’s another thing to consider, do you want to buy it or rent it? An outright purchase means it’s yours and yours alone. A rental will require you to make payments to another owner and the machine will have to be returned to that owner in the future.

If you wish to purchase it, the price tag could run into the thousands and that might be too much of an investment to plunk down at one time. If so, you might need to seek out financing and that could cost you even more in interest payments on what you borrow.

After the initial startup costs, you also need to factor in expenses related to maintenance and any other expenditures that will go into the successful day to day operation of the machine.

Location

Once you’ve identified the machine you want and the payment arrangement in which you will enter, you need to figure out where it’s going to be stationed. Location can have a substantial impact om the success of your ATM business.

It’s just like any other type of endeavor, competition can be fierce and if your machine is getting overwhelmed by competing units, then it’s going to be a real challenge trying to get noticed by passersby.

That means you need to really think long and hard about what areas in the community are underserved by ATM machines in and around the region. If there are major banks nearby, it’s highly likely that potential customers will flock to those name brand machines, particularly if your passersby own accounts in those banks. That way they can avoid ATM fees imposed on their transactions.

Your machine is independent, so anyone who uses it will need to pay a fee. That’s how you make your money, so placing the machine in an area that doesn’t have too many other machines in the vicinity, yet still has plenty of foot traffic passing by, is your best bet for success.

Security Measures

ATM machines contain large sums of money. Thieves like to steal money. That makes your machine a potential target for criminal activity. They may not always try to take the unit itself, they may lay in wait and target your customers who withdraw cash from it.

This is where the importance of location also plays a role. If your ATM is placed in a dark area that can make it easier for thieves to get away with conducting criminal activity, it may deter your customers from using your machine.

Insurance Policy

Let’s say those thieves do end up breaking into the machine or simply picking it up and walking away with it, you could stand to lose a significant amount of money. Not just the cost of the machine but all of that cash inside and since ATM’s can hold large sums at one time, you could be losing a lot of revenue.

That’s why it’s important to look into various insurance policies that exist, designed to cover your losses in the event your ATM is broken into or stolen altogether.