It Takes Skill and Planning to Make a Profit.
The ice and water dispensing business is a popular business type for the solo entrepreneur to venture into. Since the kiosk is typically autonomous, it is not usually necessary to staff the full time. The business is not without the need for daily oversight. There are many ways to get involved in this type of business, but the most common way is to buy and set up a kiosk in a public place where people can purchase highly purified water ice and water. Since the water for the ice machine must be purified before freezing, purified water sales are a bonus.
One of the most important aspects of running an ice and water dispensing business is to make sure that you have a steady supply of ice. Commercial ice dispensing kiosks contain ice machine(s) that produce a fixed quantity of ice per day to accommodate retail sales. Larger capacity kiosks might contain more than one ice machine to provide failure fail-over and extra capacity when needed. Modern kiosks are built with telemetric systems to keep tabs on the operation from afar. After all, if the ice machine (s) breaks down or becomes otherwise not serviceable, the owner needs to know as soon as possible, so the problem can be handled.
Above is an example of a large ice dispensing business. On the right is a smaller version of the same products.
Water from municipal water supplies often tastes horrendous, raising the need for high-quality water to make the ice. The quality of the finished product, the ice, is directly related to the quality of the water used.
The expenses for third-party technicians can easily exceed the income from the kiosk. Owner maintenance can significantly reduce third-party expenses when the owner or maintenance person receives training on the brand of ice machine and water filtration systems.
There are some cautions to consider:
- Apartment or facility maintenance personnel are not typically trained to work on the complexity of ice machines and commercial water filtration systems. The ice machine is not a simple appliance like a washing machine or clothes dryer.
- Auto mechanics are often familiar with automobile air conditioning but not the complexities of a commercial ice machine. Training is needed to upskill the knowledge fundamentals of commercial refrigeration.
- Consider having the same technician service the ice machine and water filtration system to avoid misdiagnoses that could cost you dearly in time and money.
- When the ice machines break down, it can often be challenging to determine what is wrong and how to fix it without specialized training.
- The water for the ice must be purified before freezing. Purifying is typically accomplished with a reverse osmosis system and an ultraviolet sterilization system. The cost of these systems can be significant, but the quality of the finished product, the ice, is directly related to the quality of the water used.
eTech provides training on the most common brands of ice machines and water filtration systems. The eTech training program is an excellent way to keep your maintenance costs down and avoid the headaches that come with trying to maintain a complex piece of equipment.
Vandalism is always a potential problem with any public kiosk, but it is especially problematic for ice and water machines. This is because the machines are often located in remote or unsecured locations. This lack of oversight makes them an easy target for vandals, who can smash the machine and steal the money from the cash box. Routine cash pickups and kiosk cleaning can minimize the losses from vandalism. Being able to self-service the equipment reduces the expenses to a manageable level.
For more information on training and systems to familiarize yourself with the operation of the commercial ice machine, visit here.
Refer To This Information About The Professional Ice Machine Technician Program
One aspect of water purity is measured by the Total Dissolved Solids-TDS. Depending on the volume of water and ice dispensed, the water filtration system might require more frequent servicing.
