BEFORE YOU BUY A MACHINE · $27
Get legally set up in the right order, and know where to buy the machine when you are.
The LLC / EIN / permits and insurance checklist, the all-50-states distributor list, and the terms glossary that stops you sounding brand new on the phone. Three documents, in the order you actually need them.
Get it now — $27 →💳 Secure Gumroad checkout⚡ Instant download💰 30-day money-back guarantee
Exactly what is inside
- ✓Getting-Started Checklist — LLC, EIN, business bank account, sales tax permit, city licence, the liability limits property managers ask for, and the web presence that makes you lookupable
- ✓Vending Machine Distributor List — the national sellers that freight to all 50 states, the refurb dealers worth calling first, specialty equipment, and the local channels that exist in every state
- ✓Vending Terms Glossary — MDB, DEX, par level, stales, cashless rate, planogram, shrink, refurb
A real page from inside
Verbatim from the Getting-Started Checklist. No summary, no paraphrase — this is the actual text.
Work top to bottom. Most operators complete this list in 2-3 weeks while shopping for their first machine. Nothing here requires a lawyer for a single-machine start.
1. Business formation (week 1)
Pick a business name and check availability on your Secretary of State website (search "[your state] business entity search").File an LLC directly on your Secretary of State site. Typical cost $50-$300 depending on state. You do NOT need a formation service for a single-member LLC, but if you want one, they handle registered-agent duty for ~$100-$300/yr.Get a free EIN from the IRS at irs.gov/ein (5 minutes, never pay a third party for this).Open a dedicated business checking account with the LLC docs + EIN. Keeping vending money separate from personal money is what preserves your liability protection.2. Permits & licenses (week 1-2)
City/county business license — search "[your city] business license application". Usually $25-$100/yr.Sales tax permit from your state Department of Revenue. Free in most states. You collect and remit sales tax on vended goods in most states.Who it is for, and who it is not
Buy it if
- ✓You have decided to do this and want the setup done once, correctly, without a formation service upselling you.
- ✓You are about to buy machine one and want to price the same unit across all three buying lanes first.
- ✓You want to know which permits your county actually wants before you find out the hard way.
Do not buy it if
- ×You are still deciding whether vending is for you. Read the free costs and profit breakdown first; it is free and it will answer that faster.
- ×You already have an LLC, insurance and a distributor you like. You own everything this covers.
- ×You want location scripts. That is the Location Playbook, not this.
What this does not do
Every fact in here is findable for free if you are willing to spend a weekend with thirty browser tabs. What you are buying is the weekend, and the confidence that nothing on the list was missed.
🔒 Thirty days. Unconditional.
Email [email protected] inside 30 days and we refund the whole thing. We will not ask you why and we will not make you prove you tried. We would rather have your goodwill than your $27.
Straight answers
Is this legal advice?No. It is a checklist of the steps operators go through, with typical costs. Requirements vary by state and county, and nothing here replaces a local attorney or accountant.
Does it cover my state?The formation and permit steps are the same everywhere; the specifics are the ones you look up on your own Secretary of State and county health department, and the checklist tells you exactly what to search for. Our free state-by-state vending laws page covers the local quirks. What format?PDF, delivered by Gumroad the moment you buy.
Do I need this AND the Location Playbook?Only if you want both jobs done. This one gets you legally operating; the Playbook gets you a signed location. The Get Started Bundle is both together for less. Get it now — $27 →💳 Secure Gumroad checkout⚡ Instant download💰 30-day money-back guarantee
Payment, licensing and refunds for this product are handled by Gumroad; the checkout opens right here on this page. VendBuddy sells documents and software. We make no representation about the income, profit, or number of placements any operator will achieve — results depend on your market, your effort, and factors outside anyone’s control. Nothing here is legal advice; have a local attorney review any agreement before you rely on it.