YOUR NEXT BUSINESS IDEA IS A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE

A quick read of the article "The History of Vending Machines" on the
Web site www.about.com informs us that, in the late 19th century,
commuters could buy gum in vending machines on subway platforms in
New York.

A little later, in 1902, an eatery called Automat opened its doors
with service to make, "less work for mother." The restaurants offered
prepared food that offered customers the chance to drop in a few
coins, lift a glass door and remove an item.

So convenience has been a part of the American lifestyle for quite
some time and vending machines have been there all along. Most of us
have dug in our pockets for enough coins to buy a candy bar or a cold
(hopefully) can of pop. Some machines offer hot coffee or even soup
while others provide cold treats like ice cream bars or frozen burritos.

In California, the concept has taken on a new look. CBS News reported
last week that two vending machines that dispense marijuana have been
set up in Los Angeles.

Now you can't just walk up, slip in some bills and walk away with a
doobie. The machines are meant to service folks with prescriptions
for medical marijuana and users must be fingerprinted and
photographed. But once they pay for their prescription, they are
issued a credit card for use with the machine which they can then
visit, even after hours. Herbal Nutrition Center, a company that
dispenses medical marijuana, has set up the machines.

So what else is out there for society's vending pleasure? Here are a
few I discovered online thanks to smallbusiness.aol.com.

Based on the name of the old original restaurant, Automat machines in
New York City allow folks to snare meals such as chicken potpie and
macaroni and cheese. In The Netherlands, there is a vending machine
that sells bread 24 hours a day.

As for non-food items, pedestrians caught out in the rain in Japan
can purchase an umbrella from a vending machine and, something we've
seen with more and more frequency at malls, people can buy beauty
products, perfume and even electronics through vending machines.

In some places, folks can even buy certain commodities. According to
the AOL articles, prepaid electricity can be purchased in
Johannesburg, South Africa and, of course, phone cards are offered in
machines all around the world.

This has me thinking about possible business ventures here in
southern New Mexico. AOL reports that fresh-food vending machines are
popular in Europe, so what about a chile machine?

Imagine, you drop in some coins or slip in a few bills and push a
button to chose from selections such as "mild green," "hot green,"
"mild red," and "hot red."

You could buy the pods themselves or dry and ground up or in salsa
form. It might even catch on nationally. Folks between flights at an
airport in Boston or L.A., could grab themselves some chile, even if
it was canned, to put on their sandwich or salad while they read a
newspaper and eat at the food court.

The machines could be shaped like a giant pepper painted either red
or green. Not sure if this is in any way shape or form feasible as a
business venture, but it sure would be eye catching.