Announcements… We’ve all heard about them, but what are they? What’s the deal with these announcements? If you own a business that offers self service kiosk services, can you really wait for the OEM to get their self service kiosk systems in place? And if you have the time and resources to do it yourself, should you? Here’s a little more info on self service kiosk retailing.

OEMs and retailers are indeed working closely together to create self service kiosk retail solutions. They are using their mutual resources to ensure that the kiosks offered by each company complement one another. To facilitate this self service kiosk retail process, there are four main groups of players in self service kiosk retail. Let’s take a look at who they are and what they do.

o Independent Service Providers – These self service kiosk retailers are sales agents that work for themselves or for a larger company. They don’t necessarily own their own self service kiosk retail systems, but they do own kiosks and the equipment necessary to operate them. This allows them to offer the full range of services and benefits that OEMs can only provide. For example, an independent service provider might offer touch screen capabilities, but not LCD or plasma display resolution.

o Brokerage – A broker is someone who is independent of any self service kiosk system vendor. They work with multiple vendors and work on a fixed rate basis. The broker is paid a commission on every sale that comes through their kiosks. They also act as an agent between the OEM and the customer. The brokering company makes sure that a particular kiosk meets certain requirements before the sale comes to the public.

o Franchisees – Franchises are great self service kiosk retail choices if you are looking for an easy way to get into the business without a lot of work or investment. Franchises offer great opportunities to start out with and often give you more options and a chance to grow as you go along. If you have a good idea for a self service kiosk retail business but you aren’t quite ready to go into it on your own, you can pursue a franchise option. Most franchises offer training and support for new franchisees. Many also provide franchised outlets at various fairs and other events.

These are just some of the self service kiosk retail options available to you. No matter which option you choose, you have a lot of flexibility in how you go about starting your self service kiosk business. Whether you plan on doing it yourself from the start or investing in a franchise, there are plenty of opportunities out there to get started in self service kiosk business. Just make sure you are ready to be the best at what you do, because you won’t always have customers waiting in line to use your self service kiosk.