With the price of fuel continuing to rise and a growing number of people opting to live in small spaces, Vanlife has become a popular choice for those looking to downsize and travel at the same time. Vending has long been an excellent opportunity for those looking to work from home as well as work from their van.
The vending industry is booming and there are numerous opportunities for independent operators as well as franchisees. You don’t need to be a big business or have lots of cash upfront to get started with your van and start making some cash. Your van can double up as your office, sales outlet, storage unit, or whatever you want it to be!
Road Side Vending
One of the easiest ways to start making money with your van is by setting up a roadside stall and starting to sell things. You can sell almost anything but seasonal goods tend to sell better so strawberries in summer, apples in autumn, and Christmas goods come winter.
Vending is a great way to start earning a few bucks and build up some sales experience while traveling. You can do it pretty much anywhere so long as you have permission. And while there are plenty of long-term vending opportunities out there, most are in the form of a regular or fixed route.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is when you sell products online without actually owning them. When a customer places an order, you’ll receive the order and then purchase the item from a wholesaler. You don’t need to worry about the actual shipping process either as this will be handled by the wholesaler.
Drop shipping is a really easy way to earn money from your van. You can start off by selling items you already own like books, clothes, toys, and more. You could also buy items in bulk from sites like Amazon and sell them on your own website.
Vanlife as a Co-Working Space
If you’re in the business of digital marketing, you’ll probably find yourself working from your van occasionally. There are lots of ways to monetize your van and one of them is to offer your vanlife as a co-working space.
If you can find an area with lots of other van dwellers or if you can find a space in an urban area with lots of businesses, you could offer to rent out your van as a co-working space. You could charge a daily or weekly rate and if you have internet and a plug, there’s no reason you can’t start earning today! You could also offer to work from other people’s vanlife.
Become A Van Installer Or Mender
If you’re handy with a wrench and have experience installing or repairing appliances and fixtures, you could consider becoming a van appliance installer/repairer. You can find lots of companies that install and repair appliances and fixtures.
You can also find companies that install solar panel systems, water tanks, roof racks, satellite dishes, and more. You could find these companies and see if they’re willing to let you work on their vans. In return, they might let you use their van while they work on yours.
Host An Events Company From Your Vanlife
Another awesome way to make money from your van is to host events. If you’re in the business of events, you could host events in your van. If you’re in a hot and humid climate, you could rent out your van as a tropical oasis for people to come and relax.
If you’re in a cold climate, you could rent out your van as a winter wonderland. If you’re in a temperate climate, you could go with either tropical or winter wonderland. You could charge by the hour or by the day and have prices like 15, 20, or 25 dollars an hour or $75, $100, or $125 per day. You could also offer a pay-what-you-can option to help get people in the door.
Become A Food Vendor
You might have noticed that food trucks are all the rage these days. And while many of these food trucks are privately owned and operated, there are also lots of franchises floating around. You could get in on the food truck craze by starting a food vending business.
You can make money by selling food directly or you can sell food on the side and make money on the side. You can find out about food vending franchises and businesses by visiting your local business incubator or business development center.
Turn Your Van Into A Bed And Breakfast
Another great way to make money from your van is to turn it into a bed and breakfast. You can turn the back of your van into an actual bedroom with a bed, desk, and chair. Or you can turn the back of your van into a bed-like area that turns into a bed at night.
You could park your van in a suburban area, at a tourist attraction, or near a college campus. The more central you are to a tourist attraction, college campus, or suburban area, the more likely you are to get customers. You should charge a fee for people to stay in your van. You can charge by the night or by the week. You could also offer a pay-what-you-can option to help get people in the door.
Summing up
There are lots of ways to make money from your van and travel at the same time. Roadside vending is a great way to start earning a few bucks while traveling and it can be done just about anywhere as long as you have permission to do so.
You could also offer your van as a co-working space for people to work from. You could also install, repair, and maintain appliances and fixtures for vans and make money on the side by selling food. You could even turn your Vanlife into a bed and breakfast to make even more money from your van.
