13 replies to this topic

[csims]

I currently have a primary bussiness, which is not vending. I'm seeking to diversify and supplement $. My primary goal is to add about 25K$ after expenses within 1-1.5yrs so that my wife can retire, for many reasons. I'm willing to put in 20-25 hrs/week to make 25k. I have looked into 1-800-vending (and there's a scam alert on them), as well as vendstar (another alert). I've read all of the posts on this website and I agree with the philosphy to start small. However, I am torn between buying low from sams/ebay (fear of failure/not a salesman for getting placements) and placing them myselves vs going w/a dealer (pay more $) and using their supposed placing/warranty systems. vendstar has said that I can buy low volumn. 1-800-vending advertizes the canisters, but it appears that vendstar has the same/similar set-up. I've also discovered a vendor who attaches vacations/gimics to their products (which I'm not fond of) but who apears to have contracts w/taco bell and the like w/ a reasonable entry point. I'm not looking to be the haire, i prefer to be the tortouise and build a good bussiness. In summary:

1. those of you who are w/any of these companies (or others), please inform as to your experience.
2. can vending be a feasible plan to reach my objective?
3. how would you do it, recognizing that if i can't place, i'll never get started?
4. what would you do differently from when you started?
5. i see the dealers as sort of an "easy way to start", as I like thinks laid out for me, then I learn and make adjustments. Am I fooling myself?

Any and all responses are welcomed.

[westlakevending]

I currently have a primary bussiness, which is not vending. I'm seeking to diversify and supplement $. My primary goal is to add about 25K$ after expenses within 1-1.5yrs so that my wife can retire, for many reasons. I'm willing to put in 20-25 hrs/week to make 25k. I have looked into 1-800-vending (and there's a scam alert on them), as well as vendstar (another alert). I've read all of the posts on this website and I agree with the philosphy to start small. However, I am torn between buying low from sams/ebay (fear of failure/not a salesman for getting placements) and placing them myselves vs going w/a dealer (pay more $) and using their supposed placing/warranty systems. vendstar has said that I can buy low volumn. 1-800-vending advertizes the canisters, but it appears that vendstar has the same/similar set-up. I've also discovered a vendor who attaches vacations/gimics to their products (which I'm not fond of) but who apears to have contracts w/taco bell and the like w/ a reasonable entry point. I'm not looking to be the haire, i prefer to be the tortouise and build a good bussiness. In summary:

1. those of you who are w/any of these companies (or others), please inform as to your experience.
2. can vending be a feasible plan to reach my objective?
3. how would you do it, recognizing that if i can't place, i'll never get started?
4. what would you do differently from when you started?
5. i see the dealers as sort of an "easy way to start", as I like thinks laid out for me, then I learn and make adjustments. Am I fooling myself?

Any and all responses are welcomed.

I have been in the vending business for quite sometime now and I have found the same as you have..... 1800 scams and charity scams....
Its all a learning process but I will tell you my opinion"

Start out small and grow your business off of your business meaning start out with enough machines and product for 50 locations now in my case my avg is about 10.00 per double head location brining in 500 extra per month. Use that 500 each month and grow your business off of your business. Second, I know alot of vendors use different machines but OAK MANF. out of Calif. is the best company there is out there. They make good machines made of all metal and they will last..... I used the oak vistas with a 450 globe. Second of all shop around for your racks and stands. I have used A&A for pipestands and racks in the past however the best place is AMERIVEND on EBAY. They sell the best racks for your money.

Vending can definatley be exactly what your looking for. I can reccomend reading bulkvending.blogspot.com for some insight to the business and questions..... also check into locators such as First Choice locators they are the best that I have found so far.....Any questions call or email me anytime

618-751-3324 westlake-vending@hotmail.com

[csims]

I have been in the vending business for quite sometime now and I have found the same as you have..... 1800 scams and charity scams....
Its all a learning process but I will tell you my opinion"

Start out small and grow your business off of your business meaning start out with enough machines and product for 50 locations now in my case my avg is about 10.00 per double head location brining in 500 extra per month. Use that 500 each month and grow your business off of your business. Second, I know alot of vendors use different machines but OAK MANF. out of Calif. is the best company there is out there. They make good machines made of all metal and they will last..... I used the oak vistas with a 450 globe. Second of all shop around for your racks and stands. I have used A&A for pipestands and racks in the past however the best place is AMERIVEND on EBAY. They sell the best racks for your money.

Vending can definatley be exactly what your looking for. I can reccomend reading bulkvending.blogspot.com for some insight to the business and questions..... also check into locators such as First Choice locators they are the best that I have found so far.....Any questions call or email me anytime

618-751-3324 westlake-vending@hotmail.com

Thanks for the support and detailed info. I've read so much anti about the metal racks and melted candy. Is Oak from Sam's Club? I was thinking about going to Sam's, calling a locator, and starting out that way. However, I feel like it's so much more to know than that. I'll call on tues. or thursday. thanks
again.

clint
sims3fl@yahoo.com

[25Cents]

Just a thought. If you want to start out with some basic machines try www.xyzvending.com. They have machine specials on e-bay also. You can get their 10 machine deal, buy some double machine stands or a rack and give it a try. (They sell all of that). I started out with some of their machines, about a year ago, to see if I would like the time/work involved in vending. I still have their machines on locations along with 227 U-Turn machines. If anyone ever tells you there is no work involved in vending, they're lying to you. Good Luck.

P.S. I would buy their Vend Pros. They are easier to move around than the Bulk Pros are. I bought both to try them.

[caserri]

In addition to XYZ, Amerivend makes good quality machines and stands for very short money. Either of those companies will give you a great deal on machines. I would caution you though to go into this slowly. It is very easy to become overwhelmed with even 10 machines. My advice would be to start even smaller. I started with only one. Place that one and service it. Find out whats really involved then work on getting more locations. The thing you dont want to have happen is get 3 or 4 machines out there and realize it just isnt for you then wonder how much you can unload the rest of the unplaced machines you have in your garage for, knowing you will most likely take a loss.

[csims]

Just a thought. If you want to start out with some basic machines try www.xyzvending.com. They have machine specials on e-bay also. You can get their 10 machine deal, buy some double machine stands or a rack and give it a try. (They sell all of that). I started out with some of their machines, about a year ago, to see if I would like the time/work involved in vending. I still have their machines on locations along with 227 U-Turn machines. If anyone ever tells you there is no work involved in vending, they're lying to you. Good Luck.

P.S. I would buy their Vend Pros. They are easier to move around than the Bulk Pros are. I bought both to try them.

Thank you. Are the U-Turns better/different than the U-Spins. They really peeked mu interest last nite.

[csims]

In addition to XYZ, Amerivend makes good quality machines and stands for very short money. Either of those companies will give you a great deal on machines. I would caution you though to go into this slowly. It is very easy to become overwhelmed with even 10 machines. My advice would be to start even smaller. I started with only one. Place that one and service it. Find out whats really involved then work on getting more locations. The thing you dont want to have happen is get 3 or 4 machines out there and realize it just isnt for you then wonder how much you can unload the rest of the unplaced machines you have in your garage for, knowing you will most likely take a loss.

Interesting, because I thought that I would start w/3-4 to get a good feel for time commitments/placement issues/repair, etc. Are you familiar w/the U-Spin machine? I like the concept of more $/fill.

[caserri]

3 to 4 is a good start. My point was that it is more difficult than people first think to locate a machine. Most new operators fail because they thought it would be no problem to locate a machine. Once they invest in 10 or 20 machines and are only able to successfully place 3 or 4 they become dissappointed rather quickly. It just makes the bite that much worse when someone realizes this and they still have multiple machines waiting to be placed. Its quite daunting. My philosophy is to only buy the machines you need to place, plus an extra or two that you always have lying about in case of an emergency or breakdown. I primarily use Seaga machines and I get them in about 3 days after I order them. Amerivend is about as quick so there is never a need to have more than a couple unplaced machines cluttering your garage/basement/office.

Let your business grow at its own pace. Like westlake said, roll your profits back into the business and you will be surprised at how quickly you will reach your goals.

Good luck to you!

[csims]

3 to 4 is a good start. My point was that it is more difficult than people first think to locate a machine. Most new operators fail because they thought it would be no problem to locate a machine. Once they invest in 10 or 20 machines and are only able to successfully place 3 or 4 they become dissappointed rather quickly. It just makes the bite that much worse when someone realizes this and they still have multiple machines waiting to be placed. Its quite daunting. My philosophy is to only buy the machines you need to place, plus an extra or two that you always have lying about in case of an emergency or breakdown. I primarily use Seaga machines and I get them in about 3 days after I order them. Amerivend is about as quick so there is never a need to have more than a couple unplaced machines cluttering your garage/basement/office.

Let your business grow at its own pace. Like westlake said, roll your profits back into the business and you will be surprised at how quickly you will reach your goals.

Good luck to you!

Thanks again, that's my primary fear, that they will not get placed.

[Ryan]

Hey Csims,

You and I are in the in same boat. I plan on buying one machine and very slowly enter the world of bulk vending soon. I think the advice that people have provided on here is great...begin very slowly! Every experienced vendor that I have communicated with has told me the same thing.

I don't know if you have looked at this before, but there is this guy Rob that just started his bulk vending business about a month ago in Florida: Click here to check it out. I like his blog a lot because it demonstrates the day-to-day tasks involved in setting up your own bulk vending business from the very beginning. Rob is really starting off fast with a lot of machines, something you and I won't do, but his blog is a great read nonetheless.

Good luck!
Ryan

[csims]

Hey Csims,

You and I are in the in same boat. I plan on buying one machine and very slowly enter the world of bulk vending soon. I think the advice that people have provided on here is great...begin very slowly! Every experienced vendor that I have communicated with has told me the same thing.

I don't know if you have looked at this before, but there is this guy Rob that just started his bulk vending business about a month ago in Florida: Click here to check it out. I like his blog a lot because it demonstrates the day-to-day tasks involved in setting up your own bulk vending business from the very beginning. Rob is really starting off fast with a lot of machines, something you and I won't do, but his blog is a great read nonetheless.

Good luck!
Ryan

Thanks, i'll look into it.

[candyman007]

Thanks, i'll look into it.

Well I have this cool thing on my blog that tells me where all my readers come from and I noticed vendingchat.com so I thought I would check it out. And, I see that Ryan is on here talking me up! Start out slow, pshh, that is for beginners, want to dive in neck deep, follow me!

But honestly, there aren't too many obstacles to vending besides finding locations and you learn about that fairly quick. From someone who started fast I would recommend obtaining your own locations at first. At least for 5 machines. It's not easy. You get a feel for what locations you like to target. My best spots by far are lunch locations. Of course, I have not even checked a non lunch location yet so who knows! I do know I got $35.50 out of a machine yesterday that had been on location for a month! Hell yes! Most of them were gumballs too and obviously they make the most cash!

I don't know. I know Ryan thinks going slow is the way to tackle it but here is my view:
Buy 10 machines right away. That way you will HAVE TO FIND LOCATIONS. If you buy 1 it can just sit in your garage no problem. But 10, trust me, you will want to be locating them. I find that the added pressure helps you locate as well.

Don't let other people tell you candy vending is stupid. Trust me, no one counts on these machines making as much as they do. They are gold mines. $35 in quarters! Come on, ONLY IN AMERICA!

Anyway, my blogs fun too if you guys want to follow along. Pz.

Rob

[caserri]

Maybe I misinterpreted your blog so I will re-visit it and read it from start to finish. To be honest I did not agree with much of what was written there but I respect your thoughts, opinions and foresight. with that being said I do have a couple comments about your post here.

Don't let other people tell you candy vending is stupid. Trust me, no one counts on these machines making as much as they do. They are gold mines. $35 in quarters! Come on, ONLY IN AMERICA!

This is the one thing about your post that I completely agree with 100%.

Start out slow, pshh, that is for beginners

Isn't that what we all are when starting this business, a beginner?

This thread led me to your blog and I must say that I was quite surprised at some of the entries there. It left me thinking if we were actually talking about the same business. If you are succeeding with your business plan then congratulations and I wish you continued success. I do believe that you are the exception however. Most people who start off in this business, start big. Most people who start big, fail. There are some exceptions and I'm sure we will hear from them but as a rule, people dont realize just what they are getting into. Bulk vending seems like a piece of cake. put a few machines out there and collect the quarters. There is a whole lot more to it than that. Granted, it's not rocket science, but people can and do get discouraged very quickly when they are unable to locate machines.

there aren't too many obstacles to vending besides finding locations

While I agree with this statement as written, I do have to add that though there may not be many "obstacles", there are many considerations that you must think about. Again, Its not all about buying, placing and collecting. When you start a vending route you are now a business owner, as such you are bound by certian rules and laws that vary from location to location. There are many many responsibilities to consider such as licensing, insurance, saftey and taxes to name a few.

[candyman007]

Maybe I misinterpreted your blog so I will re-visit it and read it from start to finish. To be honest I did not agree with much of what was written there but I respect your thoughts, opinions and foresight. with that being said I do have a couple comments about your post here.
This is the one thing about your post that I completely agree with 100%.
Isn't that what we all are when starting this business, a beginner?

This thread led me to your blog and I must say that I was quite surprised at some of the entries there. It left me thinking if we were actually talking about the same business. If you are succeeding with your business plan then congratulations and I wish you continued success. I do believe that you are the exception however. Most people who start off in this business, start big. Most people who start big, fail. There are some exceptions and I'm sure we will hear from them but as a rule, people dont realize just what they are getting into. Bulk vending seems like a piece of cake. put a few machines out there and collect the quarters. There is a whole lot more to it than that. Granted, it's not rocket science, but people can and do get discouraged very quickly when they are unable to locate machines.
While I agree with this statement as written, I do have to add that though there may not be many "obstacles", there are many considerations that you must think about. Again, Its not all about buying, placing and collecting. When you start a vending route you are now a business owner, as such you are bound by certian rules and laws that vary from location to location. There are many many responsibilities to consider such as licensing, insurance, saftey and taxes to name a few.

Caserri, I completely agree with you. The "Start out slow, pshh, that is for beginners" was 100% sarcasm. If anyone can be considered a beginner in the candy vending industry it is me. You really should read my blog from the beginning. There are many posts when I was discouraged about finding locations. I would go from place to place and hear NO, NO, NO, NO, NO and it is daunting. But like I said in my blog, after a while you get used to it. A reader on my blog Kyle Guth (does vending for a living) told me poignantly, there are going to be a lot of No's in this business so get used to it.

There are a lot of considerations besides just getting locations but let's be honest. When you first start all you need is a machine, some candy, and the will to find a location. The "other" obstacles come easier once you get into the business more and get more machines out on the town. And, I think I have a huge advantage over a lot of vendors. #1 I have a blog where I can voice my concerns and questions, and those are usually answered by experience vendors immediately, which helps immensely. #2 I didn't get sucked into some business opportunity scam. I had been thinking about this business for a while before I started. #3 I have a business degree. I'm educated and I know a good bit about business and finance. In fact that's why I liked vending because of the incredible ROI. #4 I live 2 hours away from Miami and I get brand new Chrome tripple-head machines for $95. You can't really beat that. Granted I have to go pick them up.

Anyway, read the blog if you're interested. It's more about my day to day business than me subjecting you with my thoughts on the business. If anything I am 100% open to suggestion and definitely welcome it. A lot of my posts are meant to be a little bit funny and sarcastic. I know often times it doesn't come through correctly over the web so just read what I say with a grain of salt. I would love for you to write on the blog. I always read comments and comment back, and there are a lot of readers who will probably comment too. I'm going to check this forum out more too, it seems pretty cool. I didn't even know it existed until today.

Talk soon. Rob
http://candyman007.blogspot.com