VenDana Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Wow, it has been an interesting week! As some of you know, I recently took over a route from AMC-Vending and I have NO experience in the vending business. Awesome, right? I think this is called the skipping-the-getting-your-toes-wet topic. Not for the faint of heart. AMC-Vending is helping me out so I'm not totally flailing around and all of you are helping also. I've been reading the boards for about 3 months now and posting for maybe 1 month. So I've acquired 173 locations and 373 mech's which include singles AND triples. Haven't gone out yet, still gathering supplies as I was out of town for a few days. The breakdown in price works out quite favorably. I'm very excited and very scared (but a good kind) and have really pooled my resources of friends and family to assist in this business. I have locations in Tucson, Phoenix, Mesa, Prescott and Flagstaff and 2 storage units with quite a bit more ~ maybe 600? On top of all of that, when I drove back home today from a leisurely vacation up north, I swung by the storage unit to view for the first time and my car overheated. I'm not worried. I don't know HOW I am going to make this work, I just know WHY I am going to make it work. I have a family to take care of and mouths to feed. I'm not afraid to get dirty (or sweaty here in AZ) and I'm not afraid to learn. Definitely doing things backwards but this will work for me. (You ever know something is going to work and NOT HAVE A SINGLE SHRED OF DOUBT?) Again, thanks all for the encouragement and I welcome questions. Cheers, Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc-vending Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I am sure you will make it You have the right attitude for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I'm proud of you and I don't even know you. You're taking a leaping of faith I'd never dare to and that's admirable. I can tell this is going to work out great for you; you're going in with the right attitude. As long as you're taking questions from the audience: What's your biggest fear with all of this? Time management? Finances? Broken machines? Data tracking? What are the first steps you're going to take to keep this as simple as possible and managable? I sincerely hope you post over in the bulk vending revenue reports sub-forum at some point. Would like to hear how it's working out for you as you go! I'd wish you luck but you don't need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 My hat off to you- best wishes on the new venture- if you run into trouble we've got your back! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 You jumped in with a belly flop for sure. Vending is not for everyone. I started w 2 other ppl and now they are out however I like it and you can't beat a full time income from working 2 maybe 3 days a week that's if your locating. Now for you at first its going to be tuff. Find a bank that deals w coins and no charges. I'd advise get a tax I'd...dba register ur business and label all your machines. Talk to all the places and ask if there was anything they didn't like about the previous guy. Reasonable changes make them. Try to find better locations for ur low performers but not anytime soon at all. Buy a ton of candies get a van or SUV something w good gas mileage and start servicing them.vpull the machines apart some aNd get to know every piece it has. Track locations and revenue. It's gonna be super hard how u did it even I have trouble organizing my route but o can do it all in one day if I start early. It's supposed to be fun as well. Enjoy it. U won't the first couple of months but once u collect all the quarters from your service ull think Vegas has nothing on u well back in the day when ud win quarters.ask ask ask. I've asked a lot and anoyed many and haven't taken pols advice sometimes you'll learn your route is completely dif than everyones however the basics are all there. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdendy Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 With the right attitude anything is possible, my philosophy is to look for solutions, not worry about the problem. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDVENDING Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I like what TKK said, but I also think you came into an awesome opportunity. With the right motivation and attitude you can make it work. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and I hope it turns out to be everything you want and hope it is. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedvender Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 The nice thing about a route you can work it on your schedule. It is just like any job dealing with people be coutyous help solve problems when you can. Be friendly to those you deal with (sometimes the hardest part) Listen and work with your customers. Example on my route my most recent accounts I set it up with Skittles MMP and Hot Tamales what they wanted. Hot tamales are not selling well asked for Mike and Ike next time. I have extra Vendstar Canisters so I will make sure I have a Mike and Ike ready when I do my route the end of the month. To start it will probably be the following Crazy,Stressful, to much work, Long hours, but once you get though it a time or two it will start improving and as you develop an eye for what is going on and keep your ears open Things will get Better. There was a route for sale here where I live I missed out on it. Hopefully I can catch when another one opens up. Good luck and know we are all behind you Us Little guys have to stick together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenDana Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 I'm proud of you and I don't even know you. You're taking a leaping of faith I'd never dare to and that's admirable. I can tell this is going to work out great for you; you're going in with the right attitude. As long as you're taking questions from the audience: What's your biggest fear with all of this? Time management? Finances? Broken machines? Data tracking? What are the first steps you're going to take to keep this as simple as possible and managable? I sincerely hope you post over in the bulk vending revenue reports sub-forum at some point. Would like to hear how it's working out for you as you go! I'd wish you luck but you don't need it. Rick, you're sweet ~ Thanks! My biggest fear is probably not knowing the ins and outs of the machines. I am mechanically inclined, somewhat, I just don't know what all the parts are called but that will come with time. I AM a little worried about the finances. (I had a friend today tell me I need to do more research and she instantly got really negative about the whole thing. Instead of being supportive, she was going after every angle so I finally had to change the subject. Hm, wondering how much longer I should be "friends" with this person. Anyways...) To keep it simple, I have a notebook I've been taking notes in and write down questions and issues I might encounter. I also have a time management system I use because I like to plan. A lot. I will post but you might not hear from me for a couple of weeks ~ just kidding. I need you guys. You're all my business partners in this and my success depends on you too! Thanks so much! I am sure you will make it You have the right attitude for it Thank you Allen! You're so great! My hat off to you- best wishes on the new venture- if you run into trouble we've got your back! Good luck! Thank you Performa! You jumped in with a belly flop for sure. Vending is not for everyone. I started w 2 other ppl and now they are out however I like it and you can't beat a full time income from working 2 maybe 3 days a week that's if your locating. Now for you at first its going to be tuff. Find a bank that deals w coins and no charges. I'd advise get a tax I'd...dba register ur business and label all your machines. Talk to all the places and ask if there was anything they didn't like about the previous guy. Reasonable changes make them. Try to find better locations for ur low performers but not anytime soon at all. Buy a ton of candies get a van or SUV something w good gas mileage and start servicing them.vpull the machines apart some aNd get to know every piece it has. Track locations and revenue. It's gonna be super hard how u did it even I have trouble organizing my route but o can do it all in one day if I start early. It's supposed to be fun as well. Enjoy it. U won't the first couple of months but once u collect all the quarters from your service ull think Vegas has nothing on u well back in the day when ud win quarters.ask ask ask. I've asked a lot and anoyed many and haven't taken pols advice sometimes you'll learn your route is completely dif than everyones however the basics are all there. Good luck! TKK, I love your honesty and GREAT advice. Yes, I don't expect to enjoy much of anything the first couple of months. What do you mean by "haven't taken pols advice"? I will do those things. I hadn't thought of a couple of those so I'll evaluate for how to do it as simple as possible. Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc-vending Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 With the right attitude anything is possible, my philosophy is to look for solutions, not worry about the problem. Good luck! that is the way I look at everything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenDana Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 rdendy and JDVending ~ words of the wise. Thank you! BigRedVender ~ sounds like I need to focus on solving problems for others, as what TKK mentioned too. That's going in my notebook! Yes, I had to pass on a route listed on CL when I first started researching and that was a screaming deal too but I had to turn it down. Knowing when to fold is important. My brother-in-law is going to run the route in Flagstaff in the future, hopefully. This will alleviate a lot of stress and also help them out financially. I'm not greedy and I'm pretty sure I'm going to live decent with the rest of the route. I may even end up selling Flag/Prescott area to them.Then I'd have a smaller route and can focus on locating in the Phoenix area. Possibilities are endless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedvender Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 rdendy and JDVending ~ words of the wise. Thank you! BigRedVender ~ sounds like I need to focus on solving problems for others, as what TKK mentioned too. That's going in my notebook! Yes, I had to pass on a route listed on CL when I first started researching and that was a screaming deal too but I had to turn it down. Knowing when to fold is important. My brother-in-law is going to run the route in Flagstaff in the future, hopefully. This will alleviate a lot of stress and also help them out financially. I'm not greedy and I'm pretty sure I'm going to live decent with the rest of the route. I may even end up selling Flag/Prescott area to them.Then I'd have a smaller route and can focus on locating in the Phoenix area. Possibilities are endless! What you have to understand about people sometimes they just can't wrap there minds around what you are doing so that brings out the negativity. My parents are good people but I haven't told them about my route yet. Don't want to listen to the negativity about it from them. They worked good jobs and paid there bills. Starting a business takes a totally different mindset. It is looking outside the box that we are taught to look into for the most part. Selling part of the route not being greedy that is a good thing. You have a area I know you can probably develop to bring in as much as Flagstaff if you work it right. Good luck to you and your family's future we will all be pulling for your from Big Red Country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowcountry Dan Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Dana, I don't have much to add, except working for yourself is the greatest thing in the world. If I can make it in vending as a full time job, I never want to work for anyone again. I am trying get over the hurdle where I can make a living from vending. I wish you best and don't let anyone steal your dreams. The fact is, most don't have the courage to take a chance and make a go of it. Keep your spirits up and stay focused. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrCorey Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Wow, it has been an interesting week! As some of you know, I recently took over a route from AMC-Vending and I have NO experience in the vending business. Awesome, right? I think this is called the skipping-the-getting-your-toes-wet topic. Not for the faint of heart. AMC-Vending is helping me out so I'm not totally flailing around and all of you are helping also. I've been reading the boards for about 3 months now and posting for maybe 1 month. So I've acquired 173 locations and 373 mech's which include singles AND triples. Haven't gone out yet, still gathering supplies as I was out of town for a few days. The breakdown in price works out quite favorably. I'm very excited and very scared (but a good kind) and have really pooled my resources of friends and family to assist in this business. I have locations in Tucson, Phoenix, Mesa, Prescott and Flagstaff and 2 storage units with quite a bit more ~ maybe 600? On top of all of that, when I drove back home today from a leisurely vacation up north, I swung by the storage unit to view for the first time and my car overheated. I'm not worried. I don't know HOW I am going to make this work, I just know WHY I am going to make it work. I have a family to take care of and mouths to feed. I'm not afraid to get dirty (or sweaty here in AZ) and I'm not afraid to learn. Definitely doing things backwards but this will work for me. (You ever know something is going to work and NOT HAVE A SINGLE SHRED OF DOUBT?) Again, thanks all for the encouragement and I welcome questions. Cheers, Dana You will be fine. You just have to organize a system. give the customers what they want. and always keep the products fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenDana Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 I recently read this, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." BigRedVender and lowcountryDan, thank you for those reminders about holding onto your own dreams. No one has the key to my own but me and God. You will be fine. You just have to organize a system. give the customers what they want. and always keep the products fresh. FrCorey, what system do you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrCorey Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I recently read this, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." BigRedVender and lowcountryDan, thank you for those reminders about holding onto your own dreams. No one has the key to my own but me and God. FrCorey, what system do you use? we dont have a system now. my church is going into bulk vending sometime this year. keep track of which places are selling what, and what is not selling. dont let stock just sit in a slow location to get old. if it sells but slowly, just put less product in them and what this closely. rotate your stock. and like some have said already. get to know your machines well. bulk are just simple mechanical devices. you should be able to tear them down for repairs and cleaning. keep extra parts. if something breaks down, like a coin mech. swap it out and take it home to fix. have spare globes also. it looks bad if you leave a broken machine on location. keep them clean and stocked with fresh product. stand out over the other venders. always clean bright machines and fresh product. You are in the service business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I may be interested in buying the flagstaff/Prescott area route. Is it available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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