Bulk Vending – Business or Passion

[grumpy]

I have been researching and searching for information on vending for about two years. Unlike the Candyman I’m in no real rush, no need. I already have a very successful business in another area. About a month ago I bought my first machines (6) they are equilvelant to the U-Turn Eliminator but designed for the Canadian Loonie. To date I have placed one in my own business and it is doing well with over $100.00 since it was placed. (I have not bought candy, just using what was in it)

I have read a few different forums and have decided that I will only particapate here at The VENDiscuss Forums. My reasoning is simple I find the people informative and for the most part easy going, but most have passion in what they do. As a succesful business man I believe you need both passion and business sense. You can suceed at business with one or the other but it is more enjoyable and easier with both.

Some may wonder where this post is going so here I go.

Reading different forums and blogs I have noticed different attitudes to bulk vending, some are full of passion without much business sense and others full of business sense without much seasoning and then there are those that have no passion or understanding of business. Some people like to measure every aspect of the business in short term benefits instead of long term goals with rewards. BULK VENDING is not a get rich scheme, nor is it passive. Actually there is no such thing as passive income, somebody is doing the work and you are paying for it in some way.

One of the reasons I normally do not particapate in forums is because of flaming and censorship. I have not seen much of that here, but unfortunatly at Kickstart forum Rob (aka the candyman) has banned Kyle who seems like he is full of passion without much business sense and a real love of the word stupid. Also he can not spell, but I will not hold that against him because I cannot either. And I’m a high school dropout with a college degree, 4 trade license’s and a succesfull business. I have no idea why Rob kicked out Kyle his number one cheerleader from day one. I guess it’s because some people belive that Kyle is a liar and gives bad advice. YA! So what, we all know someone that knows everything and has done everything. Do you follow their advice each time they give it, probably not but we do have to listen to everything and make our own decisions. Rob was advice early on by Kyle to open his vends up to provide the customer with more product, he ignored it. Rob was advised by Steve to do the same and he ignored it, Rob finnaly listen when the customer asked him to remove the machine. Point is Kyle does know something, how he knows could be questioned but when advice is backed up but the largest bulk vendor on his forum (experience) one should really consider it.

The Candyman is young and educated, but lacks seasoning and experience, that may be why a Canuck is defending your constitution of free speech. Rob is doing something that appalls me and that is censorship. Does anybody actually know Kyle in person, other than on the forums? If not then how can you know what is true and what is not. Maybe he just doesn’t want to share real numbers. Maybe he is home bound and has ton of time to do research, just maybe Rob has succeded so far because Kyle was his mentor. Read the early posts on the Candyman blog, who kept on inspiring Rob?

 

Off soap box.

Sorry Steve for posting this here but I have no real desire to register on kickstart to make one post. Please delete this if you see fit and/or move to kickstart.

 

Grumpy

[Zero32700]

Welcome!

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the candyman blog yesterday. That blog has inspired me and given me lots of ideas. I dont really care about all the drama because I post on both forums and I enjoy them both.

[KPower]

Since I was partly responsible for what happened there I feel the need to say something about this. I never asked for a ban of Kyle but I did point out that Robert was losing crediibility by associating himself with someone who's credibility was in question. You are correct that I have no idea what the truth is about Kyle. Noone does. That is the point I was making. How can you trust advice that comes from someone who has a different story on different forums? If I tell you today that I have 1 machine then I tell someone else that I have 15 machines. Which story is accurate? You have no way of knowing and therefore you have a reason to doubt me. If I lie about the amount of machines that I have to give my advice more credibility and then someone bases a decision on that advice then I feel like I would be responsible if something were to happen to them because of that advice. Let me give you a hypothetical situation. Lets say that you ask two vendors what their best seller is. The first has 200 machines out and the second has 15 machines out. The first on says Runts are his best seller and the second says PM&Ms are. When you make your decision to buy a product which vendor's information are you most likely to give more credence? I would bet it would the one that is based on more statistical data. Now lets suppose that the first vendor lied. He does not have 200 machines he only has 1. You just made a potentially major product purchase based on false information. Would that vendor who lied be responsible? From a moral perspective I believe he is. If the person asking had just bought 500 machines then the damages to their business could be hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I have never said that all of Kyle's advice was bad or that he should not be able to speak. Just like Kyle has the right to speak his opinions so do I. Because of conflicting statements in Kyles posts from various forums it is my opinion that any advice he gives should not be taken at face value. Ask around some more and check on your own before following it. Thats all I was saying.

[grumpy]

KPower thankyou for the post. I love the tag line, and I too should use it as it pertains to my limited knowledge.

Kevin I do not think you actually share any responsibilty, sure you and many others were tired of the misrepresantantions that Kyle was doing. But as you said you never asked for removal of him.

That responsiblty falls on the forum administrator shoulders himself "Despite the poll I decided to remove Kyle."

All information shared in a virtual world should be taken with a grain of salt, no matter what people advise it's your business what you do. So the gains and losses are yours too, nobody to blame and/or congradulate but yourself.

I have a hard time conveying my thoughts in written words, but I'm not judging anyone about this matter, not even the administrator. I just do not like censorship, let me decdide what I want to believe; do not do it for me. I was a BBS sysop many years ago and I too have banned users from forums, but normally only to end the flame wars (of course there was a lot less users at once). Never to censor what was being said, everybody should have the right to do their own censoring.

I know I said I joined this forum partly because of that censorship, but also I never planned on being a member in all forums anyway. I still read the canyman forum every day, and others I just do not post. Wherever I can find information that could be helpfull I will search for it and hopefully learn from it.

[AmuseStar Vending Co]

I have been saying the same thing all along. I have PASSION for this business. I love it to death, and would do nothing else if I could. I love my route, and I  loved Kickstart for the time I was there (I would love to go back).

 I still cheer Rob on, threw E-Mails that go un-answered. I have been there from day 3, and cheered him on all the way. I still question if he would be where he is if I was not there. He was my biggest vending Buddie. I was there threw the bad (when I cheered him on) and threw the good (when I told him he was going good).

 I think he would not have even said somethings he did, if he did not have NEWBIES there telling him different than I was. Newbies were telling him crap that was not true, and all newbies would agree because it sounded like a good idea. I would tell them different then they thought I was slowing them down.

I was someone would post his message to rob on kick-start.

Kyle

[frntrange]

Kyle, I am 48 and a newbie to the vending business (well I did have a Pepsi pop machine for a short while almost 30 years ago).

So far I own 8 heads and am trying to get my first placed now.

I admit to being almost a complete novice in the vending business, but I have also been a shop owner for 5 years and a facilities manager for more than 10 years, so I  have dealt with dozens of vendors. So I have seen some, learned a little.

Most importantly, I have more than 25+ years in the business community and I hope this experience will help me keep from making too many costly mistakes. I hope to have several hundred heads running inside of 2 years, so that will take quite a bit of work and planning.

Tell me Kyle, how much experience do you actually have running bulk, or any other kind of vending? I saw a post that said you were 19, in high school, but yet you show 7 years experience here on this site. How many heads do you have placed currently? How many cranes? What else do you have running now?

Did you really start at 12 years? If so, that is quite an accomplishment. At 12, I had my first job planting, and taking care of an acre of tomatoes for the local farmer. I remember how great it was to buy a hamburger with my own money for the first time..

I learned many years ago that if you want to be successful, one should emulate a sucessful person. Pick a mentor, and try to become just like them in what matters. Character, integrity, passion, leadership and common sense are some of the hallmarks of a successful person and a great mentor.

So, Kyle..are you a good mentor?

Regards,

Steve

 

[AmuseStar Vending Co]

Several hundred in two years..sounds great! I hope you can reach that, and more.

I will speak a minute about my mentor. His name is Bob Butler. He is a good, honest guy. He is hard working, and is down to earth. He runs a route of well over 1,000 machines and has a website (http://www.themainpage.com/)

I have 5 cranes, 198 bulk (I try to place 4 a day), and 3 of these really cool Gravity hill games. We are going to branch out to soda soon.

I wish you the best in your adventure. I'm sure you will have GREAT success friend.

Kyle

 

[thenwho]

Can I choose the third option?

Vending is lifestyle... Both for the consumers and the vendors

Go Go Vendors!!! Long Live!

Cheers