nepavend Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hey all, I have my own announcement to make to my fellow members. Though I had planned on being full-time by the end of the year, I got a rude awakening on July 7 that I was fired from my full-time job at a law firm, where I had been doing the accounting work for the past 18 months. This was not entirely a shock since I had been planning on something like this happening since some of the higher ups had some knowledge of my vending business on the side. However, I was told about this after working a 10-hour day on my first day back from vacation in las Vegas, which apparently they also had a problem with. If I had went in on July 3 as I originally planned I probably would have been let go right before the holiday weekend, so in a way I lucked out by not having my holiday ruined. Further, I am set to move into my house with my fiance, this became complicated with the horrendous timing of my firing, but that is the way things go. Anyway, I have been thrown into full-time vending a few months ahead of schedule. I will do anything I can to keep the income growing into a stable cash flow for myself and will also be eventually branching into other vending areas to make sure I can grow a stable income as soon as possible, I also have a fiance and concerned in-laws to contend with as well. I want to thank some Vendiscuss members who have already been of invaluable assistance for advice as well as presenting opportunities to me that will be of great help in this trying time. I will not name them on here, they know who they are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help, without you guys I would be in a lot of trouble right now. I have also received calls from some old friends from my college days halfway across the state of PA and other places offering support and assistance, while this has nothing to do with the forum I want to thank them as well. I will also be updating the status of my business to let you guys know how I am doing. My partner and I have put out over 70 new locations since June 10. I expect this to continue into the summer. For my sake, I have to keep setting Vendiscuss locating records each month in order to keep the bills paid so hopefully we will keep that pace up. Thanks for your support and dealing with another long post mixed with bad news. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-man422 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Joe, I'm sorry about your job and being fired. Hey, maybe this is a blessing in disguise! best of luck to yuo my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raredory Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Oh wow, that sucks. But maybe it is a blessing too. You will make it. I can see the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyssamma Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Agreed...don't let it get you down and stay focused. I will tell you this. If you decide to do another business that has anything to do with retail/sales/etc., vending can give you some pretty good synergy. Basically you are on friendly terms (assuming you have been doing a good job ) with a lot of local businesses. These can be a source for new customers, a source for free advertising, or a source for cross-promotions. Something to keep in mind. Regardless, good luck. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Joe, Sorry to hear about your job loss - talk about bad timing! At least you were already planning to go full time and although this is pushing up the date a bit you'll be able to do it. Anyone that can locate as well as you isn't gonna have a problem getting the rest of your machines located and making money much faster now. If you really need to make some extra money here is an idea that I'm not sure you'll want to do but give it some thought. I have owned and located my own machines and worked locating machines for other people at the same time to make more money. My problem was I didn't have enough money to keep buying as many machines as I could locate so figured I might as well locate other peoples machines too. You have a big territory with almost endless towns to work. You might even have another vending company a few hundred miles away that you could go work for a week placing machines and clear some pretty good money even after expenses. If I needed machines located and didn't want to do it myself, I'd much rather have you come do it in person than an unknown phone solictor that isn't even able to see the location and probably has little or no real experience in vending. Stop and think about how many machines you have located in a day or a week and what you'd make if you were paid even what the locators here in the forum charge? You also don't have to do anything but locate. Let them come place the machines on their time while you continue locating all day everyday. You could make some real good money at it and as good as you are probably great money! Well, just an idea anyway. What is it they say "When one door closes another one opens!" You may end up wishing they had fired you sooner. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Joe I agree with G-man , I do believe this is a blessing in disguise. I know with all your hard work you have been willing to do you will be just fine. Dont pet the sweaty stuff. Now get out there and locate those machines!!! Agreed, petting the sweaty stuff is always tricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 hey Joe, I'm from just right the road from you in new york, have you given any thought in starting to add some full line machines to your route? if money is tight and you are good at locating get established with coke and Pepsi and go locate some soda machines and get them third party for free. Just thought but it could certainly bring you a bunch of extra money in along with all of the bulk you already have placed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Some people perform at their best when the chips are down and when they are backed into a corner. I am confident you will turn this into a positive. Best of luck with going full time and welcome to "the club". Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebob051977 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 From one Joe to another Joe: I'm sorry to hear about the job loss. Losing a job never comes at a good time and is something near and dear to me. I was laid off on December 15. I had just gotten back from Afghanistan on December 1st and came back to work to check on my vacation, but found out I should work I'd be getting laid off...just before Christmas. These things are unfortunate setbacks, but these times can also offer opportunities that you otherwise would not have gotten before hand. Good luck. There are very few great accomplishments that were done without great challenges. If you are going to do something, you might as well do it big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vipergts Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 If I understand right, you were fired because you have a second job and because you went on vacation to Las Vegas? wtf? Anyways, sorry about your loss but if you've already gotten 70 locations in the past month plus what you already had(idk how many) then it looks like you will be ok. Keep at it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kai1836 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Joe, I just now saw this......very sorry to hear this however I agree with the others that this will be a blessing in disgiuse. I'll be in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepavend Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 All, Thank you again so much for your unified stances of support, advice, etc. I can't express enough how much this means. This is why despite my unemployment pending I contributed another $10 to the site, I know it isn't much, but I know it will add up quick when the new locations and ideas for branching out start to take shape and produce revenue and net income for me and my partner. I will not bemoan the point of my job loss since I am wanting to follow the advice that I have already been doing, I have moved on, my fiance has completed moving into my house, I will now follow with the last 10% or so of my things when Comcast figures out that my address exists (LOL and rolling eyes) I will have internet at my house. I was told several reasons why I was dismissed, but the best one I came up was they were liberating me! I was upset as to how it was handled and executed but the result was the same either way. I was getting burnt out of the accounting profession fast, so it was most likely inevitable at some point. If I had quit I would not have been eligible for unemployment compensation, now I am so I guess that is the silver lining. I know I am not the only member here who this has happened to so I know I am not alone in this. Gary also experienced a firing of sorts by losing all of those BBVs. Several people offered advice and I will update as to what I have done since this posting: 1. We have setup another 10 locations in a new territory, including 2 rack locations. We are trying to grow the business to 400 locations by the end of August, we are at 215 right now. 2. I have investigated being a service person (Nam's strategy sorta) with an amusement vendor who is looking to expand, this can bring me a few hundred a week. 3. I have talked with a friend about doing some merchandising one or two days a month to start, may only bring 200/mo but for 2 days work that's not too bad, so that will help add up. This will be my spending money job. 4. I am also working with my fiance on reducing expenses by moving in together and reducing other expenses where we can to reduce debt. 5. I have contacted my cousin who does soda/snack machines about placing one in my friends business, where there is some good weekly foot traffic. I have also tried my amusement contact about some used equipment for the same place which could generate some side money for me. This can be my test for future moves into full line or amusements (someone suggested this as well). I will consider other ideas as well, even if they sound a little off the wall to me, because it is all about keeping the lights on now. Again, thank you, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Does your fiance work also? If things are tough and you need help on keeping the bills down, my wife and I have been living on a budget around 1800$/month for a few years. My vending experience isn't enough to be very helpful yet, but my experience being cheap is certainly available. Seeing your ideas and strategy to make it work is good motivation for me. Because I have experience being so cheap, I would only need about 50 locations, at my current averages, to stop working, if I wanted to. I'd rather continue working for a while so I can keep strengthening the business. Just know that costs can almost always be cut. I have friends who complain money is tight but will give it away for things I would refuse to pay for. For instance, in the past 4 years, I've ordered a drink other than a cup of water when going out to eat once. I was on caffeine withdrawal and suffering from headaches, so I paid the huge mark up. Little things add up You have a unique strength because of your accounting background. Checking your budget to see where you are spending should be much easier for you. Of course standard of living is something to discuss with your fiance, but how great it is to have this trial before your marriage rather than after. You will know so much more about each other when you say your vows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kai1836 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 If I could figure out how to vote for POTD this post by Lurtsman would get it from me twice over. Excellent advice for anyone starting out in business. You can always get another job or account but its not as easy to break a new lease, give back an expensive car, or try to get a refund for a half drank cup of starbucks. Seriously good advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Best Advice I ever took when Starting my business, be a cheap golpher and you will succeed, there is a lot of truth to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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