What are everyones goals in full line?

[spdydre]

I am just getting started into full line and was just wondering what everyones goals were with full line vending!  My goal is to be doing this full time within 2 years before I finish college and surpass my current jobs income which is only about 400 a week take home.

[Mikey B]

If you keep at it, and keep your clients happy you should have no problems.  The key is though, to have several spots with good foot traffic.  One place could make or break you.  

Although for me it was hard to do, keep reinvesting your route's income in more machines and locations.  When I got my first location which was a soda and snack in one place, At first my wife and I were spending the profits on other things.  That location folded and I was confronted with 2 machines in my garage not making money, and an unhappy wife because we didn't have the income we once did.

So I managed to get the machines replaced and instead of spending that $200 a month, We/ I saved it.  3 months later we bought another two machines and so on.  After 6months, I bought someone else's route.  Now, I am down to working part time at a restaurant and working on Purchasing a larger route that will easily double my current income.

[mission vending]

Short version:

I started this adventure in April 1995 and went on one hell of a buying binge. 2003 did 870K with 2 employees and partner. Totally burned out in 2004 and sold out to partner in 2005, except for a few accounts.

2006 started growing again, slowly this time, without a  @#$%^^& partner ;D ;D ;D and a whole lot less debt. With recent route purchase back to around 400K. Planning to continue to grow at a steady rate until I reach 1M in annual sales and then hit the eject button somewhere between 55-60.

[coinvestor]

Short version:

I started this adventure in April 1995 and went on one hell of a buying binge. 2003 did 870K with 2 employees and partner. Totally burned out in 2004 and sold out to partner in 2005, except for a few accounts.

2006 started growing again, slowly this time, without a  @#$%^^& partner ;D ;D ;D and a whole lot less debt. With recent route purchase back to around 400K. Planning to continue to grow at a steady rate until I reach 1M in annual sales and then hit the eject button somewhere between 55-60.

Mission, in 2003 what % of those sales came from commissioned acounts (about). I am having the annual commission debate in my head

Thanks

JD

[coinvestor]

Sorry, I forgot to answer the question. I am also building my route to be sold in another 5-6 years. I am keeping a route book with all the information about the business. Each location has a page or two with pictures of each machine and its serial tag, business address, contact info, equipment purchase price, etc. This way when I'm ready to sell i can just hand the book over. I'm also thinking that this will help if I ever go for financing.

JD

[mission vending]

Mission, in 2003 what % of those sales came from commissioned acounts (about). I am having the annual commission debate in my head

Thanks

JD

It was less than half, maybe as low as 25-30%, that's the best I can remember. Sorry but the passage of time has dimmed the bulbs in the brain cells that contain that information.

[coinvestor]

It was less than half, maybe as low as 25-30%, that's the best I can remember. Sorry but the passage of time has dimmed the bulbs in the brain cells that contain that information.

Thanks, I was just looking for a guess. I'll stop hijacking the thread now.

JD