Locator Strategies

[sbishop]

I am planning to start purchasing 1-3 locations a month for the rest of the year. What strategy would you use?'

Pick a locator and buy all of the locations from them

OR

Switch between Locators each month.

[havending]

The best thing is to  locate your self.  If you are going to be in this business for any length of time you will need to learn locating at some point. No one cares more about the quality of your locations than you do

[mainor5251]

What about hiring 2 or 3 the first time then after that go with the one that got you the best location to begin with.

[candyman007]

Bishop,

It sounds to me like you're going to be in this for the long haul which is admirable.

If you're doing 30+ locations a year then you want a company that will be around

to produce replacements when needed.  And hopefully a company that you will

be able to build a relationship with. 

My vote is pick one!

Regards,

Rob

P.S.  If you do decide to switch it up between locating companies then

you would definitely want to consider allocating specific zip codes to

each company.  This way you won't be competing against yourself!

[sherlock]

I'd switch it up if I were you.

AND do some locating for yourself too.

Consider the locators like suppliers.

In any business, it's always a good idea to have more than one GOOD supplier of things you need.

Using multiple locators that keep you happy is a nice way to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.

Then, add yourself to the locating efforts, and you should do well...even if you personally only locate here-and-there when you can.

Let me add, that I think the bigger challenge is finding MORE THAN ONE locating company that's worth using.

Sometimes I wonder if ANY exist...even ONE.

If you have a GOOD experience with more than one - PLEASE send me a PM with the company names.

I'd be VERY interested in giving them some of my business too.

[candyman007]

Sherlock,

Great points as well.  Let me know when you find a good locator too!

I'll tell you the truth, when I started locating my own machines years ago

it was the one of the greatest anxieties I've ever had.  It was a challenge

for me to go into each location and ask.  I located 20 of my own machines

and it was rewarding getting over the fear of rejection.  I even think that it's

good to go out and locate some of your own machines as well. 

I will say this though.  If you focus on what you're good at then you will

be much more successful in business and in life.  That's not to say we

all shouldn't overcome our fears. 

That which we most hate to do is that which we need to do most. 

Regards,

Rob

[havending]

It also depends on what type of vending you are doing.  If you are doing the run of the mill  charity triple or double head then i do agree that a locator would be the way to go if you are interested in getting as many location as your wallet can handle.    But as Rob said choose one that will be around when its time to replace the locations that are making 5 or 10 dollars a month because you will have them.  The trick comes when you want to start to get rack locations.  See vending is like a drug when you get 100 in quarters then you want 200 then 300 and so on. And rack locations is the best way to get there.  Then you have to locate on your own because the locators for the most part wont locate racks because there is much more work involved.  When locating charity the locator jumps on the phone and calls and calls until they get the amount of yes answers that you paid for.  I would say use a locator if you want an easy way to start but you need to learn to locate your self if you want to be in this business for the long term and grow into racks.  Because all the locators that i have seen on this board i have not found one to locate racks. i guess because of the amount of work invovled.  But if there is one up to the challange PM me and prove me wrong.  I have racks that need homes. 

[sbishop]

I know that finding locations yourself is the best way, but I work 40-50 hrs a week managing an apartment complex.. ohh...Yes right now I am one of the dreaded run of the mill charity tripple vendors.

When I bought the route almost a year ago, there were 95-98 locations. Too many of them were less than $10 per month(some way less). It took me a while to decide to pick them up and now I have a collection of 15-20 machines needing locations. I want to work through those and then work on up grading the remaining locations. I want to see my route average above $15 per machine.

One thing that I have have started doing is offering  locations a 3rd party soda machine. I have already picked up 2 accounts and a few more are thinking about it. I really would like to get the 2 snack machines in storage on a location and aviod that $85 per month storage fee.

[lbell3]

Thanks for that. My husband and I just started the locating part today, talk about scary!