vendnoob Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Has anyone ever ran into an issue of a partner that started of doing half the work load and slowly went to doing almost nothing? We have 3 full line locations now. We started of with 5. He did 3 locations. 2 tanning salons that were serviced once a month and a recycling company that he and I work for. I serviced our hotel weekly and another recycling yard that is owned by the same company that we work for. We got rid of the 2 salons when the stopped making money( last collection was $25 from one and $14 from the other for a whole month). So this left him with one location to take care of. Then he got transfered to the yard I work in. He is just a machine operator so when he was transfered he lost access to the machines at the other yard. I am a manager and have access to both yards after hours. Which ment I had to start doing both yards. For a while he was still getting the pop for all 3 locations that we have left ( 2 bottle machines and 1 can machine). Which was a big help. He slowly stopped picking up the can pop, so I started doing that too. He has still getting the bottle pop for us @ 50 cents a bottle for 20oz bottle ( though good friend of his who worked for the bottler). Well he just lost that connection! So now im getting the bottle pop too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 I need to get rid of him but not sure how to go about it. He is a friend and a coworker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 It sounds like he has lost interest...maybe a non confrontational talk will allow him to quit. thus salvaging your friendship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Buy him out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 Ya I know that but how to do it without any ill feeling. like I said he is a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluePlate Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 No easy way. "It's just business". The fact you are here posting and learning about the business AND you have no concerns about him reading your posts suggests he is not on the boards. He has no passion for the business. Buy him out before it gets too big. When you mention a buy out he might be relieved maybe he doesn't want to ask you about selling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 sleep on it and talk to others like your doing so you dont act on emotion when you do have your talk. ask yourself some difficult questions like what part did I play in this, could I have done things differently to avoid this and when you have your talk I would do more listening than talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 I never would have thought of being in this business if not for him. He came to me and asking if I wanted to go half on a pop and snack machine @ our place of employment. We spent $400 on a Dixie and a snack machine. The rest is history. That was over a year ago. But you are right. I am the one that has done all the research, working on machines or finding someone that can fix them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 It sounds like you two need to just talk openly. If it were me I would let him know our friendship is important and you don't want this to be a problem. Then I would ask if he has lost interest in the business and if he says yes I would talk about buying him out. Good Luck with it. Poplady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 I once had a friend that became a partner, then the friendship withered away and then dissolving the partnership became a nightmare scenario. I`ve said it before, friends and partners seldom coexist peacefully for long. Hopefully you won`t lose the frienship over this but be realistic that it is a possibility. Most people don`t plan for the end of a partnership and thus it makes it much harder at the end. Am I correct that there is nothing in writing? If it was me I`d sit down with him and ask if he wants to continue and let him know its OK if he wants out. If he does accept an offer then get it in writing so that a couple of years from now when you are having success that he tries to worm his way back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 All great advise. Now I guess its time to man up and have that talk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Bum Vending Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I know exactly how you feel. But mine is my old man. He help buy one machine. And helps fill few small bulk accounts one at his work. Watches pop sales. And help buy one $200 pop machine. But he's not willing to ride along and fill full line or to learn parts and service of machines. Just feels I owe it to him and pay him. I will eventually have buy him out as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I know exactly how you feel. But mine is my old man. He help buy one machine. And helps fill few small bulk accounts one at his work. Watches pop sales. And help buy one $200 pop machine. But he's not willing to ride along and fill full line or to learn parts and service of machines. Just feels I owe it to him and pay him. I will eventually have buy him out as well. It sounds like there is a little resentment building there. The sooner you split or buy him out the better. The alternative is that at some point you could wind up hating him over this. my unsolicited .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mage Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Unfortunately too late, but having partners is too often a bad idea. When it works, which unfortunately is too rarely, it can work great, but one thing goes wrong, and the business and friendship can suffer. My brother helped build a great business with a few friends. They had the money, and he did practically all the work. The business was close to turning the corner, having just negotiated a contract with a large group of local WalMarts. That is when his partners decided they wanted out, and sold off the company. Being one of a group, he had no real vote. It actually sold for $1Mil, but the money went to pay off debt resulting in my brother having wasted 2 years of his life building a company with practically nothing to show for it. i wish I could give more details, but I would prefer I had my brothers consent before I air too much of his dirty laundry. Actually it was a great business idea, and I thought of steeling it before I finally decided to get into vending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 I am going to set up a lunch with him this weekend. It just really suck because if this goes bad i still see him every day at work. Once this is handled I will never partner with anyone again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 If it was I'd start off low key and non confrontational.Something along the lines of...... things are getting off track and I'm not sure what we need to do about it. If he is doing very little work I would even consider asking him if he wants to buy you out, better than even odds says he won't, but then its easier to turn it around and suggest that you buy him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mage Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 I must agree here. He might actually be wanting out, having lost interest in the whole thing, and offering him a way out could actually make him happy. In fact this is one way to start the conversation, specifically telling him it looks like he has have lost interest. There is a chance he will say yes, and you can move on with both of you being better off. But if not, you have at least started the conversation, and can deal with the issues, and solve these problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinnJinn Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Very interesting situation. Any updates? How did things go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 He wont let me buy him out. So I have been giving him a taste of what I do. I have been making him go out and buy all the snacks and pop. Then telling him I am too buy this week with personal thing to fill them so he needs to go fill them too. I will keep this up for a month and see if he is ready to change his mind. Wish me luck. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devin1986 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 It can be tough working with friends. I just hired a friend to help me a bit with building the route, saying that it's just to see if he enjoys it, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonvendor27 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I had the same situation when I first started. A co-worker / good friend and I started a business in bulk vending and was a big mistake. He just didn't have the same vision and goals that I did. I ordered all the products, and did all the research. I even asked him to become a member here but he never did. Finally for the sake of my business I nicely explained to him that we would be better off going our separate ways...... He kept his half , I kept mine and we walked away without harming our friendship. I would say that honesty is the best policy here. You should tell him how you feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 you may check and see if he is stocking the machine to make sure your half of the route doesnt gets neglected. if he isnt intrested in working it and has to he will eventually let go of it imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 I have been keeping an eye on it. He is getting irritated because of his busy schedule. Now he is beginning to know how i feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Have you had a chance to have any kind of conversation with him yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendnoob Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 Have you had a chance to have any kind of conversation with him yet? Yes. He gave me a lame excuse that he thought I had it all under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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