hutchdavidson Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 So I took the 5/$100 deal hes been doing. All double head 1", gumballs only. Was going to do KS since I thought the 5/100 deal was done but eddie let me have it so lets see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc-vending Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 So I took the 5/$100 deal hes been doing. All double head 1", gumballs only. Was going to do KS since I thought the 5/100 deal was done but eddie let me have it so lets see what happens. I have gotten some good locations from him within the last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 5 for free is even better when you locate your self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 5 for free is even better when you locate your self. Just because it's free doesn't always make it "better". I've actually made a profit paying a locator that I would not have earned relying only on my own locating efforts. If you're new to vending -- open your mind to all that's available and make your business decisions on sound reasoning. Narrow perspectives and vague advice like "free is better" can sometimes be detrimental to your bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrGranger Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 havending - It isn't so cut and dry as that. I have to figure in the money I lose for spending the time to locate myself. If $$ Earned x Time Spent > Cost Per Location using a locator then locating yourself is not worth it. I tried doing it myself until I realized it was cheaper to use a locator for essentially the same locations. I still try when I have time, but I don't take time off the day job doing it anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terpman22 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 havending - It isn't so cut and dry as that. I have to figure in the money I lose for spending the time to locate myself. If $ Earned x Time Spent > Cost Per Location using a locator then locating yourself is not worth it. I tried doing it myself until I realized it was cheaper to use a locator for essentially the same locations. I still try when I have time, but I don't take time off the day job doing it anymore. there is no such thing as a free lunch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrGranger Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 there is no such thing as a free lunch Nope, those ended around 1994. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agrantha Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Free is better if you are just passing thru. There was a new resturaunt that opened in my town. One day I filled up a red Northwestern Super 60 with gumballs and wheeled it into the resturaunt. I asked to speak to the owner. The husband saw and greeted me. I asked if he had any use for a gumball machine. He said it's fine with me, but you will need to ask my wife and she will not be back until tomorrow. The next day I wheeled the machine in there again full of product and asked the wife. She said "Sure...Thank You. Put it over there by the menu sign." I came back 6 weeks later and it had $54.00 in it. Not bad for a self job huh. However, I have small children and I would rather spend time with them than to be out locating. If I just so happen to be in the neighborhood I will go inside and ask the business owner/manager. Otherwise, I hire a locator. I will be placing another order with Rob (KickStart) very soon. If I were single with not children, I would probably self locate because to me it's fun...not work. This vending stuff is just fun period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepavend Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 "If I were single with no children, I would probably self locate because to me it's fun...not work. This vending stuff is just fun period. " This describes me to a T. Very cool story agrantha. Every time you locate your own machine you cut your investment into the business by one location fee. This adds up over time and can make a big difference. Although I don't agree with wheeling the gum machine into the location first, if it works, it works! Never be afraid to ask questions and poke around, I got three supermarket accounts this past month just by bumping into one owner at a local restaurant, and another owner because he happens to be my new landlord with the new warehouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Just because it's free doesn't always make it "better". I've actually made a profit paying a locator that I would not have earned relying only on my own locating efforts. If you're new to vending -- open your mind to all that's available and make your business decisions on sound reasoning. Narrow perspectives and vague advice like "free is better" can sometimes be detrimental to your bottom line. I assume that this guy is doing charity doubles (30 mo adv) and getting them used ( maybe 50 dollars) If he was to place 100 locations using a locator at 5 locations for 100. he would have spent 2000 on locating fees. But by self locating he could have used the 2 grand and bought 40 more sets of machines and adding 1200 a month in sales. Locating is a pure numbers game being charity or racks. some are useless some are good and some are golden. And the status of a location will not change because of a paid locator or self locating. Not to mention that on the phone is the worst way to ever locate machines. And if someone else is doing all your calling ask your self this. What are they saying to the locations and how well are they representing your company? Unless you on a 3 way call you will never know. I know many people also have full time jobs but who works 7 days a week. Use the off days to locate. when you come across a location you want but cant seem to get then contract that location out to a locator some times a new voice is all it takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I assume that this guy is doing charity doubles (30 mo adv) and getting them used ( maybe 50 dollars) If he was to place 100 locations using a locator at 5 locations for 100. he would have spent 2000 on locating fees. But by self locating he could have used the 2 grand and bought 40 more sets of machines and adding 1200 a month in sales. Locating is a pure numbers game being charity or racks. some are useless some are good and some are golden. And the status of a location will not change because of a paid locator or self locating. Not to mention that on the phone is the worst way to ever locate machines. And if someone else is doing all your calling ask your self this. What are they saying to the locations and how well are they representing your company? Unless you on a 3 way call you will never know. I know many people also have full time jobs but who works 7 days a week. Use the off days to locate. when you come across a location you want but cant seem to get then contract that location out to a locator some times a new voice is all it takes. You're right. Most people don't work 7 days a week. That's because most people don't want to. If you locate on your days off you are essentially working 7 days a week. Some vendors use a locator in order to keep some of their days off. To some people - that reason alone is worth the locator fee. Besides, if we used your figures ($30 avg earning double), for some people locating for themselves actually costs MORE than using a locator: If they can't get that double machine located for themselves within a month for whatever reason (some people do get that busy, while others really are that bad at locating), it would benefit them to pay a locator $25 to get it out of storage within a couple days instead of having it sit for several weeks gathering dust. The 1st month's $30 dollar pull may just be paying you back for the locator fee. But, it's $30 your machine wouldn't have earned sitting in storage if you had not used a locator. And you didn't have to spend any of your own time, days off, or gas finding the location. I'm not saying vendors shouldn't locate for themselves. I'm just saying "free" is NOT always "better". On a side note: In my experience, gas makes locating in person a costly venture for charity singles/doubles. I don't recommend it. I only locate my commission racks in person. Charity locations I do by phone just like a locator would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 here's the way I sum it up: If you are a full time commission bulk vendor then you will do all your on locating. If you are a part time charity candy vendor then use locators for the majority and self locate when you can. just my opinion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchdavidson Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 There are a lot of things in this business we could all "do ourselves to save money" but we dont, for reasons of expediency, practicality, and different values of time we each have in our own lives. This is one of those things in my particular situation I deem better to pay someone to do than do myself. This seems to have been gone over on this site ad infinitum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbishop Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I think that each person needs to find their own balance. I do not have the time to locate all my Charity Bulk machines, but I have landed every Full line account myself. I keep an eye open when I am out running errands. I just posted about getting a location where I bought my new van. I have a tire shop location that I landed when I bought tires for my wifes car. I do not understand why, when anyone posts about locators, some one has to say you should only locate yourself. It does not matter what the question is, they have to say that they locate themselves and always find $200 per month GumBall Locs. The truth is that you will get crap locations from time to time no matter who is finding them. It is part of the biz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEREMYTINA Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 The truth is that you will get crap locations from time to time no matter who is finding them. It is part of the biz While I have gotten some not so high quality locs from various locators, I have to say that they have had the same luck I have with locating. Some are stellar, some are ok, and some places are downright bad. My best bulk location in my fleet came from Eddie, and is pulling close to $250 a month. I converted them to a non commission, semi-charity location. Everytime I service, I give the manager 10 bucks in quarters to hand out to all the kids. He loves this. Many of the kids that come in are impoverished and their parents never give them money for the machine. He is able to brighten their day a little. He also got me a location the has grown into a toy rack pulling down almost 100 bucks a month, that I have converted to commission. Kickstart has also gotten me some quality spots I have had for more than a year now, all averaging nicely up in the Mid 30's. My own locating has gotten some solid numbers as well, including several full line locations. Whatever works for your business model is what you should use. If you buy new equipment, maybe self locating will get you into the black faster on that piece of equipment, but I buy used almost 100% of the time, and locators work fine. I have a wonderful wife, 3 kids, and a full time job in addition to vending, that come first. My time is limited and in order to grow my business faster, I have chosen to hire an outside company to find leads when I can't. Man, that was a run on sentence, that my English teacher in high school would have a field day with.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchdavidson Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 While I have gotten some not so high quality locs from various locators, I have to say that they have had the same luck I have with locating. Some are stellar, some are ok, and some places are downright bad. My best bulk location in my fleet came from Eddie, and is pulling close to $250 a month. I converted them to a non commission, semi-charity location. Everytime I service, I give the manager 10 bucks in quarters to hand out to all the kids. He loves this. Many of the kids that come in are impoverished and their parents never give them money for the machine. He is able to brighten their day a little. He also got me a location the has grown into a toy rack pulling down almost 100 bucks a month, that I have converted to commission. Kickstart has also gotten me some quality spots I have had for more than a year now, all averaging nicely up in the Mid 30's. My own locating has gotten some solid numbers as well, including several full line locations. Whatever works for your business model is what you should use. If you buy new equipment, maybe self locating will get you into the black faster on that piece of equipment, but I buy used almost 100% of the time, and locators work fine. I have a wonderful wife, 3 kids, and a full time job in addition to vending, that come first. My time is limited and in order to grow my business faster, I have chosen to hire an outside company to find leads when I can't. Man, that was a run on sentence, that my English teacher in high school would have a field day with.... You should have taught yourself English instead of paying someone else to lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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