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My Vending Experience

I have been in the vending business for slightly more than three years. I'll never forget the day that the huge freight truck stopped in front of my house and started unloading a bunch of giant boxes. These boxes (five Refreshment Centers) practically filled my garage. Luckily, it was summertime, so the filled garage didn't conflict with keeping our cars warm in the garage during a cold Midwestern winter.

The first placement went really fast. I made a phone call to the owner and she said bring the machine in anytime. I was there the next day. Shortly after the placement, I went on vacation to Colorado. In Colorado my mind was consumed with how well the machine was doing and if there were any problems. When I returned home, several more placement cards were in the mailbox. In my excitement, I created a new dance which I call my "placement shuffle". Although my first location is my weakest performer, I am still there and it still remains special because it was my first.

In that same week I placed two more machines. I eventually left one of these locations because of poor sales, but the other (although currently number two) is my all-time sales leader.

We had to do a second mailing to get the other machines placed. The snack machines were in bigger demand, so I bought three more. Within three months of delivery, all five snack machines (plus the three new ones) were placed, and four of the five soda machines were placed. The lone remaining soda machine sat in my garage for another month until one of the snack-only locations wanted me to place it next to a Pepsi machine. That Pepsi machine was taken out less than a year later, so then I had the entire location to myself.

I've only left three locations for poor performance, two Refreshment Centers and one snack-only. I've lost five locations. Four of the losses were the result of company relocation. The other was the result of a company decision to restore free soda and snacks. I bought two more soda machines in the second year. Currently all eight snack machines are placed, and five of the seven soda machines are placed.

I enjoy every aspect of the vending business (except losing locations). The best feature is "being your own boss". The hourly pay is excellent. I can service my eight locations in only five hours per week, including drive time. It takes two or three more hours per week for shopping, counting money, and updating paperwork. I enjoy all of these activities.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this business to others. "Being your own boss" is the way to go in this corporate age of downsizing and little job security. My advice to new distributors:
Go in with realistic expectations.
Don't expect to get rich overnight.
Don't let the machines get too empty.
Rotate your snacks (at least one) frequently, and
Enjoy the experience: it's more fun than it is work.

Gary Bleitner [MISSOURI]