Oxford Based Vending Virgin

[Bramers]

Hi Guys,

Seen a few similar posts to the one I'm about to deliver, so apologies for going over old ground. Redundancy means looking at vending and came across tubz vending. From what I've read so far that's a mixed bag, but wondering who would be/what would be a good starting point for me here in Oxford. Don't have to go the sweets route, are there better options? Its all about putting food on the table at the end of the day, just like everyone else! The other posts have been NI and Scotland.

Any and all advice much appreciated as this is completely new!

Cheers,

Craig

[Vend And Glow]

Hi.

Wish i could offer some advice but i have never done Towers before. Somebody will be along shortly though. A good knowledgable bunch here so just ask as many questions as you like.

[part-time-operator]

a tubz vending/hurleys package is fine for a new beginner despite what some people say. don't invest all of your money as its more expensive than buying second hand but once you know what you're doing you can grow independently without needing their help. you can pack the most expensive products yourself in your evenings and weekends and save a few quid.

always be prepared to buy dodgy machines off ebay and fix them. people say they're working but at least half the time they are not. but even accepting that half of what you buy will be cr*p that is alot cheaper than buying new...

sweets are a lot of ongoing work but (i think) quicker to establish a round, you probably need to reach 100 sweet towers to put food on the table and for it to make sense with time/fuel. then you can add different machines at a more relaxed pace. i'm not an expert but hopefully more experienced operators will agree with that?

problem with oxfordshire is its quite rural and some competition already so you'll be doing a lot of mileage to get sites, i would target the city itself and urban area not far from you.

[Bramers]

Thanks for responding guys...interesting point about sweets...I'm not sold on sweets...I really don't care what goes in a machine, preferably whatever sells best/has the highest profit! Any thoughts on that one would be appreciated! I'm well located in terms of Oxford City and Abingdon, so I'm as well placed as I reckon I can be in this neck of the woods. The 'Business Bundles' detailed on the tubz vending website seem great, but just wondering how realistic those figures are? Is 30 sales per tower per week realistic do you guys think? If it is then Gross profit per annum is approx 12k/year based on 25 towers after youve paid tubz vending, which doesnt strike me as too bad for the claimed 5hrs/week. Presumeably this is scaleable? Is there anyone out there in an area which I wouldnt compete with who would be prepared to let me talk to them probably over the phone, to discuss the ins and outs of everything??? I have so many questions and I'm sure I'd have more off the back of the answers! Or should I just phone Hurley's or tubz vending and then go from there? It just seems that there are a lot of good guys on this site who are prepared to help (which is suprising in this day and age!)...I dont want to lose my shirt making a wrong decision, like many of you I have family depending on me and its bloody hard to find a decent opportunity when you're not clued up about something, no matter how hard youre perpared to graft! Thanks again for your time guys.

[Coin Operated Group]

do they still state 25 per week in the website? absolute nonsense if it does. i got rid of my towers few years ago but from what I remember in previous
posts from operators it's more like 8 per week.

I'm sure some of the guys will clarify this .

[Snackmore]

Hello mate

IMO those figures are pie in the sky.

25 towers will average 8 sales a week, earning you anywhere between £800 and £1000 a month depending on the quality of the sites. 30 a week is a complete unrealistic target. Most sites will average 25/40 a month, I have some that do 20 a month and a few over 100 but that is rare.

Your stock will cost from 30p to 50p a pot and you have yor time, fuel, vehicle expenses and commisions to pay from between 10% and some pay 25% for a decent site. Do the maths You then have to be realistic and deduct your cost for machines, PL Insurance, damages and theft leaving you around 25/30% realistically. Then you have the hassle of sites closing and being thrown out of large chains due to national deals and the Area Manager just not liking your tower!

I suspect there will already be people operating in your area, do not believe either of the big boys selling a franchise, go out and have a look, visit where you believe a site will be busy and see whats already out there before you make a decision.

As Mike says its worth buying a few cheap towers from ebay and then having a dabble before you throw a fortune away find that you are spending more time and money servicving towers and not getting a return on your investment and then throwing the towel in at a big loss and ditching your machines on ebay like so many do.

Although this does keep us all supplied in cheap towers

Incidentally I could not live on £200 to £300 a month! as I have said do the maths, if it was so easy there would be many more in this game

You have to put the work in to see any return and the hours and like Mike says 100/150 towers to even consider making enough to survive.

Regards

Steve

[Snackmore]

On average you can service 2 towers an hour depending on the geography of your round. Bear in mind you have to load from home, visit the site when they are open, restock, count cash, pay commision, write receipts, clean machine and be prepared to have a chat with the site to keep a good relationship going. 25 towers would take 2 days a month if you could go around and hit them all one after another, if a decent site they would need more than 1 visit a month so again factor in revisits. Also visiting solely to unjam a machine as some little twerp has jammed something in the mech! You then have to sort cash and bank. If you are thinking about sitting there at night potting your own sweets that is even more hours you have to account for.

Actually the more I think about it the less worthwhile it seems

[Ferry Vending]

Hi Bramers

Good luck with your new business . Towers not for me same as Matt I got rid of mine also . Saying that some guys seem to be making it work for them . I find vending toys and bulk sweets with beavers/tomy or discapa machines a lot easier and toy and sweet cranes a real winner . Pile Up / Stacker machines, cranes toy and sweets and kiddie rides should be in your thoughts . Have a look around shopping centres , leisure centres and play centres . Would recommend Instance for cranes / larger machines and Mike at Midland Vending will keep you on the right track have a look at their web sites . Also Toyvend of course .

All the best and good luck .

Steve

[Style]

Bloody hell I wish I was averaging 30 sales per week. My average last month was £33 but there is some crap in there I need to take out.
Andy

[Snackmore]

Think I will change to tubz vending they obviously do really well and would never lie!