New to vending - seeking advice and guidance.

[Eustace]

No, I'll be paying commission.

[Vendingwarehouse]

I actually put off reading this thread until today. I read the first page when it first came out and was going to comment, but decided this time that I would back off and see in which direction the mood and advice would flow. And it has been no different to any other thread that was started that bucked the trend that has grown to become the norm among us operators both experienced and newbies. Eustace had a new and novel idea, and instead of embracing it , it was shot down straight away. I know everyone was trying to give their best advice and I also know that it may , as in the past have come across to some that Eustace' postings may have been misconstrued as knowing more than the more experienced operators. Even though I know that was not the intention.
What worries me is this , when someone does come along with a good idea, if we are all conditioned to put it down straight away, will the opportunity pass some people by because of their narrowmindedness.

My own opinion mirrors what most people said, that while it could work in some sites, there are not enough sites willing to forsake the commission to make it a viable business on it's own. However I agree with Eustace as well, that if you can swing some sites that way then they would make up an integral part of the business overall.
What was NEVER said in the thread is that most experienced operators are already doing that with a few sites that have expressed the desire , for one reason or another , not to take any commission.
So maybe we are all giving the right advice all right, but packaging it the wrong way , and being too defensive when it comes to new ideas. After all , aren't we supposed to be entrepreneurs who are always on the lookout for new ideas and enterprises?

[Vendingwarehouse]

whilst independents have more lateral scope the existence is far more fragile in that not only could other independents come looking for your business but your customers could sign exclusive national agreements with larger operators whom most likely will be franchisors or similar.

I have to disagree Dave, because as a franchisee, you do what you're told , when you're told , how you're told , at a price you have no option but to accept, by the franchisor. Weight that up against the freedom to operate how best suits your business and your area, against the bonus of national contracts, which are few and far between , and generally picked over by the franchisor first, then the benefits of independant operators far outweighs any benefits of a franchise. Not to mention the added cost of the franchise royalty fee.
Of course other independants could come and steal a few sites, but that's business, thats competition. It could happen, and does regularly, that a national contract is lost to a better tender, which could devastate a franchiseees business overnight. An independant loosing a few sites now and again to another operator will not have a huge affect on the day to day running of his business. But loose a few dozen or even hudreds and it's lights out time.