Site Finding

[FlintVending]

I took up the 2 for 1 offer,paying up front as I was told thats what they do when there is a special offer. They found me 2 sites, the first one, a bike shop, didn't want a tower because they thought it was going to be a box on the counter for Hel[p for Heroes. The second site, a tattoo shop were expecting the same but took a tower anyway. I reckon it will be one of my worst sites. I've phoned Joe from Penguin a couple of times to discuss a replacement site for the bike shop and surprise, surprise he isn't returning my calls. Not impressed at the moment.
Gus

this is not acceptable, I would hope Joe could come on here and tell us why his success rate is so low, perhaps your area is already saturated??

[FlintVending]

Dear Operators

Due to the Success we have had since launching the Site finding Services for the Vending industry and with England going win the World the cup

wtf, seriously!
England gonna win the world cup!!
this guy must be on drugs lol.

[Mark@YorVend]

I was speaking to kris at tubz vending vending this week and the Penguin chap is Joe who used to work at tubz vending vending when it was Continental Snacks.
From what he was saying, tubz vending vending only do appointments now, they don't actually Guarantee you will get the site.
and ppl pay £14.50 for this, unbelieveable?
If you don't feel confident with cold calling yourself, you should really question yourself and if you are right for this business?
That said, you can build up a big round just by buying out smaller competitors, but even then you are constantly losing sites so if you cant replace them yourselves I think it would be much harder to turn a profit?
Is there anyone on here that's built up a big round without doing any cold calls themselves ??

Nigel

Yeah, I can honestly say I have only got 1 site myself, and that's only because a guy from a taxi firm came in my hotel the other week and asked if we could switch to his firm for our customer taxi's. I said yeah sure 'as long as you put one of my machines in your waiting room' :)
I have used Hurley's (dial marketing), and also used Gavin from Dorset vending (who I wish would consider doing it again), and have not had any complaints with either. I have also bought out a couple of other operators, I've found tubz vending are really good at selling franchises, but then give up on the site finding once they have about 2 thirds of the machines sited. So once the poor saps find that it's not the get rich quick scheme it was made out to be, and get sick of seeing the unsited machines they are left with, they soon think about selling up!
I find the best way is to either stuff your business card under the lid having wrote ''rounds bought for cash'' on the back, or I have also got a couple of pound coins in my wallet with it on a sticker and on the other side my phone number, If I'm somewhere new and see a machine I just buy a tub of sweets. works well as it's psychologically invasive to be able to get your proposition into someone's coin box!!
I think that's how tubz vending got my number last year, I got one of those friendly ''I hear you've bought some machines off one of our franchisees'' call

[Style]

Got about 200 machines across about 140 sites, probably got 10 sites and 60 add ons ourselves, bought about 50 (3 rounds) and the other 80 from Dial Marketing.
Theres always sites for sale but how much should you pay for them?

[Mark@YorVend]

I asked the same thing a few months ago and the general consensus was £150 - £160 a sited machine. I got the locations of the last lot of sites I bought, then went round and had a look at a few of them to see what sales looked like.
If there in stupid places like trade counters, or hardware shops, I wouldn't pay more than the value of the machine and stock! Some people seem to think they can buy 20 machines for £5k and sell them a few months later for the same amount, once the novelty wares off in a few of the sites and sales begin to dip.
I usually make a low offer, and leave it with them. They usually get back to me after a month of having to re-list it on ebay and take the money

[Ade]

well im waiting on joe to come back to me to with sites, (4 weeks been waiting) i went with the buy one get one free offer but there was no mention of money up front (learnt not to do that anymore always ends up bad for me ) and lets face it where else do we pay for something in advance before recieving it? i heard hurleys had him doing sitefinding for them, but have now heard he`s pulled out of sitefinding for them. messaged him thursday was told i would get a call friday, still waiting.
Not going to write them off just yet as may all be legitamate circumstances, we will see.

Ade

[Mark@YorVend]

I'm not sure where most of you guys are, but I'm given to believe that the midlands area, and certain parts of the south, are virtually full, and getting new sites either by cold calling or in person is virtually impossible.
I spoke to Jo when he first advertised on here and he seems like a very genuine bloke, I'm sure he and his team are trying to fulfil all requests, but some people in certain areas will just have to face up to the fact that their area might be completely out of potential sites!!
There will come a point when we will all have to look further afield for potential sites (not far off that point myself), or diversify into other types of machines.

[dorsetvending]

Mark.....wise words....one of the reasons I have stepped down....areas are simply becoming saturated

[Mark@YorVend]

I always provide anyone doing my sitefinding with a list (or map) of potential sites that I would like them to pitch to. This way I know for a fact when every conceivable site has been asked, and that nothing has been missed, and only then is it time to move further afield, or change my offering.
There are people on here who have commented before that if you go to the trouble of making a list you may as well do it yourself, but for those of us not confident enough to cold call, It just means I'm giving the sitefinder the best possible chance!

I also hear from people in sitefinding that some operators give very little help and instruction beforehand, but then complain and refuse to accept the site when it's not what they were hoping for!
I had Gavin find me some sites last year and got amongst the assortment of sites, 2 tattoo shops and 2 barber shops. One of the barbers does so well with M&Ms that I've had to put an extra column in, the other is a bit poor! Same with the Tattoo shop, one does really well and is nearly empty every month, and the other one has been removed as it sold less than £20 in three months!

You can never tell with sites, but if you don't sift through the crap you don't find the diamonds :)

[Style]

I agree Mark, the only thing I would add is re-visit. Managers change and move around, a new area manager may not kick you out. Ive got a tower going into a leisure centre on Thursday. We have asked once a year for 4 years. New manager!!!