CANDYMAN BLOG HAS OFFICIAL MOVED TO HTTP://WWW.KICKSTARTVENDING.COM/FORUM

The candyman blog has moved to http://www.kickstartvending.com/forum

My candyman blog is setup in that forum. There are also several other bulk vending bloggers as well!

Please come over and join in on the fun.

HTTP://WWW.KICKSTARTVENDING.COM/FORUM

driving, driving, and oh my god, driving

Well, to start the day I decided to get some more machines. If you have ever been to Naples you would know that there is really NOTHING south of us. What I'm saying is, 99% of the time you go North on the highway instead of South. Of course today I forgot that I was heading to Miami (south) and started going north. An HOUR into my trip I realized my mistake...

Another hour back tracking, and then 2 more hours to Gumball Machine Warehouse and I still wasn't done! I couldn't believe it. I could have basically been there and back in that amount of time.

Anyway, during all this I'm getting emails from Alan and Frank on my blackberry. Alan was missing 3 double plates for his machines from GMW that I sold him but I took care of that and they were shipped out to him today! Rush order baby. Chris, from Great Lake Locators had managed to piss Frank off I guess. So not only is Chris emailing me but so is Frank, not that I mind, it was just funny. So I call Chris and he talks for about half an hour about the situation between him and Frank. And then after all that 2 hours later he calls me and says everything is fine with Frank, what a day.

In the beginning of the day Chris was so aggravated with all the comments about him on the forum that he said take the deal off. Then after talking to Frank he calls me back and says let's put the deal back up on the site, what did you say Frank? So I talked to him for a few minutes and worked out a new deal. I think it's better personally.

I also talked to another locator about locating machines for my new website. I am going to offer two solutions for locations. #1 is telemarketing. #2 is in person locating. Obviously the in person locating is going to be more expensive but I think I have worked out a real fair deal with the guy who is going to do the in person locating.

Here is how it will work. 15 machines or fewer = telemarketing. 15 or more machines = in person locating. What do you guys think? Are you willing to pay a premium for in person locating? Personally I am willing to pay that premium.

So I bought 15 machines today from GMW (Gumball Machine Warehouse.) I also bought some Mike & Ikes and Chicles and a few more gumballs.

I have one machine at my home and 15 in the car and 6 locations that need machines. So after those 6 are placed I'll still have 10 left which I think I'm going to contract to my new on site locator.

Rob

The new locator - read

Well shit, this guy that I found on craigslist started locating for me today. I met him at 8:00AM and at 10:30AM he called me with 10 locations. I was like shit, 10 locations, 2 hours, $300. Damn, so anyway, I only had 7 machines but we dropped them off and now I don't know what to do.

I have 3 more locations to drop off that he found and 3 locations that my tele-locator found and no more machines. I can't believe how fast this guy places machines. He said he does on average 30 - 40 a day.

I will be keeping this guy a secret, haha. I'm exhausted from the days events. I had to meet him early in the morning, come home, build 5 machines, then load all the machines up for delivery, and go deliver.

He really likes the snack boxes but I don't know much about them. Seems like a descent deal.

I checked another machine that had been on location for 37 days. It had $46.60 in it. The first time I checked it after 35 days and it had $30 in it. Guess that one is picking up. Wish me luck.

Rob

HEY GO TO THE CONTEST PAGE AND DO THE CONTEST. I REALLY DON'T WANT KYLE TO BE THE ONLY PLAYER! HE IS THE LAST PERSON THAT NEEDS ANOTHER MACHINE, haha.

met locator at 8AM and snack boxes

Well I put an ad in craigslist and got a call from a locator the other day. We met this morning and he is going to locate machines for me today. We are meeting back up at 3PM and he said he should have between 3 and 10 locations. I assume he will have 10 because he seems like he is good at getting them.

Anyway, we will see. He swears by snack boxes. They are little boxes that have snacks in them with an honor box to put money in. I think he said the entire setup is $15 for the box and snacks and he locates them cheaper than other machines. What do you all think?

At the moment I am building machines for today. I built 2 this morning, and have 3 left. Blah, I hate building.

Moving the candyman blog!

Well the candyman blog is moving to http://www.kickstartvending.com/forum/

I have created my own section over there and all my future posts are going to be on the new forum. I am however going to copy and paste my posts to this blog since there are a lot of readers! I salute all of my loyal readers!

PRIZE CONTEST ON THE FORUM!
There is a contest for a brand new double head machine from Gumball Machine Warehouse on the Kick-Start forum now! It's not too late to try and win! Everyone is eligible. The contest rules are up and everyone has an equal chance at winning! Good luck!

Cranes, Cranes, Cranes -
Somehow in the midst of doing bulk vending I have gotten sucked into plush skill cranes. These are the cranes that pickup stuffed animals out of the machine.

Well today I talked to this guy about cranes for about 30 minutes. He had one listed on eBay but it was a little bit too big for me so I inquired about other cranes he had to offer. Turns out he has a nice crane for me at $550 but I might go ahead and get two cranes from him since the shipping is the same for one crane or two cranes. Shipping is $350 to get them here to South Florida so you can see how it would be advantageous to get two cranes instead of one.

Anyway, I'm excited to start my crane route! I will keep everyone posted on how it goes! I'm sure there will be much more to come!

Rob

46/55 Pizza and a Bank

Well my locator found me a pizza joint. They had a gumball machine in there already but it looked nasty so I'm sure I will get all the business. I put gumballs and Mike & Ikes in that machine.

I also had a bunch of quarters to bring to the bank so I went. After I deposited my $96 worth of quarters I asked to talk to the bank manager. She said someone had a machine there before but it didn't do well so they took it out. I said I would like to try anyway and she said Ok. I guess the ladies there are on a diet but oh well. I put in M&M Peanuts and Runts. I opened them up so they will give bountiful handfuls of candy.

Does anyone have an idea of what to put in when people are on a diet? Anyway, I placed two machines today, not bad. Also Alan Sampson is getting ready to purchase 15 machines and start his own route. He already has around 10 locations primed that just need a machine. He is going to start blogging on the Kick-Start Vending forum hopefully this week!

Good luck.

Rob

Rules for purchasing an existing route. - Baxson

1. Never trust a word the seller says, and I don't care if he/she seems like the most honest person in the world.

2. Require to see some form of books whether an Excel spreadsheet, account program, etc.

3. Require that they back up those numbers with either an income tax return or bank statements. They can blank out everything except the numbers, but require you see what they are bringing in monthly or yearly.

4. Make them take you on the route to service the machines, and have them pull out the money to show again what these locations are pulling each month.

5. Speak with every owner/manager in person to ensure that they would like to keep the machine. Have some type of clause with the existing owner that until you speak with every owner/manager and get the ok you will not give them any funds.

6. Don't spend more on an existing route then you would purchase for the machine used and a locating fee. Remember this is all you are really doing basically, so why throw your money away on something that you could get for less yourself. However, if they can prove that they are making decent money yearly and you are purchasing the route for less then 70% gross then consider that a decent route to purchase.

7. Take your time with this purchase, if anything doesn't sit well with you don't be afraid to walk away. Sometimes that is our greatest power the ability to say NO!

Buying an existing route can be a quick way to jump start your current route, or even add more locations if you are looking to build. Sometimes in over-saturated markets this is the best way to make a niche and not find your machine among the dozens in multiple locations. Don't be afraid to purchase an existing route, just make sure they have some type of evidence to back it up. If they don't, then make sure you are getting it for far less then you would if you purchased the machine used and got a professional locator. Check out ebay, craigslist, etc for prices on the existing machine and routes. Shop around, there are always tons of people getting rid of their routes because they don't have the time anymore.

And last but not least, call the numbers on machines that you wanted to place your machine but found someone already there. You would be surprised at how many people would love to sell their route and just didn't get around to posting it, or didn't know how to. Don't turn your back to purchasing existing routes, always look at it as a viable option. Look at companies that base their existence on purchasing up smaller corporations, it can be the same concept.

Happy vending! - This was written by a writer on my forum, Baxson Vending.

Rob

the real numbers

I stopped at 5 places today to check money. So here are my numbers:

Pizza: $27 (20 days)
China $5 (10 days)
Computer store $3.50 (30 days)
Chicken Lunch Place $6.25 (30 days)
Auto place $21 (50 days)

If someone has the time to figure out what I average every 30 days I will post it here. I'm about to run out the door or I would do it. Anyway.. Bottom line is this. You can't tell how much a location will make just by first looks. The chicken place I thought would make a ton of money. The auto place I thought would make nothing. It's in a dim area, they smoke inside, and it didn't look like they had many customers. The point is, you just never know.

You learn, I learn, Kyle Guth teaches, Listen. GIVE AMPLE AMOUNTS OF M&M Peanuts!

The auto place asked me to take it out because the machine was only giving like 4 M&M Peanuts and the customers were getting mad. I apologized profusely and asked her if I could bring in a new machine this week. She said yes and I am going to bring one there right now. LISTEN TO KYLE. Give out lots of candy.

Rob

UPDATE: I get an average of about $13.50 per location per month. Can anyone concur?

tilt pan scan

Today was a slow day but I did get something done. I went to Wal-Mart and got a dummy camera and batteries for $10. Now, I didn't realize it at the time but this camera is crazy.

#1 It has a motion detector built in.
#2 It blinks.
#3 You can tilt it to point in any direction.
#4 It scans the room back and fourth when the motion detector is tripped.

It's ridiculous. When you walk into the laundry room this thing starts panning back and fourth across the room. I also put up a sign that says "Beware of 24 hour video surveillance. You are being video taped." haha. I doubt anyone is going to mess with my candy machine now!

I'm still looking for an inexpensive crane machine to put in this Chinese joint. Is there a second hand plush crane website? I couldn't really find anything.

Rob

oh dear

Well, My locator gave me three locations today but only two were open. The last one is a Karate place, does anyone have experience with these?

I also picked up a machine today at a local restaurant and it had $30 in it. Too bad I had to take it out.

I also checked the Chinese place, it has been there for about a week, not too much money in there. I didn't count but I'd say less than $5. I switched out Runts for Skittles. We will see.

Also, the Chinese guy wants a Crane. He told me today to get him one. I have looked on eBay and they want $1795 + Shipping for a crane with bill acceptor. I am not willing to pay that. I want one cheaper. Do you guys think a crane would do well in a Chinese place?

Help me find good crane deals in South Florida!

Rob

bad news tonight

The guy that owns the restaurant in my neighborhood called and said he wants me to pickup the machine. He said he isn't selling any of his own candy anymore. I couldn't really understand him but maybe he said something about another guy putting a machine in. I'll have to inquire more tomorrow. DAMN. I tried to offer commission on the phone and I'll offer it again tomorrow.

Rob

the DHL guy

My DHL guy came again today and I prospected him about my business. He actually inquired about my business first and I moved into him stopping at a lot of businesses when he drops off packages. I then offered him $30 for each machine he placed. He was excited about that prospect and said he will stop by after he finds me my first location. I may have to start shipping more stuff! If this works we may all have a new way of finding locations.

This lady my mom knows owns 7 auto/tire shops in town. Anyway, it's hard to get a hold of her so I decided I would send her a package.

I went to Wal-Mart, picked up photo quality printer paper, a binder, a bag of M&M Peanuts, regular M&M's, and a small bag of Roasted Peanuts.

At home I printed out high resolution pictures of the machines I have to offer. I also wrote her a letter and attached my charity information. I then put some gumballs in a zip lock bag and hooked it onto the binder. I also hooked the M&M Peanuts/M&M's/Peanuts to the binder. I made it very presentable. Then I took some wrapping paper, wrapped it up, put a bow on it, and dropped it off in the mail. Let's hope it works. She may get it tomorrow!

Oh, Kyle, I also sent you two bags of Runts via Priority Mail. Total is $20 even for the two bags and shipping. That's not too bad considering. Two bags of runts vend out $80 of candy. You can just send the check to my return address.

Not much else happened today. Check out the forum it's growing!

Oh yes, there was one other thing. Wal-Mart carries this fake surveillance camera for $8. It even has a motion detector in it so when someone walks by it starts blinking. I may bring back my machine to the laundry room and bolt this camera up, haha. What do you guys think?

Rob

the vending equation

A reader on my blog Jason Burkert wrote this on the forum. It really sums up vending.

RISK

Low risk. Startup costs are low, and if you want to get out, you can always sell your machines.
The biggest risk is to your ego when you are placing machines. But look at it as an opportunity to learn to sell and to handle rejection. You also get the chance to know other business owners!

RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)

Why would anyone do this?

Gum balls can purchased in bulk for $0.02 each. They are sold for $0.25 each.
Other candy, can be purchased in bulk for less than $0.10 per vend. They are also sold for $0.25 per vend.
Do the math.

OPPORTUNITY

When you go searching for locations, you're looking for an opportunity.
A location with lots of quarters (laundromat, arcade), or lots of waiting (restaurant, auto repair), or lots of kids (restaurant), or a captive audience (office lunch rooms) is an opportunity.
An empty lobby at a privately-owned store/shop/restaurant is a terrific opportunity.
Even if there is a machine there already, if the location is unhappy with their current vendor, or has plenty of space for your machine too, that's an opportunity. Call the phone numbers on other people's machines and ask to buy the machine or route to expand quickly!

NEGOTIATION

In general private businesses are easier to locate with. There are multiple ways to persuade a decision-maker to allow you to place a machine:

• you're offering a free service to their employees and customers, it costs the location nothing but unused floor space
• a commission paid to the location (10% - 30%)
• a charitable donation to a local charity, police, or fire department (10% - 30%)
• a one time gift certificate to a local restaurant ($20 - $40)

Large corporations may have policies against vending machines, so negotiation can be out of the question.
But it may be up to the discretion of the manager. It doesn't hurt to ask.

VALUE

When purchasing existing routes, solving other people's problems makes you money. Experience will give you an eye for things that are wrong with the existing business. I've read accounts where a route buyer was appalled at the state of a seller's "business" because of problems such as these:

• Located machines are empty
• Located machines are dirty and unattractive
• The vend size is too large / too small
• Several machines are not located, not making money, collecting dust in a storage locker
• Locations have low profit and don't have enough foot traffic
• The business owner has no records, and doesn't know the locations of his machines, or when they were last serviced
• Candy selection is inappropriate for the location

Fixing these problems can make you money.

OPTIMIZATION

Like any other business, as you become more experienced, you'll find ways to make various improvements and optimizations.

• Look for better deals on candy. Buy in bulk. Break it down to cost per ounce for easier comparison and greater accuracy. Include shipping costs.
• Adjust the size of bulk vends to an appropriate size.
• A one-time gift certificate is cheaper than a commission, or monthly charitable donation.
• Relocate low-profit machines to higher-profit locations.
• Map out your locations and service them in an efficient manner. If some locations are faster/slower service them on a different interval.
• Have everything you need with you to service your machines. Be in and out quickly.
• Buy already placed machines and existing routes.

cracking globes today

To start the day I went out and attempted to locate machines. I say attempted because I had no such success today. I went to about 10 places and got 10 No's. I was even trying to give out gift cards! I don't know what was up today. I didn't have my Wheaties this morning, maybe that's it.

Well, I have a double head machine that I took from a location and I finally got the quarters out of one of the compartments. There is a picture of it some where on the blog. Anyway, today I was out there drilling for an hour trying to open the thing up and I finally cracked the globe with a hammer. $11 in quarters. Not as much as I expected but hey, they were free! But, now I'm missing a globe. Maybe I'll turn it into a single head machine.

After I cleaned up that mess I went ahead and began building machines. I got 5 build today! That's not bad considering the heat.

As you can see there is this great location deal on the top of the blog now. It is for blog/forum readers and I don't know how long it will last. I've been trying to get my locator to give you guys a deal and today I finally nailed it down with him. I think it's incredible, $30 per location is what it comes out to. I know Caserri is going to try it, he won't be able to pass that price up! Guth, give up and just try it. You spent $500 at Wal-Mart on binders, you can spend $90 on locations. You also get a 45 day warranty with the locations if you don't like them for any reason.

Good luck, God Speed, and get out there and Locate!

Rob

I need your help

I need you guys to help spread the word about the blog and to sign up for the forum. The more readers we have and people that comment the better this site and the forum will become.

Right now we have 21 people signed up on the forum and around 100 readers per day on the blog. Let's double those numbers. On Monday I will have a special location deal for my blog/forum readers. I am also working hard on the main http://www.kickstartvending.com site. I have very high expectations for it.

I want to say something now about the vending industry:
Candy is very important. You need to switch out your candy and try new things when old products are not selling. I know this may be one of the last things on your priority list but it needs to be one of the first. Candy is the bait and we are all fishermen in this industry. Sometimes you need a barbed hook to catch a customer and sometimes you need to let your bait bleed a little bit. Chum the water, try new things, we are evolving.

My new site will be dedicated to getting people started in bulk vending. This is a very profitable industry. I really want people to get in it and try it. Even if it's only 5 machines, try it out. See what it's like to make money while you are at home. We are in a time where job security is not guaranteed. The housing/mortgage market is in a serious crisis. Luckily our main Auto companies GM/Ford are in the black now. It was not that way a year ago.

I can only work so hard, it's your job to take hold of your own life!

Rob

UPDATE: Check out this Baxson guy on the Kick-Start Forums! He just started and he is moving quick! He calls locations while in the car going from place to place locating, wow.

comedy of errors 43/56

Well, I FINALLY placed my machine at Albertsons. It is in the break room and I wanted to put in M&M Peanuts and Mike & Ikes, but of course I forgot to put a second candy wheel in. So I ended up taping a business card over the springs and folded the edges down to cover the hole, I think. Who knows. They may get free M&M Peanuts and they may get none.

I also managed to rip a bag of Mike & Ikes open today and in turn they spewed all over the counter. What a mess. I did spray them with Pam though. Just a light mist. There must be an easier way to do this. Maybe I'll just melt some butter, dump it into a bag with the Mike & Ikes, and shake.

What else happened today. Umm, I placed two machines. One at an auto place that my locator gave me and then one at the Albertsons. I tried some other places to no avail. One pizza place had a 1800vend machine in there. You know this guy doesn't know what he is doing just by the candy in the machine. I don't even know what kind of candy it was but it just looked nasty.

Rob

Building Machines, Again

This is a tedious task, building that is. I have unloaded all the machines and carried them to my patio. That is a task in itself. I just got done building 2 machines and I'm ready to take a nap, haha.

My locator has a location for me but I may not go until tomorrow. I'm working hard on the new site! I think it will do well. I'm excited. Kick-Start Vending baby!

Rob

Miami! 41/56

I went to Miami and picked up some machines today. I traded in my 3 triples for doubles and got 10 more machines. So I came back with 13 machines in all.

I have been working hard on the new www.kickstartvending.com site!! It's not up yet but it will be and I'm getting you KILLER PRICES! I promise, you will not be disappointed. I wouldn't go to all this trouble to offer a trash deal.

What else happened today. Not too much. My loactor called tonight with another location. I'll probably be building tomorrow. I still have to unpack the car that is full of machines. Damn, you have no idea how much those things weigh! A ton.

Check out the forum and sign up if you haven't done so! Why? I'm getting special deals for Forum members when it comes to locating. Yes, that's right. I'm working for you all! Maybe I can get some machine deals too. It's hard to keep up with all this stuff, I tell you.

I don't think there is anything else to say! DOUBLE-HEAD MACHINES ROCK!

The location I got today is a replacement from my locator. So yes, he does replace machines. I didn't have a problem getting him to do that, which was a relief. I was really anxious to get to the replacement part of the locating business to see if he honored his warranty. He has so far. I'll continue to monitor his progress for you guys!

Rob