Start a U-Turn Franchise Business

Life is good for Aaron Schmitz, of Orlando, Florida.

He’s his own boss, he works only 20 hours per week (mostly from home), he’s able to be home during the day with his baby daughter while his wife goes back to school, and he’s got over 700 employees making money for him around the clock every day of the week.

It’s no wonder people constantly ask Aaron how they can have that kind of life.

He sums it up in one simple word: vending.

That’s right, Aaron owns and operates a vending machine business with over 700 machines on his route. The vending machines act as his “employees”, working 24/7 to make him money.

Aaron also pays someone to service his route, performing routine maintenance and restocking the machines with candy.

“I’ve always liked the idea of having people work for me,” says Aaron, whose previous careers include working construction and selling real estate. “I like the freedom this vending business gives me.”

Before starting his home-based business, Aaron researched a number of companies that sell vending machines. The company he chose was U-Turn Vending.

“I really liked their machines,” he notes. “They have the best on the market, especially ‘The Terminator.’ It’s a two-level, eight-select machine that spins around. It really stands out if it’s next to other machines and people are drawn to it because it offers more selections.”

Aaron also chose U-Turn because they offered much more than vending machines. They gave him support and advice on starting his vending business.

“They don’t just sell you machines and then that’s the last you hear from them,” he explains. “They really want you to be successful, so they have a support center that works with you to make sure you get all of your questions answered.”

One of the biggest questions U-Turn gets is, “How do I find locations for my machines?”

“You can choose to locate the machines yourself. We have brochures available to our customers which help with locating. A list of suggested business types and a telephone script are available as well. We also have a very extensive training that covers locating and a list of professional locators if you don’t feel you want to do it yourself,” says Randy Francis, General Manager of U-Turn Vending.

While many people add machines over time, Aaron wanted to start his business in a big way. Within four months he had over 700 machines.

He used a professional locator but quickly realized he could find locations and place his machines just as easily. In fact, he was so successful at it that he started his own professional locating business, Sunshine Children, which locates machines in areas outside of Orlando, such as Daytona and Lakeland to name a few.

“I work with a number of entrepreneurs who don’t have the knowledge, time or means to place their machines,” he explains. “A lot of people who have jobs and busy lives buy vending machines that end up sitting in their garages because they don’t have time to find locations.”

And, he says that in this business, location is everything, which is why his services are in demand.

He estimates that his own machines bring in anywhere from $15 per month to $180 per month. If they drop below $15 per month, he pulls them from their location and finds a new one, opting for high-traffic areas and businesses.

Most of the locations on Aaron’s own route don’t charge him anything to have his machines in their place of business. He admits that only two out of 700 locations request a percentage of sales, but most see the value in having U-Turn’s “Terminator” in their store.

“A lot of times store owners tell me people come in just to buy candy. That gives their business exposure to people who many not have come in otherwise,” says Aaron. “It’s a payoff for them; it adds value to their area.”

When Aaron isn’t working on his vending business or locating machines for other vending business owners, he can be found at home with his family.

He says having a home business has really made it easier now that they have an 11 month old baby. His wife was able to go back to school and they didn’t have to find childcare because Aaron can be home during the day.

“I fit this vending business into my life, not the other way around,” he shares. “I don’t have to work during ‘9 to 5’ hours; I can do this at night, on the weekends. Mostly it’s office work, buying candy and getting it ready.”

Aaron does caution that this is not something where you can “wave a magic wand and automatically be rich.” Instead, he says it can take six months to a year to get everything running smoothly, but notes that U-Turn’s support center makes that process easier.

“This is the kind of business that gives you many options,” Aaron says, summing up why it appealed to him so much.

“You can do it all on your own, you can get your family in on the business, or you can pay someone to place your machines and find someone else to take care of them. It’s your decision because you’re the boss and that’s a great feeling.”