The Routine Revenue Podcast

Three years ago we bought a small vending route for $230K. That was way too much for a business doing under $120K a year. Then we ran it badly for a year. Then one phone call took away the market that made up 40% of our revenue, and we gave serious thought to selling.We went all in instead. We ripped out every vending machine and rebuilt around micro markets, AI coolers, and coffee service. Last month we did $83,600, our first $1M run rate.In this episode:What really happens when you buy a “passive” small businessWhy we were throwing out hundreds of dollars of expired product every weekThe numbers that convinced us not to sellHow switching to AI coolers doubled our average transactionCompeting with the private equity firms buying up the vending marketChapters:0:00 – “You’ve got three days to get out”2:00 – Buying a vending route after leaving my W-24:00 – “It’s just snacks”: the rough first year6:00 – Our first micro market7:00 – Sell it or bet on it8:30 – Going all in on AI coolers10:00 – Custom sourcing, coffee, and the $1M run rate12:00 – Lessons + what’s nextRead the full write-up on Substack: https://bit.ly/40SOav8If you know anyone in Salt Lake City or Utah County with a breakroom that needs help, send us a note: www.stockedvendingco.com/contact

We’re about to cross year 3 post acquisition of a 40-year-old electronics distributor business... here’s the full update

Please like & subscribe. If you enjoyed this, check out content here: Blake's LinkedIn $0-$1M Blog Shideler's LinkedIn Summary In this conversation, Shideler Bennett shares his entrepreneurial journey, detailing his transition from aspiring dentist to successful franchise owner of Crumble Cookies. He discusses the challenges and strategies involved in rapidly expanding his business, the importance of understanding franchising risks, and the dynamics of funding and partnerships. Bennett emphasizes the significance of proven experience in potential partners and explores diversification opportunities beyond food and beverage. He also touches on the role of real estate in franchise operations and offers insights into building a successful business. Chapters 00:00 The Journey to Entrepreneurship 03:03 Navigating the Franchise Landscape 06:05 Challenges of Rapid Expansion 08:58 Understanding Franchising Risks and Rewards 12:11 Funding Your Franchise Venture 15:04 Exploring Diversification in Business 18:01 Real Estate Considerations for Franchise Owners 20:54 Building Partnerships for Success 24:12 Future Plans and Opportunities

Chapters 00:00 My Journey of Small Business Acquisition 02:47 Facing the Harsh Realities of Small Business Acquisition 05:59 The Emotional Toll of These Challenges 09:07 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth 11:54 Looking Ahead: Optimism and Persistence

Eyal Toledano launched a small angel fund to buy and grow micro-SaaS products for freedom and profit. He’s sharing the whole journey at microangel.so. In 2021 Acquire’d a company called Reconcilely for $148k. Listen to how he negotiated the price and decided it was the right business for him. https://twitter.com/EyalToledano https://www.linkedin.com/in/eyaltoledano/ https://microangel.so/

SummaryBrock Grossbeck shares his experience acquiring two businesses, Deep Cuts Lawn Care and a Murphy Bed business. He started with Deep Cuts Lawn Care, a small business he bought from his uncle for $4,000. He worked part-time on the business while still employed full-time. In the first season, he made an extra $3,000 a month by mowing lawns three days a week. He then transitioned to running the business full-time. Later, he acquired the Murphy Bed business with the help of family funding. Brock shares his day-to-day activities and offers advice for others interested in acquiring businesses. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:02 Acquiring Deep Cuts Lawn Care 09:07 Transitioning to Full-Time 28:34 Running Two Businesses 43:40 Advice for Others

SummaryIn this episode, Matt Pitkin shares his journey of acquiring a laundromat and starting a SaaS business. He discusses how he transitioned from a nonprofit to entrepreneurship and the challenges he faced along the way. Matt also talks about the revenue and potential exit of his SaaS business, as well as the renovation and growth of the laundromat. He shares insights on managing a laundromat from a distance and provides advice for investing in laundromats and generating passive income. Takeaways Transitioning from a nonprofit to entrepreneurship can be challenging but rewarding. Starting a SaaS business requires understanding the market and finding the right niche. Acquiring a laundromat can be a profitable investment with the potential for growth. Renovating and improving a laundromat can attract more customers and increase revenue. Managing a laundromat from a distance requires reliable staff and systems. Taking action and learning from experience is key to building passive income. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:18 Starting a SaaS Business 06:06 Building a SaaS Product 10:17 Revenue and Potential Exit of SaaS Business 12:12 Acquiring a Laundromat 25:43 Revenue and Operations of the Laundromat 28:34 Managing a Laundromat from a Distance 35:51 Advice for Investing in Laundromats and Passive Income Connect with The Routine Revenue Podcast: Subscribe for future email updates here Connect with the host, Blake Harber on LinkedIn Follow Routine Revenue on X - https://twitter.com/routinerevenue

David started his career in finance, working as an equity trader at JP Morgan (2007- 2011), a project manager with Goldman Sachs (2011-2013), and a private equity associate with The Aclaime Group (2013-2014). Following seven years in finance, David enrolled at BYU in 2014 to earn his JD and MBA while on full scholarship. Following his first year of law school, David earned CFA charter in 2015. In late 2015, during his first semester of business school, David purchased his first food-related small business and started applying many of the principles he learned while working at two of the world’s largest companies. David found that his passion was working on Main Street (instead of Wall Street) as he learned to grow and operate a small business. Since graduating from BYU and working a brief stint at Hanesbrands as a Treasury Manager (2017-2019), David has launched KAM as a vehicle to acquire, operate, and grow high quality Utah-founded food concepts. David is passionate about his vision to grow KAM into Utah’s premier owner and operator of best-in-class, hospitality-focused food concepts.