My income is better than when I was working at the bank!

FRANCHISE OWNER DIARY: Dale Panter, Kent

My Snack-in-the-Box (SITB) vending machine franchise continues to turnover £2,400 a week despite the current economic climate. I recently expanded my business by purchasing 10 more vending machines, which takes me up to 108 machines. In the next three to four months I intend to use SITB's telesales canvassing service to site my machines in new locations so that, ideally by the end of this year, I have 115 machines operating across my territory. Long term I would like to see 125 vending machines sited, this being the maximum number of machines I can comfortably service by myself in one week.

I have been a SITB franchise owner for three years now and have not been disappointed. I originally purchased the Kent-based SITB franchise from a friend who found he wasn't suited to being self-employed. At the time I was facing redundancy and liked the idea of being my own boss. I could see a way of turning my friend's negatives into positives.

I love being my own boss because I can now fit work around my family commitments and if I want to take a holiday I do not have to request it. Initially I paid myself a small salary while I was building up the business but now my income is better than it was when I was working at the bank!