Man, 31, Made $58,000 in a Year by Working Only 5 Hours a Week on His Vending Machine Side Hustle

Shabaz Khan said he decided to start a side business amid rising cost of living expenses

NEED TO KNOW

• A man said he started a vending machine business after becoming concerned about the rising cost of living
• The charity worker said he began with one refurbished vending machine and has since expanded the business to six locations
• “It was a very steep learning curve. I made mistakes,” he said

A man said he made about $58,000 in revenue in one year thanks to a vending machine side hustle.

Shabaz Khan said he began looking for ways to supplement his income as a charity worker in 2023 when he realized the cost of living was increasing faster than his salary. "The price of everything is just going up,” he explained, per Kennedy News and Media. 

Khan, 31, said this prompted him to start looking into passive forms of income. 

"I looked at what I could do that was semi-passive, like laundromats and parking lots,” he recalled. 

“I wanted to build something that not only would bring in an additional income, but also the challenge of building something different,” he added.

Khan, who lives in Kilmarnock, Scotland, said he began researching vending machines after talking to a friend who owned one, so he decided to take the plunge and purchase a refurbished machine of his own eight months later.

"I thought this doesn't seem like a difficult job to do,” he explained.

Khan said that his business quickly expanded.

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"I started in April last year with one machine, then within the first month I secured a second location, and that went to six locations,” he said. “[We’re now] a year out, [and] we're looking to get another couple of locations in the next couple of months.”

Khan said he spent about $4,800 on his first vending machine and claims he made the money back within 10 months — which he said “for any business is brilliant.”

He went on to share that he expects to make approximately $58,000 — $27,000 of which will be profit — in the overall business this year.

Khan said that the entire endeavor takes him no more than four to five hours a week.

"I fill the machines before work, during lunch and after work. Filling a vending machine takes less than 10 minutes,” he said.

While Khan considers his business a success, he also stressed that establishing the business took work and a willingness to learn.

"It was a very steep learning curve. I made mistakes,” he said, adding, “[I had to learn about] managing stock and understanding what sells best and what doesn't.

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Khan said that his current plan is to purchase more vending machines and that as of now all profits go back into the business. He also said he has no plans to take the business full-time anytime soon, despite the high profit margins.

"My full-time job is still my main focus. I love what I do,” he said.

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