A Scottish man says a vending machine side hustle generated nearly $58,000 in revenue within a year after he decided to look for extra income outside his day job.
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Shabaz Khan, 31, began exploring passive income opportunities in 2023 while working in the charity sector.
After researching different business ideas, he decided to invest in a refurbished vending machine and quickly turned the project into a growing business.
The Side Hustle Helped the Charity Worker Create a New Income Stream
Khan, who lives in Kilmarnock, said rising living costs pushed him to search for additional ways to earn money.
"I looked at what I could do that was semi-passive, like laundromats and parking lots," he said. "I wanted to build something that not only would bring in an additional income, but also the challenge of building something different."
The idea took shape after Khan noticed a friend already operating a vending machine business.
He said the work "didn't seem like a difficult job to do," and around eight months later, he bought his first refurbished machine for roughly $4,800.
According to Khan, the investment paid for itself within 10 months.
Business Expanded From One Machine to Six Locations
As the income grew, Khan began expanding the business into multiple locations.
"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 added. "[We're now] a year out, [and] we're looking to get another couple of locations in the next couple of months."
Khan estimates the business will generate around $58,000 in revenue this year, with approximately $27,000 expected to be profit.
"I fill the machines before work, during lunch and after work. Filling a vending machine takes less than 10 minutes," he said.
Despite the growth, Khan claims the business only requires "four to five hours a week" to maintain.
Still, he stressed that the venture came with a steep learning curve and plenty of mistakes along the way, particularly around stock management and understanding which products sold best.
While Khan has no immediate plans to leave his full-time job, he says he intends to continue growing the vending machine business and adding more locations in the future.
