A man from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, has claimed he boosted his annual income by £43,000 through a vending machine side business that requires just four to five hours of work per week. Shabaz Khan, 31, started the venture in April 2023 after growing concerned about rising living costs.
Khan spent eight months researching the vending machine industry before purchasing his first refurbished machine for £2,400, plus £400 in stock. He named his business SnackZone Vending and secured a location inside a care home. Within the first month, the machine generated £854 in sales, allowing him to reinvest and acquire five more units.
In its first year, one machine produced over £10,000 in revenue. Khan now operates six machines and expects total annual revenue of approximately £43,000, with around £20,000 in profit. He recouped his initial investment of £3,500 within ten months.
Despite the success, Khan has no plans to leave his full-time charity job. He reinvests all profits back into the business. “I’m yet to take any money out of the business,” he said. “I just want to grow it as much as I can.”
Khan spends about four to five hours per week restocking machines, often fitting it in before work, during lunch, or after work. He described the venture as “semi-passive” and noted that filling a machine takes less than ten minutes.
