AFTER nearly 20 years working for the same person, the time came for Graham Garswood to make a crucial decision about his future.

Since leaving school the 38-year-old had worked for a firm called Ideal Vending, but when the owner sold-up Graham decided it was time to go it alone.

Now, a year after he launched Vending Services 4 U, Graham, from Blackburn, said business was booming.

The company provides hot drinks and snack machines for business premises across the north west and Graham believes the decision to invest £40,000 was a sound move.

He said: "I worked for the same person for so long that when that ended I decided I'd have a do myself. It was a big step for me but one I had to take."

With the help of his partner Tracey Judson, the business has grown so much that it has recently relocated to a new unit in Moorings Close, off Bolton Road, Blackburn.

Graham has another full time member of staff to help fill the machines, and has recently taken on another employee to help meet demand .

And with 70 machines rented out to firms, he hopes to keep on expanding the business.

He said: "I had to buy 30 machines the first time around and I've been adding to that as I've gone along. I want to get up to 100 machines over the next five years."

He added: "I just want to keep growing and maybe I'll need to take more people on.

"I've just had to buy a new van because I'm doing so much travelling and hopefully this can continue."