Rental management
Rental seasonality: how to earn and not lose money in winter
Published
A summer rental earns for four or five months and pays for storage and premises all year. The good news: the off-season can make the next season more profitable.
Add a winter line
- Skis and snowboards, skates, snow tubes — if there are rinks and slopes nearby.
- Outdoor gear for winter and spring trips.
- Tools — demand all year.
- Repairs and storage of customers' own equipment — using the same workshop.
Long-term rentals and installments
E-bikes and scooters can be rented to couriers for a month or sold in installments — a steady income off-season. Track such agreements, their payments and returns separately.
Service the fleet
- Fully service each unit and record what was done.
- Retire units whose repairs cost more than they earn.
- Store batteries half charged and top them up every month or two.
Plan the next season with data
Look at last season's reports: which units were busiest, which tariffs sold, which days had queues. Buy what was in demand, not what seems popular. See utilization and profitability.
Work with your customers
Last season's customers are the cheapest audience. Email them in spring with early booking and a promo code, and let them book ahead with online booking.
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Read also
- How to start a SUP or bike rental: costs and paybackWhere to start a rental business: location and fleet, startup costs, a payback example, paperwork and automation from day one.
- A customer damaged or did not return equipment: what to doStep by step: what to do when equipment comes back damaged, the customer is late or disappears. Withholding the deposit, a written claim, the police and how to prepare.
- QR labels on equipment: checkout and return by scanA ProkatOS guide: print QR labels for bikes and equipment, scan with a phone or barcode scanner and hand out equipment in seconds.