Evert-Jan Berends started Bear Cinema Rentals in 2019 after he saw a gap in the market for camera and lighting rentals in the Northern region of the Netherlands. He began with a small test with Booqable, renting out his lighting and camera gear and sub-renting from other filmmakers. Within a year, he saw that it was a profitable business idea, and now, almost two years later, Bear Cinema Rentals is flourishing.
Camera and lighting rentals are among the most popular rental industries in the world. It can be a very lucrative opportunity if you’re willing to invest in the equipment to make it work or have your own lying around. However, in many areas, this role is already served by a few rental businesses, so you’ll be fortunate to find a gap in the market. On the other hand, if you have a passion for film and photography in an area where supply doesn’t meet the demand, then you could be onto a winner like Evert-Jan Berends.
Bear Cinema Rentals
Evert-Jan Berends founded Bear Cinema Rentals in 2019. He was working as a cinematographer for shoots in Groningen, and he often found himself traveling to Amsterdam and Utrecht to pick up the gear he needed. This took up a lot of his time, and he wondered where his colleagues in the area went for their equipment. The answer for them was the same as him, and he thought there must be a market in the North of the Netherlands for camera and lighting gear.
So, it was time to run a small test to see if there was a demand for a camera and lighting rental business in Groningen and the surrounding area. At first, he rented out his equipment and supplemented the stock by sub-renting from other filmmakers and companies. This proved to be a great success, and by mid-2020, it became apparent that it was a profitable venture.
His company now provides customers with everything they need for film and media production. They cater to all production sizes, from small projects to high-end videos, film, and television productions. With the growth in their business, they have massively expanded their inventory, and now 90% of the products they rent out are their own. Customers can rent out a range of cameras, lenses, lighting, grips, and audio gear from brands like Arri, Sony and Blackmagic.
Booqable knows what is available for a given period and also keeps a history of when a piece of gear was rented out.
Strong foundations
Evert-Jan knew from day one that he would need good rental software and a great website to accept orders since everyone works online. So, he looked around and found that Booqable suited his company’s needs the best. By integrating Booqable with his WordPress website, he can easily add new products to the Bear Cinema Rentals website. It allowed him to quickly launch his business and not have to worry about spending a lot of time on integration.
Booqable has provided a central location where Bear Cinema Rentals can track their inventory, orders, and invoices. It has also allowed them to create data reports to track their revenue and expand their inventory. Evert-Jan says, “Booqable knows what is available for a given period and also keeps a history of when a piece of gear was rented out.”
Additionally, it has meant that communication between staff has been strong from the beginning. Everyone can see what orders are upcoming and what products need to be prepared for pickup. “Even when one of us is working in the field, everything is still there so the rest of the staff knows what to do. It just makes our process more streamlined, and we don’t have to double-check if an order is available,” said Evert-Jan.
Confidence in motion
Bear Cinema Rentals is a constantly growing business, and they are continually expanding their inventory to meet the needs of their customers. Every member of staff is active in the film, video and TV field and they always try to use their knowledge to provide the best advice for their customers.
In addition, providing “the best support possible” is a significant motivator for the company. Each piece of gear they rent out is meticulously maintained and serviced in-house. If there is a problem with the equipment a customer has rented, they strive to resolve it as soon as possible. Booqable allows them to do this as they can quickly see what a customer has rented out and find a suitable replacement or repair to offer within minutes.
Just as Bear Cinema Rentals is growing, as is Booqable, and this is something Evert-Jan has expressed his appreciation for. He feels “like all the new and upcoming features are coming from the customers and users of Booqable. And with this, I feel confident that Booqable will be used in our company for a long time.”
