Mike Weiss runs SF Snow Closet, a free community snow gear rental service based in San Francisco. The project first started about seven years ago as a way to help families access snow clothing without the high cost of buying items they would only use once or twice a year. Mike and his wife took it over four years ago and kept the mission the same: make snow trips more accessible for local families.
The closet rents out snow pants, snowsuits, bibs, helmets, goggles, jackets, and boots for both kids and adults. Families are their main customers, and jackets, pants, and shoes are the most requested items. Everything is organized on racks in their garage, and rentals are handled online only. With just the two of them running the service, and Mike doing most of the day-to-day work, they needed a system that could handle bookings without adding more hours to an already full schedule.
They chose Booqable as their rental software and clothing rental website to take upfront rental orders. For Mike, the combination of a clear booking page and strong order management removed the manual work that used to slow everything down.
Transitioning to online bookings
Before switching systems, Mike relied on Google Sheets and a form. Renters would fill out their details, and then he had to manually decide which specific item to assign, check availability, and update the sheet. “It was miserable,” he says. “Long, tedious and frustrating.” What should have been a quick process often took an hour or more.
Here’s how it works now. Using Booqable’s booking page, Mike now lists all available snow gear with clear photos, sizes, and rental periods. Families can see exactly what’s in stock, select their dates, and submit their request online. The system automatically tracks availability and assigns the right item, so there is no more guesswork.
And because the booking page works as a clothing rental website, he did not need to build something from scratch. Everything runs through a simple online storefront that connects directly to his inventory.
This achieves a few important things for SF Snow Closet:
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Customers can check real-time availability and reserve items themselves
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The system automatically allocates products, removing manual decision making
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All bookings are organized in one place with clear pickup details
The result is practical and immediate. Instead of sorting through spreadsheets and trying to match sizes by hand, Mike just checks the confirmed booking and pulls the gear from the rack. What once took over an hour now takes minutes.
Saving hours each week with order management
The second major challenge was keeping track of renters and orders. With everything in a spreadsheet, it was easy to miss details or lose track of who was picking up what and when. For a free community service with limited time and no extra staff, that created constant stress.
Booqable’s CRM and order management system changed that. Every booking automatically creates a detailed order with customer information, rental dates, and the assigned products. Mike can filter bookings by pickup date, check order status, and notify renters when their gear is ready. What used to involve cross-checking forms and spreadsheets is now handled inside one dashboard.
This achieves three key benefits for the team:
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Customer details and rental history are stored in one organized profile
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Pickup coordination is faster with clear order statuses
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Availability is always up to date, reducing mistakes
“It took all the guesswork out,” Mike explains. “Now we just have to go pull the merch, notify the renter and coordinate pickup. Easy.” The time savings have been enormous. Jobs that once felt overwhelming are now quick, repeatable tasks that fit into his daily routine.
Growing a community service with the right tools
SF Snow Closet may be a free service, but it runs with the same care as any professional rental business. By using Booqable as both their ski rental software and clothing rental website, Mike and his wife have built a system that supports families without adding extra administrative work.
Looking ahead, Mike hopes to expand the model into other community lending categories like birthday party supplies, puzzles, and even power tools. Each could have its own subdomain and be managed separately, all within the same system.
For now, the focus is on helping families get out to the snow without worrying about cost. And with the right booking page and order management tools in place, that mission is easier to manage than ever. As Mike puts it, “It’s super easy to manage bookings and availability. The flexibility and time saved is enormous.”
