For many entrepreneurs, the pandemic was the perfect opportunity to start their own businesses, with many choosing to get into rentals. Kris Crevier and Dave Walton took this opportunity when they started their electric bike rental business in early 2021. They were able to get started very quickly by setting up online bookings and managing their inventory with Booqable.
Tofino Electric Bikes
In late 2020, while stuck at home, Kris and Dave started planning their own rental business on their laptop. They decided electric bikes would provide the perfect opportunity as this was the first time anyone offered such a service in his local area of Tofino, British Columbia (BC). They provided mobility and a chance for people to explore nature, while travel was still a limited activity.
Tofino, BC, is an idyllic location with 40km of paved multi-use paths connecting the Tofino and Ucluelet communities. This excellent path goes through the Pacific Rim National Park in a UNESCO biosphere reserve. As such, it provides uninterrupted natural areas for people to explore by bike, and electric bikes expand that opportunity for them to see as much as possible.
What surprised them was how many older people with mobility issues used their service. They make up most of their customer base, but they found getting people back on bikes and into nature rewarding. In the past year, they opened a second location after establishing Tofino Electric Bikes as the leading activity rental business in the area, allowing them to expand their operation.
Online bookings and communication
One of the most important aspects of starting a rental business is being able to accept online bookings. This is especially true at the beginning when you don’t have a dedicated location for people to visit. They searched for an online booking solution that could be implemented quickly, allowing them to manage inventory, payments, and communication alongside bookings.
They found that Booqable was the best solution for their needs and now can’t imagine running their rental business without it. Thanks to the WordPress plugin, they quickly integrated online bookings with their website. This allowed them to get up and running quickly while providing customers with a streamlined booking system with online payments.
In addition, they have found email communication features to be a crucial aspect of their business. It has allowed them to create email templates to send to customers quickly, so they don’t have to spend much time communicating with customers. This has been particularly successful in enabling them to quickly ask customers to leave a review after they return their bike.
Continuing to grow
Kris and Dave have been able to establish Tofino Electric Bikes in a very short time and is now planning its expansion. They recently opened a second location and have plans to open more in the future. Booqable has been crucial to this growth, allowing them to set up this new location quickly. They also plans to expand the team as they currently manage everything.
