Finding ways to make additional income from your hobby is always great. Kelly Veltri is a filmmaker who has amassed much equipment throughout the years. He rented out gear with a business partner for a few years but started again when that partnership turned sour. With the help of Booqable, he has taken his new business to the next level.
Video.Equipment
Kelly is a filmmaker based in Kelowna, Canada, who has amassed a lot of film equipment throughout his professional career. He had the idea to rent out this equipment while it was not in use to other local filmmakers and partnered with someone to create a business. Unfortunately, this business did not work out, so he returned to the drawing board, this time working alone.
He devised a business plan, built a website, and began marketing services from zero again. In his area, he was already known as the “gear rental guy,” so he was able to attract many of his previous customers. This meant that practically overnight, his new business had become the area’s biggest and most trusted rental company.
Now, he rents out his excess gear to local content creators, independent filmmakers, photographers, local video companies, traveling production companies, and other creatives. In addition to his own equipment, he also runs a co-op operation where he lists equipment from other creators, which allows him to decide which additional equipment he should invest in for his own business.
A lifesaver
When Kelly started planning his business, he knew he needed several aspects to get it right. Among these, the most important were the ability to accept online bookings, track inventory, easily invoice customers, and track the performance of his equipment. He tried many different rental software offerings and found that Booqable provided the best experience for his business.
He has integrated Booqable with his WordPress website to accept online bookings. This is then connected to the calendar on his computer, allowing him to wake up every morning with his coffee and easily plan his day. He can also invoice customers for these orders with a few button clicks, allowing him to get paid faster through charging credit cards and security deposits.
In addition, reporting has been a huge advantage for Kelly as it allows him to see what gear is doing well. Even if he does not own the gear, he can see what he needs to purchase more to increase his income. This also lets him know which items are not performing so he can sell them and invest in better-performing equipment.
Bigger and better
Kelly has built his own business from his previous rental experience. Booqable has helped him automate bookings, become more organized, and make better investment decisions. His customers find it hard to believe he is a one-man band, and from his website and their experience, they presume he has a whole team running the business. In the coming years, he hopes to move out of his garage and into a retail space to run his operations.
