When you can’t find a piece of equipment to rent for a specific purpose, you may buy it yourself. However, your need is now over, and you still have it. Renting it out can save it from gathering dust and be a great side hustle. Matt Withers did this when he needed a trailer to transport a tractor. Soon after, he found Booqable and started renting out as a side hustle.
Bridgman Rentals
In early 2024, Matt needed a trailer to transport a tractor and could not find one to rent nearby in rural Michigan. Around this time, he considered starting a side business and looking into his options. He discovered that trailer rentals require minimal time to manage, especially with the right software. It felt like the perfect time for him to take his first steps into entrepreneurship.
He was convinced this would be a great side hustle to earn extra income and teach his children about entrepreneurship. Matt bought three trailers: an 18x83 car hauler, an 8.5x18 low profile flatbed deck over, and a 6.5x12 tilt bed trailer. This enabled him to start his trailer rental business, Bridgman Rentals. Most of his customers need a specific trailer, so buying one for a single use doesn’t make sense.
Building a website
Part of what convinced Matt that it would be a great idea to start a rental business was Booqable. He came across the software and read about how rental businesses can be run as a side hustle with minimal time. He liked that online bookings and payments could be done automatically, and he would only have to deal with customers picking up and dropping off their trailers.
He quickly set up his website with Booqable’s website builder using the Utility trailer rental theme. It perfectly suited his style, and he only had to add his own time and change the layout slightly. Once he had purchased the trailers, he could easily add them to the inventory and was ready to go. In just four weeks, he went from thinking about a rental business to purchasing and launching all the gear.
Steady growth
Matt is still early in his entrepreneurial journey and wants to maintain his full-time job alongside his side hustle. He plans to steadily grow Bridgman Rentals to achieve $500 - $1,000 monthly in profit. This will enable him to dedicate enough time to the business to support his customers, but also not take a lot of time away from his career.
