LBO was founded in Offenburg, Germany, when Ralf bought a storage facility and decided to turn it into a rental business. He wanted to provide affordable self-storage in a region with very few low-cost options.
The warehouse offers units between 5 and 18 sqm, with monthly rental rates starting at €60. Customers from the surrounding area value the flexible monthly terms, convenient ground-level access, and free use of trolleys and forklifts.
Running the business in the early days was challenging. Managing bookings with Excel and email created stress for the small family team of about ten part-time members. It was difficult to keep track of inventory, avoid errors, and complete administrative work quickly.
After renovating part of the warehouse, the family also modernized the back office. By adopting Booqable’s storage rental software, they gained a system that could handle bookings, contracts, and inventory in one place, so they could focus on scaling their rental business.
How the business runs today
LBO presents its storage units as “your personal basement room,” offering lockable spaces, flexible access during opening hours, and a straightforward rental process. Customers now have two ways to make a booking. They can go directly to the LBO website where Booqable’s product cards show live availability and pricing for instant online reservations.
Alternatively, they can call or email the team to arrange storage, with staff entering the booking into Booqable on their behalf. Once an order is created, staff can move it to reserved status, which immediately removes that unit from availability and prevents double-booking. The order is then scheduled on the dashboard, and a rental contract is generated and ready for signing. This system ensures that both online and offline bookings are managed in the same place.
Booqable provides LBO with:
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An embedded booking option on their website with live availability and pricing.
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The ability to reserve units directly, taking them out of availability.
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Digital contracts generated and stored for every rental.
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No need for manual tracking or time-consuming admin tasks
What was once a stressful manual process is now simple to manage. Customers have more choice in how they book, and staff spend less time juggling paperwork.
Organizing orders and inventory
Inventory management was one of LBO’s biggest difficulties before adopting Booqable. Using Excel led to mistakes, delays, and uncertainty about which units were available. With Booqable’s order and inventory management system, every rental is tracked in real time. Staff can view live availability, see bookings on the product calendar, and manage order statuses directly from the dashboard.
The system also makes manual order creation easy. Staff can add a new or existing customer directly from the order page, select rental dates, and instantly see which storage units are available to reserve. From the same screen, they can charge or register payments, add extra order information, and update details as needed. Orders can then be moved through different statuses, from reserved to picked up to returned, as time goes on.
The integration with the LBO website means customers and staff see the same up-to-date information. Online product cards display unit sizes and pricing so customers can choose and reserve storage instantly. For those who prefer to call or email, the team enters the booking into Booqable, ensuring everything stays synchronized.
This system achieves:
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Accurate tracking of all storage unit availability.
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A significant reduction in errors caused by manual spreadsheets.
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Clear visibility of confirmed and upcoming orders.
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Consistency between online and offline booking methods.
The result is a reliable structure that removes the old problems of delays and errors. LBO can now grow its customer base with confidence, knowing every unit and order is accurately managed.
Rental contracts and signatures made easy
Rental contracts were another time-consuming part of the process before Booqable. Preparing paperwork, chasing signatures, and storing documents took extra effort for the small family team. With Booqable, contracts are automatically generated for every order, complete with LBO’s rental terms, logo, and bank transfer instructions.
Customers receive contracts by email, but they can also sign digitally in person using a staff member’s device. This makes it possible to confirm bookings immediately when customers are onsite. All agreements are stored securely in Booqable’s database, ensuring nothing is misplaced.
For LBO, this provides:
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Automatic generation of professional contracts for every booking.
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Email templates to help quickly send agreements to customers
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Ability to digitally sign documents from the desktop or Booqable mobile app.
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A secure database where all contracts are stored.
This change has removed delays and reduced back-and-forth communication. Rental agreements are completed in minutes instead of days, supporting the business’s reputation for being flexible and uncomplicated.
Scaling a family-run storage business
LBO’s story shows how a small, family-run storage business can scale with the right software. What began with spreadsheets and email is now a modern booking process that covers online reservations, inventory management, and digital contracts.
With Booqable’s storage rental software, LBO has fewer errors, less admin, and more bookings. Customers benefit too, with the choice of booking online or contacting the team directly, and always receiving reliable service at affordable rates.
