London Video Camera Hire (LVCH) had humble beginnings as a three-person team renting out one camera to make some extra money. This, of course, required little effort, but after they rebranded their business and their inventory and equipment grew, the admin work became unbearable. They decided they needed software to manage it, and with Booqable, they have been able to achieve a much more manageable experience.
Homegrown British films and television series saw a massive increase heading into the 2010s, seeing the demand for good equipment skyrocket. This phenomenon has led to an explosion in camera rental companies across the UK, especially London. LVCH saw the opportunity before it developed and could capitalize on the trend and become one of London’s most prominent camera rental providers.
London Video Camera Hire
London Camera Hire was founded in 2013 by Mike Stride, Marcel Henc, and Jay Grosvenor while they were working together. The primary focus of the business is filming and editing content for clients across the UK. However, they saw the opportunity to make some money on the side by renting out their equipment. This began with just a single camera and has expanded to a large assortment of cameras, lenses, lights, grips, sound equipment, and accessories.
Mike noticed some remarkable changes in the industry at the start of the 2010s, expanding their business to a great extent. “People got used to capturing images themselves, which usually leads to low-res footage, unsuitable for professional use. So we enter the picture when they need quality content, gearing them up with the right equipment for the job.”
As the number of customers increased, so did the admin work, and it began to get to the point where it was difficult for them to deal with. They had to keep track of hundreds of orders going across the UK among the three of them. Ensuring equipment was ready and sent to the right place began to cause issues with their business.
Simplified workflow
Of course, staying organized and preventing human error became a concern to the business as the problem would only develop more as it grew. So they decided it was time to sign up for rental software to remedy any issues before they became disruptive.
With the number of customers increasing, the team signed up for Booqable. Mike recalls that they were attracted to Booqable because “the system simplified our workflow, meaning we could create an easily accessible customer database, and stay on top of our stock.”
Better than ever before
The use of trackable items prevents equipment loss, and packing slips help them do a final check-up before each hire package leaves the building. “Along with invoicing, contracts, and packing slips, Booqable allows us to do everything from one place, making our workflow better than ever before.”
They continue to accept requests through their website via a simple form but now manage their bookings through the Booqable workspace. This allows them to check availability easily, create quotes quickly, and assign them to their managed customer database. Now, they always know when, where and who has their equipment with a simple glance.
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