Growing Your Rental Business
The Growth Mistakes That Kill Rental Business Profitability
October 9, 2026
Ryan Keen
Co-Founder, COO @ Big Rentals. I’ve spent 8+ years in the utility trailer industry and now focus on helping equipment rental businesses simplify operations and book more rentals through software and marketplace demand.
Posts by Ryan Keen
126 posts published
Managing A Rental Business
How to Build Standard Operating Procedures for a Rental Business
October 8, 2026
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: RPM Trailer Rentals
October 6, 2026
Rental Software
Why Rental Businesses With Software-Backed Listings Win More Marketplace Bookings
October 5, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
The Hidden Operational Costs of Growth (And How to Plan for Them)
October 2, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Market to Commercial vs. Consumer Customers Through Different Channels
October 1, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When Competitors Copy Your Listings and Pricing
September 30, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Equipment That's Returned Dirty vs. Actually Damaged
September 29, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Customer Claims Pre-Existing Damage at Pickup
September 28, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Building Partnerships With Local Businesses That Send You Customers
September 25, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Photography That Makes Equipment Rentals Look Professional (DIY Tips)
September 24, 2026
Rental Software
How To Get Your Inventory Listed on a Rental Marketplace Automatically — Without Extra Work
September 23, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Document Equipment Modifications or Upgrades for Insurance Purposes
September 22, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
When to Say No to a Booking Request (Red Flags Every Rental Operator Should Know)
September 21, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How A Clear Cancellation Policy Can Make Running Your Rental Business Easier
September 18, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How To Turn Your Existing Customer Base Into A High-Performance Email Marketing List
September 17, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How To Document Equipment and Trailer Conditions to Prevent Conflicts
September 16, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What Documents Should You Require Before Renting Equipment Or Trailers?
September 15, 2026
Start a Rental Business
Why You Need A Separate Bank Account For Your Rental Business
September 14, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Customers Who Try to Return Equipment Early for a Refund
September 11, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
When to Sell vs. Repair: Making Smart Decisions on Aging Equipment
September 10, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Schedule Maintenance Windows Without Turning Away Good Bookings
September 9, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How Offering Discounts on Rentals Can Actually Increase Revenue
September 3, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Cross-Training Your Equipment: How One Unit Can Serve Multiple Rental Categories
September 2, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Set Blackout Dates for Personal Equipment Use Without Losing Revenue
September 1, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Set Up Your Rental Business for Tax Season From Day One
August 31, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Customers Who Want to Rent Equipment They're Clearly Not Qualified to Use
August 28, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Manage Holiday and Special Event Pricing Surges
August 26, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Hire Your First Employee for a Rental Business
August 24, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
The Social Media Content That Actually Drives Rental Bookings
August 21, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Source Quality Used Equipment Without Getting Burned
August 19, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Emergency Rentals: How to Handle Last-Minute Requests Without Breaking Your Schedule
August 17, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle No-Show Customers Without Burning Bridges
August 14, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Set Pricing That Accounts for Payment Processing Fees Without Scaring Customers
August 13, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Balance High-Demand vs. Specialty Equipment in a Small Fleet
August 12, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Group Bookings When Multiple Customers Need Similar Equipment
August 11, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Price Competitively in Your Market Without a Track Record
August 10, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What "Normal Wear and Tear" Actually Means for a Rental Business
August 7, 2026
+1 more
Managing A Rental Business
How to Communicate Price Increases to Existing Rental Customers
August 6, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When Your Most Popular Equipment Is Also Your Most Maintenance-Heavy
August 5, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Set Minimum Rental Periods — and When You Should
August 4, 2026
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: Jester Rentals
August 3, 2026
Start a Rental Business
The Documentation You Need Before Your First Commercial Rental
August 3, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
The Fleet-Size Sweet Spot: When Your Rental Business Actually Becomes Profitable
July 31, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Regular Customer Wants Their "Usual" Equipment on Short Notice
July 30, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Renter Won't Respond Before Pickup
July 29, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Set Your Business Hours When You're Starting Out Solo
July 28, 2026
Rental Software
How Long Does It Actually Take to Set Up Rental Software? (A Realistic Timeline)
July 27, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Train Customers on Equipment Use to Reduce Damage Claims
July 24, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle a Difficult Renter Without Losing Your Cool (or Your Rating)
July 23, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Partial Equipment Failure When You Can't Afford An Immediate Replacement
July 22, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Why Your Booking Confirmation Process Matters More Than Your Pricing
July 21, 2026
Rental Software
How to Switch Rental Software Mid-Season Without Losing Bookings
July 20, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Choose the First Location for Your Rental Business: Home-Based vs. Commercial vs. Storage Yard
July 17, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Damage Claims When Multiple Renters Used the Same Equipment
July 17, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
The Follow-Up Message That Turns One-Time Renters Into Loyal Customers
July 16, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Charge for Add-Ons (Delivery, Hitches, Straps) Without Managing It Outside Your Booking System
July 15, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
The Buffer Time Your Schedule Actually Needs (And How to Calculate It)
July 14, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Set Damage Thresholds That Make Financial Sense for Your Business
July 10, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Renter Leaves a Negative Review
July 9, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Fleet Standardization vs. Variety: How to Balance Customer Needs and Maintenance Efficiency
July 8, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle a Same-Day Rental Request
July 7, 2026
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: WrightWay Trailer Rentals
July 6, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trailer Rental Business?
July 6, 2026
+2 more
Managing A Rental Business
How to Retire Equipment From Your Rental Fleet Without Disrupting Bookings
July 2, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When Weather Cancels Multiple Rentals on the Same Weekend
July 1, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Fund Your First Equipment Purchase: Loans, Leasing, and Cash Flow Strategies
June 30, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Turn a Side Hustle Rental Business Into a Full-Time Income
June 29, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How Local Networking Brings Rental Customers to Your Door
June 26, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Create Payment Plans for Large Equipment Rentals
June 25, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
The Inventory Management Mistakes That Cost Rental Businesses Thousands
June 24, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Renter Shows Up Without the Right Hitch Setup
June 23, 2026
Start a Rental Business
The State by State Basics of What Legal Requirements Actually Apply to Small Rental Businesses
June 22, 2026
+1 more
Growing Your Rental Business
Building Word-of-Mouth Marketing in a Digital World
June 19, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
The Tax Implications of Different Payment Methods
June 18, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Track Rental Equipment Performance
June 17, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Peak Season Demand When You Only Have Limited Equipment
June 16, 2026
Rental Software
The Real Cost of "Free" Rental Software: Hidden Fees Every New Operator Should Know
June 15, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Build a Referral Program for Your Local Rental Business
June 12, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Refunds That Keep Your Customers Happy and Your Cash Flow Healthy
June 11, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Know When a Piece of Equipment Has Paid for Itself
June 10, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Set Weekend vs. Weekday Pricing for Your Rental Business
June 9, 2026
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: Gulf Coast Trailer Rental
June 8, 2026
Rental Software
How to Switch Rental Software Without Losing Your Customer Data or Booking History
June 8, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
The Customer Service Standards That Can Set Your Small Rental Businesses Above The Competition
June 5, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Collect Outstanding Rental Balances Without Alienating Your Customers
June 4, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Use Seasonal Patterns to Time Equipment Purchases and Sales
June 3, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Manage Overlapping Rentals When You Have a Small Fleet
June 2, 2026
Start a Rental Business
Do You Need an LLC to Run a Rental Business?
June 1, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When Customers Shop Your Competition
May 29, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Use GPS Tracking to Manage Your Fleet Remotely
May 28, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Pickup Time Conflicts When Multiple Customers Want the Same Slot
May 27, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Price Your First Trailer Rental Listing
May 26, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Minor Damage That's Not Worth a Claim
May 22, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How Automated Review Requests Turn Happy Customers Into Google Rankings
May 21, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Is Your Rental Business Seasonal? How to Stay Profitable in the Off-Season
May 21, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Walk-In vs. Online Bookings: How to Run Both Without Managing Two Separate Systems
May 20, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How to Test Your Rental Business Idea
May 18, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What to Do When a Renter Returns Equipment Damaged and Won't Pay
May 15, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How to Turn a One-Time Renter Into a Repeat Customer
May 14, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Security Deposits vs. Authorization Holds: Which Is Right for Your Rental Business?
May 13, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Why Customers Abandon Rental Bookings — and How to Fix It
May 12, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How Much Does It Cost to Start an Equipment Rental Business?
May 11, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How Automatic Pickup and Return Reminders Reduce No-Shows and Late Returns
May 8, 2026
Start a Rental Business
What Business Insurance Does a Rental Operator Actually Need?
May 7, 2026
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: TWS Trailer Rentals
May 6, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
How Online Reviews Actually Affect a Local Rental Business
May 5, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle a Rental Damage Claim Step by Step
May 4, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What "Built by Real Operators" Actually Means — and Why Generic Software Falls Short for Rentals
May 1, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Apple Maps Business Profile: What It Is and Why You Should Complete It
April 30, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Why a Signed Digital Contract Is Your Best Protection Against a Damage Dispute
April 29, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Early Returns and Late Fees Without the Awkward Conversation
April 24, 2026
Start a Rental Business
How To Get Your First 10 Rental Customers
April 24, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How Rental Software Makes Pickups and Returns Easier
April 22, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How To Set Equipment Rental Rates
April 21, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What Are The Best Tools For Managing A Rental Business?
April 20, 2026
+1 more
Start a Rental Business
Starting a Trailer or Equipment Rental Business With a Small Fleet: What You Need Before Your First Booking
April 17, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Run a Rental Business Where Customers Never Have to Call You
April 16, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
What a Pre- and Post- Rental Inspection Actually Needs To Include (and Why Photos Aren't Optional)
April 15, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
I Get Most of My Bookings From Facebook Marketplace — Why Do I Need Software?
April 14, 2026
Growing Your Rental Business
Why Repeat Customers Are the Fastest Way to Grow a Rental Business
April 13, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle Sales Tax on Rental Transactions
April 10, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
Serialized vs. Bulk Inventory: How to Track Both Types in a Rental Business
April 9, 2026
Start a Rental Business
Should You Buy New or Used Equipment to Start a Rental Business?
April 8, 2026
Managing A Rental Business
How to Handle a Double Booking Before It Becomes a Customer Problem
April 7, 2026
Rental Software
Why Most Rental Businesses Outgrow Spreadsheets (And What to Do About It)
April 6, 2026