We're excited to announce our latest addition to EquipCalendar, a new report called the Inventory Sales report. It was suggested by one of our users, an event solutions company, and is a great new tool for any customer who loves analyzing sales data.
Criteria
Enter a start date, end date, specify the group by (Day, Week, Month or Year) and status (Quoted, Confirmed or Both). The report can preview the data or export it to CSV (Comma Separated Values).
Preview
Period: Date, Week, Month or Year
Inventory: The name of your product
MaxQty: The maximum available quantity of the inventory item/product.
Inactive: Inventory status.
Events: Number of events the inventory item/product is scheduled for in that period.
Rentals: Number of units rented in that period.
Avg Price: Average price of each unit rented in that period.
Avg Sale: The average total sale amount for all events in that period.
Grand Total: The total sales for all events in that period.
Print
No matter whether you use a PC, tablet or smartphone, our reports will provide a nice printable format for use on that device.
Export to CSV
The above CSV export is for the Day grouping (group by). It also has columns for Year, Month, Day and Day of Week for further analysis. What you see above is what you'll get when you export this report to CSV (Comma Separated Values).
When you work in the rental industry, it’s important to show off the products you have available for hire. Customers want to see what they will get for their money, and why you are the best company for them. Whether you’re offering baby equipment, table/chair linen or even party hire, you can use Twitter to showcase your equipment for hire. Here are three effective tips to help.Add Photos Regularly
Twitter allows photos, and many people benefit greatly from using them. The tweets with photos stand out in other people’s newsfeeds because there is less to read. These posts also show up on the left side of the screen in a profile, attracting attention to them. Show off your rental inventory in separate photos, adding them regularly to your stream to let people know just what you have.
Have Videos of Equipment in Use
Not everyone will realize they need to hire your equipment. The best way of showing them they need it is by showing them how to use it. Like photos, videos stand out on the social media site, making it a great use for equipment rental companies. Have videos of customers using your equipment or how-to videos to show how they’re used.
Show Previews of Upcoming Equipment
The rental industry is constantly changing, and you are likely adding new equipment to your rental inventory. Why not show previews of the equipment you have coming. If you have new linens for chair covers, you can show off some of them. If you have new party hire, include a few sneak peeks before the full reveal. This type of thing gets people interested and excited about the new equipment. They’re more likely to keep an eye on your Twitter stream and your business for when the equipment is fully available.
Twitter is an extremely powerful tool for business. When it comes to equipment rental, you can use it to showcase everything you have. The three tips above will get you started on ideas to get potential customers excited.
If you aren’t already on Pinterest, then you don’t know what you
are missing out on. Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites
and what makes it so useful for rental businesses is that Pinterest users are
spending money on the products they find on the site.
So what are the basics you need for getting the most out of
Pinterest?
Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Before you start your Pinterest page, you need your website to be ready to go. If your pins don’t lead back to somewhere then they aren’t going to be useful for your business. Of course, you’ll want to have inventory pages but don’t underestimate the power of blog posts when your preparing to launch your Pinterest. Make sure there are pinnable images on every page of your website, not just your inventory pages.
Create your business account.
Don’t make the mistake of making a personal page when you need a business page. Business pages provide you with a lot of tools you’ll need to make the most out of your Pinterest account including analytics, the ability to add the “Pin It” button to images on your website, and the ability to create Rich Pins which allow a lot more control over the information a pin provides. Its worth spending a day reading through the guides on the Pinterest for Business site to make sure you are making full use of what Pinterest offers you.
Use the right pictures of your inventory.
Pinterest is a completely visual medium which means if you aren’t using fantastic pictures you aren’t going to drive any business to your site. To get the most bang for your buck, you want pins to be about 600px wide. Whatever you do, make sure your pin isn’t pixelated or grainy looking when it goes on to your board. It also doesn’t hurt to brand your pins at this point. Add a logo or some text on to your image to make sure your customers know what the pin is about.
Get creative with your boards.
Don’t just show people your inventory, create boards showing how your inventory can be used. Maybe show a board of complimentary local vendors you work with often, like locations that can be rented for weddings, et cetera. You should have a board for “Tips” that compliment whatever business you vend—something to make people click on your links in the first place. People really love weddings and DIY boards, so, if you can find a way to incorporate those, do so.
Remember, Pinterest is there to help your business tell a story. Don’t post everything all in one day, but, as you find content to express who you are as a rental business, let the content speak for you and enjoy the results!