As a teenager, I admired her as she had a busy house full of happy kids and was simultaneously incredibly entrepreneurial. She made thousands upon thousands of puff-paint t-shirts out of her garage in the 90s and sold them at craft fairs statewide. She was always involved in some creative enterprise. She is the kind of woman who does whatever it takes to get something done and get it done right. I’ve long looked up to her as a woman with many incredible talents and wonderful creativity.
Today I had a chance to sit down with her to chat about a new direction she may be taking in her most recent venture: an event styling business. While she has styled many events over the years, purchased chair covers by the dozen, and procured enough crystals to bedazzle a ballroom, she is thinking about shifting gears a bit. We met today to talk about her goals, her extensive collection of inventory, and how she wants to continue to infuse her creativity in the celebrations she gets to be part of. Our conversation centered on ways to separate rental services from styling services as well as how to become more profitable with less legwork.
As a result of our conversation, I thought I’d write a little about my experience in the event rental industry. In the next few days, I’ll post some specifics about each of these aspects but to begin with, here is my Recipe for a Successful Event Rental Business:
I’d love to say this is an old family recipe that has been tested over generations. While it wasn’t passed down from my grandmother, this is a formula I’ve developed through almost a dozen years in the event industry. I tried my own hand at a few tactics with varying levels of success. I’ve seen many event businesses come and go. I’ve even been able to observe event rental businesses all over the world as R.W. Elephant has grown to include clients throughout the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. This recipe was developed through all of those experiences.
In my chat with Janet, I hoped that she heard some of the insight I’ve gleaned from my years in the event industry. But what I wanted to communicate even more is that an event rental business can be built a number of different ways. The thing that will make hers unique and desirable is Her. Lots of people can follow a recipe but only she can and will do it in her own particular way. I truly believe that infusing this recipe with her unbounded creativity and impeccable style will make for an enduring enterprise.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading more about my recipe development in the coming days and I’ll be eager to hear what works for you as well.
Happy Renting!
-ARH
