No business finds success without overcoming a hurdle or two.Just take North Bay Brewery as an example. In 2010, craft beer enthusiasts James Holt, Robert Watkins, and Ron Holt created a brewery-tour company that quickly grew into a thriving venture. But when it came to scaling their operations, they found it challenging to sustain the same level of success.So if you're ever stuck in a rut or facing a problem that you're not quite sure how to solve, just remember — the best small businesses have been in this exact scenario. Perseverance and creative problem-solving are key. The following stories from North Bay Brewery Tours, wildlife tour operator Point Reyes Safaris, and food experience merchant Chow SF showcase why.

1. The struggles of scaling

"When we started, Rob, Ronnie, and I were able to be on every single outing that our bus made," says James of North Bay Brewery Tours. "Since we were utilizing our personal experience and contacts in the beer industry, we knew that having one of us on board would make for an educational and fun tour."But as the popularity of the business continued to grow, James, Robert, and Ron found themselves in a dilemma: they needed to grow the company and hire more employees, while also maintaining the same level of quality and experience they'd been personally providing."Our headache grew when it first became a reality that logistically, we would need to teach others to become rockstar tour guides," says Holt. But they worried: "How do you teach someone to know the people we know, share the knowledge and jokes and stories we want our customers to hear, and keep groups entertained, served, and safe?"Their solution: scaling slowly. The team started by hiring friends and acquaintances in the industry. Over time, the company created a training and on-boarding process to help new team members learn quickly. And it paid off. "They all found a unique voice and perspective," says Holt. "Every tour is a truly unique and different experience, and the number of return customers we see is a testament to that," says James.

Action Tip

Focus on empowering your employees. Give them some freedom to take the reigns and let their personalities shine. Hire a passionate and dedicated team, and give them a chance to lead. To preserve the quality of your experiences and brand as you scale up, consider creating the following tools:

• A training manual and on-boarding process for new hires.
• A one-pager about the history of your business and how it all began to get new hires up to speed. (They should be prepared in case a customer asks.)
• A "cheat sheet" with fun facts for new tour guides to share.
• A customer feedback survey that new guides can use to guide their learning processes.

Hire a passionate and dedicated team, and give them a chance to lead

2. The ability to embrace unpredictable conditions without stressing

Wildlife photographer and tour operator Daniel Dietrich has spent years perfecting his wildlife tour — understanding animal patterns related to hunting, grazing, and sleeping. "Wildlife is unpredictable," says Dietrich, owner of Point Reyes Safaris. "There is no schedule. So there is always that nervousness before each safari. I think I will always have that nervousness."Even though he "does his homework," he's still nervous about each and every tour. But Dietrich explains that the best solution for this nervousness is confidence in his passion, capabilities, and work. He has spent years of his life getting to know the wildlife in Point Reyes Park and remains committed to nature — he will never use bait, lures, calls, or any other method of manipulating an animal."I've put in an incredible amount of time understanding the wildlife my clients hope will see," says Dietrich. "And so far, so great."

Action Tip

There will always be unpredictability for outdoor businesses. Be prepared by taking these steps:

• Have customers sign waivers, and let them know if there's a chance that a tour will be canceled.
• Create a back-up plan (if possible).
• Establishing a network of partners and fellow tour operators. In case bad weather or conditions force you to cancel, you can offer your customers a referral to another opportunity.

3. Acquiring customers and making sure every empty seat is filled

When Andrew Friedland and his team launched Chow SF, an upscale cooking class in San Francisco, he thought it would be easy to fill classes of 40+ people. But despite investing heavily in promotional programs when Chow SF launched in early 2015, customers weren't coming."Based on all my previous experiences and my team's market intelligence, I was confident that there was pent-up demand for upscale chocolate and cheese-making classes," says Andrew. "We have a value proposition that no other cooking course can offer in that we work with chefs who are renowned in their fields."Instead of giving up in frustration, Andrew and his team decided to streamline their customer acquisition process. Rather than making multiple direct sales, the team is now finding opportunities to drive more sign-ups from fewer sales."In starting a company from scratch and with limited resources, it's very challenging to get the word out and drive demand," says Andrew. "We have to be as smart about our sales as possible."

Action Tip

If you're struggling with customer acquisition, here are a few tactics you can try:

• Partner with a local tourism board.
• Target companies or groups rather than individual consumers.

Final thoughts

If you have something to worry about, you're on the right path. All successful businesses face challenges — and these moments will only make you stronger. Rely on the experiences of others to learn as you go. Focus on learning and implementing solutions. So long as you're growing, you'll be successful.

When it comes to marketing your business, there's no better way than through word of mouth. Recommendations from friends and family are the most effective way to earn trust in your business, as, according to Nielsen, 84 percent of people find them to be most effective. But how can you ensure people are passing on the message? Here are three ways to get people talking about your outdoor activity business, both online and face-to-face.

1. Highlight Your Strengths

The number of people participating in outdoor activities continues to rise, with nearly 50 percent of Americans participating in more than 12 billion outdoor activities a year. So it's vital to highlight what makes you unique. What experience do you provide that people can't find anywhere else?What's something your business does that no one else has thought of?For instance, on the website for Dylan’s Tours, a San Francisco business that offers minibus and bicycle tours, the company clearly highlights what makes it stand out. On the site's home page, a video explains how all of Dylan’s tour guides grew up in San Francisco, providing an authentic local experience. Also highlighted on the site is the uniquely intimate size of the company’s small group minibus tours. Dylan’s Tours illustrates what differentiates it in its messaging, which you should also be doing.

2. Work With Your Visitors Bureau

When you search the website of the visitors bureau for Ashville, North Carolina, you'll find a whole page dedicated to No Taste Like Home. The page offers a detailed description of the company and what makes it unique (founded by internationally-known forager Alan Muskat; ranked one of five best travel experiences by Southern Living; founded the first "forage-to-table" program in the United States).It also features special offers, event listings, and photos. This makes it easy for travelers to discover and learn about No Taste Like Home when searching for local experiences. Says Alan Muskat, “chief edutainment officer" of the adventure tour company, “That's been our most consistent bread-and-butter." It pays to build a relationship with your local visitors bureau, and keep them updated on tours, special offers, and events you have planned.

It pays to build a relationship with your local visitors bureau, and keep them updated on tours, special offers, and events you have planned.

3. Solicit and Feature Testimonials

Visit the site of Global Rescue — a company that provides medical and security evacuations to adventure travelers around the world — and you'll read about John Searles. While on safari in Ethiopia, Searles suffered a stroke. With the help of Global Rescue, he was evacuated and underwent life-saving procedures under their doctors' care. Ann Shannon, manager of public relations at the company, says that sharing the stories of people the company has rescued helps spread the word. “It makes my job easy," she says. “The word-of-mouth effect from these members, their friends, family, and colleagues is far-reaching."Generating word of mouth is one of the best things your company can do.You have happy customers — you just need to give them the tools they need to share their experiences and accelerate your growth. How has your tour or activity company succeeded in getting the word out? Share in the comments below.

It doesn't matter if you're running a small business on your own or managing a growing team: making use of an online booking system is a crucial aspect of running your business in this day and age. From streamlining the booking process to facilitating administrative tasks, here are nine ways an online booking platform will help you gain hours back in your day.

1. Your customers can book on their own, 24/7

Revenue generated from online travel bookings has risen more than 73 percent over the previous five years, with 57 percent of all travel-related reservations taking place online, according to research group Statistic Brain. That number is only expected to continue growing — worldwide. Today's consumers are looking for a quick, no-hassle way to book their trips, tours, and experiences. So if your customers aren't able to easily book your experiences online, you are likely losing business to your competitors.

If your customers aren't able to easily book your experiences online, you are likely losing business to your competitors.

By using an online booking system, you allow customers to check your availability, select their preferred dates and times, add their details, and make the payment — all from your own website. Added bonus: you'll capture customers who want to book on their own time, outside of your business hours and while you sleep!

2. You don't have to be on the phone all day

Tour and activity operators receive ceaseless array of phone calls throughout the day, it seems the only way to handle them is hiring additional staff members. It's a fact of the trade — there just aren't enough hours in a day to handle each and every phone reservation coming through.But with an online booking system you can have a calendar. Having a booking calendar on your webpage is just like having a call center handling reservations 24/7. With more customers booking online, you'll reduce the number of phone reservations. And, for the phone reservations that you do take, just click to add new bookings that sync to your calendar and dashboard.

3. You'll give customers your real-time availability - without having to tell them

Many of your customers call or email you to ask that one question: “Do you have availability on this date?" An online booking system, which shows customers your availability in real time (and keeps that information accurate and updated), cuts through that confusion. Making it that much easier for potential customers to find the information they need will lead to a boost in bookings. A study by Corporate Executive Board found that businesses who made the purchasing-decision search easier were 86 percent more likely to make a sale. So that little bit of clarity goes a long way.

4. You don't need to confirm or remind

Your customers may forget what day they booked or other details about their reservation. You may also spend hours sending reminders, information on where to meet and what to bring, and directions to customers. With an online booking system, you can customize emails that will automatically confirm the reservation and send your customers the details about their reservation.

With an online booking system, you can customize emails that will automatically confirm the reservation and send your customers the details about their reservation.

In addition, you can create and set an automated reminder email a few days before arrival to ensure they know what day they are coming and where to go when they get there. This is a simple process that is essential to your productivity and gives customers a professional first impression of your business.

5. You'll have booking and revenue reports at your fingertips

Online booking platforms like Peek Pro allow you to view all pertinent information you'll need for current and future reservations. As soon as a customer books with your company, the reservation details including customer information and payment history is recorded in the system. With just the click of a mouse, you can extract your customer database, review revenue for the previous year, or check statistics such as how many people booked a specific product during the last two months. This will allow you to fine-tune your offerings to increase your revenue.

6. You can find a reservation in record time

You've been there before: A customer calls or emails to modify their booking. Even if you keep detailed records on your computer, you'll spend a decent amount of time searching for the reservation and customer's details. An online booking system eliminates that hassle. With a booking system, quickly look up your customers by name or reservation number. This not only saves you time, but it greatly improves customer service. And since a study by ZenDesk found that 55 percent of people switched companies for a product of service due to a poor customer service experience, this image of professionalism is all-too important.

7. You always have all the required information

An online reservation system not only streamlines the booking process for consumers, but also requires customers to enter all the information you need to complete a booking. That means customers' information (name, email, telephone number, etc) is at your fingertips — and searchable— should you need it. You can even include custom questions in the checkout process for miscellaneous information that you want to gather, such as food allergies, expertise level for the activity, or T-shirt size.

8. You solve the issue of no-shows

It's a scenario no business enjoys, but one all too common in the tourism industry: no-shows. A customer booked with you, doesn't show up, and doesn't inform you. For the business, that means a loss of both time and money. Not only that, but it also means you missed an opportunity to give that spot to another customer. A booking system will give you the option to ask for a deposit, and get paid immediately using PayPal or a credit card. It's easy for both you and your customer, and at the same time it ensures you don't lose money when there's a no-show.

9. You'll attract quality customers while spending less time on marketing

You may be spending too much time and money with social media marketing and online ads without seeing significant conversions. Peek's online booking platform offers a unique way to guarantee large amounts of bookings. Called Peek Pro, it's the only merchant marketing program for activity providers that guarantees large amounts of bookings to ensure that your empty spots are filled throughout the year. You can check it out to learn more about how you can be a part of this program.

Online booking systems bring tour and activity business owners into the 21st century. And when you pair the technology with old-school customer service, your business gets an exciting edge for selling services and filling activities. But before you choose a provider, it's a good idea to consider the advantages and disadvantages of using an online booking system to make sure the software is right for you.

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Advantages of Online Booking Systems

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1. Your business is open around the clock.

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Customers who make a decision to book a tour or rental don't want to wait until you are in the office — they want to lock in the activity on their own schedule. Using an online booking system means that your business is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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2. You can maximize reservations.

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Customers who book their own reservations are more likely to show up, making no-shows a thing of the past. If a customer does need to cancel, the spot automatically opens online, giving another customer the chance to book it. By maximizing your reservations, you won't leave unused activity spots or rentals on the table.

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3. You get paid quicker.

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With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster.

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With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster and helps make sure that on the day of the event you don't have to worry about payment — giving you and your customers more time to have fun.

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4. You're not tied to a phone.

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If a customer calls a tour or activity company and gets routed to voicemail, they may call back later — or they may call their second-choice. Online booking means you capture more potential business because reservations and information are always available. It also means you won't get caught in a dreaded game of telephone tag.

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5. You can effortlessly up-sell add-ons.

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You can always add more guides, offer more activities, or expand your hours to grow your business, but all of those take work. By adding additional perks to your customers, you can easily add extra revenue for your business. Fun extras like photo packages or memorabilia, you can include options to these items in your online booking checkout.

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6. It's easy to manage your calendar.

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Online booking systems allow you to check your reservations and availability wherever you are using any mobile device. You always know the status of your business, and your schedule can be easily managed from a convenient location.

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7. You get valuable insight about your business.

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An online booking system provides you with a dashboard of analytics that help you grow your business. Quickly determine your most popular sellers, the most requested time slots, or even the most popular add-ons by using an online booking system with robust insights. Take advantage of knowing what your customers want most — saving you time and money on offerings that don't help your business grow.

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Disadvantages of Online Booking Systems

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1. You need Internet access.

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If you run tours and activities in remote areas where you aren't able to get on the Internet, online booking might not be for you. You'll need reliable Internet access to check your reservations and to add bookings that are made online.The good news for Peek Pro users is that our mobile apps work offline. This means that you can connect to the internet, sync your bookings, and go to areas with bad reception. In those areas, it doesn't even matter if your internet cuts out - the Peek Pro apps will work.

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2. You need to be ready for an influx of new customers.

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Online booking software is a great way to attract new customers, many of whom prefer booking online from their computers and mobile devices. However, if you're running a small operation without enough staff members or resources to expand your activities, growing too quickly may pose a challenge.

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3. Not all online booking systems are created equal.

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If you choose a provider that offers poor customer service or only a few features, an online solution might be frustrating — especially when you're ready to grow your business. It's important to do your homework upfront and choose an online booking system that is committed to supporting you and your business for the long haul.

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4. Avoid booking systems that don't bring you new quality customers.

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If you're going to invest in a new technology platform and take the time to train your staff, we recommend you choose a booking system that fits all of your business needs — including bringing you a stream of new, high-quality customers. Some booking systems include distribution channels, but they may not attract quality customers who will give you great reviews and refer your business to friends. Make sure you do your research to find a booking system that guarantees a consistent stream of quality customers.

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Now that you've read the advantages and disadvantages of using online booking systems, is the technology right for your company?

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Be sure to check out Peek Pro today, the only online booking system that guarantees new and high-quality customers. Not only will you get our award-winning platform, you'll get online training, 24/7 customer support, and access to millions of potential customers who are looking to book an experience like yours. Learn more about Peek Pro and how it can fit your business.

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Read about Zipline Utah and their success story moving onto an online booking system

Peak season may be great for the bottom line, but this all-consuming period also puts businesses at risk. Being busy demands all your resources, leaving you with little time to implement new strategies, build meaningful relationships with potential customers, and attract loyal customers.The relatively quieter preseason is the perfect time for you to focus on growth strategies. That way when busy season hits, you can focus on what truly matters: offering unmatched experiences for your customers. These five strategies will help you grow your customer base before the frenzy.

1. Build Relationships With Potential Customers

Nurturing leads will put your brand top of mind before the season even starts. These potential customers that you already have a relationship with — those who've booked experiences with you before or are subscribed to your newsletter — are key to the upcoming season. Keep in regular communication with them through weekly or monthly newsletters featuring your services and experiences to pique interest. Or, build your credibility in the market by sharing how-to articles and tips. Customers with whom you communicate on a regular basis are much more likely to respond to your services than cold leads. Forrester Research found that companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more purchase-ready customers at 33% lower cost. To aid you in this process, an online booking system will give you access to a database of all your previous customers and their contact information.

2. Offer Early-Bird Specials

A great way to generate new customers is by offering early-bird specials. This ensures that your spots fill up before your competitors start promoting heavily in the busy season. By using an online booking system, you can create promo codes for your activities and set early bird pricing before to drive the bottom line. Customers who are planning ahead can view your real-time availability and easily apply their promo code to an activity on their preferred date and time. If you don't want to discount your experiences, you can instead offer other incentives to reward customers who book early - a free T-shirt, included equipment rentals, or lunch and drinks on the house

3. Generate Excitement With a Preseason Event

It's a struggle to keep any business booming year round, but especially so for seasonal companies. Generating excitement ahead of the busy season helps you fill up your tours and activities. To do so, host a preseason event to market your business and generate excitement. For example, Winefest holds a popular event called Des Moines Wine Festival each year. To attract customers ahead of the Wine Festival, Winefest hosts a couple of preseason events to get customers talking about what's to come. “The preseason events have been incredibly helpful spreading the buzz and excitement about Winefest," says Natasha Sayles, executive director of Winefest Des Moines. “We've had great success with our Wine Flights and Iron Somm — they help with our overall mission of promoting the wine and food industry in Des Moines. Our summer festival is the core of that.

4. Don't Forget About Previous Customers

Don't lose touch with your current customer base while out chasing new leads. A study by SumAll revealed that 25% to 40% of total revenues from stable businesses came from returning customers. So it's important to build loyalty with former customers — invite them to preseason events, offer incentives to book early, or give them a discount to thank them for any referrals they made in the past. Repeat business doesn't just increase near-term sales — it also increases the likelihood of your business building advocates. Customer advocates will help you drive business in the preseason through word-of-mouth marketing

5. Generate New Customers by Asking for Referrals

Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most effective ways to generate new leads for your business. Most customers (90%, according to Nielson) trust the recommendations of people they know. The key to making sure customers talk about your service: ask for referrals. A successful referral program is all about timing. If you ask your customers for referrals too late, they're unlikely to refer; if they do, their recommendation will be lackluster. Ask customers on the spot or in a follow up email (sent within a week) to refer a friend to your business. You can even customize and schedule those follow-up emails with Peek Pro. Once you have contact information for referrals in your database, build relationships with them by sending regular emails.

Examine the industry's current and future growth, and see how your company stacks up.There's a shift in how Americans are spending their money. Mostly spurred by the proliferation of the Millennial generation, they're now prioritizing experiences rather than material items — saving up their money to go new places and take part in new activities. A large beneficiary of this changing mindset: the recreational rentals industry, whose growth is currently outpacing the average annual growth of other retail and service industries. The industry is made up primarily of businesses renting equipment for people to experience recreational activities, including kayaks, mountain bikes, skis, surfboards, scooters, Segways and even luxury cars.But coming hand-in-hand with the increasing number of people trying these activities is heightened competition, along with additional administrative tasks. While the industry has long relied on traditional pen and paper to take reservations, track equipment and update calendars, with a growing customer base and booming industry, it's time for rental business owners to consider how they can improve efficiency, streamline their services and ultimately set their businesses apart utilizing new technologies.

In this post you'll discover:

• How much the recreational rentals industry has grown, and what experts forecast for its future.
• What that growth looks like on a per firm basis, and whether your business is keeping pace with the industry or falling behind.
• How your firm's annual revenue and operating expenses compare with industry averages.
• How technology can improve your business processes and give you a competitive edge.

An Industry on the Upswing

By and large, Americans are becoming more interested in travel and trying new things. At the forefront of this movement are Millennials, who are almost twice as likely as non-Millennials to travel for a hobby, according to research by the Boston Consulting Group. This generation also travels “more for personal interest, food and wine, entertainment, outdoor activity and shopping than non-Millennial leisure travelers," BCG reports. But this push for new experiences spans generations. The average age of the leisure traveler (those not traveling for business) is 47, and mature travelers — those older than 55 — comprise 36% of the leisure travel population, according to the U.S. Travel Association.For this large swath of the population searching for new activities, the recreational rental business plays a key role in making these experiences come to life. And whether they're renting kayaks, sailboats or skis, their collective revenues have been growing. The industry surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2014, with those revenues increasing by 5.7% annually.. That growth has outpaced the 3.3% annual revenue growth of the broader retail services industry, and placed recreational rentals in the top 40% of all retail industries.The increased popularity of renting combined with the continued interest in experiences bodes well for the industry's near future. Kentley Insights forecasts that the recreational rental industry revenue will grow by 4.9% per year for the next five years.

Boating and Watersports Take Off

While the industry as a whole has benefited from the uptick in rentals, there's one segment of the industry that's exploding in popularity: boating and watersports. In 2013 alone, more than 88 million people — or 37% of the population — participated in some form of recreational boating. That's near an all-time high.Additionally, the public now views marinas as recreation destinations, instead of simply places where people store their boats. And marinas have responded in kind — nearly one-third of marinas now offer boat rentals and 18% provide water-toy rentals, according to research conducted by the Association of Marina Industries.The desire to be on the water has also boosted interest in stand up paddleboards, and opened a new rental market in the process. Stand up paddling was the top fastest growing recreational sport in 2014, according to the Outdoor Foundation's most recent Outdoor Recreation Participation Report. The sport grew by 38% compared to the previous year, with more than 2.7 million participants — many of whom were likely renting their boards from a local shop. That's nearly triple the number of people who tried the sport a mere five years ago.

Is Your Business Keeping Pace?

The recreational rental industry is undoubtedly on the uptick. But knowing whether your business is keeping up with current and projected industry growth can help you determine whether the status quo is sufficient for business growth — or if you need to make changes to remain competitive.

The average revenue per recreational rentals firm was $500,000 last year

According to the Kentley research, the average annual revenue per recreational rentals firm was $500,000 last year. The firms surveyed experienced an annual revenue growth rate of 2.9% over the past three years.But while most businesses were seeing their revenue rise, whether they were actually profitable is a different story. Just 51% of recreational rental firms are in the black, with their average net income representing about 10% of their revenue. The picture may be better for the marinas, according to a survey by the Association of Marina Industries and Dock Age magazine. Of the more than 250 marinas surveyed, 69% reported that they expected to be profitable.For the rental industry overall, operating expenses have grown by 4.8% per year — notably outpacing revenue. Operating costs per firm averaged about $387,000 annually in 2015.So what do rental companies spend their money on? Depreciation and amortization charges for equipment tops the list, followed closely by employee payroll. Combined, those two cost centers account for 70% of total average expenses. Property costs accounts for 6.2% of expenses and IT accounts for just 1.1%.For most rental companies, great employees can make or break the business — which is often reflected in their pay. In 2014, the average employee earned nearly $30,000 annually, with an annual increase of 3.8% over the past three years. That wage puts the recreational rentals in the top 20% of service industries when it comes to employee earnings.One thing that may explain why only about half the firms are profitable: their focus on growth. Companies are putting their revenue toward providing new services or opening new locations. For instance, in 2014 the number of firms grew by 2.8%. Forecasts for the next five years reveal that growth, on average, should remain just under 3% annually. Additionally, the number of rental establishments — which includes multiple locations owned by the same company — also grew by 3%. This figure should continue to increase by 2.3% annually over the next five years.

Technology Offers a Competitive Edge

Today, rental businesses faces ever-increasing competition as existing firms expand and new ones enter the market. And with only half these firms earning profits and operating expenses continuing to rise, many business owners are likely asking how they can get to cash-flow positive faster. Investing in online booking technology may be part of the answer.Online booking has taken the travel and tourism industry by storm over the past few years. For example, global traveling booking has grown at 4.3% annually since 2011, while online bookings have increased by an average of 10% each year, according to research by Phocuswright. And though bookings via desktop still dominate, mobile bookings are quickly gaining ground, accounting for 11% of all U.S. online travel bookings last year.So if you're not yet offering online booking, you're likely missing out on a significant number of quality customers who prefer using the Internet to arrange their equipment rentals. Indeed, many rental business operators report that online booking software not only helps their business grow, but also streamlines their operations.

The benefits of moving your booking online include:

• The ability to maximize your reservations. When you rely on staff to make reservations over the phone, you're limited to bookings only when your employees are available to answer the call or handle a walk-in customer. Online reservation systems allow customers to make reservations around the clock. Additionally, if one of them cancels, another customer can immediately fill that spot — ensuring that your equipment isn't sitting unused because of a no-show.
• An opportunity to maintain or reduce payroll expenses. For most firms, one of the biggest cost centers is payroll. An online reservation management system can help you maintain or reduce the staff you have working reservations, even as you grow, by allowing your customers to reserve online instead of over the phone.
• Improved inventory management. For many merchants, keeping track of what's rented and what is available is a challenge. Online management tools allow you to track all your inventory in one place so there is a single source resource for that information.
• Faster payments. With online booking software, customers typically prepay for their rentals. You don't have to wait for payment, and you have greater insight into your business' pending revenue. That way you can activate deals to fill gaps or reduce staff to cut expenses.
• Easier up-sells. Give your revenue an effortless boost by offering up-sells and add-ons to your rentals — such as dry sacks and wetsuits for a kayaking trip or meal packages for long excursions — as your customers are making their reservations online. Customers will get a fuller picture of your offerings and be able to take advantage of any current deals or packages. And the power of so-called ancillary revenue to boost business in rentals and other related travel is impressive: In the airline and cruise industries, for instance, it can account for 30% or more of a company's revenue.
• Improved time management. Online reservations allow you to check your business' booking and availability in real-time, from any device or location. It enables rental businesses to better allocate their staff, and devote employee time to improving the customer experience instead of manning phones and penciling in reservations.
• Actionable data. Last, but certainly not least, online booking software systems allow you to analyze your business and determine where you're making the most money and where you're losing revenue. With this valuable information, you can eliminate hidden costs — such as maintaining equipment that's rarely rented — and focus on the areas of your business that are most likely to drive growth.

Not all online booking technology is created equal, though. Peek Pro not only provides an award-winning software platform, training and 24/7 customer support, but our tools also help you increase revenue in myriad ways. Peek Pro is the most robust online booking system available for rental firms, with many features specifically built for Rentals. This includes an easy-to-use calendar and dashboard for viewing and managing bookings, equipment availability and more.The rental industry is undoubtedly poised for growth. By staying aware of the trends, and taking advantage of online booking systems and new technology, you can ensure that your rental business follows suit.