First steps to internet startup - save and make $ on active outdoor gear

[thor800]

Greetings all,

I made http://www.equipify.me to help people save $ on buying new active outdoor gear (camping, skis, kayaks, surfboards, skateboards, etc).  This is the first version out and all in all cost about 100$ to make including servers, hosting, domains.  Great learning experience too !

Rent your gear out and make some extra $. 

Rent other people's gear and save some $.

Feedback much appreciated !

[arebelspy]

Interesting.

I like the site's look/design.

Best of luck to you.

[Paul der Krake]

That's awesome. I had been toying with the idea of setting up a site like this for a while. Not necessarily outdoor stuff, but things you typically need only a couple times a year. During my brainstorming I hadn't found a foolproof way of guaranteeing the integrity of people's belongings, coming from someone who doesn't even let my siblings use my surfboards. I'd be curious to see how you solved that problem. AirBNB is still growing despite a couple scandals last year so I'm sure it is solvable.

Best of luck from a fellow programmer who needs to grow a pair and start his own hustle. :)

[thor800]

We had alot of plans to start an opt-in insurance type policy and guarantee people's gear, but the site itself took long enough to build and wanted to get an MVP out there asap to gauge people's interests.  Right now we are hoping that the community will be respectful enough to handle issues on their own and limit the number of problems. 

It's more or less up to the users based on how comfortable they feel with lending out their gear.  Your brand new Al Merrick might not be the best option, but another board you might not use as much could be better !

Just start small - some basic itch you've been meaning to scratch. 

Or better yet, if you have some ideas - feel free to shoot me an email sepp.jeff@gmail.com

[mindaugas]

Neat idea. I See you're considering handling the transactions, but right now the true benefit might be vetting. If you have the resources to vet the people renting out their equipment and then give them some sort of rating that might be a good place to start without spending a ton on payment processors and software development. Maybe some advertising at events like recreational cycling rides and w/e else people do with all that stuff. I only ride a bike myself, I'm not sure if they have get togethers for kayaking, camping, etc.

Also, is this a local thing only or are people shipping across the nation? Is there skiing where you're at?

[Bullseye]

I've thought about starting a gear rental business for expensive, but rarely used stuff.  Airplane packs for bikes, cargo bikes for moving, high end bike racks, moving bins, etc.  Could do it with low overhead, advertising on Kijiji, Adwords, etc.  Start out very small and home based, see how it goes.

Have you thought about just buying the gear yourself to rent out?

[mindaugas]

I've thought about starting a gear rental business for expensive, but rarely used stuff.  Airplane packs for bikes, cargo bikes for moving, high end bike racks, moving bins, etc.

I see this stuff on the local craigslist for rental here all the time. Also big in tourist places like Hawaii.

[thor800]

The only issue with buying the stuff and renting it out would be the scaling issue.  How would someone in California get the stuff if I lived in Colorado ?  Plus the capital expenditure and depreciation of gear issue.

Making people's existing gear available to others potentially taps much larger amounts.  Plus geographically some activities are more popular than others (think surfing in Colorado) so there is a better chance of finding what you want.

It all started when I was on a surf trip to SanDiego.  I didn't want to bring a board due to pricey airline fees and it took me hours to find a rental shop with what I wanted.  Previously I bought a board, used it for a week or two, then had to sell it back - which was a pain in the ass.  I knew there were tons of people in the area probably with lots of extra stuff.  Why wasn't there an easier way to connect ?

Anyway thats how it started and definitely a work in progress.  Really appreciate the feedback !  Keep the ideas flowing

[arebelspy]

The only issue with buying the stuff and renting it out would be the scaling issue.  How would someone in California get the stuff if I lived in Colorado ?  Plus the capital expenditure and depreciation of gear issue.

Same problem Craigslist had to start.

Start small, in one location, and grow from there.