How small rental companies can move beyond Excel and build the systems they need to grow.
Running a rental business is no small feat. One minute you’re tracking inventory, the next you’re scheduling pickups, handling maintenance issues, chasing payments, and fielding customer questions. It’s a lot—and many small businesses try to manage it all with spreadsheets.
But there’s a problem: rental is a whole different beast.
Unlike standard inventory, your products don’t just go out the door and stay gone—they come back. That adds a whole new layer of complexity. Availability is constantly changing, timing is critical, and even a single double-booking or missed return can throw everything off. Excel wasn’t built for that.
Inventory was a nightmare. Keeping track of everything in a spreadsheet almost ruined us.
Reddit user, r/sweatystartup
So what’s the smarter move? Automation. Let’s break down why it matters—and how small rental businesses can finally take control.
Why Excel Fails Rental Companies
Spreadsheets are flexible, sure. But they weren’t built for the complexity of rental. You need to manage:
- Availability over time: Knowing whether an item is in stock next Tuesday to Thursday, not just today.
- Bundles: Grouping items together, while tracking each component.
- Returns and maintenance: Marking when an item is damaged, unavailable, or needs cleaning.
- Recurring billing: Sending automatic invoices for long-term rentals.
With Excel, these processes become error-prone, time-consuming, and impossible to scale. There’s no real-time view of your inventory, no automated workflows, and no central source of truth.
Learn more: Automate Your Rental Business
Automation Is How Rental Businesses Grow
To grow a rental business, you need a system that does the heavy lifting. That’s where rental software comes in. With TapGoods, you can:
- Track every item—including those in bundles—in real-time.
- Avoid double bookings with smart scheduling.
- Automate quotes, invoices, and payments.
- Set up automated final or recurring payments.
- Enable online checkout and credit card payments.
- Manage maintenance, returns, and customer history—all in one place.
I just moved to TapGoods from spreadsheets and holy crap the difference. I didn’t even realize how much time I was wasting.
r/smallbusiness, July 2024
And here’s the kicker: TapGoods starts at just $19/month.
Small Business? Big Power.
TapGoods isn’t just for national rental chains. It was built to work for the solopreneur just getting started and for multi-location businesses managing millions in inventory.
- Affordable: TapGoods PRO starts at $19/month.
- Flexible: Designed to handle tools, equipment, tents, chairs, AV gear, and more.
- Scalable: The same system used by growing companies with multiple warehouses.
And if you rent in bundles? TapGoods lets you track every component in a bundle—so nothing gets lost, double-booked, or forgotten.
How to Move from Spreadsheets to Rental Software
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Audit your current system
List what you’re tracking today: inventory, quotes, invoices, returns. Where are mistakes happening?
Step 2: Identify your pain points
Are you double-booking? Losing items? Chasing late payments? Spending too much time quoting?
Step 3: Sign up for TapGoods
Get started at tapgoods.com. Plans start at $19/month.
Step 4: Import your data
Send us your inventory and pricing, along with your customer list—we’ll take care of the setup for you.
Step 5: Automate
Set up online checkout, recurring billing, maintenance alerts, and email templates.
Step 6: Grow
Track performance. Spend less time on admin. Focus more on customers and growth.
Ready to Ditch the Spreadsheets?
Scaling your rental business starts with getting your systems right. Spreadsheets were a good start. But they won’t get you to the next level.
With TapGoods, you can:
- Run your business more efficiently
- Avoid costly mistakes
- Win back hours every week
- Be ready to grow
Try TapGoods today. Automate Your Rental Business
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re experiencing double-bookings, lost items, manual invoicing headaches, or customer miscommunication, software can save time, reduce errors, and help you grow.
Yes. As your rentals grow in volume or complexity, tracking availability, bundles, and maintenance in Excel becomes time-consuming and error-prone. If you’re juggling more than a handful of items or bookings at once, it’s probably time to upgrade.
Not at all. Modern rental software is built to be intuitive. Most platforms guide you through setup, and many offer support if you need help.
TapGoods supports a wide range of rental businesses—from event rental companies to tool, equipment, and AV rentals. Whether you’re solo or operating across multiple locations, TapGoods can scale with you.
Not at all. TapGoods was designed to work for small businesses, with simple tools to get started and pricing starting at just $19/month.
You send us your inventory and customer list, and we do the heavy lifting. Most small businesses are up and running within a few days.
Yes! TapGoods lets you manage bundles—while tracking each individual item inside them—so you never lose track.
Absolutely. You can accept credit cards online, automate final or recurring payments, and track customer balances all in one place.
Our support team is here to help you get started, troubleshoot issues, and get the most out of TapGoods. We’re rental-industry pros who know the challenges you’re facing.