The most successful rental businesses are often born out of the founders’ passions. This was certainly the case for Meg and Mark Seaman, who combined their love for biking with their passion for their community. In 2023, they started an e-bike rental business on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. When they needed a better way to track availability and accept online bookings, they turned to Booqable.
South Beach E-Bikes
Meg and Mark have always enjoyed biking together. Intrigued by the growing trend of electric bikes, they wondered if it could be a hit in their unique small island community, which thrives on tourism. With Mark’s extensive knowledge of bicycles and batteries and Meg’s expertise in small business ownership, they founded South Beach E-Bikes in 2023.
Starting with a modest fleet of 12 Vtuvia Reindeer step-thru fat tire e-bikes and operating without a storefront, they offer a distinctive e-bike rental service. They deliver the e-bikes directly to their customers and pick them up when the ride ends. The service attracts men and women of all ages eager to explore Hatteras Island, visit landmarks like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, explore the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve, and enjoy charming fishing villages.
South Beach E-Bikes stands out by catering to a specific niche in its area. It provides a unique and tailored service without a storefront and offers just one carefully selected e-bike model suited for the island’s varied terrain.
How many bikes are available?
While growing South Beach E-Bikes, Meg and Mark found keeping track of their inventory challenging. As bookings grew, it became more difficult to know which bikes were rented out and which were available. This meant a lot of time was spent ensuring everything was correct. They wanted to find a system that made this process less manual and allowed for online bookings.
Their search for easy-to-use rental software led them to Booqable, which automatically tracks inventory levels. The amount of available stock is automatically updated when a booking is made, whether manually or online. This has led to significant time savings and helped ensure every customer is satisfied with their service. It also prevents bikes from being double-booked with warnings.
In addition, they created a brand-new rental website with Booqable’s website builder. They chose the e-bike-focused theme Charge as the base of their website and customized it with their own layout, colors, branding, and content. Since launching their new rental website, they have not only seen an increase in bookings but also an increase in the length of rental periods.
The sky is the limit
Meg and Mark have seen great success with South Beach E-Bikes and have big ambitions for the future. They would love to be able to transition away from a deliver-only service to having their own storefront. This will allow them to offer a broader range of e-bikes for customers to rent. Additionally, they are interested in designing their own beach-style e-bike to sell on the market exclusively to other e-bike rental companies up and down the East Coast.
