With things finally getting back to some normality, we hope that all our bike rental managers have had a fantastic summer! Now with autumn just around the corner, it’s once again time to start preparing for the off season.
Bookings might start dropping off, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do. Read on to find out our top tips for surviving the off season and how to keep your bike rental business going all year round.
Hopefully, yoyo has been helping you keep on top of all the necessary maintenance and repairs, but we know summer can be a bit of a whirlwind! If there are any tasks that you haven’t had the chance to do yet, then now’s the time to show your bikes some TLC. Give your fleet a full service, checking every item in your inventory and making any necessary repairs or upgrades.
While you’re at it, check out your reports to see which bikes have been the most profitable, and which have been holding you back. If there’s one bike that regularly needs repairing, then it might be time to upgrade.
If you’re not sure where to start, here is our bike maintenance checklist to help get you on your way.
Once your fleet is in tip-top condition, you can reassess your business and implement any changes. Were there any problems that customers regularly ran into? Did you have enough bikes to meet demand, or should you consider adding e-bikes to your fleet? What about offering add-ons? These little extras are a great way to boost the average value of your bookings while keeping customers safe.
It’s also worth thinking about your current venues. If one venue performs better than another, then try to pinpoint why so that you can put a plan together to try and boost your bookings. If you’re already doing everything you can think of, then would it be worth investing more of your fleet into the one that’s more popular? Or is there another venue that might be worth exploring?
This is a great opportunity to evaluate all areas of your business and make any changes that could help you conquer the next peak season.
As customers disappear for the winter, competition will become more fierce. Offering seasonal prices could give you the edge, but this could also lower the value of your services in the long run. An alternative option would be to create a whole campaign designed to promote your business instead.
Combining discount codes and promotions with social media is a great way of drumming up excitement and getting your name out there. This will in turn increase your social presence, bringing in more customers all year round. Plus you can use your social media to let customers know what the weather is like and post photos of current rides, inspiring them to head out to the tracks when they might have otherwise stayed home.
Keep the pennies rolling by exploring new avenues of income. You and your team are experts in bike maintenance, so you could try sharing that knowledge. You could offer bike repair services, or even offer bike maintenance workshops.
This is a great way of setting yourself up as an expert, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to create a community centred around your business. And teaching your riders how to fix a flat tyre will only improve their future experiences with you out on the tracks.
Off season might be quiet, but there’s still plenty of work to be doing in preparation for next year! Organising your booking systems and paperwork is a great way of making sure you’re ready, and yoyo can help with that. Our software was designed to make life easier for bike rental managers all year round, and while you’re carrying out maintenance would be the perfect opportunity to get your free trial set up.
Head here to learn more about how we can help, and if you have any questions, our team would love to hear from you.