As the owner of a party rental business, you probably know how important it is to be well-organized in every aspect of your work. If you accidentally double book an event, lose track of how much inventory you have, or forget to send an invoice, it could be problematic for your business and your clients.
Fortunately, there are a number of online party rental platforms that can help you stay on top of the dozens of tasks related to your business; everything from project management tools, online invoicing, client communication and more.
If you have been thinking about trying one of these platforms but find yourself wondering “What software is best for a party rental business?” you are in the right place. In this guide, we will start by going over many of the general tools and features to look for in party rental business software. Then, we will take an in-depth look at five of the best party rental business software programs, including their pros and cons, along with our recommendation for what we feel is the clear winner.
What to look for in party rental business software
As you start the research process and look into the many different party rental business software platforms that are currently available, you will quickly realize that these platforms are definitely not created equally. Some offer only a few features, while others are more in-depth but can be difficult to learn and hard on the budget.
Ideally, the party rental business software platform that you choose should offer a wide variety of key features and tools, all wrapped up in an extremely user-friendly platform. This will allow you to not only manage all of your bookings and projects in one place, but also easily communicate with your clients, accept payments and much more.
For example, features that are important for your party rental business software include:
- Online booking and scheduling capabilities
- A mobile-friendly app that makes it easy for you to work while at events and/or when you’re out of the office
- Invoice and payment processing that lets clients securely pay their bills through the platform
- Specialized automation for events
- Real-time inventory tracking
- The ability to manage client inquiries and other communications
In addition to these tools, party rental business software platforms should also offer the following:
Free trials
A free trial is another option that is definitely beneficial when choosing an event rental system software program. An event rental software free trial means you can use the platform for a certain amount of time at absolutely no risk or cost to you. If it works out for you, great! But if you find that it’s not as intuitive as you wish or has a steep learning curve, the party rental software free trial can be canceled, and you can give another one a try.
Minimal learning curves
Speaking of a learning curve, this would be something you may wish to avoid when choosing which party inventory and tent rental software to use for your business. You are plenty busy as it is, and may not have the time to learn a complicated online platform.
Easily customizable portal
As noted earlier, party rental businesses are not all the same, so you definitely don’t want to use a platform that is generic and looks “cookie cutter.” Your platform should allow you to add your own photos, customize your email templates or change the colors to match your company’s brand and/or logo.
Robust security for payments
To save time and hassle, your party rental business software platform should allow you to invoice your clients and receive payment. To set your clients’ minds at ease about sensitive and personal data being stored and used, the platform you choose should offer outstanding security and privacy. Look for one that provides secure payment transmissions as well as privacy features that means only you, or your trusted employees, can access client information within the portal.
Now it’s time to take a look at five party rental business software programs, including some of their plusses and minuses; as well as which one we feel comes out on top.
HoneyBook
When it comes to party rental business software, HoneyBook is definitely a top contender. This intuitive online platform is perfect for party rental business owners who need to keep track of client communication and inquiries, contracts, payments and more.
Pros of HoneyBook
- A user-friendly interface that is simple to set up, and does not require a steep learning curve
- All-in-one management, which means you can keep track of contracts, communications, invoices and more in one place
- Professional client portals that offer outstanding experiences for your customers
- A robust app that makes keeping track of bookings, payments and more from your mobile device easy
- Invoices can be sent and paid directly from the highly-secure HoneyBook platform
- A free, no-risk trial
- Templates are easily customizable with your own logos, text, colors and more
Cons of HoneyBook
- It is designed for users in the United States and Canada, so if you have clients overseas it may not be the best option
- It offers basic reporting and analytics, as opposed to more in-depth information
- Payment processing has sometimes been reported as slow, but this may also be because clients are taking a few days longer to pay
Goodshuffle Pro
Goodshuffle Pro has earned good reviews for being a user-friendly party rental software platform.
Pros of GoodShuffle Pro
- Users report that the platform is simple to navigate, both for the business owner and the clients
- Real-time inventory tracking
- Online payments are available
- Good customer support
Cons of GoodShuffle Pro
- While the platform is pretty user-friendly once you get used to it, learning how to use GoodShuffle Pro takes a lot of time and effort
- The cost for this platform is on the high side, which can be prohibitive for solopreneurs or smaller party rental businesses
- There is no mobile app available, which makes keeping track of inventory and bookings very difficult when working out of the office
- Organizing projects by specific information like starting dates can be difficult to do
Tripleseat
Tripleseat is a cloud-based event management platform that helps to organize and streamline contracts, bookings, proposals and more. It can be used by both venues and party rental business owners.
Pros of Tripleseat
- The centralized platform lets you keep track of client communications, bookings and invoicing all at once
- Online contracts that clients can sign remotely
- Online invoices that clients can pay through the platform
- Customizable templates
Cons of Tripleseat
- The platform is expensive, which may be prohibitive for many party rental businesses
- Setting up the platform is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort to learn
- The email platform can be glitchy, with messages to clients ending up in spam
- Mobile offerings and features are very limited
Planning Pod
This all-in-one event management system features helpful tools that can make keeping your party rental business inventory and bookings well-organized.
Pros of Planning Pod
- Inventory can be tracked through the platform
- Invoicing, contracts, venue management and other tools can be managed through Planning Pod
- You can customize your templates and workflows based on your client’s specific event
- It is less expensive than other platforms
Cons of Planning Pod
- Planning Pod does not offer a free trial
- The platform is not organized in an intuitive way, with some of the features being difficult to find
- There is a sharp learning curve to the software
- Some of the reporting tools are very basic, and do not provide a lot of details
Curate
Curate is a specialized software program that helps event professionals to manage their client proposals, inventory and pricing all in one central location.
Pros of Curate
- It allows you to customize and create highly detailed and eye-catching proposals for your clients
- It is effective at tracking inventory
- It offers an online payment platform
- Excellent customer support
Cons of Curate
- Setting up the online platform takes a lot of time and there is a steep learning curve for new users
- The cost is high
- The platform can be clunky to use at times, and can sometimes be glitchy
What software is best for a party rental business?
After taking a close look at five popular party rental business software platforms, including their pros and cons, we feel that HoneyBook comes out on top as the best software for a party rental business.
HoneyBook is exceptionally user-friendly and requires a very short learning curve, which means you won’t have to take hours out of your already-busy days to learn how to use it. Your clients will also find that the software is simple and stress-free. Also, you can use the software to communicate directly with your clients, and you can effortlessly keep track of your bookings, events, invoices and more, all from the intuitive platform.
HoneyBook is also easy to customize to your business and its logo, colors and more, and it comes with a generous free trial period. From its outstanding user experience, wide variety of useful features and excellent client communication options to its user-friendly interface and much more, we feel HoneyBook is the best choice for busy party rental business owners.
