Gather and Celebrate Event Rentals

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Executive Summary

Gather and Celebrate Event Rentals is a party and event rental company in North Carolina. We rent tables, chairs, linens, tents, inflatables and party games for birthdays, weddings, school fairs, church events and community festivals. We deliver, set up and pick up, so the host can enjoy the day instead of hauling chairs.

Why this fits. People host events all year, from backyard birthday parties to school carnivals and weddings. Few households own 60 chairs, a tent or a bounce house, and they do not want to buy them. A local company with clean equipment, clear prices and a crew that arrives on time wins repeat bookings from the same families, schools and churches and referrals from caterers and planners.

Here is what our numbers show. In Year 1 we plan about 160 table, chair and linen package events, 34 tent and large setup events and 180 inflatable and game rentals. That brings in sales of $230,400, growing to $721,112 by Year 5 as we add inventory and crews. We expect a loss of about $21,200 in Year 1 because the rental inventory and truck are paid for before the calendar fills, then a profit of about $30,100 in Year 2, $57,000 in Year 3 and $123,200 by Year 5. Most of our events happen from spring to fall, and the plan keeps cash for the slow winter months.

We need $176,000 in total. Of that, $124,700 is startup costs (tables, chairs, linens, two tents, three inflatables, a used box truck and trailer, a warehouse deposit, a license and insurance), and the rest is cash for the first months. I am putting in $101,000 of my own savings and asking for a $75,000 equipment loan.

I am Brianna Cole, the owner and operations manager, with seven years in event work, including four years as an operations lead for a rental company who scheduled crews and managed deliveries. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Gather and Celebrate Event Rentals is a small, independently owned party and event rental company in North Carolina, planned as a limited liability company (LLC). We serve homes, schools, churches, nonprofits, businesses and event venues in our metro area and the towns around it.

Our mission. To make hosting easy, with clean equipment, honest prices and a crew people are glad to see.

What we believe. A rental is only as good as the delivery. We clean and check every item after each event, count everything at drop-off and pick-up, arrive in the time window we promised and tell customers plainly what they are responsible for. We are careful with safety, especially for tents and inflatables, and we say no to a setup that is unsafe.

What we offer:
- Table, chair and linen packages. Tables, chairs, linens, napkins and place settings by the piece or in packages, delivered and picked up.
- Tents and large setups. Frame tents, canopies, flooring, lighting and staging for weddings, festivals and fundraisers.
- Inflatables and party games. Bounce houses, slides and yard games, with an attendant option.
- Planning help. A short checklist of what to rent for the guest count, with a written quote.

Who we serve. Families, wedding couples, schools, churches, nonprofits, caterers, event planners and small businesses.

What we do not do. We do not set up tents or inflatables in high wind, on unsafe ground or without the customer's agreement to the safety rules. We do not rent to anyone who will not sign a rental agreement, and we do not leave equipment without a drop-off plan.

How we are run. I am the owner and operations manager and I drive and lead setups. Two delivery and setup crew members work with me from Year 1, and the crew grows as bookings grow. A booking coordinator joins in Year 2. An accountant keeps the books.

Where things stand today. We have quotes for the inventory and a used box truck, a warehouse lease offer, a rental agreement reviewed by an attorney and early interest from a caterer, two school parent groups, a church and a wedding planner. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Hosting an event takes a lot of equipment that most people do not own. Folding chairs and tables take up storage. A tent or a bounce house is a large one-time expense. Buying it all is not an option for most hosts, and borrowing from friends is unreliable.

Customers also report problems with rental companies. Items arrive late or dirty, the count is wrong, the quote did not include delivery or setup and the company does not answer the phone on the day of the event. Smaller companies may not have enough stock for a busy weekend, and larger ones may charge high minimums.

Rental is also a business with real risks. Equipment is expensive, it wears out and it can be damaged by the customer. Safety is critical with tents and inflatables. Events cluster on weekends and in good weather, so the calendar is uneven and the crew is idle at other times.

For a new owner, the hard parts are the cost of inventory and a truck before the first booking, building trust with planners and venues and getting enough weekends booked to pay the crew. We have to be careful not to buy more inventory than we can rent.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Event rentals are a real, steady business in our area, and good service earns repeat customers. We do not know how fast bookings will grow, so our plan assumes a loss in Year 1 and cash to cover it. We will use current local numbers on events and competing companies in our final plan and will not overstate them.

Products & Services

Gather and Celebrate Event Rentals will give hosts clean equipment, clear prices and a crew that shows up on time.

How it works, step by step:
1. Quote. The customer tells us the date, location, guest count and what they need. We reply with a written quote that includes delivery, setup and pick-up.
2. Booking. The customer signs the rental agreement and pays a deposit. We hold the items for that date.
3. Prepare. The day before, we pull the items, count them, wash or press them and load them on the truck in the order they will be unloaded.
4. Delivery and setup. Our crew arrives in the agreed window, checks the site, sets up and walks the customer through the layout. For tents and inflatables, we anchor and inspect to the safety rules.
5. The event. The customer has a number to call if something is needed.
6. Pick-up. We return at the agreed time, count the items and take them away, so the host does not have to clean up.
7. Check and clean. Back at the warehouse, we inspect, wash and repair every item.
8. Follow-up. We ask for a review, note what the customer rented and send a reminder before the next season.

Why this approach is strong. Hosts value being on time and not having to do the work. Clean, counted equipment avoids arguments over damage and missing pieces.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: families, wedding couples, schools, churches, nonprofits, caterers and event planners in our metro area and the towns around it.

Our primary group is people hosting parties and events with 25 to 150 guests. Our secondary group is schools, churches and community groups that hold annual fundraisers and festivals, and caterers and planners who need equipment but do not own it. We will use the most recent local numbers on events, weddings and competing rental companies in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan about 160 table, chair and linen events, 34 tent and large setup events and 180 inflatable rentals in Year 1, growing to 430, 98 and 520 by Year 5. Our Year 1 prices are about $760 per package event, $1,850 per tent event and $255 per inflatable rental, rising about 3% a year.

Demand data. Early interest from a caterer, two school parent groups, a church and a wedding planner covers part of the first season. We do not count on any one customer. Events are busiest from late spring to early fall, and winter is quieter.

We do not take every booking. We pass on dates we cannot staff, sites that are unsafe for tents or inflatables and last-minute large orders that would pull stock from a regular customer.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for hosts, and what makes us different.

- Large national rental chains. They have large stock and set prices. We offer a local team and flexible packages.
- Other local party rental companies. Some are very good. We compete on clean equipment, clear quotes and responsiveness.
- Buying the items. It makes sense for a regular host. For most people, renting is cheaper for a single event.
- Borrowing from friends, schools or churches. It is free but unreliable. We offer a guaranteed count and a delivery time.
- Venues that include equipment. Many do. We serve backyard events, schools and venues that do not.

What makes us different.
- A written quote that includes delivery and setup.
- Equipment that is washed, counted and inspected for every event.
- A crew that arrives in the time window we gave.
- Safety rules for tents and inflatables that we follow every time.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger companies have bigger inventories and more trucks. We plan to earn trust one event at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach customers.

Caterers, planners and venues. We will visit caterers, wedding planners and venues, bring a price sheet and sample linens and ask to be on their preferred vendor lists.

Schools, churches and nonprofits. We will meet parent groups, church administrators and fundraising committees and offer a discount on an annual event.

Online. A website with photos, an easy quote form and online booking, a Google business listing, reviews and social media with photos of real events.

Shows and referrals. We will take a booth at one or two wedding and party shows a year and offer a referral discount to customers who send a friend.

Pricing. About $760 per package event, $1,850 per tent event and $255 per inflatable rental in Year 1, quoted in writing with delivery and setup included.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Setup (the 3 to 4 months before the first event). We will form the LLC, get an EIN, open a business bank account, get the business license and sales tax registration, lease the warehouse, buy and test the inventory, outfit the truck and trailer, set up the reservation software, write the rental agreement and safety rules and hire and train the first crew.

The warehouse. A rented warehouse bay for storage and cleaning. The plan counts $24,000 a year in Year 1.

Staffing. In Year 1: I serve as owner and operations manager and lead setups. Two delivery and setup crew members, counted as full-time equivalents and paid $29,000 a year each, work with me. The crew grows to 3 in Year 2, 5 in Year 3, 6 in Year 4 and 7 in Year 5. A booking coordinator, paid $30,000 a year, joins in Year 2.

Costs. Cleaning, linen service, fuel and wear are about $135 per package event, $420 per tent event and $42 per inflatable rental in Year 1. Truck fuel and maintenance are about $12,000 a year, insurance about $6,500, marketing about $12,000, software about $1,800 and repair and replacement of worn items about $9,000.

Safety. We check ground, wind and overhead lines before setting up a tent or inflatable, anchor every unit to the manufacturer's rules and give customers an attendant guide. We will confirm any permits required for larger tents in each city.

Payments. Customers pay a deposit when they book and the balance before delivery. A few businesses and schools pay in about 18 days.

Insurance. We carry general liability, commercial auto, inland marine coverage for the inventory and workers' compensation.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Gather and Celebrate Event Rentals.

Brianna Cole, owner and operations manager. Seven years in event work, including four years as an operations lead for a rental company, where she scheduled crews, managed deliveries and handled customer calls. She leads sales, scheduling, safety and finance. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Delivery and setup crew (from Year 1). Load, deliver, set up, tear down and clean equipment, with safety training for tents and inflatables.

Booking coordinator (from Year 2). Handles quotes, reservations and customer questions.

Outside advisors. A caterer, an event planner, an attorney, an accountant, an insurance broker and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner and operations manager $38,000, delivery and setup crew $29,000 per full-time equivalent and booking coordinator $30,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before the first event (3 to 4 months ahead): sign the warehouse lease, get the business license and sales tax registration, buy and test the inventory, outfit the truck, write the rental agreement and safety rules and book at least 15 first-season events.
- Year 1: about 160 table and chair events, 34 tent events and a first crew of two; $230,400 in sales and a loss of about $21,200.
- Year 2: about 260 package events, 56 tent events and a booking coordinator; $389,031 in sales and a profit of about $30,100.
- Year 3: about 330 package events, a larger crew of five and the first strong profit; $515,596 in sales and a profit of about $57,000.
- Year 4: about 390 package events, 88 tent events and a sixth crew member; $632,744 in sales and a profit of about $98,700.
- Year 5: about 430 package events and 98 tent events with a crew of seven; $721,112 in sales and a profit of about $123,200.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: events booked, deliveries on time, items damaged or missing, crew hours, truck use and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $176,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $124,700, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $14,500 for 200 folding chairs, 24 banquet tables and 12 cocktail tables; $12,000 for linens, napkins, chair covers and table settings; $22,000 for two frame tents and a pop-up canopy set; $16,000 for three inflatable bounce houses, a slide and party games; $34,000 for used box truck with a lift gate and an enclosed trailer; $1,500 for reservation, inventory and delivery software setup; $5,400 for warehouse deposit and first month; $600 for business license and sales tax registration; $3,200 for attorney: rental agreement, damage policy and LLC setup; $5,200 for branding, truck lettering and a website with online booking; $3,500 for cleaning supplies, stakes, sandbags and spare parts; $6,800 for insurance down payment.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $4,100. Most events fall from spring to fall, so a small amount of cash is needed to cover the slow winter before bookings catch up.
- A cash cushion of about $45,100: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together, the cash used before break even and the cushion come to about $49,200, and the three pieces add up to about $173,850, rounded up to the nearest $500: $174,000.
We are raising $2,000 more than that, $176,000 in all, to cover a slower-than-planned first season and the cost of adding a third crew member in Year 2. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $57,700, at the end of Year 1.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $101,000.
- Equipment loan for the rental inventory and truck: $75,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An equipment loan from a lender that finances commercial vehicles and rental inventory, with the equipment as collateral, backed by my own savings.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $21,200 in Year 1, a profit of about $30,100 in Year 2, a profit of about $57,000 in Year 3, a profit of about $98,700 in Year 4 and a profit of about $123,200 in Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. Our loan is the equipment loan for the rental inventory and truck at 10.5% over 7 years, about $1,265 a month. That payment is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: the inventory and truck as collateral and my personal guarantee.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with the table, chair and linen packages and one tent, using a rented truck for the first season, which lowers startup costs and the loan.
- Phase 2: once bookings are steady, add the second tent, the inflatables and the truck and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume and a personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Quotes for the inventory, truck and trailer.
- Your warehouse lease or letter of intent.
- Your rental agreement, damage policy and safety rules.
- Your insurance quotes and city business license.
- Letters of interest from caterers, planners, schools and churches.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Table, Chair and Linen Packages (per event): about $760 in Year 1, rising to $855; about $135 in direct costs, rising to $155; about 160 in Year 1, growing to 430.
- Tent and Large Setup Rentals (per event): about $1,850 in Year 1, rising to $2,082; about $420 in direct costs, rising to $482; about 34 in Year 1, growing to 98.
- Inflatables and Party Games (per rental): about $255 in Year 1, rising to $287; about $42 in direct costs, rising to $48.20; about 180 in Year 1, growing to 520.
- Package events average about $760 in Year 1 with about $135 in direct costs; tent events about $1,850 with about $420; inflatable rentals about $255 with about $42. Prices rise about 3% a year.
- We add inventory and a second truck as bookings grow ($24,000 in Year 2, $22,000 in Year 3, $30,000 in Year 4 and $20,000 in Year 5).
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner and operations manager $38,000; delivery and setup crew (full-time equivalents) $29,000; booking coordinator $30,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: warehouse rent $24,000, truck fuel and maintenance $12,000, insurance $6,500, marketing and wedding and party shows $12,000, reservation software $1,800, repairs and replacement of worn rental items $9,000, accounting and legal $3,000, payroll taxes $16,000. These grow between 4% and 12% a year.
- Startup equipment and later purchases ($100,000 in Year 1, then $24,000, $22,000, $30,000 and $20,000) are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books.
- Customers and payers pay about 18 days after service, so at the end of Year 1 about $11,520 is still owed to us. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs