Sarah Reynolds didn’t set out to start a party rental company. She just wanted a creative outlet that could bring in some extra cash.

She and her husband both work full-time in corporate America. They have stable jobs, stable income, and absolutely zero experience in the event rental industry. But Sarah followed creative businesses on social media, and the rental companies doing beautiful design work kept catching her eye.

So she did some research on flower wall backdrops, gathered statistics, and put together a proposal to pitch to her husband and sister: “Do you guys wanna do this with me?”

They were in.

The Moment Sarah Realized She Was Legit

But turns out, flower walls don’t pay the bills.

“My husband is more of our logical partner,” Sarah explains. “He was like, ‘we should get some tables and chairs. We need to supplement this somehow.’”

Although Sarah was more interested in the decor side of the business, she agreed. They bought a small set of tables and chairs, threw them up on Facebook Marketplace under the name Lost Barn Event Rentals, and waited to see what happened.

“It completely snowballed from there,” Sarah says. “Can’t even believe it.”
Everyone needs tables and chairs for every event, party, and gathering in every county. That’s a real business. Within months, they were cleaning rental items every lunch break and after work, trying to keep up with demand.

That’s when Sarah had her realization: “I said, ‘Man, next year we’re gonna have to try to get some people to help us clean.’ And I looked over at my husband and he was kind of smirking. We were both like, ‘Okay, we’re really doing this.'”

What the First 90 Days in Business Looked Like

Sarah is naturally organized — the type who wants everything in place before starting. But she also knew you can’t plan forever.

“There’s only so much you can get in place, then you’re either gonna go or you’re not gonna go,” she says.

The first 30 days were pure research. What companies already existed in their county? What did they rent? What did they charge? She wasn’t trying to copy anyone — she was trying to understand the market so she wouldn’t undercut the industry or price herself out of business.

She also got the basics in place: business name, EIN, business license. “I wanna make sure we’re operating according to how we need to operate, even if it never got big,” she explains.

But most importantly, she found reputable sources of information. She gravitated toward established rental companies with educational blogs, inventory sellers who shared insights, and platforms like Goodshuffle Pro that weren’t gatekeeping their knowledge.

“There’s so much information out there that it can be overwhelming,” Sarah says. “Find some companies and deep dive through their blog because everything is on there.”

How Sarah Found the Best Event Rental Software

Sarah and her husband went through three different rental platforms before landing on Goodshuffle Pro. Each one taught them something — usually what they didn’t want.

The first was basic and cheap. It could barely handle contracts and proposals. No real inventory tracking. No design control.

The second was more expensive and promised more features. But getting information from support was “like pulling teeth.” They couldn’t figure out how to integrate it with their website. Worse, quote requests from clients were getting lost. Emails weren’t coming through and links were breaking.

“I’m trying to grow,” Sarah says. “How are you growing when you’re not getting your clients’ emails that they’re trying to give you quotes? How are you growing when something’s not tracking in your software and you don’t know where your Post-it note is?”

Then they found Goodshuffle Pro. The difference was immediate.
“It was like a new toy,” Sarah remembers. “We were in the gym. I got a quote on my phone on the treadmill and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I told my husband, ‘I just did a quote from the treadmill. This is the most amazing day.’ It took me 30 seconds.”

From Living Room to Warehouse

Eighteen months after starting Lost Barn Event Rentals, Sarah’s business looks completely different.

They started with handmade backdrops in a spare bedroom and tables in their garage. Now they have a dedicated warehouse, a box truck, and contractors to help with events. Their garage is back to being a garage. Their living room is back to being a living room.

“We did not have a single weekend off from April till last weekend,” Sarah says. But she’s not complaining — she’s proud.

Sarah Reynolds

“I did a quote from the treadmill. It took me 30 seconds.”

Sarah Reynolds

Owner @ Lost Barn Event Rentals

They work full-time corporate jobs and run this business on nights and weekends. The growth happened because they were willing to hustle, yes, but also because they built the right foundation: smart pricing, self-pickup options that reduced their delivery burden, and legitimate software.

“We’re paying for Goodshuffle Pro, and this might be a little bit more money than the basic options,” Sarah says. “But honestly, what is that worth to you? That everything comes through on time, everything works, there’s no links that are broken, there’s blogs and videos, and you can control your own business?”

For Sarah, the answer was simple: priceless.

Sarah’s Advice: Start Before You’re Ready

Sarah’s number one piece of advice? Stop waiting for the perfect moment.

“The perfect time doesn’t exist,” she says. “This isn’t a business where you have to have a brick and mortar. There’s no reason that you can’t just start it tomorrow. Just go online, make a business name. You can literally operate from your garage.”

She’s proof. Zero industry experience. Full-time jobs. No massive startup capital. Just hard work, constant learning, and the right systems to grow.

“You take it one day at a time, one step at a time. Try not to compare yourself to other companies,” Sarah says. “It’s an industry where you don’t have to be super specifically educated. It’s about hard work, research, and great customer service.”

And having software that works well is a non-negotiable.

“How much is your time worth? How much are these headaches worth? How much is the stress of your clients falling through the cracks worth to you?” Sarah asks. “That was happening to us before Goodshuffle Pro. You can’t grow if you’re not gonna put money into your business upfront.”

Sarah and her husband went from flower walls to full-service event rentals. From garage to warehouse. From two people drowning in manual work to a team that can handle growth. All in 18 months.

Sarah and her husband still have their corporate jobs. They still work every weekend during busy season. And they wouldn’t change a thing.

“The growth is there,” Sarah says. “If you put in a little work and you hustle, work hard and don’t give up, it’s gonna blow up on you no matter what.”

Ready to turn your garage startup into a legitimate rental operation — without quitting your day job? See how Goodshuffle Pro can help you look like a pro from day 1.

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