Short Term PC Rental

[Harper]

The boss and I were having a bit of chin wag yesterday afternoon about how we could generate some more revenue. Especially during months like Jan, Apr, Jul and Oct, which are traditionally slow months for the computer industry.

So I suggested some thing like Short Term PC Rentals (weeks, month, up to an year).
Every one can offer long term rentals, like Rentsmart or Flexirent. But there is a few problem with them.
1. Geared more for cooperates customers
2. Shortest lease is 2 years.


Anyways, if you are in a position where you need to do a short term rent or lease of a computer.
Eg.
- You are a uni-student and only needs a computer for a semester
- Data Entry, you have outsourced a few people for some data entry project, but you need a few extra computers to get the job down.
- New company, you need a few extra machines while you can your company on it's feet, but you can not afford to purchase them. And you do not want to get locked into a 2 year contract.

What sort of price per week or per month would you pay for a AU$550 Computer.
Sample Spec would be :- Celeron 2400, 256Mb Ram, All-In-One Mobo. 15" Monitor.


Also, is there any one here that is currently in a company that does provide this service? Is there any chance that I can pick your brain for some ideas.

 

[XT]

i would pay 30-80 a month for that kind of computer sorry not in the rental business

 

[Erstad]

A chin wag??? LOL That must be Aussie slang.

I think the unfortunate thing is that computer prices are so low nowadays that almost anyone can afford them. I guess you'd really have to be down on your luck to need to rent a computer. If you're gonna pay up to $80 a month for a computer then why not save for a few months and just buy one. I also think that rental places were only created for those with with poor or no credit. If you want to take a chance on such customers then you run the risk of non payment and possible reposession work. It may end up being more work than you bargained for.

In theory, it sounds like a great idea but, imo, I don't think it would fly.

If you have the extra computers and a place to set them up then maybe you can network them all, install all the latest and greatest multiplayer games and charge people by the hour to play. You'll attract a bunch of kids with pockets full of their parents money they can't wait to spend. There are a bunch of places like this around where I live and they are always full.

Good luck!!

 

[Harper]

I guess you'd really have to be down on your luck to need to rent a computer. If you're gonna pay up to $80 a month for a computer then why not save for a few months and just buy one. I also think that rental places were only created for those with with poor or no credit.

Rental is also a good Tax Rebate.
If I buy a computer, i can then claim up to 33% of the value in that financal year.
If I rent a computer, I can then claim all the money that was put into it.

And there is what I have mensioned above. Eg. Uni Student that would like their own computer for the term or semester.

There are some people were $80 per month is much easier than paying out right.

It's a niche market.

Later on there is the plan of renting out Data Projectors after we have become establishes.

 

[ekÆsine]

$80 per month is too dam much for a computer. you can rent a POS car for that much. i think something much lower like 20-40 would be more reasonable

 

[RyanOldw83]

Yea i agree with ek, i wouldn't rent a computer like that for more than about 25 dollars a month.

 

[Harper]

you guys talking US Dollars or Aust Dollars guys.

 

[RyanOldw83]

My $25.00 is in American. So $35.00 is about right for Australian I think.

 

[Harper]

My $25.00 is in American. So $35.00 is about right for Australian I think.

One thing that people are forgetting here is that Computer Parts are made in ASIA. So you need to their economy into this to. And when you factor that into the equation, there can be an even bigger difference. US$500 worth of computer here is not the same as US$500 worth of computer in the states.

So you might might want to ad another 20% to that $35 figure there.

And if you include a "Yes, we'll be there" service contract to the entire deal, and insurance aganst theft, you could easily get $2 per day out of the end user depending on Spec.

 

[ekÆsine]

yes we were both talking US dollars. i really hate trying to convert money