2015 Summer Newsletter

To The
Point
Insight for the Rental Professional
The Latest & Greatest:
Enterprise 2015 Release
Social Media Doesn’t
Matter in the Rental
Industry...or Does It?
summer
2015
Published by
Innovations in Rental Technology:
The Future is Now
Taking Business on-the-go
with Mobile WorkForce
+
Technology & Aid
to Guatemala
POINT-OF-RENTAL CLOUD:
Your AV Software Partner

wayne’s letter
I have read numerous books and heard
countless speeches on how to develop a
successful business. While these almost
always inspire me with new ideas, they have
left me pondering what defines success. What
should be the leading goal of a business? Of
course there are many possible answers to this
question, but all too often companies believe
that growth is the primary objective. Motivated
by company expansion, they set targets to
achieve this goal at the exclusion of other key
marks for a successful business.
I propose that we view growth in a different
light: that it should be a natural by-product of
first providing customers with value. When you
put your customers first, you will be innovative,
proactive, and as a result, your business will
grow.
Since the inception of Point-of-Rental in 1983,
our goal has been to provide our customers
with real value. We work hard to provide you
with top-notch customer service, innovative
solutions and advanced technology. Because
of this customer focus, I have watched the
company grow over 1,000% in the last two
decades that I’ve been here!
The reason behind our growth is you. We try
our best to offer the best customer support in
the industry. In fact, we have a higher ratio of
customer support reps to customers than any
of our competitors. Our goal is to immediately
answer and resolve every call without it going
to voicemail or having to be returned later.
Our email support inquiries are also targeted
to be solved within the hour. By having a
team with firsthand rental knowledge that
upcoming training & events
June 13–19
InfoComm
Orlando, FL
August 7–8
TRA Texas Round Up
San Antonio, TX
October 26–29
Medtrade
Atlanta, GA
November 9–11
POR International Conference
Fort Worth, TX
genuinely cares about you and your business,
we can provide you with real value. We strive
to offer our customers increasingly higher
levels of support and customer service, and to
accomplish this, we are continuously adding to
this valuable team.
Point-of-Rental is also constantly working to
keep you on the cutting edge of technology.
Behind the scenes, this means innovative
programmers are working diligently to
implement new features that will better your
business every day. In the last couple of
years, we have expanded our programming
department by 300% and are regularly adding
inventive minds who know rental.
We’re excited to offer the best technology and
software support in the rental industry; we are
confident these will have a positive impact on
your customer service and your business’s
growth as well.
Thank you for partnering with us,
Wayne Harris
CEO of Point-of-Rental Software
July 31–August 2
ARA of Florida Getaway Weekend
Clearwater Beach, FL
October 23–25
LDI Show
Las Vegas, NV
November 2–4
Northwest Rental Conference
Seattle, WA
Stay up-to-date with the latest Point-of-Rental information. Follow us on social media!
features
02
Support Corner
Is your software ready for summer? Read
helpful tips on how to prepare for the coming
months & use your program more effectively.
03
Taking Business on-the-go with
Mobile WorkForce
Having a product that’s mobile-friendly is
essential nowadays. If your workers need a
customizable, web-based application, look no
further than Mobile WorkForce!
05
Enterprise 2015 Release
Drumroll please… The moment you’ve been
waiting for has arrived, and Enterprise is now
better than ever. You won’t want to miss
these new features!
07
Point-of-Rental CLOUD: Your AV
Software Partner
With features designed specifically for the
AV industry, CLOUD is the perfect software
solution to manage your rental business.
09
Technology & Aid to Guatemala
Point-of-Rental employees traveled to
Guatemala to serve at the DAR school, set up
the new computer lab, and build the server to
power the tablets.
11
Social Media Doesn’t Matter in the
Rental Industry...or Does It?
Whether you’re in the party, equipment, tool or
AV industry, social media can help take your
rental business to the next level.
13
How Future Technology is
Revolutionizing the Rental Industry
RFID technology, GPS and tracking
capabilities, cloud technologies… and now the
Internet of Things. Read on to see what the
future has in store for the rental industry.
14
International Conference 2015
Educational classes, peer-to-peer roundtables,
night events, networking, the list goes on. The
best news? We’ve opened a special registration
rate for you and your team!
contact
Phone: 800-944-RENT
Email: info@point-of-rental.com
1
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

support corner
IS YOUR BUSINESS READY?
By: Frances Ellison, Software Support, Point-of-Rental Software
Hello from your Point-of-Rental Support
Staff!
As the summer months of 2015
approach, so do the demands of warmer
weather, longer days, and the desire
to take a vacation. The “lazy” days of
summer can be some of the busiest for
rental stores, and this means increased
wear and tear on your items. It’s
important to ensure that your inventory
is in rent-ready condition to head out the
door at a moment’s notice. As you plan
ahead for increased summer business,
Point-of-Rental maintenance scheduling
can help!
Did you know that you can set up
multiple maintenance and repair
schedules for your inventory including
annual inspections, oil changes, and
yearly check-ups? In the maintenance
schedule set-up, you can select the
desired frequencies and edit the
Word document to include detailed
mechanic instructions and a parts list.
You can even automatically remove
the item from inventory availability
for a few days while a major service is
being performed! To keep track of the
service history of an item, go to ‘File
Maintenance’, ‘Item File’, ‘Maintenance’
and view the reports.
As an added convenience, you can also
implement the use of integrated GPS
units to automatically update current
hour meter readings on your inventory
even while it’s out on rent. This feature
will track “maintenance due” according
to the frequencies set in the schedules
and automatically notify you. To make
it even more automated, you can also
set up notifications for your service
manager to receive a text or email when
an item is returned and maintenance is
due.
Do you perform maintenance on your
customers’ equipment? To help you
track, schedule, and document their
maintenance, you can set up schedules
for that also. When the service is due,
use the ‘Maintenance Due List’ to
contact your customer and schedule
the service rather than waiting for them
to call you. This is a great revenuegenerating
feature and your customers
will appreciate your proactive reminders!
So are your maintenance schedules in
place? If not, view detailed instructions
on how to set up this feature within
Point-of-Rental through ‘Program
Menu’>’Help’ (top left corner)>‘NetHelp’
and search ‘Maintenance Schedules’.
We hope that these suggestions will
help you more effectively use your Pointof-Rental
software—not only during the
summer months, but for years to come.
As for your vacation...we do hope you
get one, and we’ll keep an eye out for
those pictures that you’re sure to send!
Please know that we always welcome
your feedback. If you have an idea for
other useful features and best practices
to include in this column, I would love
to hear from you at frances@point-ofrental.com.
P
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 2
2

By: Jason Albus, Director of Application
Development, Point-of-Rental Software
Mobile WorkForce, winner of last year’s Rental Technology Award from
Access, Lift, & Handlers, is a web-based module available for your
Point-of-Rental software for as low as $40 per month. Empowering
workers on a jobsite as well as in the rental yard, the module capitalizes
on their mobility by obtaining data remotely and automatically syncing it
securely to your Point-of-Rental server. Many rental employees’ job functions
are performed away from the counter terminal, yet still generate data that
must be entered into your system, such as signatures, date/time stamps,
location addresses, inventory counts, and much more.
Mobile WorkForce allows employees to update information in real-time from
their mobile phone or tablet without running the Counter System or a remote
desktop. Because it is a web-based application rather than a device-specific
Taking Business
on-the-go with
Mobile
3
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

...it’s increased efficiency, we spend less hours emailing, it makes things
easier for dispatchers, and we know where drivers are on routes....[and it’s]
“a big time saver! POR in general has been like adding another employee.
“
‘App,’ it can be utilized with any mobile
device, be it Apple, Android, Windows, on
a tablet or even a laptop. No installation
is required and it can be used over
Wi-Fi or mobile broadband. By taking
full advantage of the touch-screen user
interface, camera, and GPS capabilities
of mobile devices, the module reduces
what would normally be many labor and
paper intensive steps down to a few
simple taps.
Mobile WorkForce allows the field
worker to eliminate the paper equation
by performing tasks onsite without
having to be granted full access to
the company server. Customizable
security parameters can be set to
define what options are available for
each employee’s home screen. Some
employees can be set to view only, while
others can create IRO’s, enter call logs,
message a customer, close a service
contract, clock-in remotely, and more.
Service personnel who are performing
maintenance on a portable sanitation
unit can access the service contract
from the jobsite and scan the barcode
on the unit to mark the service
completed. The task is reflected in realtime
to the contract on your Point-of-
Rental server, automatically noting the
latitude-longitude location, as well as
the date/time stamp. Similarly, a driver
delivering a high-reach lift to a jobsite
can open the contract on location, take
photos of the item, mark it as delivered,
and have the customer sign for it right
on the device. The photos are saved as a
contract attachment and can be viewed/
printed/faxed from the server.
The signature capture is reflected in
the contract during a reprint or view,
eliminating the need for paper to be
delivered back to the office and filed.
In addition, if an employee is sent out
to survey a site or venue for delivery
and set-up, notes can be added to
the contract or reservation, detailing
the surface and size of the area or
any number of logistical elements.
Employees can initiate a service request
for items already on rent or create an
IRO/IMO for items within the rental
yard. Item meter and fuel levels can
be updated also, as well as inventory
counts.
When asked how much of an impact
the module has had on accomplishing
their job, TBC Safety, manufacturer
& distributor of trench and traffic
construction safety equipment in the
California Bay Area stated: “It’s huge!
Mobile WorkForce has made the
collection of AR easier because we have
statements with customer signatures on
it, it’s increased efficiency, we spend less
hours emailing, it makes things easier
for dispatchers, and we know where
drivers are on routes....[and it’s] a big
time saver! POR in general has been like
adding another employee.”
Employees using Mobile WorkForce
can clock-in remotely if granted
that capability in the customizable
parameters, and you can see their
physical location at the time of entry
on a map. Drivers can obtain turnby-turn
directions and message the
customer to alert them that they are
on the way. The software also records
arrival and departure times, including
GPS coordinates. This data flows into
the Route Status report for counter
personnel to see as they answer
questions like, “When do you think
my delivery will arrive?” They can see
what stop the driver is on and provide
accurate estimates or tell them, “It’s
already been delivered and Frank signed
for it!”
Mobile WorkForce can search based
on partial matches, and all results are
displayed to find the contract, item, or
customer you want. If you have an exact
match, that contract, item, or customer
will be automatically selected. This
feature allows the use of a barcode
scanner to read the contract number
off of a Point-of-Rental contract or from
a report like the Dispatch Center’s trip
sheet.
Brian Jenkins, President at BRATT
Productions, Inc., a tent and party rental
company based out of Arlington, TX,
reports that the module “...allows our
centralized Dispatch Center to track our
delivery personnel’s progress throughout
the day to include time on site and drive
time, which can then be used for job
costing and customer service. Before
Mobile WorkForce, we had no real way
to definitely track job and delivery
progressions.”
Mobile WorkForce data is updated to
a secure server throughout the day.
The site is encrypted, meaning that
information travels in a secure tunnel
away from prying eyes or devices in the
same manner as banking and investing
sites. This means that no sensitive
data is stored on the Mobile WorkForce
server.
Schedule a demo to see how Mobile
WorkForce can work for you. Contact our
sales department today at 800-944-7368
or sales@pointofrental.com. P
WorkForce
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 4

the latest & greatest
Enterprise
2015 Release
The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here—the
latest update of Point-of-Rental has been released and
we couldn’t have completed it without your suggestions!
Thank you for taking the time to help make Point-of-
Rental the best rental management software available. In this
article, we’ve highlighted a selection of the enhancements,
but we encourage you to read the full release notes found on
Nethelp. So, without further ado, the 2015 Release Notes:
Contract Fulfillment: The new Contract Fulfillment module
provides your rental business with streamlined mobility and
productivity. Facilitating real-time contract processing with the
flexibility of using mobile tablet devices, this module replaces
load slips and prep reports to save time and money.
Now, even out in the yard or warehouse, the process to view
existing contracts and filter by any field is as simple as selecting
a few categories on your touchscreen. Once a contract is
selected, the team can then mark all items as prepped or
individually assess each line item. You can also select returning
orders and ‘eyeball in’ items, which will designate that it has not
been physically counted, or choose ‘count in’.
With this module, it’s easy to document shortages or damages,
as well as view hour meter readings and fuel usage. The item
files can be customized with these readings to automatically
notify your counter staff of overage billing. Also, the wireless
capabilities allow warehouse staff to create notes that are
communicated in real-time to your counter staff. Immediate
updates mean you’ll reduce customer wait time and details
won’t be missed in the paper shuffle, allowing you to recover
costs associated with loss, misuse, abuse, or negligence.
Employee Scheduling: The new Scheduling module allows
you to define the daily work schedules of your employees. It
allows your employees to view, print, email, and import their
schedules into third party calendar apps. Your employees can
request time-off, which will alert their manager to approve or
deny the request. With integrated capabilities to define daily
templates and shift requirements, schedule building is a breeze.
For those who prefer an even more automated process, the
schedule for 31 days out can be automatically generated with a
simple press of a button. This tool can generate all shifts based
on templates for the whole company, a specific store, shift, or
employee group.
5
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

SmartEquip Integration: SmartEquip is the leader in electronic
order processing between merchants, dealers, and OEM’s.
Our integration with SmartEquip allows your mechanic to
look up parts using the manufacturer’s exploded diagrams.
After selecting the parts needed, the system will automatically
add them to a pending purchase order. Once the purchase
order has been approved, the order is automatically placed
electronically with the vendor and billed to your account. The
mechanic no longer needs to spend hours of his time looking
for the part, calling up the dealers, writing PO’s, and then
waiting for approval to call the dealers to place the orders! For
this feature, there is a set-up fee and a monthly service fee
paid to SmartEquip. This is most useful to stores that do a lot of
service so that the value of the increased efficiency outweighs
the monthly fee.
RFID Integration: The Holy Grail of the rental industry for the
last decade has been RFID tags, which are used to locate and
take inventory of equipment. This has eluded rental stores until
now. We have integrated RFID tracking through a partnership
with Positek RFID. Point-of-Rental and Positek work together to
match a specific item to a specific contract and therefore can be
prepped and counted back in independently of the contract. In
other words, you can read an entire pile of linens being returned
and properly mark each specific linen to each contract so you
know exactly which contract had a missing linen and then
charge them accordingly. Not only does this save many hours of
counting, but it also gives you complete confidence in knowing
exactly how many/which items went out to the customer and
which items were returned. So when the customer calls to
complain about the missing items charge, you can be assured
that the they really didn’t return them. After explaining to the
customer that each piece is tracked with an RFID tag, they will
likely be more accepting as well.
Credit Card EMV: You’ve all heard the hype surrounding
the new EMV credit card requirements that go into effect in
October. To keep you up-to-date, we have added support for
EMV cards through VeriFone terminals. If you are already
using VeriFone terminals, then there will be additional set-up
and configuration to handle the EMV cards. If you’re using PC
Charge, you will need to move over to the VeriFone terminals to
handle EMV cards.
AEMP GPS Integration: The AEMP GPS integration allows
you to get the hour meter reading as well as the location of
items in your fleet. To enhance this, your items will be polled
at least once a day and the current meter will be automatically
updated in the inventory record. This allows your maintenance
due and service due to be up to the minute all the time! So if
your customer is running your equipment 24/7, you will know
right away that you need to go service the equipment on site.
Auto Continuation Bill: This new option allows you to set the
‘Bill Through’ date when doing continuation billing. This can be
used if you want to continue contracts within particular dates
such as the first to the first of each month. This can also be
used to get the initial contract opened through a particular date.
For example, mini-storages are usually rented month-to-month
on the first day of the month. With this feature, you can continue
all of the contracts opened during the month to start on the
first of the next month. Remember that you can continue only
contracts in certain item categories–which is helpful to isolate
just your mini-storage contracts.
Non-Discounted Damage Waiver: Just because you have
discounted a line item doesn’t necessarily mean that you want
to also discount the damage waiver for that item since the
liability is the same. So a new parameter has been added that
allows you to charge the damage waiver on the non-discounted
amount. For example, you have a $100 item that you gave a
50% discount on. With the parameter checked, you will charge
the damage waiver on $100 and not $50.
Email Letters: You can add dynamic fields within your email
letters for such things as the customer’s name, contract
number, contract date, etc. We have added several new fields
as well: Delivery Address, Delivery Comments, Contract Total,
Contract Paid Amount, Contract Owed Amount, and Contract
Deposit Paid. Simply add the special fields into your standard
letters and those fields will be replaced with the appropriate
value for your contract.
Company Branding: We have added a new option for
Company Branding. This allows you to set a company name,
address, email, website, and logo that’s different than your store
info. This can be used if you have a different business housed
in your store such as a specialty rental items or maybe an event
rental. Please contact sales if you’re interested in pricing for this
option.
Optional Items: You create a quote for a customer and add the
items that he/she requested, but you would really like to show
him/her some additional items that could be added as well. If
you add those items to the quote, it will also increase the price
and might make the customer not place the reservation. There
is now a solution to this problem. You can create another quote
with the optional items on it; then, link it to the first as optional.
Now when you print or email the quote to the customer, they will
see all of the items you put on the quote and the total pricing
for those items. In addition, there will be a section for optional
items that will list all of the items from the second quote. Since
they are in the optional section, their prices do not affect the
quote price.
Mobile WorkForce: Now your crews can record where and
what quantity was delivered to the customer. When the pickup
is scheduled, your representative will have the option to use the
GPS location of one of the items in place of the original delivery
address. Your crews can record the quantity and make notes for
each line item as they pick them up from the customer location
Note: This feature requires the Fulfillment Module.
Another exciting new addition to Mobile WorkForce is the
Capture Route Begin/End. Your drivers can log the time that
they left and returned to the rental yard. These entries let the
route status report provide a round-trip total for billing based on
complete drive time. This also allows the dispatcher to see that
the truck is back in the yard.
Point-of-Rental is always looking for ways to help you operate
your business more efficiently. If you have a suggestion for a
product enhancement, you can enter it directly from your Pointof-Rental
Software. Click ‘Help’ and then ‘Suggestions’, or email
suggestions@point-of-rental.com.To find out more about how
these exciting new modules will give your rental operations a
new innovative advantage, please contact us at sales@point-ofrental.com.
P
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 6

Point-of-Rental CLOUD:
Your AV Rental
Software Partner
By: Evan Fort, Vice-President of Cloud Technologies, Point-of-Rental Software
Business is changing and the AV
rental market is no exception.
Because of this, it’s important to
have the right software partner
to allow you to compete in an everevolving
market. Point-of-Rental CLOUD
offers several innovations and features
developed specifically for the AV rental
market.
Get Paid While You Sleep
Your competition has an online
storefront, which means that you need
one too! The reality is that today’s
customer often expects to be able
to make a reservation wherever and
whenever, and your business’s online
storefront makes this easy for them. Not
to mention it will save your counter staff
time and energy while also driving more
rentals! Point-of-Rental CLOUD allows
you to capture a deposit upfront on the
website and then re-charge that card
later for any overages or damage fees.
The system will store the credit card
securely, without the liability of storing
the numbers at your store.
This website feature is included with
the premium package of Point-of-Rental
CLOUD, and with its automatic inventory
tracking, there’s no need to manage a
separate inventory for your website.
7
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

Figure 1: Workbench Overview of Rental Bookings
Figure 2: Customer Location Reporting
Let Your Customers Sell Your
Business to Their Friends
Social media is a powerful marketing
tool for the rental industry. With our
built-in social share feature, it’s easy
for your customers to like and share
your inventory on Facebook directly
from your online store. And with Google
Analytics, tracking your success is easy!
A System that Handles Your
Pricing Automatically
AV businesses have specialized
pricing, but Point-of-Rental CLOUD
simplifies this process with configurable
parameters and automated pricing of
rentals. Overriding the price is easy, but
this feature can save a lot of time and
money. The system will automatically
handle details such as weekend pricing,
holiday rates, seasonal discounts and
long-term rental prices. You can even
automatically charge the credit card on
file for longer rentals. CLOUD takes into
account your business days and hours
and uses your policies to define how to
handle rentals while you’re not open.
Define Kits and Packages how
You Actually use Them
Point-of-Rental CLOUD enables you to set
up various kinds of kits, packages and
suggested items:
• Numbered kits that contain specific
serialized inventory and/or bulk
items
• Non-numbered bulk pre-made kits
• Ad-hoc kits made from your general
inventory
• Suggested items–ex: rent a camera
and get a lens for 10% discount
• Required add-on items
• And even kits of kits
It’s also easy to create dynamic quantity
kits and special pricing for kits. This
means that the system calculates how
many of that kit can be made from your
general inventory before showing your
availability.
Stay Connected with Your
Customers
Add time back into your day by cutting
back on the number of manual emails
sent to your customers. Right within
the contract, and with only a couple
“
...this feature can save a lot of time and money. The system will automatically handle
details such as weekend pricing, holiday rates, seasonal discounts and long-term rental
“prices. You can even automatically charge the credit card on file for longer rentals.
of clicks, you can contact them with a
personalized message. You’re even able
to export your customer list for use in
other systems and view their locations
on a map as seen in figure 2.
With CLOUD’s in-depth reporting, it’s easy
to target your marketing budget based on
customer locations.
Point-of-Rental CLOUD is designed to
help you run your AV rental business
more efficiently. It makes it simple to
generate professional contracts, collect
payments, and keep track of your
inventory and availability. Perhaps one of
the most powerful features is that CLOUD
generates real, actionable return on
investment reporting by item, specifying
which inventory is underutilized or often
overbooked. You can even track missed
rentals when a potential customer goes
elsewhere and why.
CLOUD is perfect for straightforward
rental operations looking to go to the
next level. Visit www.point-of-rental.com/
cloud to try a free 14-day trial of Point-of-
Rental CLOUD today. P
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 8

Point-of-Rental's Journey to the
Distrito de Alto
Rendimiento (DAR)
By: Wayne Harris, CEO, with Lauren Harris,
Marketing Associate, Point-of-Rental Software
Last summer, my family and I went on a
mission trip to Guatemala with our church,
which partners with Distrito de Alto
Rendimiento/District of High Performance
(DAR), a school for impoverished children. DAR’s
goal is to change their country and the world by
educating children who live in extreme poverty.
Most DAR students come from families with
household incomes less than $100 per month.
Often times, seven or eight family members will
live in a small, one room lean-to with dirt floors and
corrugated sheet metal or even plastic sheeting for
walls. The main factor contributing to the poverty in
Guatemala is considered to be the lack of education.
What impressed me most about DAR is that they
are intent on changing this cycle of poverty by
providing a tuition-free private education, but they
don’t stop simply with academics. Their mission
is to build a better future for the country by
developing the whole child, concentrating on the
areas of health, nutrition, academics, psychology,
and community development. They truly care
about the entire life of each student, including their
families and well-being. I was deeply inspired by
their desire to provide these children with brighter
futures and shape them into leaders of tomorrow.
9
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

After we left, I felt that we could do something
to help them. When I presented the idea to the
Point-of-Rental team, everyone was eagerly
onboard. We realized that we could help
support DAR’s mission by providing the school
with tablet computers and the accompanying
technology through a multi-phase project
spanning over two years. Stage one was
installing a dedicated link and LAN (Wi-Fi)
connectivity to optimize teachers’ ability to
access the worldwide web. Stage two was the
purchase of tablets for each teacher and the
principal, and providing the training to use them
within their classrooms. Finally, stage three will
integrate tablets into the curriculum and provide
45 tablets for rotating use within the classrooms.
In March, two of our employees, Daniel Ruiz and
Bobby Olsen, traveled to DAR to set up the new
computer lab and build the server to power the
tablets. They were also able to visit local public
schools, play games with the kids, and deliver
food to hungry families in need. Daniel and Bobby
reported that the trip was a success, and like my
own experience, they returned impacted by this
incredible cause and inspiring group of people.
Daniel Ruiz, our IT specialist for Point-of-Rental
said, “I knew I had the opportunity to use my skills
and knowledge to help improve DAR’s computer
lab. What I didn’t know was the blessing that DAR’s
teachers, leaders, and students would be to me. I
will never forget the smiles we were able to put
on their faces, and I look forward to the day I can
revisit and serve them again.”
Lourdes Morataya, Founder and CEO of DAR later
wrote, “A vital part of DAR’s educational track is
providing the correct tools and technology for
their alumni in order to prepare them for real
world opportunities. Point-of-Rental has provided
significant contribution in this area with their
expertise, investment of time and resources, and
even by sending some of their trained personnel
to help direct and execute the implementation of
various, technology-based projects.
“We are both honored and humbled by the
opportunity to work side-by-side with Point-of-
Rental, and are deeply moved by their willingness
to help support the change that is happening
in another country. By sharing resources, two
countries and organizations can come together
to create a long-term, meaningful impact.”
DAR’s vision extends beyond education to a
genuine care of people. We see the lives that
are impacted by this organization and believe
there’s a brighter future for these students,
their country, and our world. We are the ones
humbled and grateful to be a part of it. P
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 10

[ ]
Social Media Doesn’t Matter in
the Rental Industry...or Does It?
Whether you’re in the party, equipment, tool, or AV industry,
social media can help take your rental business to the next level.
By: Alexa Mihalick, Marketing Coordinator, Point-of-Rental Software
Ah, social media. You likely use at least one social network on a daily basis to keep in touch with friends and family, right? In
many ways, it has changed the way we communicate and connect today, and the power of the social space certainly extends
further than our high school friend group. Smart companies realize that social media is a powerhouse for advertising, making
valuable connections, and humanizing their brand. Yet there are still some people who believe these misconceptions: “Social
media is a waste of time”, “Nobody cares about social in the rental industry” or “It doesn’t do anything to help my business.”
But in reality, social isn’t a waste of time because it will help your business, and there are definitely companies in the rental
industry excelling with social media.
Let me ask this – do you use Facebook on your phone? What about Twitter? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Perhaps even an
Instagram or Pinterest account? If you nodded your head to any one of these, you’re a part of more than 1.7 billion people using
social media today. 1 Yes, that’s billion, with a “b”. With that large of a pool of people you could potentially reach, is there any
reason not to use social media in your marketing efforts?
In my free time, I’m a photographer, so my favorite platform is Instagram. For those who may be unfamiliar with this app,
it’s a social channel where users share only photos and videos. I use it for inspiration and mainly follow accounts that post
interesting photos. That having been said, it’s natural to assume I would only follow photographers, right? Actually no. I follow
companies and brands that post relatable and inspiring pictures. In fact, after about five months of following a camera bag
company on Instagram, I decided to purchase one of their fairly expensive products. All because of their social media account!
I love traveling, and they convinced me, without being pushy, that this bag was perfect for my needs. Here’s the catch though: I
never would have known about their bags if they didn’t have a profile on Instagram, if they weren’t actively posting photos, and
if I didn’t follow them.
I share this personal example to demonstrate the power of social media in a consumer’s eyes. If you, as a company, are posting
interesting, engaging content on your social platforms that people can find value in, they will take notice, like, comment, and
share your business with their friends. That’s essentially free advertising! Below, I’ve included several social media statistics
that further communicate the value social has for businesses, and on the next page, detailed two of our customers in the
Party/Event and Tool/Equipment industries that are succeeding in the social space.
SOCIAL/VIDEO FOR BUSINESS STATS
of small businesses use social
80% for their business to drive growth 2
of Twitter users say they follow
90% businesses to get discounts/promos 2
1/2
Americans say Facebook is
the #1 influencer of purchases 3
of mobile video viewers
92% share videos with others 4
of consumers say that watching
52%
product videos makes them more
confident in purchasing decisions 4
of shoppers’ buying decisions
93% are influenced by social media 5
For sources, visit www.bit.ly/RentalSocial
11
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

Party/Event Industry:
A to Z Event Essentials
Located in Madison, WI, Event Essentials provides tents, seating,
linens, tables and more for events of all sizes.
Why are you using social media? Facebook and Pinterest are highly visual
mediums—perfect for displaying gorgeous photos from our events. Twitter
is a conversational platform where we can share articles about event
design and engage with followers.
Social strategy: Inspire users to make their dream event come to life. Post
photos, articles and blog posts 2-3x’s per week, engage with followers and
boost well-performing posts through Facebook ads.
Three ways social has helped your business: Clients, especially brides, love
to see photos of our work. Posting photos of new products, installations
and the whole event helps with bookings. It’s also a way to show our
community involvement and cross promote.
What are tips you would give a rental company in the Party/Event
Industry? 1. DIY and events are huge on social right now! Share relevant
information and incorporate popular hashtags. 2. It’s not about you, it’s
about your audience. Users aren’t interested in sales pitches, they want
helpful information that benefits them. 3. You don’t have to be on every
platform. Pick one/two that make the most sense for your brand.
What are your favorite posts and why? Blog posts are interesting/informational and we’re able to incorporate
products without getting too “salesy.” They receive the most engagement.
Follow them! : A to Z Event Essentials : @EventsAtoZ : Event Essentials
Tool/Equipment Industry:
Acme Tools
Located in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, Acme Tools offers tools,
equipment and supplies to help you get every job done right.
Why are you using social media? We not only keep an eye on the
accounts that we’ve already established, but also those that are
trending/new. Social media has a niche relevancy toward connecting
to our customers and we want to communicate and connect with them
how they want to be reached.
Social strategy: Supplemental marketing, overall branding, finding
new ways to engage the consumer & connecting with them on a more
personal level.
What’s the best thing about social media for your business?
It’s an opportunity to stand out in the crowd, to relate to our fans and
form a relationship beyond being a seller or a buyer.
What are tips you would give a rental company in the Tool/Equipment
Industry? 1. Learn who your customers are and confirm whether or
not they are using the platform(s). 2. Develop and tailor a strategy
according to what feedback you receive, what the engagement levels
tell you, and how consumer behavior begins to shape your plan.
What are your favorite posts and why? The Facebook posts to the left are probably some of
our better performing ones. That’s the fun with social media; you don’t know when or how a
post will be successful, but when you capture the audience’s attention, you connect with them
beyond just being a retailer and you get BIG results. Not only does this make social media fun,
but it also then sets the stage or challenges you to try to make it happen over and over again.
Follow them! : Acme Tools (The Official Acme Tools Page) : @AcmeTools : Acme Tools
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 12

How Future Technology is
Revolutionizing the Rental Industry
By: Wayne Harris, CEO, Point-of-Rental Software
13
It’s no surprise that technology is constantly evolving. Even
within the last five years, it’s staggering just how much
technology has revolutionized the rental industry. We
now have integrated RFID technology, GPS and tracking
capabilities, cloud technology, mobile workforce solutions and
much more. In the next five years, the advances in the tech
space will likely be just as astonishing.
The next “big thing” in the tech industry is the Internet of
Things (IoT). The IoT concept is that everything is connected
through the Internet. Take the Nest for example, which is an
Internet-enabled thermostat. Just a few years ago, some would
say there is no reason for your thermostat to have Internet
connectivity. However, Nest has changed people’s beliefs by
drastically increasing power efficiency and money savings.
By providing real-time access to your thermostat through an
app on your phone, it allows you to adjust the air-conditioning
when you’re away or start cooling again before you return. It’s
never been so easy to conserve energy!
As the IoT continues to develop, the idea is that eventually,
everything will be network connected, giving you real-time
access to things like your refrigerator, lights, water, car –
whatever you can think of! Even today, there is a car insurance
agency that offers usage-based insurance (UBI), which plugs
into your car and reports exactly how fast you’re going, how
quickly you speed up and slow down or when you rapidly
swerve. All of this data is collected and used to rate driver
safety and then adjust insurance rates accordingly. If there is
an accident, police may just plug in to the cars and collect data
to determine which driver is at fault. It’s no question that the
IoT is changing the world around us, but what does that look
like for the rental industry?
The rental industry will progress rapidly with connecting
equipment to the IoT. RFID integration is just the tip of the
iceberg. Currently, RFID chips are placed on items such as
linens and a special reader is waved over a stack; the RFID
chips then communicate how many items are in each batch.
If these chips were connected to the Internet, you could simply
press a button on your computer and it would tell you exactly
how many items you have in inventory as well as where they
are. You can even ask the reader where one specific item is
and it would lead you to it.
GPS integration has also taken innovative steps to transform
the rental industry. Currently, this integration allows you to read
mileage, hours, altitude and fuel, but imagine the capabilities
it could have in the future! The IoT would allow information
to be sent to your computer or phone, send error messages,
permit remote diagnoses and even send codes to reprogram
the carburetor. Additionally, this technology would help protect
you against a renter’s negligence. It could send real-time
updates if one of your trucks or trailers is speeding, and would
be essential for accidents. If someone rented a trailer and
had an accident, you would have data to prove that they were
speeding and charge them accordingly. The same technology
could be useful to notify you if someone puts too much weight
in a dump truck or if a frontend loader is lifting something
too heavy. Not only would you have access to current data,
allowing you to notify the customer that the equipment is
being misused, but this data would also be helpful during any
disputes in extra charges or damage to equipment.
The Internet of Things has exciting capabilities and will be
revolutionizing the rental industry in the near future. We are
looking forward to these advances and keeping you on the
cutting edge of technology. P
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015

November 9-11, 2015 • Hilton Fort Worth, TX
INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE 2015
Register now! conference.point-of-rental.com
Why you should attend
Attendees of the International
Conference learn valuable best
practices, build industry relationships,
and discover how to extend the power
of Point-of-Rental software across
their businesses. Not only do our users
have the opportunity to learn from
our knowledgeable staff, but they will
also hear how other clients use Pointof-Rental
solutions in their day-to-day
operations.
This year’s conference will cover
topics such as inventory management,
new features, reporting, accounting,
and much more. The format of the
conference includes industry speakers,
focused educational training, and peerto-peer
round tables. If you want to
learn how to further improve your rental
operations, share ideas, and have fun, the
International Conference is the place to
be this November!
Hotel information
The historic Hilton in downtown
Fort Worth will host this year’s
International Conference. Internationally
famous as the scene of 35th President
John F. Kennedy’s final address on the
morning of November 22, 1963, it is
conveniently located within walking
distance to many city attractions. This
beautiful hotel is newly renovated and
features updated guest rooms.
Attendees will need to book their hotel
accommodations directly through the
hotel. Please call 800-HILTONS and
ask for the International Conference
discounted room rate at the Hilton Fort
Worth. The special negotiated rate
of $170/night for The International
Conference is applicable for an
additional three days before or after the
official meeting dates, subject to space
availability.
Evening activities
After a full day of educational
training sessions, each night of the
conference will be dedicated to relaxing,
networking, and entertainment. Monday
evening we’ll have dinner at Reata, an
upscale Texas restaurant, and then be
entertained with a private comedy show
at Four Day Weekend, an improv comedy
group. Stay tuned for more details about
the evening events.
Registration
Receive a discounted early bird rate
of $295 when you register by August
14th. Visit conference.point-of-rental.
com for more information. P
PARTNER SPONSORS
PLATINUM
GOLD
RentalHosting.com
Empowering The Rental Industry
TSO MobileTM
www.TSOmobile.com
SILVER
POINT-OF-RENTAL.COM / SUMMER 2015 14

Is Scheduling Your
Employees this Relaxing?
Have more time with the new Employee Scheduling
Module from Point-of-Rental Software
With integrated capabilities to define daily templates & shift requirements,
schedule building is a breeze.
Learn more
Please call 800.944.RENT or email sales@point-of-rental.com.
www.point-of-rental.com