January 5, 2026 – Daily Recap

Fog, Margins, and a Good Mistake

Author

Ramon Luna
January 06, 2026

I went into today knowing it wouldn’t be a monster day, and honestly, that was fine. Two jobs on the books, nothing crazy, and a late start thanks to some thick fog that made it an easy call to wait rather than wrestle with wet tent tops. The pace was slower, but my brain was on numbers all day.

The Pickup That Barely Made Sense

Our first stop was a quick pickup of tables and chairs from a customer who expected both setup and breakdown. Easy job, quick in and out — but the margins told a familiar story. We barely cracked 50% on this one.

At this point, it didn’t surprise me. I’ve been tracking the data long enough to know that once we creep past that ~18-mile range, margins start leaking fast. Add a small order on top of that, and the math just doesn’t hold up. Still, with work being light lately, this was one we needed to take. If we can squeeze a review out of it, it’ll feel a lot better in hindsight.

Sidewalls, Driveways, and Reality Checks

Last stop was a 15x15 driveway tent pickup. Aside from having to clean the bottoms of the sidewalls — which I truly hate more every time — it was smooth. Propane tank untouched, top completely dry, customer barely present. About as easy as it gets.

Margins landed just under 70%, which is solid… but it should’ve been better. I made a mistake and left the tent fittings back at the warehouse, forcing a second trip. In the real world, it didn’t hurt much — about a 40-minute delay, crew hours already baked in. On paper, though, it cost me roughly 6% in profit. This was a 75% job if I stayed sharp.

That one stung a bit — but it was a good mistake. A clean reminder that details matter, especially when margins are tight. Time to tighten it up.

Until next time
P.S. Don’t miss out on future updates! Subscribe to the newsletter to stay in the loop.

🛠 Tools I Use (and Recommend)

These are the tools that keep Peachy Party ATL running smoothly — from quoting clients to managing logistics to staying organized.

  • Goodshuffle Pro (referral) – My go-to for inventory, scheduling, contracts, and payments. It keeps the rental chaos under control.

  • Gusto (referral) - I’m still learning about payroll, if Im being honest. But Gusto has an easy to use platform and give me the confidence I need t go to the next level.

  • Next Insurance (referral) - We all need insurance! This is a great platform to help you get started.

💳 My Credit Card Stack

These are the cards I actually use to manage cash flow, earn rewards, and soften the blow of big purchases.

US Bank - Triple Cash Card
Updated: November 2025
$500 cash back bonus, 0% APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers

Amex Blue Business Plus (referral)
Updated: October 2025
12 months 0% APR + 15k Membership Rewards after qualifying spend.

🎪 Rental Industry Resources

If you’re in the rental world — or thinking about jumping in — these are the channels, tools, and communities I use to keep learning and leveling up:

📚 What I’m Learning From Right Now

A rotating list of the things feeding my brain so I can feed the business.