July 1, 2025 — Daily Recap

Warehouse Wins and Marketing Plumbing

Today was all about clean-up and catching up. The truck is now spotless and ready for the next haul. I also spent a good chunk of time catching up with a former colleague who’s helping me build out some serious CRM and marketing workflows.

What I thought was just going to be “let’s sprinkle in a little AI” turned out to be a full-on systems deep dive. Turns out you can’t “flush” a marketing campaign until all your digital pipes are connected. Noted.

Mid-Year Numbers Sneak Peek

The official June recap is coming soon, but here's a preview: we hit our revenue goal.

The goal was to simply double our efforts from 2024—and we did it. For July, we’re aiming for a 75% increase over last year. That number’s been tapered a bit to account for a planned vacation, but I still plan to give it all I’ve got. July is historically slow, so the extra push is necessary.

A Love Story: Me and Megatron

Yesterday, I installed the replacement battery in our electric dolly, affectionately known as Megatron. After being out of commission all weekend, it roared back to life. I was so happy I might’ve kissed it.

Yes, there are photos.

So I figured now’s a good time to walk through my journey of figuring out how to move chairs without breaking my back (or spirit). This isn’t a gear review. Just one guy trying to help other small operators make decisions.

How I Move Chairs (Without Hurting My Soul)

Chair rentals only made up about 5% of revenue last year, but we still have to offer them. OR DO WE? The profit isn’t always great, but the logistics can be a nightmare if you don’t have the right setup.

Some facts for context:

• I’m 5'5", about 165lbs on my heaviest, off-season Thanksgiving days. So clearly, I’m not hauling 200 chairs on raw strength.

• I use a box truck with a ramp (no liftgate—bless those of you who have one).

• You can make this work. But if you’re going to do chairs, you better make the convenience fee work in your favor.

The First Hand Truck: Lowe’s Era

I don’t remember where I bought my first hand truck. But I do remember taking a plastic folding chair into Lowe’s like some mad scientist trying to test compatibility.

Eventually, I landed on this blue steel convertible cart.

What made it great?

• The chairs fit perfectly on the platform when the dolly was laid down.

• Most importantly, I could push chairs up the ramp instead of pulling them—remember, I’m working with limited weight and muscles here!

Still, I hesitated. It felt silly to spend $100 (at the time) to transport a $2 chair. (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.)

Furniture Dollies: A Financial Spiral

This is Adam the Tent Guy 101 right here!

I started with two Uline dollies—expensive (~$60 at the time) but excellent for the warehouse. Then I “upgraded” to Harbor Freight dollies. At $17 each, they were a steal... but boy did they stink. Still, they roll, so they stay (for now).

Check out Start A Party Rental Biz course for a wealth of knowledge and efficiency tips.

Then Came Megatron

I studied this thing like it was the LSAT. Seriously. I watched every demo, read every spec sheet, and even asked the Granite team to bring it to the 2024 MATRA show so I could see it in person.

At some point, I stopped overanalyzing and bought the electric dolly of my dreams. Why?

Because it just works:

• It fits perfectly on my truck ramp (24" wheel base).

• I can scoop up chair stacks already resting on dollies and roll right into action.

• It gave me confidence to run my business more efficiently—and more boldly.

The Real Benefit: Confidence

Before, I’d hesitate quoting $1,000 for a same-day chair rental with evening pickup. Now? I show up with Megatron like the professional I am and own that rate. I'm not just some guy in shorts with a pickup truck.

Megatron didn’t just save my back—it crushed my imposter syndrome.

There’s a learning curve (especially up and down ramps), and you’ll still want a second set of hands on uneven yards. But for me and the crew, this thing was a game changer. Their feedback: “what were we even doing before this?”.

Max stack: ~60 plastic chairs or ~30 resin.
(That’s probably not recommended... but we do what we do.)

Not Sponsored, Just Grateful

I’m not affiliated with Granite in any way. Just a small biz owner who finally invested in something that made his life easier. BUTTTT, if Granite is reading this though… holler at your boy. I take Cashapp, Zelle, free products and even snacks. Just kidding!

Your boy is an influencer now 👀
If you're running an event rental biz and want your life to make sense:
👉 https://refer.goodshuffle.com/RamonLuna
Get $100 off your first year of Goodshuffle Pro. I get a small kickback and get to keep pretending I’m a tech-savvy small biz influencer. 😂 Win-win.

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