RentMaster

A party or equipment rental business lives on details: which items are out, on which dates, at which address, with which pickup and delivery. RentMaster is aimed at party, event and equipment rental firms of small to medium size that have outgrown paper charts, lists or an ordinary database stretched to fit. The vendor positions it as more accurate than manual tracking and more reliable than all-purpose software, because it was designed specifically for rentals.

Keeping inventory under control

Items can be organized into as many categories and subcategories as the owner wants. When an order is taken, a real-time availability check shows what is actually free, which is meant to prevent the overbooking and missed sales that come from guessing at stock. Multiple items can be entered with a single click, which cuts the keying needed for a large event order.

Orders, invoices and payments

Rental equipment and items for sale can appear on the same invoice, so one document covers a customer's whole order. Order status values can be customized, with reserved, shipped, received and canceled given as examples, and delivery types and payment methods can be adjusted to suit the business. A payments history records several payments against an order and supports different methods such as check, cash and credit card. Special order discounts are also supported.

Customers

The customer database can be searched by any field and updated on the fly, so staff can find a past customer or a contact without browsing through lists.

Why the vendor says it matters

RentMaster's own argument is that customers come to a rental firm for a successful event as well as for efficiency, and that an owner who has full control of inventory and schedules gives more reassuring service. It adds that less time spent chasing details leaves more time for the owner's own life.

Trying it

The vendor offers a free 30 day trial so a business can test the program on its own inventory before committing.