How Lenny Tim Started Mobility Scooter Rental Business

In this interview, we sit down with Lenny Tim, the entrepreneurial spirit behind LA Mobility Scooter Rentals. As a business leader in the bustling heart of Los Angeles, Lenny has carved out a niche in enhancing mobility for many, offering an innovative solution with a range of scooters and wheelchairs. His journey is not just about business but about empowering individuals and enriching lives. Join us as we delve into Lenny’s motivations, challenges, and the unique stories that define his venture in the world of mobility rentals.

Lenny currently offers tons of information about this business on his YouTube channel, so feel free to check it out after reading this interview.

Deciding to Enter the Mobility Equipment Rental Market

SBS – Why did you decide to start a business in the mobility equipment rental market?

Lenny – I was always entrepreneurial. I always try to have at least a little side business. I mostly did online selling, like eBay, Amazon, and things like that. One day, one of my friends, who started doing a similar equipment rental business with friends, suggested we start doing something similar, renting out different kinds of equipment.

I agreed and started thinking about different types of equipment, coming up with different ideas, and doing a lot of research. I generally have creative ideas, so I came up with a big list, and mobility scooters for rent were on it.

I met up with my friend and told him a bunch of ideas, many of which were typical, like construction equipment or party equipment rental. I also told him I thought mobility scooters were interesting and unique pieces of equipment that not many people think of.

He wasn’t sure he liked it, but I decided to start the website on my own and see what happens, if it might work, if there’s some demand, and if there’s a market. I understood the business. It was pretty simple. It didn’t have a lot of moving parts. It’s just one piece of equipment. I understood the process, too — you’re just renting equipment to people. I think I had enough general business knowledge to feel like I could start doing it, so I did.

Navigating the First Year

SBS – When you started, how was that first year in terms of customers and everything?

Lenny – This is the interesting part of the story. I didn’t start the business in the conventional way. I just launched the website. I didn’t buy any equipment, invest in anything, or officially open the business. I wanted to see if there was a market for it and if people started calling and emailing me. That’s all I did.

I looked at my competitors and learned what kind of information should be on a website. I then built a website that was probably better than most competitors because many were old-school and outdated.

I had that going for at least a year, to be honest, because I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into the business. I wanted to see if there was enough business, enough volume, enough orders, and enough money to be made. This was 2019. That first year, I was just testing the waters and waiting for my website to rank on Google. Then COVID hit, which slowed everything down. I waited for another year before deciding to actually start. In 2022, I did my first order.

Gauging Success and Meeting Demand

SBS – How do you like it so far? Is the demand at the level you wanted it to be?

Lenny – Within three to six months, I started getting calls. I got lucky. My website started ranking quickly, and I think it’s because it was good and better than my competitors. I had competitors, but my area wasn’t a very saturated market.

Now, I do it part-time. It’s more like a side business for me, and I think it’s a great side hustle. Of course, I’m always looking for the next bigger thing. But it’s a very nice side business that I do at my own will, and it’s worth it.

Setting Yourself Apart

SBS – What makes your services or products different and better than the competitors’?

Lenny – First, getting found online and being first is obviously a good thing. Second, I have a common sense approach to customer service. I’ve called some other companies, and I think they don’t sound friendly. I’m very easy and simple and try to be friendly. I don’t just say “No” or “We can’t” over little things that don’t matter. I try to help the customer. I talk to them very nicely. I listen to them. I’m not quick and short on the phone or anything like that. Same with my emails. It’s very basic.

I don’t even have the lowest prices, and I’m not looking to go after every customer, every job. I’m looking to go after what is good for me. But when I do, I treat the customer well and offer the best customer service.

Scooter Selection

SBS – What range of scooters do you offer, and what unique features do they have?

Lenny – These are standard mobility scooters. They’re intended for older people or people with mobility issues in general, but many people can use them. I use Pride, which is, I would say, the best quality brand. Most other suppliers also use Pride. These scooters are very reliable and comfortable. Their batteries last and work for a long time. I make sure my scooters are clean and in good shape. That’s it.

Streamlining Logistics

SBS – How do you handle the logistics of delivering your equipment and picking it up across Los Angeles?

Lenny – That’s probably the hardest part. You’re going to spend most of your time driving. Everything else is easy. Somebody calls you; it takes 5–10 minutes. Somebody emails you; answering takes 5–10 minutes. The rental agreement, invoice, and getting paid are also quick. Then, you have to deliver and pick up.

I was doing it for a while. I have an SUV and a regular car. I can put two scooters in the SUV. Sometimes, I’ll rent a van or a pickup truck if I need to transport more. But it’s very simple. These scooters are disassembled into four or five parts that you can put in your trunk and deliver to the customer. Generally, I’m usually delivering to a hotel, so I don’t even meet the customer.

Yes, there’s traffic, so I don’t do every job if it’s very far or if I know it’s going to take me a long time to get there. It all comes into play.

Educating First-Time Users

SBS – Do first-time users have more questions about mobility scooters? How do you educate them?

Lenny – Of all the people who reach out, many are probably familiar with scooters. They probably already have one or have used one, and they’re traveling here, so they just need one while they’re here. Most of the time, like I said, I drop it off at the hotel and never even meet the customer. So, I’m assuming they know how to use it. It’s very simple.

Once in a while, people will ask me to show them how it’s used or disassembled so they can put it in the back of their car. In those cases, I meet them face-to-face at some location. I also have videos on my website, and there are many on YouTube and other places online.

Keeping Up with Advancements

SBS – Do you stay informed about the latest advancements in mobile mobility scooters?

Lenny – I do a little bit. I am interested and try to pay attention, but I don’t get into it that much because it’s a standard industry and a basic service. People are so happy when they get a scooter because it’s such a relief if they have trouble walking and getting around. I’ve used it, and it’s great if you’re going for a long day.

I don’t look for anything new to rent because there’s also a cost value. I get my scooters inexpensively, and it works very well. There’s not much more you can offer, and it wouldn’t make much sense for me to offer anything more advanced because these scooters are great. They work how they’re supposed to work. They serve the purpose perfectly. I don’t get into trying to offer anything fancy. I don’t think it’s necessary. It will cost me a lot of money, and it won’t bring any more money.

Attracting New Clients

SBS – What marketing strategies do you use to attract new clients? Is it different than it was at the beginning?

Lenny – I do the basics. I built the website using GoDaddy website builder. You can do it any other way. It’s very easy and intuitive. It’s very basic. It’s not like WordPress or anything like that. They guide you with the information you need to provide. That’s all I did, but I made sure I did it well. I filled out everything, put as much information as possible, and made my website (at least in my opinion) look as nice as possible.

I created a Google My Business page, which is pretty standard. It gives you a Google profile, puts you on Google Maps, and allows you to get reviews. That helps a lot. I also opened a Yelp page. In terms of marketing, there are so many things you can do, but I didn’t do anything other than those couple of things.

Future Plans

SBS – Are you planning to expand your services or add more products, or are you sticking with mobility scooters? 

Lenny – I don’t think I’ll expand my services at this moment. It’s a nice niche; adding anything extra could add a lot more work and headaches but not necessarily add more value to me. For example, I’ve had questions about adding some options to the scooters, some extra little bells and whistles, like a charger or a canopy, and little things like that. It could maybe add a little extra money, but I think managing those things and dealing with adding them is not worth the work. I like the 80/20 rule, where you get most of your money from one service.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

SBS – What advice would you give someone who wants to start the same business?

Lenny – Like I said earlier, you don’t necessarily have to invest a ton of money. If you’re interested, you can start a website. Make sure you invest in the website to build it as nicely as possible and make it look good, hopefully better than your competitors. If you know little about SEO or other kinds of online marketing, you can try that to make the process quicker. See if you start getting calls or requests, and then once you do, once you’re ready to agree to something, make sure you know when and where you can get a scooter or two. Then start small. Start doing it with one, two, or three scooters. You don’t need more than that.