Dear Future Rental Community Members,

As we get ready to reach a major milestone by launching RentItems.com (Preview) on April 1st, 2019, I am reminded of what has made the journey worthwhile. As pioneers, I love the audacious challenge and high growth learning experiences that occur in a new venture; however, what I always love the most are the people I have the great pleasure to work with and do life with every day. Spurring people on to go beyond their perceived capacity and limitations and reach new levels of personal and professional growth is highly rewarding. In addition, prompting others to envision how things could be, instead of focusing on the way things are, means we can do something extraordinary.  

The life of an entrepreneur and innovator desiring to provide disruptive solutions to major challenges is inherently challenging. So, what keeps me going? First, I have a wife who is extremely supportive and patient with my entrepreneurial lifestyle. Second, others are willing to take this journey with me even though the future is unknown. Third, I truly believe what we are doing at Rent Items will have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of countless people. I thirst for the day for someone to share how Rent Items has changed their lives in ways we are not even imagining. My hope is that we establish new income generating and saving rental opportunities that are currently inconceivable. One of the most exciting things about Rent Items is the social, economic, and environmental benefits it offers to local communities on a global scale. Microfinancing and social entrepreneurship efforts have been extremely helpful in paving the way for peer-to-peer sharing with social and economic benefits. The sharing and gig economy is an expansion of the foundation that was laid in the late 90s and early 2000s. I believe Uber and Airbnb are just some preliminary examples of what is possible in terms of better utilizing the resources that already exist in our world.

“80% of the items we own are used less than once a month”

– PWC Research Report

I envision many industries and consumer behaviors will be radically changed because of Rent Items and the benefits of embracing the sharing economy through rentals. The future is comprised of sharing not only our cars and homes but sharing everything we own with our local neighbors and with travelers visiting the city in which we live. I imagine a future where people are renting fractional unused spaces such as garages, warehouses, offices, storage units, and parking spaces. Why buy fine art that hangs on the same wall forever when we can rent art for less and rotate it every 3-6 months with something new and fresh?  Why continue paying for storage units without any potential for return? Utilize your storage unit by offering the items sitting idol to financially work for you and not against you. In addition, Rent Items will play a major role in the mobilization and distribution of supplies and equipment for disaster relief. We plan to be the primary resource for sourcing items needed after a natural disaster. These are just a few examples of how Rent Items foresees making an impact on the way you and your family will be more connected with those around you and become less wasteful and more financially efficient.

Since Rent Items is a marketplace, consumer-based supply and demand, and the community will determine in real-time how much something is worth as a rental item. Our rental marketplace will provide people with an opportunity to save money as the average U.S. household is $16,000 in credit card debt. Those that own items that are only depreciating in value can now turn them into income-generating opportunities. Most importantly, my greatest desire is that new friendships and relationships are fostered in local communities as a result of peer-to-peer commerce and less financial and physical waste occurs in the process.  

I hope you will go on this journey with us and support the ambitious vision we have to change the world one rental at a time. Will you be a change agent? If you would like to become more invested in Rent Items, please feel free to contact me directly.

Warm Regards,

James Zimbardi
CEO
Rent Items, Inc.
https://company.rentitems.com

James Zimbardi

James is the CEO of Rent Items, Inc. In 2014, James became interested in the rental industry and the sharing economy. James has over 20-years of experience as a management executive. He holds a Bachelor’s of Business degree from Stetson University in Marketing and Information Technology and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Sloan Fellow in Innovation and Global Leadership.