If you wanted to rent a game for your playstation or xbox, you never had to look much further than your local rental store. However, if you wanted to rent a game for your child’s v.smile, you were out of luck. That is, until now. Thanks to Jenny Scheidle and Christy Baker, the mom entrepreneurs behind SmartyRents.com, there is finally a place to find them.
Ask any parent that has one of these systems in their home and they will tell you that the games don’t always come cheap. Then it is only a matter of time before the kids get tired of playing it and start asking for something new. Rather than waste money on new games which will eventually end up stored away, why not rent?
For as little as $9.99 per month, parents can rent a variety of games without a limit on how long they can keep it. Once their kids are bored with it, they can send the game back through the mail and receive a new one. In the off chance that a game might be a hit and the kids don’t want to let it go, parents also have the option of purchasing the game at a discount.
Tell us a little about SmartyRents.com.
SmartyRents.com is an educational video game rental company, featuring LeapFrog and VTech games. Customers can rent games from eight game systems, including Little Leaps, Clickstart, Leapster, Didj, V.Smile Baby, V.Smile, V.Motion, and V.Flash. All games are available to rent including those no longer available on the market for purchase. Families can choose from one of several SmartyRents rental packages to meet the individual needs of each child in their family. Our online rental company works similar to Netflix, in that, the customer’s selected game titles are shipped free, directly to their door and with no late fees.
If you are looking for that perfect gift, we also sell SmartyRents.com gift certificates. Our gift certificates can be purchased in any dollar amount. It’s not another toy to add to the clutter in your home, but a gift to help in the educational growth of a child.
What inspired the two of you to launch your business?
Since leaving the classroom to take care of our children, we have tossed around ideas about starting our own business together. Ideas came and went until one day Christy was watching her children play their Leapsters and she wondered if anyone rented these games. We immediately began researching our idea and found that it was an original. With our background in education, we felt renting educational video games was the perfect fit.
What are some of the systems that you have games available for?
Customers can rent games from four LeapFrog game systems, including Little Leaps, Clickstart, Leapster, and Didj, as well as from four VTech game systems, including V.Smile Baby, V.Smile, V.Motion, and V.Flash. All games are available to rent including those no longer available on the market for purchase. If a child loves a game so much they cannot part with it, parents can take advantage of our “Love It” option. This feature allows customers to purchase that beloved game at a reduced price.
How many games total would you say are have currently listed on your site?
We currently stock over 180 game titles combined from all eight game consoles. As a SmartyRents customer, you have access to a variety of game titles and the ability to send them back as often as you like. You may find your child outgrows a game, is not interested in it, or discover the game was not the correct ability level for your child. As teachers, we have compiled an extensive list of over 150 educational skills our games teach. Parents are able to search our game library for those that emphasize a specific academic skill. For example, if your child is struggling with addition, you can view a list of games that will focus on helping your child master that skill in a fun way. Games can also be searched by particular age levels. ALL of our games have an educational purpose and are often taught by children’s favorite characters.
Any new games or systems that might become available in the near future?
We are constantly expanding our inventory. As new games come onto the market, we add them to our library. Currently, we only stock games for the eight game systems from LeapFrog and VTech, but we are always considering adding more game systems to our website as we see a need or interest.
In what ways has your business grown since it first launched?
Each day we are happy to find new customers signing up for memberships and talking about the services we provide. We have received an amazing amount of positive feedback as people learn of what we offer. It is great to see families and children benefiting from our business idea.
What are some of the goals that you still hope to accomplish?
Education is where our expertise lies, so we would like our company to continue to grow by offering families more educational games, devices, and potentially DVDs to promote learning in all households across the country in a manner which is cost effective.
What are some of the lessons that your business has taught each of you?
We learned a business does not develop overnight. At first, we had the impression we could go from concept to launching within a month. In reality, it takes time to build a good business that people will trust and want to become a part of. Developing your own business, especially one that has not existed until today, has been quite a learning experience. Coming from an educational background, we definitely had to learn the ropes quickly.
Now that you’ve been bit by the entrepreneurship bug, do you see any plans for expansion or new startups in your future?
We are always interested in new ideas and the chance to expand.
What advice would you like to offer fellow entrepreneurs that are just getting started?
Starting a business takes time and patience. Our advice is to take your time to develop a great product or service for your customer. Your customer will thank you in the end for the time and detail you have put forth into your business. As with anything, you are going to hit roadblocks, but do not get frustrated, persistence is the key.