In July, Erik Dreyer, a developer for LookThink, and Andrew Garcia, a consultant for Whiteboard Federal Technologies, quit their full-time jobs in hopes of pivoting their failing startup into a genuine success story.
Dreyer and Garcia's Washington, D.C.-based startup, called GoodShuffle, was originally launched in early 2014 as a peer-to-peer (neighborhood) rental marketplace for everyday items like lawnmowers or blenders. When the pair left their jobs last year, they knew a pivot was necessary. After extensive conversations with numerous event planners and supply vendors—many of whom Garcia and Dreyer were familiar with because of promoting GoodShuffle the first time around—a fresh start was in order.
Today, GoodShuffle, or GoodShuffle 2.0 as Garcia likes to call it, is a dedicated marketplace that rents event furniture and other non-consumption supplies to customers in the D.C.-area.
"There's a big discovery issue in this industry. With lots of options, sellers, vendors and prices, but nothing to really streamline it all... to make it easier for people," said Garcia.
Event planners and DIY marriages, among others, are using GoodShuffle's Amazon-style ordering platform to quickly compare prices and ultimately rent items like plates, glasses, tables, large tents and other limited supplies directly from vendors.
Rather than owning all of this revolving merchandise, GoodShuffle partners with event supply vendors like—Event Rentals DC and Brooke Rental Center—who in turn list their product online. And that approach is paying off big time in a way that GoodShuffle 1.0 never could.
By copping a 10 percent commission fee on every order taken via a vendor, the company expects healthy growth margins over the coming year.
Garcia explained that he projects the average event order to cost between $3,500 and $5,000. He hopes that GoodShuffle will service roughly 200 parties in 2016. That 10 percent mark, while being the standard, also scales down when the volume exceeds a certain point for larger events.
To be clear, GoodShuffle doesn't offer event services per say, as they stem away from selling, for example, the business of a catering company to a user. Instead, the local startup provides a way for people to get their hands on all the necessary "hardware" needed to throw a great event. These events include marriages, festivals, private parties and conferences.
"Our goal is to run a couple hundred events through our site by the end of the year across the DC, Maryland and Virginia market. We already have a strong foundation of quality vendors on our marketplace capable of servicing a wide range of events and we're continuing to add additional vendors on a weekly basis. Whether it's staple items like tents and tables to vintage heirloom pieces, we're helping renters and event planners find the unique and keystone items to make their event a success," Garcia told DC Inno.
The company's platform, which integrates communications and shipping delivery between the customer and supply vendor, is especially useful in dealing with a quickly changing situation. If a customer needs to add chairs or a table to their reservation, the edit/change can be easily made via GoodShuffle's website prior to the delivery, all without the need to call or coordinate a separate plan.
For reference, the GoodShuffle (2.0) responsive website went live 4 weeks ago. The company does not currently offer a mobile app. Dreyer called it a "silent launch" though, because it was not followed by either a marketing or advertising push. He explained, "we were still on-boarding some new vendors and event planner then, so we didn't go all out or anything."
GoodShuffle has been entirely bootstrapped to date. Garcia and Dreyer have been meeting with private investors but aren't sure if they will raise a round of capital. If it happens, it will be announced before end of year, said Garcia. The funding would be used to expand operations outside of the DMV-area.
