Six Friends, One Business – BBB Boat Rentals: “Blessed Beyond Belief”
Durham, NC – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to imagine the slow and steady start of a business. Yet, against all the odds, BBB Boat Rentals has managed to not only launch a business but also burst into the scene with huge success. Started by six friends from Henderson, NC, Savey Alston, Zuri Sneed, Nick Chasten, Tazmon Foster, DeCarlos Jones and, Kris Johnson, the humble beginnings of this boat rental service did not last long as they were soon flooded with requests for rentals after their launch in August of 2020.
The 6 friends, five of whom attended North Carolina Central University(Savey Alston attended Winston-Salem State University) have known each other for over 10 years and the start of their business is a great inspiring story. “We all were renting boats from another company just to have an activity during the pandemic. We decided to buy our own boat so one of us decided to check out some boats. We went through the process and purchased a boat soon after,” Savey Alston said. He went to explain how the same evening they purchased the boat they posted pictures on social media and they went viral. “At the time we had no aspirations of renting boats.”
Soon, their social media was flooded by requests for boat rentals and this sparked the start of the business. BBB Boat Rentals was born, and its name is a testament to the success these six friends have had. Blessed Beyond Belief, speaks volumes on how all the owners feel. It is a name they decided on because of the success they had during the COVID pandemic. It was decided when they were, “thinking about the situation and how the business has blossomed,” Alston said.
In a short time, they were able to acquire two more boats, bringing their total up to 3, and are currently in the process of buying 3 jet-skis. This rapid expansion is only in response to the fact that they are currently generating a growing demand. Their primary focus of Falls Lake quickly grew to include Kerr Lake (located on the border of North Carolina and Virginia), Lake Gaston in Virginia, and Lake Norman in Charlotte. What is more surprising is that they have achieved so much success in what would be considered their “off-season.” The months of December to February are focused on fishing rentals while the rest of the year would be the time for regular rentals. Alston even mentioned that their Opening Weekend for this year will be on March 6th.
When speaking about the success that the business has experienced, Alston was proud to mention the uniqueness of the service BBB provides. “To be honest, we do not sell a product, we sell an experience. We have a high growth rate and we continue to push the experience.”
BBB provides a variety of unique services that give them an edge against their competition. They provide music, tours, and even grills, allowing customers to order food while onboard one of the rentals. They travel to Lake Kerr and Lake Gaston whenever needed and maintain a great relationship with their customers, who often recommend their service to others.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough time, but these six friends were able to capitalize on it and start a great business. They now want to give back to the community that has helped grow the business to such an extent. With a plan to have a fleet of 30 boats in the next 10 years, BBB has started taking steps to hire drivers and allowing younger people to get a job and learn the trade of the business so that they too can find success during hard times.
BBB Boat Rentals has grown into a successful business over the past six months and has expanded exponentially since its start in August of last year. With the opening weekend of their regular season coming up on March 6th, the business is only going to grow faster. The six friends were able to capitalize on a social media success story and turn it into a business that is not only successful but also one that helps the community. They truly are ‘Blessed Beyond Belief’ and their aim to continue to expand the business will not be slowing down any time soon.
For more information visit their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BBBBoatRentals/
