How I Pivoted my Reselling Business to Renting and Made More Money

This dress has generated over $5,000 in rental income.

It's the Manning Cartell Time to Shine Slip Dress in Truffle. When I first purchased it, I knew it would be popular, but I had no idea it would become one of the most successful dresses in my collection.

The reason I bought it was simple. It ticked almost every box I look for in a great rental garment. It's comfortable, extremely flattering on a wide range of body types, durable enough to withstand repeated wear, and the lace-up back makes the fit more flexible across sizes.

In short, it's the ideal rental dress.

It's also a purchase that reminds me why I'm glad I pivoted from reselling to renting.

Before I started renting dresses online, I was in my final year of university with no full-time job and was looking for an easy way to make some extra money. I spent hours every weekend scouring thrift stores and online listings looking for pieces I thought I could flip for a profit.

The reality was much less glamorous.

I ended up with a wardrobe full of unsold stock and eventually donated much of it. That's when I decided to give renting a try.

I started with just four second-hand dresses and posted them in a couple of Facebook groups. Within a few days, I had secured my first two bookings.

From there, I grew an Instagram page, built a website, expanded my collection and learnt what customers actually wanted. Five years later, the business has generated six figures in revenue and I've managed hundreds of garments.

One of the things I love most about renting is that I'm no longer constantly searching for new inventory and hoping it sells before trends change. Over time, you learn which styles have genuine staying power.

Some of the dresses in my collection have been renting consistently for years because they're flattering, versatile and timeless.

The Manning Cartell Time to Shine is one of them.

The biggest lesson I've learnt is that the most profitable dresses aren't always the trendiest. They're the styles that make people feel confident, suit a variety of body shapes and remain relevant season after season.