Myron Golden, the entrepreneur/YouTuber/business coach who uses Bible principles to teach business strategy, says that “All work works. It’s either working for you (making you money) or it’s working on you (making you better). The trick is lasting through the learning curve long enough to become the person for whom it can work.”
My time as a Turo host definitely worked ON me and not FOR me. It never made lasting profits, but I learned so much from the experience. And those skills have helped me in my transition to a Mid-term rental operator. Here are 7 skills that Turo helped me develop over 3.5 years that have me on the path to becoming the person for whom MTRs can work.
Problem Management
Turo hosts face a myriad of problems that can be caused by different factors: issues with a car, guests, the app, or the delivery process. When I first started, I would panic and get anxiety over any issue that a guest reported. Over time those feelings went away, and problem solving just became second nature. Big or small, when issues arise you learn to pause, think, decide on the best next step, and just keep moving forward until it’s resolved.
The ability to problem solve is essential to running a business. It’s like a muscle that gets tested constantly, so you either get stronger or you quit. The more problems you overcome, the more resilience you develop, and the better chance you give yourself to stay in business.
Logistics Management
Running a remote Turo business with multiple cars can quickly become a logistical nightmare. You have to coordinate simultaneous or same-day pick-ups and returns, while also considering the need for car washes, maintenance, or registration issues. If providing delivery, you have to factor in possible obstacles that are out of your control like traffic or delayed public transportation. Then there are last minute reservation changes or other requests by guests that can throw off your plan. There’s always multiple things to juggle at the same time.
Having learned to manage to coordinate all those moving parts helps as an MTR operator. When you have furniture deliveries, cleaners, maintenance people, and guests coming and going in quick succession, it’s a valuable skill to be able to handle it all and keep things running smoothly without losing your cool.
Customer Service
I always wanted to provide great service to everyone who rented from me on Turo. I got a few really nice reviews and compliments from guests on how surprised and appreciative they were with the professional quality I brought to their experience. And I was able to do it consistently for 3.5 years to keep my Power Host status on Turo.
I guess it’s now engrained in me. My early reviews from my MTR guests have been phenomenal. They like the level of service I provide and appreciate how I respond to issues quickly. I’m hoping this will lead to some lease extensions and recommendations for future guests.
Lead/Guest Communication
Maintaining a 5-star rating is essential as a Turo host, and being able to effectively communicate with guests is a vital part to earning that rating. Since all communication happens in the app, Turo tracks your response time and monitors your interactions with guests. They have requirements you must adhere to in order to keep your cars listed on their platform, so I got used to replying immediately and professionally to all guest inquiries.
While Furnished Finder doesn’t have the same rigid requirements as Turo, they do monitor response time and use it in their algorithm to promote more responsive hosts. I can’t be sure, but I do seem to be getting a lot of inquiries on my listings, and getting back to guests in a timely manner is likely helping me.
Marketing
I had a 30 minute session with an Account Rep when I listed my first car on Turo back in 2022. He gave me so much great advice on that call that helped me get off to a strong start. He really went deep on what makes a great listing for your cars, including what to mention in the description and how to take great photos.
This all carries over into the world of furnished rentals. You need to spend the time (and possibly money if you decide to hire a professional photographer or have Furnished Finder write your listing) to really nail your listing. It’s how you stand out against all the competition. Luckily in the MTR space this isn’t as cut-throat as in the STR world…yet. But the professional operators are coming. Stay ahead of the curve!
I also ran this same website when I was a Turo host to try to attract people to my cars and separate myself from all the competitors. Once I pivoted to MTRs I just re-purposed the site, but the intention is the same. And direct bookings are much easier since Furnished Finder doesn’t try to control you like Turo does.
Budgeting
If I learned anything as a Turo host it’s that you always have to plan for something going wrong with your cars. Accidents are to be expected and maintenance is constant. You need to budget for these items from the beginning so you’re not caught off guard by the additional expenses.
While I knew this going in, I wasn’t aware of just how much it costs to maintain and fix 9 cars on a regular basis. That contributed to my business going downhill over time. I built in a much larger reserve/maintenance budget item for my mid-term rental business, and I made sure to have lines of credit ready for anything big that comes up. I also use the Thumbtack app to find local service people and to get multiple estimates for jobs before hiring someone.
Hard Work
This one might seem obvious, because hard work is required to succeed at almost anything. But I really surprised myself and my family by how hard I was willing to work at making my Turo business a success. I cleaned the cars, drove them all over the tri-state area, accommodated guests, and worked late into the night to prepare cars for the next morning. All while not earning a significant profit. Turo helped me discover a passion for running my own business. I wasn’t doing all that because I loved renting cars. I did it because it was MY business.
So when it came time to review dozens of pieces of furniture for hours online, and drive 7 hours from NY to Cleveland multiple times, and spend days alone in each unit putting furniture together, I was able to do it. Because it’s MY business and I want it to be the best it can be.
