How Burly Helps Construction Equipment Manufacturers

Burly employs sharing economy principles to help construction companies find new value in the equipment they already own. Understanding new models of value creation are more important than ever for organizations. As I talk to people about Burly’s peer-to-peer equipment sharing marketplace, I frequently hear comments like “I can’t believe no one else is doing this!” and “I love that my equipment works for me when I’m not using it.”

Burly launched its sharing platform in early 2019, and its reception has been immensely positive. Amidst the high-fives, however, now and then, the same question has emerged.

“Aren’t you guys are making it harder for equipment manufacturers to sell? How are they going to react to you?”

I believe that innovative projects like Burly’s peer-to-peer platform will play a critical role in the future of equipment manufacturers.

The market wants to new ways to access equipment

I had been tossing around different ideas to facilitate and improve the equipment rental process. One of the ideas was to build a platform that allows contractors to rent equipment from their peers.

With my Burly team, we quickly built a prototype platform and put it in front of potential customers. We asked what they thought and what their expectations would be. The message was clear that a marketplace was the way to go. Armed with the knowledge that contractors wanted our marketplace, we found ourselves with the fantastic opportunity to change the way contractors use and access their equipment.

Burly allows anyone to make money by renting their idle construction equipment on the platform. This helps contractors get the most value out of their equipment.

— If you have idle equipment, why not put it on the Burly platform to share with others? The rental revenues will help pay for ownership costs or earn money to buy that next piece of equipment you need to grow your business.

— For contractors seeking equipment to rent, Burly offers a fast, easy, and affordable way to access the required machines on demand.

The value proposition of Burly to both equipment owners and equipment renters is clear and compelling.

Sharing brings in new customers

The business logic why a manufacturer would want to support a sharing platform may seem counter-intuitive. Why would an equipment manufacturer want to help people access equipment without buying it?

I see significant business potential and brand-building opportunities for manufacturers supporting Burly’s peer-to-peer platform.

— Many business owners hesitate to spend money on expensive equipment before they get to try the equipment for themselves. Burly will help a lot more people try a machine before they take that next step in purchasing their own.

— Younger builders and smaller firms, for example, might not be able to afford expensive equipment at full value. Burly’s platform allows manufacturers to access early markets and foster brand recognition and loyalty at an early stage.

— Sharing brings a whole new level of value for a brand. Instead of selling and reselling products to customers season after season, the sharing economy enables brands to develop a deep, long-term relationship with their customers that can involve membership models, subscription models, and service models.

— Contractors talk to one another about how they’re using their machines. There are exciting opportunities for manufacturers to use Burly in bringing people together and enabling contractors to access the equipment they want, quickly, easily, and at a great price.

Many experts believe the sharing economy is the most significant shift in the business landscape since the Internet. Figuring out how to compete in this space is an urgent issue for companies, regardless of industry. I believe Burly will have a central part to play in strengthening the brands of many equipment manufacturers.

The sharing economy is here to stay

The sharing economy is not a fad or a trend — it’s here to stay. This is how people live now.

Burly’s sharing model represents innovation, not for the sake of change, but to honestly give customers what they want. It’s essential not to get stuck with ‘this is the way we’ve always done it.’ Instead, we should always ask what’s missing. Sometimes, the answer is bigger than your product.

Understanding the platform economy, and more generally, the new mechanisms of collective value creation will be crucial for the long-term existence of brands and organizations. Experimenting with the sharing economy can help equipment manufacturers start to rethink their role in an increasingly complex world. The positive feedback from Burly’s first users has convinced me of the value such initiatives can have for businesses and customers alike.

To explore how Burly can help your equipment manufacturing business adopt sharing economy practices, please contact me at brig@burly.co.