14 questions with Chillntub - Hot Tub Rentals of Illinois

1) When did you get started?

Chillntub - Hot Tub Rentals: My son and I started the business in June 2021.

2) How did you think to start?

CT: My son Brandon was away at college when the pandemic hit and came back home, he was unsure if he wanted to go back to school or did not know what he wanted to do. We were talking at one point and I said why don’t you start a business. He said that sounds like a good idea but what? After a few months, I heard a podcast of a school teacher in Long Island renting hot tubs and had a really good business so I went to Brandon and said how about renting hot tubs, he said that sounds like a fun business and that is where it started.

3) Do you have a funny story from when you started?

CT: The big hurdle was to convince my wife Justine, as I usually have/had pretty crazy ideas on stuff over the years, so the way to convince her was that if the business does not work out, at least we have a hot tub.

4) What was your first setback?

CT: It was right away, after getting the hot tub, we wanted to practice on our processes and offered to our neighborhood first for what it was costing us ($70) to rent it for the weekend and no one took us up on our offer which put a lot of doubt in our minds if this was even going to work.

5) How did you overcome it?

CT: After a week or so from not hearing from our neighborhood, we started to post on community FB groups on a Saturday and had bookings for the following weekend and it has never slowed down since. We since purchased two more tubs, we were renting a U-Haul pickup to make sure proof of concept then purchasing a trailer and hitch to use on my wife's CR-V.

6) Are you seasonal?

CT: We are all year, we even found a place to rent for the winter months to sanitize and store the hot tubs.

7) What is the most interesting thing about your business itself?

CT: Being a hot tub rental business is in itself interesting, and people really like the idea of not having to really do anything but enjoy and relax.

8) What are your long term plans for your business?

CT: To have 30 plus hot tubs, a warehouse unit and deliver to all of Chicagoland, north and south suburbs.

9) Do you have any plans for next year?

CT: This year we plan on adding more hot tubs and adding new add on services to increase the experience.

10) Do you only operate locally?

CT: Locally right now, we service a 35 mile radius from Crystal Lake but we will expand further as the business grows.

11) How do you find new customers?

CT: Right now it is all through social media Instagram, FB neighborhood groups and Nextdoor.

12) How do you handle customer support?

CT: We have a google voice phone number that rings to Brandons, my wife's and my cell phones so anyone can answer a call anytime of the day.

13) What do you like most about the operations of your business?

CT: Our main goal was to make is easy for customers to do business with us and we hear that all the time from them.

14) Where can people find you online?

CT: FB page, www.facebook.com/Chillntub-107286108172216 or Instagram page, www.instagram.com/chillntub, or www.chillntub.com.

Find out more at Chillntub - Hot Tub Rentals's website or follow on Facebook or Instagram.