Deciding if a Restroom Trailer Company is for You? Listen to This!

Erin Stahla, Co-owner of Stahla Services, a nationwide provider of restroom, shower, and ADA trailer rentals joins Enterprise Radio. Erin will discuss some very important factors in deciding if a restroom trailer company is for you.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Erin Stahla discuss the following:

(Host Eric Dye): How long has Stahla Services been in business and what areas are you in—with product and service you offer and geographical location?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Absolutely, yeah. Just a quick overview of where Stahla Services is at as of this moment in time. So we offer restroom and shower trailers. We offer a lot of specialty trailers, whether it’s the logistics or the actual asset of the trailer, and so we cover basically the nation in logistics, but then we also offer three different areas where shops are located in Nebraska and Kansas and in Denver. So we kind of serve that greater Midwest area very specifically, happy to serve wherever the need arises. But that’s kind of a decent overview of kind of where we’re at as of now.

(Host Eric Dye): What are the biggest misconceptions people have before starting a trailer rental business?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Man, there are a lot. I think Grant, my husband and I, when people come up to us and are just curious about starting their own business, whether it’s yeah, in, in the rental area if it’s trailers, if it’s specifically restroom trailers, there are a lot of misconceptions and I think that’s just comes with the territory, right? You’re asking questions because you haven’t been there and you’re not sure, so would love to address just a couple of those that people have when they’re thinking through. Should I even be in the sanitation or the, you know, restroom trailer rental business? So I think a lot of people come away with the idea that it’s going to be easier than it is. Part of this is good, right? That we don’t know all of the hard things going into it, otherwise, maybe we wouldn’t actually start the hard thing if we knew what came with it. So I think that’s a huge misconception is that it’s easy that it won’t take very long to scale large, right? I think when people get into a trailer rental company, they’re thinking, hey, I’m going to start with a handful of trailers and within a matter of 2, 3 or 4 years. First, this thing is going to be 10X to scale. While that can happen and it just depends on your growth strategy and your market, it’s often times just takes a lot longer than most people understand, and that’s OK. It’s easy to kind of get into it and think, man, why is it this happening quicker. What am I doing wrong and why we can all make adjustments to our business strategy? It’s just good to know that you know growth takes time and if you’re setting something up really well, just be OK with putting in the hours and then I think another one is that, oh, I can scale this all by myself, when in reality it takes a team. It also depends on where you want to go with the business. Is this something you want to do on the weekends? Are you wanting to replace your income?Are you wanting to have a business that you know is a legacy business or you can pass it on to your family? Definitely depends on what you’re wanting there, but just know that if you want to go far and fast, you definitely have to have a great team behind you. So I would really encourage people to, if you’re looking into this business, start developing your leadership skills, your management skills, your, your just overall business acumen.

(Host Eric Dye): What are some of the questions that someone who is interested in maybe owning their own restroom trailer business someday should be asking?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Absolutely. I always encourage people begin with the end in mind. So what does that mean? Don’t just go off of the first whim of man, my friend got into some sort of business and they were able to quit, quit their day job and go into it full time. That’s great. That’s not always everyone’s experience, so just make sure that you’re thinking through what looking back, let’s pretend you’re 80 or 90 years old, what would you have wanted to happen within your lifetime? So you can really use that as a great frame when you’re thinking about your business and then you can break it down from there. So do you want to be a business owner? That’s a really good question to answer right. As you’re thinking about this and then just what do you want your lifestyle to be? You need to determine your priorities. Do you want time for family?
Do you want time for hobbies? Do you want time just for self development, things like that really determine what’s important to you. Know that the business is going to take 10, at least 10X more time than you ever think it will, but that at least gives you a great frame to start working backwards from. OK, I want to start this business. How do I want it to look? I don’t want it to run me over every single day, so start putting up those frameworks now so that when you get into a new 2,3,4,5,6, you know, extended years into it, you’re not still in the daily grind. You’ve really set your vision larger and you started to work towards that.

(Host Eric Dye): What would be the first few steps you would advise someone to take as they’re starting out their journey in the industry?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Yeah. OK. So, since we already covered beginning with the end in mind, that’s such a foundational element that the next thing I would think through is how do you want to start financially? Are you looking to bring in a partner? Do you want to take out loans? Are you wanting to be debt free? Are you looking at investors really determine what direction you want to take this financially from the very beginning? I know some people have certain relatives or a friend that they would like to go into business with. There’s certain things that come up for different people of how they would like to start, but just know you have 100% say in how that goes, so be very intentional in that. I was mentioning do you want to be debt free? That’s going to be potentially very difficult, but if it’s something that you really, or is a high value to you – you can absolutely accomplish that. It’s just going to take some thought behind that, but you get to determine the financial strategy behind your business, so take that very seriously. If you’re wanting to take out loans, we’re a it’s a very bankable business really like us because of the asset based company. So that’s another good thing to kind of keep in mind. And then another step I always advise is just to start small. We typically recommended two or a 4 stall trailer just to see if you even like it. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of oh man, you know, before I know it, I’m going to have 50 trailers and I’m going to have this whole team doing stuff for me. That’s often not what it looks like at the very beginning. So you have to actually enjoy your day-to-day and at the beginning that’s gonna look a lot like, you know, taking a 2 stall trailer to a wedding, setting it Friday night. You know, you’re going to be doing some weekend work. You’re going to have to learn how to, you know, work with the waste management piece of that and it’s not for everyone. It really isn’t. So I always recommend start small just so that you get some reps under your belt to even understand if you enjoy the day-to-day of it. And this is a huge one before you even purchase a trailer. Most people that think that’s kind of the first start right is you purchase a trailer before you even do that. Start your marketing and your sales as soon as possible to see if you can even rent the trailer out when you get it. This is a big deal, so obviously you don’t want to commit to jobs that you know you can’t take, but you know, once you have a good idea of when you would be able to purchase your trailer, start pre selling those rental slots. Make sure that you’re getting on the wedding venues. Start posting on the Facebook pages. Start making some cold calls. Get involved with your Chamber of Commerce if you can line it up to where you have your first rented out of that trailer before it even arrives, that is absolutely ideal. And I don’t even recommend this for just the first trailer or the second one. I recommend it for every trailer that you purchase in perpetuity. This is such a good mindset of this asset. You know, you’re most likely going to be paying, you know, getting a loan for it or paying it off for a while. It has to begin working for you from day one before it even arrives on site. So that’s such a big one and I can’t under, you know, overstate that enough. But make sure that you’re really dialing in your marketing and sales strategy before you even purchase a trailer. Because that’s going to be the make or break moving forward.

(Host Eric Dye): Can you break down the kind of lifestyle this business supports — freedom, stress, etc?

(Guest Erin Stahla): Absolutely. So yeah, that’s such a great question to ask – of what is the lifestyle that I’m creating through this business? Because nobody wants to get to a spot where their business is just hounding them every single day. It’s not providing the income that they need and really you’ve just bought yourself a monster that you can’t really get rid of. So just making sure that you’re going from it again with the with the end in mind is such a big deal on how you want to slice this thing, understand that you’re in charge. The decisions you make or how the business is going to go if it goes well, that’s great. That’s on you. If it’s not going well, you know, maybe not so great, but it’s also on you, right? And those are sometimes kind of the hard truths with it. But if you pay attention to this business, if you enjoy the sanitation industry, it will treat you very well. It’s something that you have to be OK with getting calls on evenings and weekends. Because one you know you’re going to be the owner of the business or you to be managing it, or you’re deciding if you even want this sort of a business but you have to be OK with receiving and taking phone calls at you know, any time of day just because you’re in business. But then secondly, you know, oftentimes people start in the event rental business where you know the weddings are on Friday, evenings are on Saturday afternoon, you’re picking that up on Sunday. So that is a big thing with just lifestyle in general that you have to assess if you’re OK with that and if that’s something that you and your family want to move forward with. On the other end of the spectrum, you’re able to set yourself up for huge success with with lifestyle if you’re wanting to make sure that you know you are in charge of it, you’re setting the parameters around. You know who can get in touch with you when, but just know for those first few years especially, you’re going to be definitely on call a lot of the time and answering a lot of questions and troubleshooting and figuring out the logistics behind each trailer. So there are definitely pros and cons but overall, we’ve decided, you know, it’s definitely worth it. We love the game of business and we love the lifestyle that it affords.

Tune into our ALL ABOUT Stahla Services Podcast Series – right here.

About Grant & Erin Stahla

Grant and Erin Stahla are entrepreneurs passionate about redefining portable sanitation and creating a business that reflects their values—care for people, excellence in service, and faith-driven leadership.

Their journey began with a shared passion for business, which became the foundation of their relationship. While most couples start with small talk, Grant and Erin’s first date was spent discussing sales, marketing, and operations. Grant launched Stahla Services right out of college, and Erin joined him in the business after they got married. Together, they’ve built a company that not only delivers exceptional service but also prioritizes strong relationships—with customers, employees, and the community.

Beyond their work, Grant and Erin are committed to personal growth, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and giving back through their support of Love Justice International, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing human trafficking. Their business is an extension of their mission to serve others while fostering a life centered on faith, family, and integrity.

About Stahla Services

At Stahla Services, we believe restrooms should be more than just a necessity. That’s why we provide restroom and shower trailer rentals that offer a clean, comfortable, and premium experience for event guests, construction crews, and businesses alike.

Unlike standard porta-potties, our facilities feel more like high-end hotel restrooms, featuring:

✅ Climate control for comfort in any season
✅ Fresh running water and modern fixtures
✅ Spacious, spotless interiors with fully stocked supplies

Whether you are hosting a wedding, managing a construction site, or organizing a corporate event, we deliver reliable service with a commitment to excellence. Our team ensures that your restroom experience is seamless, from setup to pickup, so you can focus on what matters most.

Beyond business, we’re driven by a purpose—to do things the right way, give back to those in need, and create opportunities for growth. With every rental, a portion of our profits supports Love Justice International in their fight against human trafficking.

At Stahla Services, we’re more than just a restroom rental company—we’re a team dedicated to providing comfort, reliability, and care in every interaction.