A Miami couple started renting out their car as a side gig. They turned it into a full-time, 6-figure family business.

• Gerardo Aletti and Sofia Escarra grew from renting a single car on Turo to a fleet of over 60 cars.

• They said their background in transportation and speaking Spanish helped them grow their business in Miami.

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Miami have caused an increase in bookings.

Gerardo Aletti and Sofia Escarra, a Miami-based married couple, bought a Nissan Infiniti in 2020 with the plan to lease it and see how it goes.

If it works, great, the couple thought. They thought they could sell the car otherwise.

Let’s cut to six years later: car rental side business It has grown into a full-time, family-run business with 63 cars and helping Venezuelan immigrants earn half a million dollars by 2025. They only rent their cars on TuroThey owned a car-sharing app and recruited several other family members, including their son, daughter, and niece, to run the operation.

“We enjoy the work. We enjoy interacting with the guests,” Aletti told Business Insider.

Their son, Fabrizio Aletti, said he never expected to work with the family but it was “a really wonderful surprise.”

“I didn’t know we would grow this much in just a few years,” he said. “It was a journey, for sure.”

They are among many workers who have undergone a transformation. side hustle towards a full-time career. The couple said their previous experience in the transportation industry and their ability to serve Spanish-speaking travelers helped them grow the business from an experimental side hustle into a full-fledged car rental company.

Aletti worked in the transport industry before and after his emigration and was always interested in cars and mechanics. Operating out of Miami, the couple also used their Spanish to communicate with travelers from Miami. Latin AmericaThey say it accounts for 30% of their business.

Their Spanish has helped them with everything from airport pick-up instructions to restaurant recommendations, helping them capitalize on a surge in tourism for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which features seven matches. in miami. Aletti said they’ve seen an increase in bookings for games in recent weeks, and Turo introduced Spanish on its app earlier this year, making it easier for travelers to find them.

Renting a car was low risk

The couple said they were intrigued by the idea of ​​trying Turo because of the relatively low risk. After their first car rental experience was successful, they bought another, and then another. They had 15 cars by 2023, the same year they first rented an office as well as a place to park and store cars. Turo has become their primary source of income by 2024.

Aletti said he relies on his industry background to constantly evaluate which cars might be in demand in both Miami and the markets they target, including Miami. Fort Lauderdale airports. After the luxury Infiniti, he tested smaller, fuel-efficient cars, followed by sedans and SUVs. When one thing works, they buy another and continually reinvest in their fleet.

Each member of the family handles a different aspect of the business, from tracking expenses to buying new cars to marketing and customer service. Escarra said they left the difficult logistics of managing dozens of cars (at the airport, in the office, or keeping track of those needing maintenance) to “the young people.”

While they do some marketing on their own, the majority of their business comes from people finding their cars on the Turo app, Fabrizio Aletti said. “If we stopped marketing, we would probably still get a very good amount of business,” he said.

After thousands of trips, the family said they have largely had positive experiences with their customers, but sometimes things go wrong. Aletti once told two elderly men, whom he estimated to be in their 70s or 80s, that they had rented a Nissan Altima, and when he later opened the door, the car smelled of marijuana.

Aletti said they have referred other people they know to Turo, and he thinks it could be an “extremely profitable” business if done right. He says two things are necessary to be successful: knowing cars and knowing people.

“You have to know how to treat people,” he said.

If you like this story, don’t forget to follow Business Content on Yahoo.