Over the past two- and a-bit decades we’ve seen a lot of changes in the world. We’ve also been through a lot of changes ourselves. Like any industry, ours has moved on, and the way we do business has changed dramatically since we started out.
Of course, the technological revolution has changed the way we work - and the way others work too. When we started out in business there was no social media, websites were still a new idea, and a cloud was something that made it rain rather somewhere to store our files!
We were thinking about all the changes we’ve seen and the growth of our now almost 25-year-old business, recently. Clearly, we’ve made it further than many have and that must mean we’ve managed to harness some of what it takes to run a successful business.
Some of our lessons are quite simple, and some of them you’ll have heard before. But perhaps some of the other components of our success might surprise you. We’d love to share them with you, so read on to find out about the things we’ve learnt in nearly 25 years. Enjoy!
What have we learned after nearly 25 years in business?
1. Lynn says, “Working with my husband is probably the best business decision I have ever made. I’m not sure Stuart would say the same!”
2. You’re more successful if you follow processes and continuously improve them. There’s a process for everything.
3. We bet our lives over a New Year’s Day lunch in 1999 when we started the business. We really didn’t know what we were doing or going to do. Stuart still doesn’t!
4. Never say “Hope you had a great event. What was it?”. The answer could turn out to be, “My Mother’s funeral.” (Don’t ask us how we know this.)
5. The extravagance of some people’s weddings will constantly surprise us. One of the weddings we covered cost in the region of £190,000.
6. Having great mentors is vital. In our case, the top two were Stuart’s Mum and Dad; they’ve been so helpful and supportive.
7. Build a long-term team around you from day one. You’ll need a financial advisor, solicitor, accountant, a bank manager, an insurance broker, and good suppliers. Most of ours have been with us for 20 years.
8. Why fit in when you are born to stand out? You have to be odd to be No.1!
9. We never know what’s coming next and that’s OK.
10. It's amazing how many events are planned at the very last minute - the Amazon effect makes people very last minute these days.
11. Don’t employ drivers who don’t drive on motorways! We didn’t… but we did inherit one!
12. Enjoy all the ups and the downs. That’s life.
13. We need to celebrate all our successes (however large or small) with cake, bacon sarnies, fish and chips, or pizza.
14. We really enjoy working on projects that get us excited and spark our imagination.
15. Getting the right answers is all about asking the right questions. Mistakes and miscommunication happen when you don’t delve deep enough.
16. Watch out for the Google hole, that’s all I’ll say!
17. Understand and respect that all employees are different and play to each of their strengths. Square pegs don’t go into round holes.
18. Employing people we feel we can trust has helped us build an outstanding company. You really do need great people around you.
19. When you work in catering equipment hire, you can’t walk into a restaurant, pub, or hotel without turning over plates to check the brand!
20. Summer holidays are there to be admired.
So, what have we been doing for the last 25 years?
When we set up the Plato Hire catering equipment hire business, we decided right from the start that we’d aim to give the very best possible service. This means that we understand why you expect the same for your guests at your events. So we’ve been working on improving the business and the exemplary service we offer every single day since then!
When event equipment hire goes wrong
Sadly, we’ve heard many stories of what happens when people don’t find a high-quality event equipment hire company:
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Frantic washing up all night long because there weren’t enough glasses.
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Overloaded electrics cutting off the music because they hadn’t been fully tested.
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Dirty glassware and cutlery that had to be cleaned before being set out.
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A visit from the Fire Service, prematurely ending the event entirely.
Horror stories like these are what made us want to fill a much-needed gap in the market and that’s what we set out to do almost 25 years ago. So, how do you avoid said horror stories; aside from the obvious suggestion of working directly with us?!
Finding the right event equipment hire company for your event
25 years in business has taught us a lot about this industry, so we’ve put together a few things you need to consider before selecting your event equipment hire company.
Look for a company that can provide a wide range of items: Fewer vendors means simpler logistics. You should look for an equipment hire company capable of providing oven hire and kitchen equipment hire, glass hire, cutlery hire, crockery hire, linen hire and furniture hire.
Don’t prioritise cost over quality: It’s a false economy as it’ll actually cost you more in the long run. For example, hidden or unexpected last-minute costs added to invoices, additional time, and labour costs to resolve issues.
Choose the highest possible standards of quality, safety, and care: We’d recommend only ever using a company that is SafeHire certified. This is the greatest peace of mind you can get when selecting an event equipment hire company.
Transparent and simple quotations: Make sure that everything is spelt out clearly and in detail. For example, are washing up, delivery, and collection included? Make sure the quote includes VAT if applicable. Also – make sure you know the breakage policy upfront so you can compare and plan accordingly
Our services at Plato Catering Hire are available for all kinds of events; we take great delight in helping clients plan and execute events of all sizes!
Why pick Plato?
The fact we’ve been around for almost 25 years (have we mentioned that already?) tells you everything you need to know; we know our stuff and we’re trusted to deliver a great service. It’s the foundation of our business and what has kept our customer’s coming back time after time.
We’re prepared
No matter how many people you’re catering for, you’ll want to ensure there’s plenty of food. The trouble is, where will you cook it all? Or store it all? Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered. We offer oven hire, such as this 6-ring burner and oven, fit for the task - a real lifesaver if yours simply isn’t big enough. But we can go one step further with fridge hire and even hot cupboards.
We’re flexible
Plato Catering Hire has everything you need, whether you're a group of 10 or 1,000. We provide a wide variety of table shapes and sizes for seated functions, including rounds, squares, trestle and bistro-style tables. We also have options that fold, stack, and form semicircles for when you need additional flexibility for those last-minute changes.
We have SafeHire certification
Not only do we have SafeHire certification, but we’re also proud repeat finalists and winners of The Hire Awards of Excellence for SafeHire Event Equipment Hire Company of the Year. The SafeHire certification shows that we are committed, dedicated, and have a high level of expertise in our industry. (On top of that, electrical equipment is PAT tested before it’s hired out.) This means we’ve successfully proven that our business delivers high standards of service and have been acknowledged for our consistent efforts.
Looking for catering equipment hire that you can trust? Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your event!