SPOTLIGHT ON AN INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY – Brian Auty of Active Hire.
YOUR NAME?
Brian Auty
NAME OF YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY?
Active Hire – www.activehire.net
YOUR LOCATION?
Leeds, West Yorkshire
YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE?
Quadrophenia (1979)
YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?
Chinese
YOUR HOBBIES?
Socializing with friends and family.
WHAT MADE YOU GO INTO THE BOUNCY CASTLE HIRE BUSINESS?
I’ve been in the hire business all my life as family run tool hire shops. I moved away and ran my own garage but got fed up of oil and bad knees. I have 4 girls so when looking to diversify we decided that bouncy castles was the way to go.
IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?
Drive up prices for both hires and manufactures. Well, we all want cheap prices but if manufacturers don’t get profits up they will have no money to develop new items. Then we all end up with the same 12 x 12’s and that way they would have the money to do more trade shows to showcase their new developments and we would not have the stress of the once (or twice) a year trade show organisation like we have now with the Leisure Supplies Show.
WHAT DO YOU MOST LIKE ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE INDUSTRY?
Providing an outstanding service to my customers and clients and growing my business.
WHAT DO YOU LEAST LIKE ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE INDUSTRY?
Back garden hires
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HIRING FROM HELL?
Long story but ended up doing a getting out of jail party for a guy released after serving time for attempted murder. We were threatened and really felt our lives were at risk. All’s well that ends well we got out OK and the guy was sent down again 6 months later for murder. The agent who sent us there had a very angry answer machine message from me when we got out of there at 2am in the morning.
HOW HAS THE BIHA HELPED YOU IN YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
As one of the founder members of the BIHA this was a time when information was not very easy to get hold of. However, we did find information on the forum and the BIHA newsletters. We did learn to take information and then check details for ourselves because we all make mistakes at the start and information given out on forums can be done in good faith but can be flawed. Without the information to start with we could never find the facts. Even finding info about the LIW Show and getting there and meeting others came from BIHA and the forum. Now, with the likes of the Leisure Supplies Show, INPAS and facebook it’s a lot easier to get the info but for most it starts with the BIHA.
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Thank you Brian for taking time out while you are organising the Leisure Supplies Show to answer these questions – it’s much appreciated.