Since 1997, inspHire has gone from strength-to-strength in order to become a market-leader in the rental software space. How is this done? By designing powerful, innovative hire software solutions. But the real question is - how is this delivered to the global rental industry? Simple, by our brilliant people! Introducing Dane Evans, Senior Business Development Manager, and Jake Packard, Business Development Manager.

As we approach the end of 2023, there's no better time to reflect on the past year... And to do this, we thought we'd ask the experts who have witnessed first-hand the up and coming trends in the global hire industry. In this next instalment of 'Meet the inspHirers', we'll be asking Dane and Jake not only about their KCS journey, but also to dive into the hot rental topics of 2023, as well as their predictions for 2024... 

What has been your KCS journey?

“I’ve been with the business for 12+ years now, having joined back in September 2011 as Junior Sales Executive. You may want to say that was my first ‘real job’, and so my primary focus to start with was understanding sales, software and most importantly, the rental industry. Once I had built the confidence, I was out speaking to prospects and demonstrating our inspHire Office and inspHire Express solutions." - Dane 

Throughout the KCS group globally, we pride ourselves on being customer focussed. And, this is no exception for the rental team! Firstly, we want to get to know your business, how you work and what your business objectives are - this is what we call a discovery call. 

The team will then provide you and/or your team with an in-depth, tailored demonstration, this can be onsite or online. They'll show you the key features and products that will streamline your hire processes, build customer retention and increase ROI. Our Business Development reps are always on-hand to run-through any questions you might have through this journey also. 

"I joined the KCS Rental team back in October 2021 as Business Development Manager. My background is sales; having worked in various roles selling the likes of car dealership software, energy renewals, etc. What attracted me to this role was the software aspect and the rental concept is an expanding market, so it was just the challenge I needed." - Jake

What does your role entail now? 

"Over the years, I have worked my way up, starting off with start-up businesses, then SMEs and multi-depot hire businesses. Fast-forward to today, I predominantly focus on the global enterprises, demonstrating our inspHire Corporate Edition solution to both prospects and existing clients. From a customer perspective, I support the Account Managers in helping our customers expand the usage of their solution. In addition, my role also includes supporting the wider new business team that focus on inspHire Office, as well as attending exhibitions and customer events." - Dane

What is the difference between inspHire Office and Corporate Edition? In a nutshell, inspHire Office Edition is ideal for hire businesses of all sizes with single or multiple depots, offering a multitude of powerful tools that make running your entire hire business simple. Whereas, inspHire Corporate delivers a superior level of control for global hire businesses, offering a feature-rich suite that manages multi-company, multi-lingual and multi-currency operations. 

“My role includes identifying the needs of hire businesses. What is the ‘ideal’ hire business? It could be any one, and that’s the beauty of inspHire, we can cater to any requirements rental businesses have. Day-to-day, I’m out on-site demonstrating inspHire Office Edition, and getting to know prospects via discovery calls. In addition, I demonstrate inspHire’s suite of applications to both prospects and existing customers; from inspHire Mobile to eCommerce, no two days are the same!”  - Jake

What trends have you seen in 2023?

"We've seen a significant raise in demand for cloud hosting. This is due to many factors, one of the obvious factors is the increased security the cloud offers. But also, many businesses are wanting to get rid of and/or not invest in their IT infrastructure and inspHire's cloud hosting is the perfect resolution to this as it's a fraction of the price. Although we're three years down the line, I do believe the pandemic has shifted the industry towards a hybrid working environment, so by having that remote accessibility, it's a no-brainer why it's becoming so popular." - Jake  

Whether we realise it or not, we all use the cloud to manage vital parts of our everyday lives. Whether it's online banking, social media, sending emails, booking appointments, so the question is - why wouldn't you use the cloud for your business? By hosting on the cloud, you can take advantage of its many benefits: increased agility, automatic updates, available on any device - the list is endless! Learn more about inspHire's cloud hosting here.

"One of the big trends I've witnessed is the demand for a more superior level of connectivity. A lot of organisations are wanting to reduce their multiple solutions and consolidate into one - especially for enterprises that operate globally. On the flip side, best of breed is continuing to evolve and with inspHire's comprehensive API, our customers can achieve the same level of connectivity through a BoB strategy. The inspHire API enables us to build new, seamless integrations with the systems your business is already using." - Dane

What are your predicted trends for 2024?

"I believe the SME rental market are going to drive for more competitive websites. The pandemic converted a once 'traditional' sector who weren't open to change to implementing digital strategies, so I believe eCommerce is the obvious next step and is going to take off in 2024." - Jake

eCommerce is an online commercial platform, also known as a website, that can act as a 24/7 hiredesk for your rental business. inspHire's dedicated eCommerce solution, WebPro, integrates with inspHire Office Edition. The integration enables WebPro to seamlessly sync with your data, meaning any changes you make to your catalogue will automatically update your website, all at a fraction of the cost of a digital agency.

Why should you implement WebPro? Simple, you can give your customers complete flexibility by offering a faster buying process, but also reach distant markets. How? Having an online version of your depot that is open for business every minute of the day will certainly drive an increase of sales for willing consumers. Find out more about WebPro here. 

"My predication is that telematic providers will make their APIs richer, which will allow users to get even more data that can be utilised to drive operational activity and efficiencies." - Dane

inspHire offers a range of telematics integrations, such as Trackunit, JCB LiveLink, as well as its own dedicated Asset Tracker. From pinpointing the exact location of your equipment to analysing equipment usage and recording meter readings - revolutionise how you manage and track equipment today. Find out more about inspHire's telematics capabilities here. 

Finally, if you were a rental asset, what would you be and why?

"We would be a speaker and subwoofer, as we come as a pair and some may say we're quite loud!" - Dane & Jake