Good base plugins to start with. I know Multiverse still works on most Minecraft versions but I would recommend checking out
MyWorlds. I am a long time user of Multiverse and decided to find an alternative from Multiverse due to minor issues with it and the fact that they always seem to be pretty behind in updates.
As far as server running goes, the biggest tip I can give is make sure you keep server running fun for yourself. Running servers is way different now than it was back when I ran servers in the beta years of Minecraft (I've ran a few servers after too). It's hard to pull people in without additional legwork outside of the server and only advertising on Minecraft "ad" sites. There going to be times where you don't get new people in the server, and the ones you do have may stray after a bit of time. So keeping it fun for yourself is key to keeping it going.
The other tip I will give is always improve on what you have on the server. Add new features, tweak older features, listen to member feedback even if you have no intentions to add features a few may mention. Keeping the server fresh will keep current members interest in your server.
