Episode 3: The Fundraising Marathon
Or how I thought the store was going to slip away from me...
Speaking of marathons, I ran my second race this Sunday in 3h23 armed with my jewelry of course!
In the last newsletter, I told you about the charming set of circumstances that allowed me to find the boutique of my dreams... Today, I'm telling you about the steps that allowed me to get the keys to 8 rue Charlot (spoiler: story worthy of a Korean drama).
The game of cat and mouse
The day after the visit, I spent the day finalizing a presentation for the owners of the store. I presented the brand, its achievements (hello Natalie Portman !), and its growth prospects thanks to the store. One last edit to the business plan, and I clicked "send" with a pounding heart.
At the same time, I called local banks to set up initial meetings. The goal: to secure financing to transform the pumpkin into a carriage and give ourselves some leeway to hire an employee for the shop (among other things). I met with an advisor who was very excited about the project and sent us an offer the day after our meeting.
At the same time, I get a call from the real estate agent: our application has been accepted! I can't believe my ears!! We receive a draft lease - which we negotiate of course. A game of cat and mouse begins... The bank needs our finalized accounts and the signed lease to validate our loan and the real estate agent needs a financial guarantee certified by the bank, available once the loan is validated, to get us to sign the lease... A race against time begins...
How the shop almost passed me by
The Christmas holidays are just around the corner, putting all the processes I've started on hold on... I'm patient. Because patience, yes, I'm going to need it. And a cool head!
The lease agreement text is validated, we're just waiting for the loan, which is taking ages to arrive. Over time, I realize that things that seemed validated are no longer (like the amount of my loan or my interest rate...) to the point that our real estate agent (in his role) puts the knife to our throats. We sign on Thursday, otherwise I'll grant the store to another file... I then decide to take a risk: sign the lease without my loan... Which I get a week later, hallelujah!
At this point, we've almost validated the boutique plans with my architect. And a new countdown will begin: complete the work on time to take advantage of fashion week and, above all, start welcoming customers to have enough to pay the rent...
Memories, memories: signing the lease with Philippe and then signing the loan alone!
In the next newsletter, I'll tell you more about the artistic direction I've chosen for the store!
