Page 93 of Situationship
“I’m not sure I can swing it, but, God, I want to.” And maybe she still could. One of the most interesting pieces of advice Harley had read aloud to her last night over dinner was:
3. IF POSSIBLE, DRAW UP SEPARATE CONTRACTS FOR THE RENT AND THE OVERALL PRICE.
“I’d like to separate the renovation price from the overall number. I know a few contractors who might give me a more competitive quote,” she said, as if she had a contractor on speed dial. She did not.
Jack shook his head. “I don’t trust other crews in my buildings. My son does all my work.”
“Your son’s prices have always seemed high,” Colin pointed out, giving her a sly wink. She bit her lip and winked back—not so slyly because Jack chuckled.
“Like I told you,” he said to Colin, “six people have already looked at it. I promised you I’d wait until she could see it.”
“I’ve seen it,” she said, taking control of the conversation. “I’m interested, but I can’t commit at that price.”
Jack rocked back on his heels, his expression one of pure contemplation. “Your grandma was a fierce businesswoman. I once saw her trying to barter a better price on fava beans at the market. I can see that you inherited some of her tenacity. If you want the place, I’ll give you first dibs.”
“First dibs?” she said, trying not to sound too eager. There were still negotiations to be made. “How long do I have to think about it?”
“It won’t last the day.”
Locations like this didn’t come up for lease all that often in Pacific Cove. Most of the shops on Lighthouse Way had been family owned and run for generations, like Nonna’s shop. She wanted to leave that kind of legacy for her girls.
Tucking them into bed last night, she couldn’t help but picture them in her bakery, like she used to help Nonna Rose and Zia Iris. She wanted that for her girls. It was right here for the taking if she had the courage. She remembered the fourth tip.
4. KNOWLEDGE IS KEY.
She didn’t know Jack all that well, but she did know he’d had three tenants in five years. And that represented a lot of lost revenue between tenants.
“You might have six other people interested, but how many of them are locals with ties to the community? I’m here for the long haul. So I’m willing to sign a longer lease if you’re willing to lower the price.”
Jack groaned but looked impressed. “Five-year lease and we can take another look at the price.”
5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO NEGOTIATE.
“Three and your son matches my contractor’s bid.” Which depended on Colin helping her find a reasonable contractor. She might have grown up here, but she’d lived in Seattle since leaving for college.
“This is a prime location. A place like this will allow you to take on more corporate clients, grow faster,” Jack said.
She thought back to Harley’s advice to dream big, do something for herself. Her sister. Maybe this was her time to go for it. Which took her to that last tip:
6. THINK ABOUT FINANCING EARLY.
If she ran low on funds, she could always take out a small business loan. People did it all the time.
“I can make it work. I’ll find a way. It really is everything I asked for. Where do I sign?”
“Can you give us a moment?” Colin touched her shoulder gently and pulled her into a corner so they could talk privately. “Aren’t you rushing things a bit?”
“I don’t want to lose this place. Why should I let something perfect slip by so that someone else can grab it?”
“It’s twice your budget, and I promise you there will be other places.”
“We saw other places, and I promise you none of them were as perfect as this.”
“We saw two places. There are three more coming on the market in just a few weeks,” Colin said and she started to wonder why he was throwing cold water on her excitement.
“I’m tired of waiting for all the good things in life. Possibilities, opportunities, happiness. I want this one. I can do this.”
“Maybe you should start slow, like with a business plan, and then see if you can afford this right now.”
