August was when things finally started to move on the premises front — but not without another round of stress.
For weeks I'd been chasing units, and when one finally came up that ticked most of the boxes, I nearly missed out completely. Why? Because my email systems were at war. Gmail and Outlook weren't talking to each other properly, messages weren't sending, and I was left wondering why no one was getting back to me. Not exactly the slick impression you want to make when you're trying to convince a landlord you're serious.
Thankfully, I caught it just in time. By the end of August, I'd agreed a tenancy.
Here's the thing though: the unit I went for is bigger, and more expensive than I'd originally planned. Logic said keep it small, keep it safe. But my gut said something else. My drive to bring a proper trade training hub to Rotherham tipped the balance. I signed the lease, fully aware it was a bigger risk than I'd first intended.
It was another gulp moment. Suddenly, the dream wasn't just in my head or on a spreadsheet — it had walls, a roof, and monthly rent.