Nursery acquisition: a kitchen fire, a forced closure, and a bank that declined

The background

The nursery had traded successfully for eight years — full places, a trusted local reputation, and the kind of demand that produces waiting lists. Then a kitchen fire forced it to close as unsafe.

The way past it

The case had to be made on the future, not the present. Armed with a detailed Business Plan and cash-flow projections — showing the nursery's established demand, the refurbishment costed, and the income once reopened — we approached a lender prepared to look forward rather than at the closed doors.