Diary of Becoming a Farmer. Another kick in the Epididymis.
Story of a young mans efforts to become a farmer without the aid of inheritance.
In my last blog, "Success at Last??!!" I had been waiting for the letter from the bank saying they would loan me the money to further my ambition. Having been made to wait since Christmas, it was now my birthday and the letter had arrived. I ripped it open, there at the top of the page was the heading. REJECTED. Which summed it all up. It was exactly how I felt. I was being told that farming was crying out for new blood, the agent had told me it was the best new business plan he had seen for some time. What was going on?
I was grumpy, putting it mildly. The shock possibly caused a bit of depression. To the “Better Side Of The Fence” I'm SORRY. It really was a kick in the preverbials.
I sulked for a few days and was resigning myself to giving up for a while. I kept stalling the agent, not sure why, in the vain hope that another letter would come saying, “oh sorry we got it wrong, here's the money”. The agent for the bank had asked me, when I rang to see why I had been turned down for the loan, if he could contact another bank on my behalf and see if they would lend. But that was the last I heard from him.
I was ready to throw in the towel when the “Better Side Of The Fence” kicked me, this time up the backside and demanded “was I going to let this opportunity slip away or was I going to fight”. She was right, (as usual). So I decided to see if their was banking another way. I contacted the agricultural account manager and explained my plan and asked them if they were interested. They were! So I sent them a copy of my business plan. After a bit of thought they came back and asked for an interview to discuss the plan and terms.
When the meeting came I was so fired. When the account manager told me the terms of the loan, I gave him both barrels of good argument as to why he should offer me more favourable terms if he was serious about supporting agriculture and a new business. I'm not usually like that and afterwards I surprised even myself. I thought the meeting went well and now had to wait to see what would happen this time? Had I demanded too much?
Not sure I could take any more punishment. Holding down a full time job, trying to do a diploma In Agriculture part time at college and starting up a new business. Am I Mad? Much more rejection and I soon will be.
Here we go again. The waiting game once again. Only this time I do hope it won't end in the crying game!