Page 33 of Billionaire Unforgettable: Tanner

I was relieved when I realized that he really wanted to know.

He was waiting until I was ready to talk, but he wasn’t the least bit distracted.

It actually felt almost uncomfortable to have all of his attention focused on me because I really couldn’t remember what that was like.

I took a deep breath. “I’d really like to build something similar to what I had in Seattle. I know the population in Montana is smaller, but the competition wouldn’t be as fierce. The traveling would be difficult, but I’m hoping that I can eventually get to a place where I can hire contractors in different cities like I did in Washington. I guess I could work somewhere in Billings to pay the bills, but I loved what I was doing. Weddings were my specialty, and it meant a lot to me to be able to give the bride and the wedding party exactly what theywanted. A bride needs to feel beautiful on her special day, and it’s rewarding to be part of something that’s so important to a woman.”

“I’m sure you were incredible at it,” Tanner mused. “You have a special talent for connecting with people, Hannah. You always did. Is there some reason why you can’t just start launching that business now?”

“Quite a few of them,” I said earnestly. “I need to raise capital, which means I need to get my personal freelancing off the ground and make some money. I also need to gain a reputation here first. I’ll have to do advertising, which is a huge expense. It would be helpful if I could get business by referrals from other weddings I’ve done here. I have decent savings because I sold my part of the partnership, but without some groundwork first, I could run through that money in a hurry.”

“Can you take on partners like you did in Seattle?”

“Possibly,” I considered. “But I’d have to find and get to know those potential partners first. Quality was everything in our business. We got a lot of special event referrals from previous clients. Honestly, it would probably be better if I do this on my own. We don’t have the big cities here that we did in Washington, and I’m not sure if this business could support a few partners. I’d be better off expanding with contractors in the future.”

“Did you do individual clients and not just weddings?” he asked.

“We did in the beginning,” I explained. “But we got so busy with special events that we focused more on those. We were also occupied with coordinating the events we weren’t handling personally. I really wanted to expand and streamline things online so we could do more contracting for individuals who needed home service, but my partners were happy with the money we were making from big events. I think we wereall afraid that the business would become impersonal, and that letting a ton of people we didn’t know personally sign up to contract for us could kill our reputation.”

“Not necessarily,” Tanner contemplated. “I understand that quality has to be your main focus, but you could keep it controlled with vetting standards and a required company training. That could be done by video. You live close to Billings, which is the most populated city in Montana. You could trial it there and a few other cities where those services might fly well, and build from there. You could have a mobile app built, and use a website online.”

Honestly, that was the dream for me. Eventually, I wanted to branch out nationally to cities that would be more profitable. “Going national is the big dream, but I need to build a brand. That can take a long time. Weddings and special events will still be important if I go that route eventually, but I’d like mobile services to be accessible to everyone. I think the services would appeal to working moms, busy professionals, people with mobility issues, and elderly people who have a hard time getting out to a salon.”

“Is this already being done by other companies nationally?” he questioned.

“Yes. But I honestly think we’re behind in this country on mobile services accessibility, and the business is in demand. I’m not saying I won’t have competition, which is why branding as the best and most recognized company in mobile services is important.”

“How would you feel about having a silent partner? Basically just an investor to fund the startup for the trial in Montana?”

I looked at him in surprise.

It took me a moment to realize that he was talking about himself.

I shook my head. “Tanner, the company could fail. It’s a risk. Building slowly is a lot safer.”

“I’m willing to take that risk. I believe in your expertise and your business savvy in this business to make this work and grow in the future. I can help in some areas. It is my job to buy businesses and restructure them. I’m also an expert on branding.”

“I realize that,” I said hesitantly. “But you build huge corporations. What this company could make would be peanuts to you.”

“I’m not looking to make a profit, Hannah. I want you to be happy, and this is important to you. I’ll fund anything you need for your startup and carry the company expenses until you’re profitable. You don’t have to pay me back.”

I looked at him, appalled at the suggestion. “No,” I said adamantly. “That is not what an investor does. There has to be a profit in it for you if the company succeeds, and you need to be paid back for the money you’d be investing.”

His expression was stormy, but his voice was calm as he said, “It’s what a friend does for a friend. I’d never miss the money. Think about it. You could start this business soon. It would take a while to do the prep work, but wouldn’t you rather be working on your dream while the market is still emerging and developing?”

“Obviously, I would,” I admitted. “But not at the expense of someone else.”

He shrugged. “Fine. We’ll work something out. I’ll take a small partnership percentage until I’m paid back, and then step out of the business altogether.”

That idea was completely insane. If he was taking the risk, he deserved to keep a partnership percentage, even if he was a silent partner.

“What kind of percentage are we talking about here?”

He threw out a number that was so miniscule that it was laughable. “Do you know how long it would take to just get your money back?” I asked.

It would probably take him decades to recoup his investment.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said nonchalantly.

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