Getting the contracts right for the lease on the new retail unit that we are taking on was outside of my skill set. So I am really pleased that we brought Barry Frost on to our store development team as he has proved to be invaluable.

Barry Frost, of Commercial Plus, ensured that all of the applications for the permissions and licences that were needed with the lease and planning would be made to achieve the best outcomes for the business’ future. The most significant gain for us was getting a heads of agreement right for the lease. In particular, he ensured we have a user clause that has no restrictions on what products and services we can offer now or in the future.

I have always had the summer trade as my goal for having the new store up and running, so I have been keen to get the builders in at the earliest date to make this happen. Once we received planning permission our builder was ready to get on the site. There could have been a further delay due to the time it has taken for the lease to be prepared and be ready for signing. That will happen sometime in the coming weeks, the solution has been a comfort letter, that while not legally binding has allowed the project to proceed.

Barry has kept in touch with me on a regular basis, keeping me informed of his progress and telling me who to speak to in order to minimise delays.

Having had a bit of a bumpy start to the project where I didn’t quite get all my ducks in a row, Barry has smoothed everything and has proved himself to be well worth his fee. The experience has taught me that I need to find the right expert to support me in the areas of building my business that I don’t have all the knowledge and skills for.