Looking for a new workshop

We were urgently looking for a suitable workshop with 50m2 of office space, 200m2 of workshop space and another 200m2 of storage space, affordable and above all available immediately. My brother Jürg had recently opened his dental practice in Freienstein. He knew that the disused Blumer spinning mill was to be converted into an industrial estate. I went to look at the buildings and had contact with Messrs Jean-Jacques and Felix Blumer. Jean-Jacques had been the last director of the spinning mill. His motivation for converting the spinning mill into an industrial estate: he wanted to help re-establish the same number of jobs on the site as there were when the spinning mill was closed: 80 jobs. Felix was responsible for the commercial part. I examined the buildings with regard to our needs. There was still a lot of renovation to do before we could use them. We had to put in floors, lay electrical cables, install new windows, repair walls and much more. On top of the very high rent, we had to pay a 6-figure sum for the renovation. We could not afford that. So we decided to move into an already renovated building in Effretikon.

The contract was drawn up and ready to sign. I got into the car in Niederhasli and wanted to drive to Embrach, where I had an appointment to sign the contract. On the way, however, I turned off and drove to Freienstein. To this day I have no idea why. Since I was already there, I drove to the Blumer spinning mill again and looked through the windows into the workshop. By chance, Felix Blumer came to meet me and was very pleased. He offered to take over the entire costs of the conversion, and space for a provisional office was also found - we had work desks in his own office until our offices were ready. Initially, the rents were reduced a little and the conditions were changed in such a way that the offer to move to Freienstein became attractive.

Instead of signing the ready prepared lease in Effretikon, I had agreed with Felix Blumer on a handshake to move to Freienstein!

How was I supposed to explain this to my staff?

I learned in the process:

• Trusting my gut feeling pays off.
• Negotiations can also be easy, relaxed and quick, and both sides win.
• The best contracts are concluded with a handshake.