I look back now and marvel at the thirty-something woman who knew nothing about tool hire and nothing about running a business, but so desperately wanted to change her course and create something bigger than she ever could imagine. 

 

The first questions people ask is, why tool hire? The second question often being, what does your husband think? Whereas, I don’t think my husband has ever been asked what I think about his job! The answer to the first question is very difficult, I just quite fancied it, is the best I can do. But I was ambitious and remain very much so. 

 

I remember pulling up outside the shabby premises on Hawthorn Ave on my first day, 5th January 2015. I had three enormous spots on my face and I felt so nervous. I had inherited three members of staff, all men who were all older than me. I had tried to get to know them in the run up to completion but that did nothing to change the nerves I had on my official first day. It felt as though I needed them, more than they needed me and they knew it. This was my first mistake and you know what, I have continued to make hundreds of them. But a good friend and mentor said to me, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning. 

 

The first 12 months is hard to remember, probably because it was the most challenging year of my life to date. The realisation that I had bought a dying business, with a sloppy culture, a resistant team and the silent voice repeating over and over in my head…what have I done, what have I done? But there was simply no choice, I had to crack on. The power of naivety should not be underestimated that’s what got me there in the first place, but I can’t credit everything with my naivety. I sought help and advice (thanks FEO), I read business books, trained myself in tool hire, developed relationships with customers, decided on the values of MY business and here we are, eight years on, with a new name and brand, three depots and increased staff from three people to twenty-four. I am frequently asked to talk at events and I was recently voted on to the Hire Association Europe Board of Tools and Plant. 

 

I say this reluctantly, I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging but I am so proud of how far GoHire has come, and there is so much more to do. I’m only eight years in, what will the next eight bring? There’s been many happy and celebratory times but also difficult and sad times. But as they say, ‘you have to take the rough with the smooth’ and I suppose that is what I signed up for. Despite the relentless hard work, I love my job and I will continue to give it my all, after all that is what GoHire and the team deserve. 

 

A final note to my husband, Gav. Thank you for supporting me and agreeing to take such a huge financial risk. It wasn’t just my life which changed dramatically, it was yours too. Thanks for always being there, we wouldn’t be doing this, if it wasn’t for you.