Terry Smith has been preparing for six months to acquire a Beano’s Ice Cream franchise. Due to limited personal assets, Smith needed a financing partner. After finding Barney Harris as a potential partner, they collectively negotiated a purchase price with Beano’s.
Upon receiving Harris’s partnership proposal, Smith finds himself faced with a decision. He must evaluate the proposal and choose one of three options: accepting Harris’s offer, presenting a counter proposal, or searching for a new partner. Despite his previous enthusiasm for owning a Beano’s Ice Cream franchise, evident by the “I LOVE BEANO’S ICE CREAM” bumper sticker on his Honda two months ago, Smith now finds himself at a crossroads.
Upon closer inspection, he observed the rapid fading of it. He questioned whether it had truly been a brief period or a whole lifetime. Smith had seldom doubted himself until recently. He used to conduct thorough research on a matter, make decisions based on facts, and move forward without any regrets.
Now, however, he realized that he needed to set aside all the progress he had made in the past six months. He needed to disregard the time spent researching franchises, choosing Beano’s as his franchise option, creating his business plan, and seeking funding. He had to overlook the fact that he had only come across one potential partner, Barney Harris, who could provide the necessary financing. He and his partner had spent additional months negotiating the purchase of the franchise. He had to distance himself from his own emotional commitment to the deal and face one final crucial decision: should he enter into a partnership with Harris?
If Smith signs the partnership proposal given by Barney Harris, he will obtain his franchise. If he chooses not to sign the agreement, it remains uncertain whether or not his dream will ever become a reality.
