Seth used to dream about weekend camping escapes from his corporate job, envisioning himself stringing up a camping hammock beneath the stars. He came up with a practical and stylish hammock design, taking the weekends to promote the Trek Light Hammock at summer festivals and eventually growing the business into a full-time endeavor. He splits time between his home office and a downtown shop cart to sell the products. Thus far Seth has funded the company with credit cards and a $25,000 rotating line of credit. After seven years of successful growth he hopes to qualify for a small-business loan, to hire an assistant and fund an advertising campaign. Last year he hired a designer to rework his website and hopes additional financing will generate more business. Seth loves discussing Trek Light Gear, and I relish the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs as a Kiva Fellow and to give them a forum to share their trials and triumphs.
Kati Mayfield 