As long as he can remember, playing and working on the boats around Lake Wallenpaupack has been the biggest part of Kevin Trevor’s life.So when the time came to decide on a career path, he never considered pursuing anything other than what he loves doing.

Upon returning home from the Marine Mechanics Institute in Florida, Trevor discovered a nearby marina business had closed leaving hundreds of customers underserved. It was an ideal opportunity to put his education and experience to work so in 2009, the seeds were planted for New Wave in Recreation. Trevor’s parents, who have extensive industry experience, provided unconditional support and became his first two employees.

As the business blossomed, Trevor realized the current location was too small and moved into a larger facility. The entrepreneur also decided to look into MetroAction’s loan program for the financing he needed to sustain New Wave’s growth.

“The staff at MetroAction really understands the needs of small business owners, and shared my vision for New Wave’s continued success,” says Trevor, who borrowed $20,000 for working capital and inventory.

“I also attended MetroAction’s Small Business Institute where I learned about the importance of taking a step back from my day to day responsibilities and looking at the big picture of owning a business.”

With his dream of owning a marina business now a reality, the future looks promising for Trevor who recently became a franchisee of Boat U.S. offering fuel, repair, and towing discounts to members; the only one in the surrounding area.

For more information on MetroAction’s loans visit www.MetroAction.org or call (570) 341-0270.

If you own an online business or if your brick and mortar establishment has a website, then this information is for you!

Business.gov, a website committed to providing businesses with access to government services and information, has recently developed a business Toolkit. The Toolkit is a “gadget” specifically designed for small business enterprises.

A “gadget” is a small object that can be posted to any website simply by cutting and pasting a code to the webpage. “Gadgets” offer various resources that are automatically updated everyday.

The new “gadget” provided by business.gov offers a wide variety of information and resources that are relative to small business owners. The features that this “gadget” offers are as follows:

• Explore information, forms, and contacts at all levels of government.
• Peruse current topics pertaining to small businesses.
• Research applicable licenses and permits pertinent to your business.
• View media clips offering advice from top entrepreneurs.

This is a quick, free, no maintenance reserve that provides you, and the ones that visit your website, with the latest information and resources related to small businesses. To obtain the code that will allow you to post this business Toolkit to your company’s website, visit www.business.gov.