Mason and Aereka Heyde, owners of Manitou Marina

They say one of the secrets of a successful business idea is to offer a product or service that solves a problem.

Mason and Aereka Heyde did just that. 660 homes sit along the banks of Lake Manitou in Rochester but there was no place on the lake to conveniently purchase gas for boats and watercraft. Mason had toyed with the idea for some time, then in spring of 2017, launched Manitou Marina.

Located on Lake Manitou, Manitou Marina will be the only fueling station that is accessible by boat to lake dwellers. The first summer has proven to be a success with plans of expansion in the future.

Mason’s thoughts about the FEDCO program; “The business planning class was great; it really helped with cash flow and overall financials….and the loan program, you can’t really beat that!”, referring to the low interest loans. Mason and Aereka’s advice to new business owners “plan to spend more time than you think you will working on the business and working more hands on too.”