TAKE THE RISK.
If Emmanuel alumni David and Bray List could give someone interested in entrepreneurship advice, this would be it.
The Lists, who own Lake Hartwell Kayak, a kayak and paddleboard rental and delivery service based in Hartwell, GA. have always had a passion for the outdoor sport, calling it “second nature,” often working summers for one of Bray’s distant relatives who owns The Sandbar.
Bray, the granddaughter of Rev. Raymond and Sue Carr, is a legacy Lion, attending Emmanuel in 2004. After graduating in 2008, she worked for Emmanuel’s Financial Aid Department and a few small businesses before taking a job at Hart County High School. David graduated in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. He worked in IT for several years but found himself getting exhausted and pulled away from his family.
“We had been hunting for an alternate source of income,” he remembered. “We went up to Lake Jocassee a few times where you can rent kayaks and go out on the lake. We saw a truck with an advertisement for renting and delivering kayaks, and there was nothing like that in Hartwell.”
It was there that the idea for Lake Hartwell Kayak was born.
“We found a cheap trailer that could carry six kayaks,” he remembered. “It was perfect for what we needed. We went to Academy Sports in Anderson and bought eight kayaks. We got the business online, put our phone numbers on there and our phones started ringing.”
The business got up and running in May of 2021 with eight kayaks. Now they own sit-on-top kayaks, tandems, SUP’s and canoes.
Since starting their business, the Lists have found their target market…vacationers!
“A lot of times, we service people on Lake Hartwell for trips,” David said. “We’ve had customers from Atlanta, Clemson, Florida, Indiana, France, all over the place.”
Currently, Bray teaches Hospitality and Tourism at Hart County HS, and she leans on her experience in business ownership in her classroom.
“I didn’t have a ton of background teaching Hospitality when they asked me to teach it, but through our business I’ve learned it’s all about the customer and how we can keep guests coming back,” she said. “We don’t just drop boats off. We carry them to and from the water, so all the customer has to do is walk down to the water. It’s all about customer service for us.”
What advice would they give to someone interested in owning their own business?
“Plan to do everything,” David said. “There will be expenses you have to spend money on, but if you can…do it yourself.”
“Take the risk,” Bray added. “I had been planning for this financially, but it was scary…and worth it. Having him (David) home with us has cleared up our schedule tremendously, so take the risk.”
They’re glad they did.
For more information on Lake Hartwell Kayak or to book a rental visit www.lakehartwellkayak.com or follow Lake Hartwell Kayak on Facebook or Instagram. Emmanuel students who are interested booking a rental will receive a discount with student ID.
