Glampin’ Life LLC (r) is an outdoor lifestyle brand owned by a South Carolina family. Mike Mayleben founded the business three years ago. It manufactures and sells beach carts, apparel, and accessories directly to consumers.
Glampin’ Life, which began with a single product that Mayleben produced himself, now offers accessories, replacement parts and merchandise. On the Glampin’ Life site, he is very clear about his goals.
We are a company that wants to make camping and the beach a memorable experience for everyone!
Mike’s business journey began in the year 2021 when he secured a SBA 7(a), affordable loan of $200,000 that would help him achieve his goals. This is the story of Mike’s business journey.
Early Days
Mayleben says he has always been entrepreneurial. He worked as a technology manager, project manager, and creative agency manager before launching his own business. He was a successful businessman, but he always looked for new opportunities.
Founding Glampin’ life
Mayleben realized, while on vacation at the beach, that a new product was needed to make it easier for people to set up their tents on the sand. He said, “I could not find any beach carts that met my needs.”
He started researching and building a revolutionary cart, which evolved into the Ultimate Beach Cart. Balloon-Glide Wheels allow the cart to glide effortlessly over any surface, including sand, concrete pavement, grass and dirt. Mayleben calls the cart “the Cadillac of beach living”. He sold his boat in order to fund the start-up of his business. He left the tech sector in 2016 to launch Glampin’ Life.
He says that the beach carts were designed to be easily moved on the sand because their sole purpose was to make beach trips enjoyable. “It’s perfect for the person who is in charge of getting to the beach before anyone else, hauling the equipment and getting the site prepared.”
Growing your business
Mayleben began with a beach cart, and today is a lifestyle brand that caters to beach vacationers as well as the growing RV industry. This is a good segment to target. The RV market is at an all-time high despite the pandemic economic situation. Manufacturers are shipping more than 543,000 units by 2021.
Glampin’ Life sales are expected to reach one million sales in the near future. The business started in a garage of 300 square feet and will soon move to a 7,000-square-foot facility.
The entrepreneur life
Mayleben says he’s happier working for himself. Mayleben reports that he is no longer working from sunrise to sunset. I handle live chats on my website, and phone calls from customers but it is manageable. This business allows me to be both a father and a homemaker.
He met his wife when he was 30. They now have two children, one of whom is 14 years old and the other 11, and they are a family. His wife and daughters occasionally step in to help him run his one-man show without any employees. “I like having total control over my business and being able to make important decisions,” says the man.
Need for Business Capital
Mayleben was invited to ABC’s Shark Tank when business grew. He decided not to take the opportunity because of a shortage in inventory. Glampin’ Life also needed additional commercial space for the business. Mayleben took out two loans to cover his operating costs from his payment processor. He began looking for an alternative way to fund his company. The loan repayments were based on daily sales percentages.
SmartBiz application experience
Mayleben received an e-mail from SmartBiz Loans (r) outlining the benefits of a Small Business Administration loan.
I learned that SBA loan rates are lower and the terms longer, so I applied for a SBA 7(a), $200,000 loan.
Mayleben wrote a 5-star TrustPilot (r) review of his experience with SmartBiz.
“Fantastic experience! Pamela and the entire team did an outstanding job. Communication was excellent, I was kept in the loop at every stage. SmartBiz Loans was the best choice for our SBA requirements. “
SmartBiz Loan Operations Account Executive Pamela says:
Mike from Glampin’ Life is a great guy to work with. This outdoor lifestyle brand specializes in beach carts and accessories as well as camping equipment. The funding received by SmartBiz allowed the small business to improve its cash flow monthly and buy more inventory in order to continue growing its revenue. Glampin’ Life’s biggest year to date should be 2022 !”
Maybelen immediately improved his cash flow by paying off two loans for working capital. He spent the remaining funds on inventory, product development and additional operating space.
Future Plans
Maybelen will not slow down in 2022. He has been fortunate to have remained profitable throughout the pandemic, and he expects his business to continue to grow. He will explore partnership opportunities with hotels, other vacation companies and test out equipment rental in tourist-rich areas.
His best advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is research, communicate and document. He says that he has been successful because he paid attention to key business practices.
SmartBiz is proud to have helped another hardworking business owner. Glampin’ Life will continue to be successful.
