Carlton Thomas, second from left, takes visitors through downtown Chattanooga on a walking tour. The participants were from Connecticut and Illinois. From left are Betsy McSweet, Steve Cole, Chris Schroeder, Lindsay Cole and Jean Cole.
Staff Photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press - May 28, 2011• Name: Chattanooga Sidewalk Tours
• Location: Tours typically begin at the Sheraton Read House in downtown Chattanooga. However, the business itself is run out of Ringgold, Ga.
• Products/services: Tour guides Carlton Thomas and Krista Seckinger shepherd Chattanooga visitors and residents on custom tours of the city, highlighting the history, architecture and beauty of the Scenic City. Tours last about 90 minutes - the walking tour is about a mile - but are adjustable based on clients' needs.
• Age: The business was founded April 1 by Thomas and Seckinger, who are retired teachers.
• Startup investment: $3,000 went to pay for business licenses, printing brochures and local memberships.
• Estimated annual sales: $3,000
• Target market: Tourists who enjoy the outdoors and who want to learn about historic facts and artwork are the primary demographic Thomas and Seckinger have targeted. The guides have done a significant amount of research and believe that they may be able to talk about things that even locals won't already know, they say.
• Biggest hurdle: Getting the word out is always difficult when starting a business, Thomas said.
• Biggest reward: The best part of the business so far has been learning about Chattanooga through books and other literature. Learning about the city's evolution from smoggy city to Scenic City has been especially fascinating.
• Prices: $15 for adults, $7 for guests under 12 and discounts for groups.
• Challenges in the future: Meeting future demand without getting burned out.
• Lesson learned: It's difficult to pare down the wealth of information out there into a 90-minute tour, Thomas said.
• Five-year goal: The long-term goal is to have several types of tours, including pub tours.