Dana and Jennifer Heller -with their son (Hunter) and his girlfriend (Emily)- opened the family-owned Trailhead Adventure in Rice Lake in May 2021, and business has been a “wild ride” ever since.
THE BUSINESS
Trailhead Adventure offers “a ride on the wild side” at the trailhead of the Wild Rivers Trail, Wisconsin’s longest off-road trail. The small business rents Polaris UTVs, (side-by-side offroad machines). They cater to families and couples of any experience level. Dana and Jennifer provide suggested routes via paper maps or, even better, by Polaris Ride Command navigation. Their machines have built-in dash navigation, or renters can use an app on a smart phone for easy self-guided routes. The app even drops a blue line to find the way back. The Hellers also provide machine instruction before renters set out, so even first-time riders can feel confident finding their adventure.
“We often customize the navigation for our guests, adding directions to hotels, VRBO’s and other lodging, so out-of-town visitors can find their way on and off the trail to local destinations,” Dana said.
This small business often rents to couples as well as groups of 30 or more. “We have clients who return every year. Some of the larger groups are renting as part of a fun family reunion weekend, special birthday celebration or corporate team building event,” Dana said.
Jennifer and Dana take pride in their vehicles, earning awards for providing the cleanest and best-maintained fleet two years in a row. As a Polaris outfitter, they return all their machines at the end of the season and every year get brand new vehicles, all under warranty. This ensures they always have the most reliable vehicles available.
Accomplishments with UW-Eau Claire SBDC
- Financial projections
- Business plan
- Logo, signage, marketing strategy
THE COMMUNITY
The Hellers love to give back to the Rice Lake community that has been so supportive of Trailhead Adventure. “Every year, we donate ride certificates for the UW-Eau Claire Barron County campus auction event. The money from the auction provides scholarships, and our rides are one of the items bringing in the highest bids,” Jennifer said.
They also participate in the World’s Biggest Little Parade on the 4th of July each year in Mikana, Wisconsin. This small-town event is a hit with residents and tourists, offering a 5K run/walk, an amazing parade and a raffle.
Dana said, “We often hear comments from local residents about Trailhead Adventure like ‘Rice Lake really needed that!’ and ‘How’s business? Looks like you are keeping busy!’ We were so happy to be included on the tourism page of the Barron County website and many Chamber websites,” Dana said.
THE OBSTACLES
“Saying ‘yes’ to starting the business was a hurdle in itself, and now we have growing competition in the area. We have found that our quality customer service is what sets us apart from others. When we take good care of our clients, they keep coming back,” Dana said.
Another obstacle was the high start-up costs. “The overhead on the building, the machines, the maintenance and everything else was expensive. We originally started working with Dave Armstrong, the Barron County Economic Development Director, and he referred us to the UW-Eau Claire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for help,” Jennifer said.
“Luke Kempen, a consultant at the SBDC, was very knowledgeable. With his help, we were able to produce a business plan and financial projections that provide information banks want to see. We also worked with Harlie Juedes, center director at the SBDC, to develop our logo, signage and other elements of our strategic marketing strategy,” Dana said.
THE FUTURE
Jennifer and Dana have exciting plans for this upcoming winter. As a Polaris outfitter, they are expanding to include brand new 2024 Polaris snowmobiles and NorthStar Ultimate fully-enclosed, side-by-side rentals. “The Wild Rivers Trail is open year-round, so guests will have the opportunity to rent brand new sleds and NorthStars with heat, windshield wipers and electric windows,” Jennifer said. “We are also putting Standard Operating Procedures in place that will help us prepare to expand to other locations in the future.”
Dana added, “Offering a unique outdoor experience is the best part of our job. It is so fun watching people truly enjoy themselves! We look forward to continuing to grow and to have you join us at Trailhead Adventure – THE destination for off-road rentals in northern Wisconsin!”
