Travis Ray, 35

Bow ties are big business for Travis Ray.

Ray, the owner of Dapper Bowtique in Sarasota, creates handmade bow ties, pocket squares and other accessories. He sells them online, in five retail stores and at vendor shows.

Ray’s day job is in another creative field — he's associate managing director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota. He works on his Dapper Bowtique business before work, after work and on weekends. “Usually, I sew very early — 6:30-8:30 in the morning,” he says. He often works at night, too, from about 6-0 p.m., doing more sewing, cutting fabric, buying fabric, running marketing efforts, managing his website and responding to customers. He makes his products in the sunroom of his home, a room full of natural light that’s ideal for sewing.