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Ed and Margaret Bell had no idea what kind of adventure they were in for in 2006, when they launched a hot tub business.

The recession was about to decimate the housing market, and in turn many would-be customers would vanish. The couple leased a high-traffic location on U.S. 41 in Sarasota to lure customers, but that backfired, too. The roof of the building leaked. The landlord, also hit by the recession, failed to keep up with maintenance. And drive-by traffic was at a minimum. “Our timing was really harsh,” says Margaret Bell.

But the Bells persevered.