McGowan Technologies Profile Name: Lon McGowan Position: Founder and President McGowan Technologies Age: 23 Education: University of Colorado Work experience: Marketing director at eMedia Music Corp., sales manager at PS Audio International Inc., marketing intern for Genesis Technologies, Inc. Hobbies: Rock climbing, hiking, skiing, painting, guitar. Web site: www.mcgowantech.com

Even in the best of times, it's tough to start a business. But in tough times, some entrepreneurs get going. The P-I has been following one such entrepreneur, Lon McGowan, as he tries to find financing, retail outlets and eventually customers.

Part 1: Find your dream
Lon McGowan didn't say a word as he sat in the Wells Fargo Bank at Denny Way and Third Avenue, the Space Needle towering outside and "Roxanne" by The Police playing softly in the background. But McGowan knew that his life was about to change...

Part 2: New business on tightrope
Teetering on an entrepreneurial tightrope, McGowan is trying to balance his digital camera business as it enters its third week. He has a lot of things to worry about.

Part 3: Cameras arrive, now what?
Brown boxes are everywhere in McGowan's Belltown apartment. But these just aren't any boxes. Marked with blue lettering that reads "McGowan Technologies," the 25 boxes contain the beginning of his dream: 500 digital cameras.

Part 4: Leaving the nest
After months of sharing his tiny studio apartment with the inventory of his small, start-up digital camera business, McGowan is taking big steps. He leased office space in Pioneer Square. And he lined up a sales deal with Amazon.com.

Part 5: Entrepreneur on his own
After 100 days in business, McGowan lives month to month on a personal line of credit, piling up debts as he tries to carve out a market niche. He moved the company to a shared office, but lost his business partner to the lure of law school.

Part 6: Big picture coming into focus for entrepreneur
Lon McGowan last month received a $25,000 loan from the CEO of a publicly traded Washington company who read about the young entrepreneur's struggles in the P-I. The benefits of media coverage have placed him in an enviable position, with access to people and money he never dreamed possible.

Part 7: Cash -- or lack of -- weighs on McGowan
"Cash is king," Lon McGowan says as he sips a cup of black coffee at his favorite Pioneer Square Starbucks. Never before have those three words meant so much to McGowan, who founded his digital camera start-up nine months ago and now is worried about his young company's future.

Part 8: Big order may be entrepreneur's big break
An order from a company that will use McGowan Technologies' iClick camera in a promotional giveaway is the biggest yet for the 333-day-old company. But owner Lon McGowan still faces daunting credit-card bills.

Part 9: Tough year, but business is afloat
One year ago, Lon McGowan took the leap of his life. Now, exactly 12 months after starting a business importing low-cost digital cameras, he's going strong and he hasn't looked back since.