Owner Mary Lindsey at her shop Everything Utah located at 311 S State Street in Downtown SLC, Photo by Salt Lake Sideways Everything Utah - Your One Stop Gift Shop for All Things UtahMary Lindsey founded Everything Utah in 2017 with a clear mission: to provide locals with the opportunity to enjoy, benefit from, and support the sharing of Utah's unique identity. Her goal has always been to offer items that highlight the beauty of the state, allowing customers to feel a sense of pride in gifting meaningful and tasteful products that tell Utah's story. This story spans the rich history, the present, and the future of Utah. Through careful curation, Mary has worked to honor this objective by showcasing Utah through diverse perspectives. The journey has been both rewarding and challenging as she gathers offerings that reflect her vision. In the process, Everything Utah has created jobs for students and seniors who prefer part-time work, contributing significantly to our local tax base. Mary is proud to offer her team a well-earned paycheck, and grateful for the opportunity to give back while pursuing her passion. Keep reading to learn more about why Everything Utah was selected for an Opportunity Boost Grant from the Utah Microloan Fund. A Little Help Along the WayAfter starting my business with $12,000 of my own resources, I reached out to the UMLF on the recommendation of a friend. The experience of applying challenged me to be confident, articulate, and organized in presenting my mission. COVID-19 Strikes the World Mary and a customer during COVID Everything Utah, like many businesses, was deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the city shut down for an extended period, visitation and local foot traffic came to a near halt. Determined to keep the business running, Mary worked from morning until night to ensure minimal payroll costs. The team consisted of a part-time college student, a retired worker supplementing their income, and a ballerina. Throughout this challenging time, Mary made the decision not to take a paycheck for an entire year. Despite disruptions in the supply chain, she creatively introduced unique offerings that resonated well with customers. This dedication enabled Everything Utah to generate enough revenue to cover rent and pay its part-time employees—an accomplishment for which Mary is especially grateful. How Could an Opportunity Boost Grant Help Everything Utah? Gift Baskets Available from Everything Utah Being granted these funds would be a tremendous help in allowing Mary to add much-needed signage to beautify the facade of the building as well as adding window lighting to help with visibility at night and some new fixtures. These enhancements will increase foot traffic and visibility of this must-see gift shop in downtown SLC. In addition, Mary is using the funds to purchase necessary inventory, her well-known gift boxes and bags, and investing in marketing including online ads and brochures. Her goal is to increase awareness of everything Everything Utah has to offer which would attract more visitors, strengthen their presence in the community, and help them grow to the next level of business. Made Possible by ARPA & SLC Econ Development Powered by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and orchestrated by the Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development, the Salt Lake City Community Grant Program was created to help small businesses, artists, artisans, and nonprofits grappling with the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Utah Microloan Fund applied for this grant to enable us to create the Opportunity Boost Program benefitting our existing clients who needed a little boost to help them grow and stabilize. This is the first grant program of its kind for the UMLF as normally we only provide microloans to the small business community. To be able to just give money vs lend it was a big treat for our team! Eligibility of Small Business Owners invited to apply for the Opportunity Boost Grant:
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