![]() El's Pampered Paws opened its doors in October 2020 to fulfill a much needed spot for pet accommodations, training and things to do for both pets and parents in the Richfield, Utah area. Today, they are a sought after destination for travelers and locals for their luxury boarding, structured dog daycare, and training services. Along with owner Danielle Peterson, their staff is committed to ensuring the health and safety of the dogs and are passionate about doing whatever it takes to keep them happy, healthy and comfortable while in their care as well as the pet parents mind at ease for leaving their baby. They even send photos and updates to parents that need the extra love! Keep reading to learn more about our February Business of the Month! UMLF: Why are you passionate about dog training and boarding? Danielle: My passion came from raising pheasant and farm dogs while growing up with my two grandpas. Anytime they were working the dogs on recall, fetch, bearding or just playing in the river I was right by their side. Over the last 15 plus years I have just always done it as a hobby until 2018 when I put that passion and hobby into serious consideration as a life skill and job. I have self-trained my own service dog over the last 3 years as well as helping others train household pets, and helping those in trouble and seeing the change one dog has on the mental and physical self is just amazing to behold. Watching a fearful dog change its entire life around with the right family and the right guidance is why I do what I do. There is hope always, I never want to turn someone away because of trouble and or just not having the knowledge to help themselves. UMLF: What makes El’s Pampered Paws better than other training/boarding facilities? Danielle: We strive to be the best stress-free option for dogs when you have to be separated from your four-legged family member. Our “home sweet home, away from home” feel take us to the level of comfort your dog needs when your away. When daycare is also needed while everyone goes back to work or school without worry the dog will destroy the home while they are away, we offer a safe and supervised exercise and play space that will help social skills and tire out any dog. As well as offering support and help to better you and your dog communication skills and have an over all happier healthier life together. Because we know personally how much we love our own pets, and how hard it is to leave our fur children with just anyone we wanted to create a place where I’d like to leave my own dog. We have high expectations and standards to keep your fur kid and you as happy as can be. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as an entrepreneur and how you overcame it? Danielle: The challenges we have faced is the small town troubles of being new and unknown, being able to get the vision and support through to the big wigs at the banks and city council to get this up and running. I started this with no funding, no loans, just $5000 of my own savings during the pandemic. Another small town problem is old school zoning and people not wanting to rent to pet businesses. We have been on and off with city zoning commissioners to get zoning approved to be in the town and after six months or so we were devastated when they halted that change up and essentially made us leave where we were and find a new place of business in under 30 days. Again this was a huge surprise and financially hit us hard. We were able to get fundraising from our wonderful clientele and support of friends and family to keep us open. While I found a new location and any and all options for funding to help us move and stay open. That’s how I found the Utah Microloan Fund. UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Danielle: This loan made it possible to get the new location set in writing and upgraded with the specific modifications to keep us heated, clean and safe. This also helped upgrade us from 15 kennels up to a much needed 28-30 kennels. So we are able to help more people in need of our services. We also got some much needed upgrade and advertising. With this help and with the move we have boomed. I have now hired my first two employees and have loved watching them love the dogs and business as much as I do! UMLF: Most fun dog names you have encountered at your business? :) Danielle: Dog people are the most creative people on this planet and also the most safe when it comes to naming their dogs. I have heard it all. From the ten dogs named the same Ace, Ranger, and Koda to the fun and interesting names like Skyla, Sprocket the Rocket and yes I’ve even a dog named Corpse. But my all-time most fun name has been Spud the Stud!! To stay in touch with El's Pampered Paws visit:
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Your business cannot survive, much less thrive, if you don’t get paid by your customers and clients. If you are working with a tight budget, even one habitually late customer can mean the difference between growing and struggling.
At the same time, you don’t want to damage your relationships with valuable customers. So, what do you do if you have a customer who is chronically late in paying their invoices but that otherwise helps your company move in the right direction? We have listed some practical tips below! Hire Help One way to make sure you stay on top of invoices and prevent late payments is to hire people to help your business. For instance, an accountant or bookkeeper can go a long way in collecting payments and helping your company maintain healthy financial management in many other ways. To find qualified professionals, ask around your professional network for referrals. If no recommendations come your way, you have a couple of options:
Working with a recruiting agency means that you would not have to commit the time and energy to evaluate the profiles of multiple candidates to see which candidates can provide the skills you need within your budget. You can use the time you save to focus on other aspects of running your business. Make Your Expectations Clear Sometimes late-paying customers do not understand the expectations of the company. You want to avoid this miscommunication and make your expectations apparent. Before providing services to any customer, make sure they agree on how, what, and when they will pay. An example of this would be communicating that you wish to get paid through direct deposit or PayPal within a specific timeframe. Request Upfront Payments Another option is to request that your customers pay you upfront for your services. If this sounds strange, understand that more and more freelancers and agencies are employing this technique to avoid late payments. You receive either full payment or partial payment before you begin work for the customer, which means that you have the responsibility to deliver and eliminate the need to send an invoice after the fact. Tailor Your Invoice Schedule If you deal with consistent late payments from a particular customer, but they are still paying you (eventually), consider asking if you can customize your invoicing schedule. This could mean that you divide their payments into installments. For instance, if you sell a $1,800 service to a customer, you could send them three invoices for $600 over three months. Paying more frequent, smaller invoices could put your customer in a better position to pay on time. Use Email and Text Messaging Finally, one of the most practical ways to prevent late payments in the future is to send follow-up emails a few days before each due date. You can also send a professional, friendly email reminding your customer to pay if the due date comes and goes without payment. Many times a customer allows an invoice to slip through the cracks. With that in mind, wait at least one week after the due date to send a follow-up email. Customer relationships are critical when it comes to running a business. But at the end of the day, you will not be able to survive or grow without getting paid for your work. If you are consistently dealing with late payments from customers, consider the tips above. With any strategy you use, however, be sure to maintain a friendly and appreciative tone to keep your customer relationships healthy. Would you like to read more helpful content or learn about the training and loans we provide for under-served and low-income communities? Visit UtahMicroloanFund.org today! Article by guest writer Eleanor Wyatt. ![]() Looking for a new hobby to start the new year? Look no further than goat packing. Keep reading to learn more from business owner Morgan Rust of RustPack about his company, his passion for the sport and how you can do it too! UMLF: For those of us out of loop, what the heck is goat packing? RustPack: Some people call it a sport, but I call it a lifestyle. Most everyone is familiar with packing on horses, mules and even llamas for camping, riding and hunting. Goat Packing is the same idea but with greater qualities. A goat is one of the most loyal companions when raised in the correct way. On the trail they follow you out of love. No halter, collar or lead needed. They will pack up to 50 pounds of your gear for miles and miles into the backcountry. Another great quality about pack goats is that they're browsers so they're able to eat anything out in the wilderness. From bark, pine tree needles, grass and other various plants. So there's no need to bring any feed for them! Which makes it very effective for packing in gear. From my experience they are the best pack animal you could have. UMLF: Tell us more about RustPack and why you started it. RustPack: I've always been the kind of person that wants to do more in life; be a bigger part of something and give back. On my path to finding that, I stumbled upon pack goats through a really good friend. When he began raising his first pack string I immediately fell in love with the whole idea. The very next spring I got my first two pack goats and decided I wanted to do more in the small, but growing pack goat community. RustPack was then born. I started making shirts, hats, hoodies and other apparel items with the goal to allow people to wear what they love; goat packing. It then grew with the great support of the community and the opportunity to take over Northwest Pack Goats presented itself. RustPack now designs and produces all pack goat equipment from adjustable aluminum saddles, panniers, halters, pads and much more! We're very grateful to be a part of the community and create quality gear for the ones we share this lifestyle with. UMLF: What personally got you into this sport? RustPack: There's so many things that I love about pack goats, too much to write! One of the number one things I like most about packing with goats is the experience. To help explain this I'll share a story. I was hunting near Challis Idaho in the spring of 2021. We packed in about 8 miles with 12 goats onto the top of a beautiful mountain range overlooking miles and miles of pristine, tree covered valley's. We got up early the next morning and came out of our eight man tipi tent to the most beautiful sunrise. Our entire string of goats were grazing the mountain side enjoying the morning sun. As soon as the goats saw us all 12 of them came running over to greet our morning. We saddled the goats and went off on our morning hunt. It sounds simple but when you experience this for yourself it's truly amazing to be in the wild with a heard of goats. To share your time and energy with the mountains and such an amazing animal. There's experiences with this particular lifestyle that you can't get anywhere else. That's what personally got me hooked. UMLF: If someone wanted to get into goat packing what is some must know info? And gear you recommend? RustPack: If you're looking to get into pack goats there's a few things you should know. They're a very low impact animal so there's very little clean up and care. I keep my string in my back yard and the grass never gets eaten down so it stays beautiful and green. This also transfers over to the wilderness as well. Raising a pack goat is arguably one of the most fun aspects about pack goats. But you must understand that this is a time commitment. When first starting out your baby goat will need two 16oz bottles of milk every day! This will ensure a big, strong, healthy goat. Along with feeding them premium, high protein grain, which can get pricey. But don't worry, feeding them milk only last for about two months on average and you only feed grain until one year of age. So keep in mind the time commitments and feed costs, although goats are much cheaper compared to other pack animals. Veterinary costs is also another great thing to consider. There's just some unplanned occasions that you have to prepare for. Which leads me to my next point. Goats are very affordable. At this point in time you can get a baby pack goat for $500. Compared to other pack animals where they can easily reach $10 thousand! Just for the animal! When you factor in gear, vaccinations, feed and other needs, comparable pack stock is considerably more expensive. A full set up for a pack goat would cost you around $600 on RustPack.com. This would include saddle, panniers, halters and collars, goat coat and a few other things to have everything you need! If you are considering getting goats check out RustPack.com for the best gear and information. UMLF: You own some cute goats! Did they get anything good for Christmas? :) RustPack: My string of pack goats definitely get pampered during the holiday season. With the cold weather moving in, my entire string received brand new RustPack goat coats to keep them warm! UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as an entrepreneur and how you overcame it? RustPack: Starting a business can be very scary considering the risk factor. With all of the craziness in this world there's even more risk than ever. A challenge that my business faces all the time is material supply and demand. With the given shipping crisis of 2021 it's always a challenge to get the things I need to manufacture products along with wait times and delay's. To overcome this it's very important to develop good relationships with multiple suppliers. They have the access to many other companies that can help you find what you need. It's also crucial to know your inventory in and out. Stay organized and be proactive about material orders. If there's a large wait time on a specific item, be sure to forecast ahead and put it in early so that you can keep your customers happy. UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? RustPack: The Utah Microloan Fund was a huge help in the growth of RustPack. They were absolutely amazing to work with and got me through the process quickly and smoothly. They have an amazing procedure for each of their clients. It really made me look deep into my company and answer some really hard questions that most people look over. They did more than just help financially, they helped guide me into building and growing a successful company. Website: https://rustpack.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.rust.pack Facebook: www.facebook.com/RustPack-100264325613583 ![]() Do you need an escape? Need a new idea for family night, hot date, or outing with friends? Look no further than the soon-to-be-open Escapism, an escape room concept opening this month in St. George, Utah. Keep reading to learn more from owner Brendan Taylor about why this needs to be added to your calendar, ASAP! UMLF: For those who aren't in the know, what is Escapism? Escapism: "Good question! Escapism Room Escape Games is an escape room business that is opening shortly in St. George, Utah – the city’s third escape room. Expanding on the concept of escape rooms, they are generally one-hour, full-immersion games where a team solves puzzles and overcomes challenges, through one or more fully themed spaces, to reach an end goal that varies by scenario. For example, a team could be robbing a bank in the Wild West, or something as wildly different as escaping from a detonating starship. Escapism is dedicated to providing a singular experience and making our customers feel like they’re “actually there”. No scenario is off of the table for us to bring to life, and we look forward to engaging with our customers to decide what our future experiences should be!" UMLF: What inspired you to open Escapism? Escapism: "Both my wife and I are avid escape room enthusiasts and we have been since they became big in the United States. We have played more games than we can count, and our various experiences have ranged from highly impressive to sorely disappointing. That being said, very few escape rooms we have played have sought to completely disconnect players from reality, even the good ones, and we are attempting to do this the best we can – when you sign up to play “Mayan Temple”, we feel like you shouldn’t see blatant, out-of-theme light switches, A/C vents, or be able to look out the window to see cars driving around. All of these lessen the sense of immersion, and we have a deep desire to take an escape room to the “next level” by removing these from customer perception as much as possible and by focusing on a high standard of quality in general. While our passion for the industry is a primary driver, we also wanted to launch a family business that we can both be involved in and provide a legacy for our two-year-old twin sons. Since our sons were born, we have had notably less free time to spend playing escape rooms, but we are still passionate for the industry – our escape room business is something my wife and I are looking forward to building together and hopefully passing that excitement on to our children." UMLF: Tell us about some of your different escape rooms? Escapism: "Escapism is launching with two very different escape room experiences – one is themed as an ancient Mayan Temple and one is themed as a nuclear submarine. The setting for the Mayan Temple is that an archaeological team recently discovered a lost temple. After entering, communications were lost, and the team has not been heard from in two days. You are being sent in to rescue your colleagues but be careful – the temple has been found to be utterly rigged with traps and other pitfalls. You have an hour to get in and extract the missing team, as the oxygen level is not expected to sustain beyond that. As far as the nuclear submarine experience goes, your team of agents has infiltrated the crew of the submarine, and you must hack into the guidance systems to fire the weapon systems at an enemy target. The submarine is fraught with safeguards and countermeasures to prevent rogue agents from gaining control of its systems, and you must work to overcome its defenses. Get in, complete your mission, and escape before your team is discovered and captured. Without spoiling too much, both of these experiences will be fleshed out to the max, if you will, and are full of clever secrets and unique puzzles." UMLF: Is this good for families? Escapism: "Escape rooms are an excellent activity for families. The concepts and interactions in escape rooms can be enjoyed by young children, teens, adults, and even grandparents who enjoy a sense of mystery, accomplishment, and adventure. Most themes are also family friendly, and nothing in our escape rooms will ever be scary, gory, or explicit unless we have noted this on our website and during the booking process. While some of the concepts in escape rooms may be too advanced for younger children, being able to explore our fully themed spaces and discover hidden objects, even if they can’t necessarily decipher them, is half the fun! Besides this, children 4 and under play for free – so, what have you got to lose?!" UMLF: What are your favorite tips for first time escapers? Escapism: "I think the single biggest thing that has helped us beat escape rooms over our career is the act of splitting our team up in any given room during the discovery phase, finding all of our clues so that we had the whole picture, and then bringing it all back together with strong team communication. Essentially, teamwork is everything. Harness everyone’s strengths, and don’t fixate on a specific puzzle too long as an individual. Your teammate may have a puzzle that you would have particular strength in solving and vice versa. Some people are better at logic puzzles, while other people are better at physical and perception challenges – you just never know unless you keep your team clued in to what’s going on. That being said, even teams as small as 2 can successfully complete an escape room with enough persistence (and sometimes clues)!" UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Escapism: "Wow – what a question. Having poured hundreds to thousands of hours into the entire process from inception to finalizing our space, there were countless challenges along the way. That being said, I think the single biggest challenge that I faced as a new business owner was securing enough funding to finish our project. Many lenders were just not willing to work with me as a startup, and I spent many hours meeting with banks and alternative lenders to try to pull it all together. I also worked extensively with the Small Business Development Center (another great service) here in St. George bulletproofing my business plan to send off to lenders. Despite this and my solid credit history, it just took me somewhat aback by how difficult of a process it was to secure the last little bit that I needed to move forward with it all. Not only was it the most psychologically discouraging thing during the entire business startup process, but it also physically stopped me from making any further progress until resolved." UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Escapism: "Perhaps this is obvious from the above question, but the Utah Microloan Fund helped my business by, frankly, allowing my business to be actualized in the first place. Having visited countless lenders who were not willing to lend to me, the UMLF graciously came through with the full amount that I needed; fantastic and timely considering I had exhausted 99% of my other options. More specifically, the UMLF loan helped to pay off my contract with my vendor who is producing the props for Escapism – bringing our escape rooms to life. Truly, I could not have reached this point without the UMFL’s assistance and guidance." Opening dates? "Escapism is aiming to be open by January 1st, 2022, provided all goes well with our finishing touches, and January 8th, 2022 as our latest possible opening date. We look forward to seeing everyone there!" To stay caught up with Escapism visit: Website: https://escapism-escaperoom.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/escapismroomescape Facebook: www.facebook.com/escapismroomescapegames Located at: 250 Red Cliffs Dr., Suite #11 Saint George, UT 84790 Being an entrepreneur means that you are used to dealing with uncertainties and figuring out solutions to problems. If you’re new to entrepreneurship or business ownership, then it’s essential to have a set of consistent practices and habits that you can turn to throughout your journey. Below, we have listed some practical tips for entrepreneurs and business owners in any industry:
Building Your Reputation Much of your success or failure will be determined by the reputation you establish for yourself and your brand. Here are a few ways to make sure people associate your business with good things!
Growing Your Network The more helpful people you have access to, the better your chances of navigating challenges and growing as an entrepreneur!
Keeping a Solid Footing Finally, maintain a firm foundation for your business by staying organized, compliant, and financially sound.
Part of entrepreneurship is that you will always meet new challenges and have to adjust your strategies. By implementing solid practices and habits, you can position yourself to thrive in any environment. Along with considering the tips above, never stop looking for other ways that you can set yourself up for long-term success! If you would like to learn more about how we support entrepreneurs and small business owners in our community, visit UtahMicroloanFund.org today! Article by guest writer Carleen Moore. ![]() Papa's Got Jerk is an authentic Jamaican Restaurant, the 1st one in southern Utah in fact! Located in sunny St. George, Papa's Got Jerk is set to open in early November. Growing from catering and participating in festivals, owner Cheryl Ashcraft is now excited to open her first brick-and-mortar shop at the Shoppes at Zion. Keep reading to learn more about Cheryl's inspiration for opening Papa's Got Jerk, her can't-miss menu items, and more. UMLF: What inspired you to open Papa’s Got Jerk? Cheryl: When I immigrated from Jamaica, West Indies to New York City as a young child, cooking my favorite Jamaican dishes was one of the ways I felt close to home. My Jamaican roots ran deep and are very dear to my heart. My dad recognized my love of cooking and encouraged that love by spending a lot of time sharing family recipes with me. From a very young age, I have always wanted to own a restaurant. In my adult life, I remember telling my dad that when my kids are all grown up, I would love to fulfill that dream of being a business owner and my very own restaurant. Just before my dad passed in early 2012, he told me to not put my dream of opening a restaurant on hold anymore. He told me, "you know the saying...when you do what you love you will never work another day in your life". So, in December of 2012 with the support of my children, I decided it was time to expand my kitchen. I began catering events and attending local festivals in the St. George area in honor of my dad. UMLF: For those new to authentic Jamaican cuisine, what can people expect? (Flavors, highlights, etc.) Cheryl: Jamaican cuisine is a culinary melting pot that reflects the cultures that have influenced the island over the centuries. Every dish is flavourful and highlights the amazing spices grown on our very own island. If you appreciate a savory flavorful meal, your mouth will thank you when you sit down for a Jamaican meal. In a typical Jamaican restaurant, one can expect bright colors of green, yellow and black on the walls and the furniture representing the country's colors. However, at Papa's Got Jerk the atmosphere will be subtle and modern featuring a gallery wall highlighting my country's history with splashes of Jamaican colors and artifacts. UMLF: What are some of your can’t miss menu items? Cheryl: Just about all of Papa's Got Jerk menu items is a can't miss item. However, if you are an adventurer and enjoy a little spicy flavor, then you MUST try the Jerk Chicken plate. And if you are on the milder side of the spices, then most definitely the Brown Stew Chicken. My most favorite meal is the Curry Goat served over Rice & Peas (Jamaicans call all types of beans, peas :-) )with a side of steamed cabbage & carrots. Stew Peas & Rice is my 2nd most favorite. Who am I kidding, I love and recommend it all. There is something for every spice dare-devils out there and not so much dare-devil. UMLF: Besides dine-in we know you also offer meal prep and catering. Tell us more about this. Cheryl: So, we are actually limited to dine-in seating and are more on the take out and dine in the courtyard outdoor seating area side. So, the meal prep plan was created for the busy on the go person/family. As a single mom for many years, meal prepping was my saving grace and my kids were not fans of food that was pre-cooked and bland. Most often meal prep meals are flavorless and bland. Why not have delicious Jamaican meals everyday! The meal prep plans vary from 1 meal per day or 2 meals per day for an entire week. Catering - Have a feast without the fuss, just put it on us! We cater all events, weddings, anniversaries, office parties, etc. along with the option of buffet style or guest service. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as an entrepreneur and how you overcame it? Papa's Got Jerk has definitely experienced highs and lows on many different levels. Being a black woman in Utah has had its challenges over the years in itself. But when I became a business owner, those challenges as a black woman were even more noticeable. I was told by my parents, I was always stubborn as a child and apparently as an adult my stubborn traits kicked in when faced with challenges. I always, always held my head high and viewed every obstacle or challenge as a character building experience. Nothing ever slows me down and I look at and embrace my challenges as an opportunity for growth. I love giving people opportunities for growth by educating them about me and what my intentions are as a business owner, not as a black woman business owner. UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? UMLF has given Papa's Got Jerk an opportunity to maintain its financial obligations and has allowed Papa's Got Jerk to grow as a company. To stay in touch with Papa's Got Jerk visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/papasgotjerk Instagram: www.instagram.com/Papasgotjerkstg Website: www.papasgotjerkstg.com Located at The Shoppes at Zion: 250 Red Cliffs Drive, Suite 16B St. George UT 84790 ![]() Did you know that US consumers will spend $933.30 billion on ecommerce in 2021 alone? Whether it is from convenience, the ability to price shop and compare items directly, folks staying home from COVID concerns, free delivery or more, online shopping is king. With this huge shift to online spending, customers are looking for fast and reliable shipping and great customer service, in addition to a great product. As a company grows, how can they still provide this while growing their customer base? That is where fulfillment centers like PackYak in Salt Lake City come in! Keep reading to learn more from our September Business of the Month and newest client here: UMLF: For those who aren’t in the know, who is PackYak? What do y’all do? PackYak: PackYak is an eCommerce fulfillment company. We integrate eCommerce merchants’ online storefronts with our warehouse management software, receive products from their manufacturers, process and store their inventory, and upon an order being placed, we pick the appropriate product, package it, and ship it off to the end-consumer. What sets us apart is our hands-on approach and transparent billing practices. We provide immediate support to our clients via dedicated Slack messaging channels so that they can have unparalleled control and transparency over their product while still outsourcing the operations, fulfillment, and warehousing side of their eCommerce business. We also make it a point to be very upfront and clear about everything a customer will be billed for when they partner with PackYak, which, believe it or not, isn’t as common as you would think in our industry. UMLF: Tell us about your team and your backgrounds? PackYak: PackYak has four owners with extensive fulfillment and eCommerce experience. Erik is an Information Systems graduate from the University of Cincinnati, a serial entrepreneur, and cryptocurrency enthusiast. He has an extensive background in sales, marketing, music, epic campfire stories, and eCommerce. Grant is a Belmont University Marketing graduate, an attorney, musician, web designer, and content creator. Sean is a graduate from Wayne State’s Detroit School of Business with extensive sales experience at two Fortune 100 companies prior to founding PackYak. Sam went to Northern Kentucky University for Business Administration and has worked at numerous startups, focusing on marketing, operations, and client relationships. UMLF: When should a business consider utilizing fulfillment services? PackYak: A business should consider utilizing fulfillment services when they’ve reached a point where they have more online orders than they can keep up with on their own, are paying too much for shipping labels, or simply just don’t want to undertake the costs associated with acquiring more space and staff to manage the warehousing and fulfillment side of their business. A lot of people don’t realize that partnering with a fulfillment service can afford them way faster delivery times as well as lower shipping rates than they’re currently paying. Partnering with a fulfillment center like PackYak lets eCommerce business owners focus solely on growing and marketing their business instead of spending countless hours with a small staff just trying to keep up with large order volumes. UMLF: What are some of the types of companies you fulfill for? PackYak: We provide fulfillment for all kinds of companies all over the world! We have customers based in Thailand, the United Kingdom, Salt Lake City, and beyond. Primarily, we partner with eCommerce brands that ship small parcel items, but we have solutions for customers with larger parcel items as well. We currently have partners that sell apparel, workout devices, bluetooth speakers, decorative pins and patches, and more. We are open to working with eCommerce entrepreneurs from all walks, and pride ourselves on being able to provide custom-tailored solutions for our clients so that everyone comes out on top. UMLF: Customer service seems key to your company’s core values. What are some of the ways you achieve this? PackYak: Customer service is an absolutely critical aspect of our business and something we really pride ourselves on. In fact, it’s a large part of why we went into business. You can read countless horror stories from eCommerce business owners that partnered with a fulfillment center and had it go poorly - they can end up with enormous bills full of hidden fees they had no idea about, mis-shipped orders, and damaged or lost products. A recurring complaint is that they never had good communication with their fulfillment center and never really knew what was going on with their account. When we decided to start PackYak, we knew that this was the solution we wanted to solve. Most large fulfillment centers treat every customer with the same cookie cutter approach, which seems crazy to us at PackYak since we believe every business is a unique entity with very different needs. The way we solve the customer service problem in fulfillment is by setting up a dedicated Slack channel when we onboard customers so they can instantly communicate with the PackYak representative that is going to manage their account. We respond to all communications same-day and it's been an incredibly effective way for us to manage customer requests, questions, and special projects. Our customers love it, and it really helps us stay up to date with all of our client’s wants and needs. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? PackYak: To start PackYak, our four founders moved from across the country into an Airbnb in Salt Lake City, knowing that this was where we wanted our business to be based. Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, things got a little bit tricky for us. Our first two weeks in Utah looked like this: two of our founders contracted Covid-19, we had two warehouse locations fall through on us, and the pipes burst in our Airbnb rental and damaged a lot of our belongings. We would be lying if we said things weren’t a little bit dicey to start out - we worked long hours under stressful circumstances, but by staying persistent, we were able to get our first warehouse under lease and even signed our first two customers very soon after. UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? PackYak: The UMLF has been an incredible lifeline for us at PackYak. One of our biggest upfront expenses are shipping costs - which can pile up really quickly in our business. The UMLF provided us with an invaluable reserve to cover unexpectedly high shipping costs, some additional funding to help purchase some of the racking for our warehouse, and funds to increase our advertising budget so that we can acquire new customers. Without the funding support, our business would be on a much slower growth trajectory than we are now. After just a couple of months in business, we are thriving and are on track to do well over $1 million dollars in revenue in year one. To stay in touch with PackYak visit: Website: www.packyak.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/PackYakPacks Instagram: www.instagram.com/packyakfulfillment Handling a side hustle, working a full-time job, and also taking care of yourself is difficult. You probably want to give yourself entirely to all three, but it's likely impossible. However, to function properly and handle all you’ve got going on, you need to take self-care seriously — even though it might look like a waste of time at first. Here are a few tricks to help you find a balance.
Compartmentalize This is the most crucial step. Having another job on the side can be distracting because the passion for the new venture is fresh and you'll likely have a hard time focusing on anything else. But it's called a 'side' hustle for a reason. You need to put your project in a box to focus on other things: your day job, family, and self-care still need to come first. Still, if you can master compartmentalization with your side gig, you will better succeed in your activities and balance all the aspects of your life. Set Small Goals Having responsibilities and deadlines at both your jobs can become overwhelming, especially if you try to do everything at once. An act of self-care is, in this case, creating a list of the goals that you want to achieve. You can further split those goals down into daily, weekly, and monthly accomplishable goals to make them easier to meet and avoid burnout. Allow Yourself to Pause Think about how often you allow yourself to slow down and take a break. Even though this may feel a bit limiting at first — especially when there is so much to take care of — constant activity puts you at risk of anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm, resulting in unpleasant things like resentment, exhaustion, and lack of motivation. An easy way to avoid this is to schedule a time each day to take a break and zone out. Even taking a 15-minute walk, resting for a while in a room where no one can bother you, or asking someone for help so you can take a short break can feel life-changing. Give yourself permission to be present in the moment without having to create, give, or provide. Pausing also enables you to clarify what is working, what you need to change, and how you can make things happen. Commit to Something That Brings You Joy Most self-care practices suggest doing something that makes you feel good. Joy and laughter are medicinal, increasing serotonin and endorphins in the brain, relaxing the muscles, easing tension in the body, and more. Laughter also relieves everyday stress and worry, adds positivity and resilience to daily life, improves overall mood and happiness, and helps ease fear. Automate and Outsource When balancing a full-time job and a new side hustle, you need to understand the value of time. As unnecessary as it may feel to pay for a service to do something that you can do yourself, it could be in your best interest. Hiring help to tackle specific aspects of your startup will yield so much more as it helps you focus on other parts of the business that need more attention. The task of business formation, for instance, involves the many steps. Instead of stretching yourself even thinner to tackle each one, you can engage a service to start LLC in Utah for you. It might cost you money in fees, but it can save your energy, giving you the chance to focus on more important things, plus you can work with a formation service instead of a lawyer to keep costs low. Operating a side hustle requires lots of time, attention, and care. You should also adopt a few strategies to practice self-care, which is essential to every human being. Let the above steps help you find balance and thrive. Utah Microloan Fund aims to strengthen Utah communities by providing business training and small business loans. Call 801-746-1180 to learn more. In a world where we hear the word "uncertain times" several times a day and the landscape for what we call normal changes daily, mental health is more important than ever. Self care, boundaries and taking care of one's health is so important, especially when big names like Simone Biles are making it a part of our national conversation. This focus is why we wanted to highlight our client Summit Counseling Solutions as our August Business of the Month along with the awesome recent advancements they have made in their field. Keep reading to learn more from owner Kate Plato below.
UMLF: Who is Summit Counseling Solutions? (SCS) SCS: We provides Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient counseling/treatment services for adolescents ages 12-17, and their families. Using different combinations of individual, group, and family therapy along with academic intervention and support (Day Treatment only) students and families participating in SCS programs learn to address and cope with a variety of mental and behavioral health issues and decline. This helps them ultimately develop the awareness and coping skills necessary to become resilient and manage the challenges of life. In support of individual treatment, SCS families learn to support effectively and develop awareness, tools and skills that support healthy family communication and conflict resolution. To learn more about the individual mental and behavioral health issues SCS treatment can effectively address visit our website at summitcounselingsolutions.com. UMLF: Tell us about your leadership team and your backgrounds? SCS: The SCS Leadership Team is comprised of seven individuals in various leadership capacities charged with the oversight and implementation necessary to service 150-200 students and families each year. This remarkable team of tireless advocates has developed and applies a wealth of clinical and administrative knowledge and expertise necessary to strategically and interdependently break down and overcome the most common barriers to successful treatment for each and every family we serve. UMLF: You offer treatment for a variety of areas of therapy adolescents, tell us more about those? SCS: We serve adolescents ages 12-17 offering counseling/treatment for PHP (Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment) and IOP (Intensive Outpatient) levels of care. SCS counseling and treatment services are also appropriate for adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, ADHD and other learning disabilities, personality/mood disorders, family conflict etc. UMLF: Do you have a specific service area? SCS: We’re located in Utah County and although we will serve anyone will to drive to our facility. The majority of our clientele come from areas within a 25 mile radius. UMLF: We heard you have made some very notable advancements in your field, tell us more? SCS: SCS, along with several other key community partners, helped establish and works strategically with a nonprofit organization called Extraordinary Options for Ordinary People to support mental health providers by teaching them to break down/navigate the most common barriers of the mental health industry that prevent providers from providing care. By providing tools, training, and other resources that connect providers to other providers and consumer to providers SCS supports the removal of barriers or obstacles that most often interrupt the roads to care and support. EO is launching officially in October with a tribute event concert performed by David Archuleta designed to honor and pay tribute to the tireless work and dedication of providers in adolescent mental and behavioral health. To learn more visit: Website: https://summitcounselingsolutions.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/summitcounselingsolutions LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/summit-counseling-solutions Debt is not a foreign concept to small business owners. In fact, SEMrush reports that 40% of small businesses hold over $100,000 in debt! While taking on business debt is incredibly common—and often necessary—it can still be crippling. Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to get a handle on your business debt and eventually eliminate it altogether. Here are some tips from the Utah Microloan Fund to help you manage your debt and pay it off quickly.
Rework Your Business Budget If you can’t afford to pay off your debt, reevaluating your business budget is the first thing you should do. You need to know exactly where all your money is going and how to best use those funds. Take a look at your budget and ask yourself a few questions. Are you meeting your revenue goals? Are your actual costs exceeding your projected costs? Are you struggling to cover your expenses due to cash flow issues? If the numbers aren’t adding up, find ways to reduce ongoing expenses and create more room in your budget for debt payments. Find Ways to Cut Costs Use your business budget to identify opportunities to reduce spending. You may have to make some drastic expense cuts until you can get your debt under control, so don’t be afraid to pare down to the essentials. Look for subscriptions you rarely use, professional memberships you can cancel, or time-consuming tasks that you can automate. Are you spending a lot of money on payroll costs? Online payroll and time-tracking tools can help you monitor how your team is spending their time and identify opportunities to cut costs. Look for a payroll platform that includes mobile timesheets, employee scheduling, real-time alerts, and smart reporting for valuable labor insights. Boost Your Income On the flip side of cutting costs, boosting your income will also help you better handle your debt. Of course, this is easier said than done. Revenue growth often creates new expenses, which can add new debt to your load. Look for ways to increase your business revenue while minimizing your additional costs. Encouraging repeat business from existing customers is one great way to do this. On average, it costs about five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing customer. Focus on increasing customer retention over acquisition and your profits are bound to climb. Negotiate with Lenders Did you know that you can negotiate your loan rates and terms? Call your lender to discuss your options and see what they can do. If you’ve been making your payments every month, your lender may be willing to offer deferred payments, better interest rates, or reduced fees to help you get through a cash flow slump. Try to have this conversation as early as possible so you can keep your business credit intact and avoid hurting your reputation with your moneylender by missing payments. Consolidate Your Debt Debt consolidation is another option, especially if you’re holding a lot of high-interest debt. Debt consolidation involves taking out a big loan to pay off a number of smaller loans. This will bring all of your debt together under one loan, making it easier to manage and, ideally, reducing your interest payments. Look for a loan that offers a lower interest rate than you’re currently paying. If you can’t qualify for a traditional bank loan due to poor credit or insufficient collateral, look for lenders that offer alternative loan options. Managing business debt is critical to ensuring the long-term financial success of your business. While it’s hard to face debt head-on, it’s important to get things under control as soon as possible. Dive into your business budget, look for ways to cut costs, and take steps to improve your loan rates and terms so you can tackle debt once and for all! Looking for business funding? The Utah Microloan Fund offers loans to entrepreneurs and startups that don’t qualify for traditional bank loans. Complete our online orientation to learn more! Article by Brittany Fisher of financiallywell.info ![]() Bacteria, yeast, fermentation. Sound gross? No way! This is just part of the process of making kombucha, a sweet, fizzy fermented tea that has taken the health world by storm. Not only can you make some amazing flavor combinations but evidence also suggests that kombucha has a range of health benefits, including gut and liver health, and can be the perfect alternative to sugary sodas and juices. With local Han's Kombucha it was love at first sip. A small-batch, women-owned kombucha brewery located in the heart of Salt Lake City, the gals at Han's motto is "We brew for you! Any and all." Keep reading to learn more about our July Business of the Month in our interview with owner Kate Lubing, business partner to Hannah Hendrickson. Cheers! UMLF: Tell us about yourselves and your backgrounds? Han's: Hannah was born and raised in Boise, Idaho and after graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in Public Health, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry for a short time before starting Han's Kombucha in the fall of 2018. Kate hails from Jackson Hole, Wyoming and after spending nearly two decades in Hospitality and Restaurant Management with a degree from Le Cordon Bleu'. Kate partnered with Hannah at the end of 2019 and they haven't looked back since. With Hannah's passion and innovative approach to the kombucha brewing world and Kate's background of sales and management, they are a perfect powerhouse duo brewing their kombuha with love for the state of Utah. UMLF: We are drooling reading over your menu. How do you guys come up with your unique flavors? Han's: We are also drooling. Sometimes it's an idea that comes to us in the middle of the day or a flavor combination that keeps us up at night with excitement to try it at the brewery the next day. We brew kombucha with flavors that we like to drink. Some flavors are simply classic like our front runner of Ginger Hibiscus and then some are experiments that take time and tweaking for many weeks like our Blueberry Lavender JUN kombucha. It's all made with love, which we think makes it taste that much better. UMLF: Your branding is obviously top-notch, tell us about your creative process? Han's: A graphic designer friend of Hannah's from college actually did the first label for the company. We are so lucky that he did. Over the last year we've brought on an AMAZING branding, film and marketing duo to help fine tune the brand and bring our future brands to life. We want to represent what's important to us as business owners, consumers and community members. The arch is representative of our beautiful state of Utah and we fill in around it with an approachable, inviting blend of content, colors and product information. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Han's: Oh goodness. I think each day is filled with many highs and certainly a handful of lows. That's being a business owner and young company though. I think that scaling the production has definitely come with it's challenges but we've kept a positive attitude and fought through the unknowns that show up. As we scale, balancing the supply and demand has been an interesting adventure for us and probably always will be. What we do know is that there is nothing we can't work out and overcome together and feel incredibly fortunate for not only our business partnership but our friendship too. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Han's: The Utah Microloan Fund helped our business tremendously. We recently signed a long term lease on our very own space off of 300 West. Without the funding from the UMLF we wouldn't have been able to secure the equipment we need for our new space as well as cover the build out costs of the brewery production facility. Han's is grateful for this program and we implore other small businesses to apply. UMLF: Where can people find your kombucha? Han's: Great question. The best place to look is on our website www.hanskombucha.com, where we list a good portion of our retailers from Heber Valley to Moab. We hope in the near future that we can offer Han's state wide and one day start shipping. We also offer pickup and delivery online. While waiting for our new facility to be built out, we offer you the option to place your orders online, choose a pick up time at our production facility or delivery to your home. To get some tasty kombucha asap and to stay in touch visit: Website: www.hanskombucha.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/hanskombucha Facebook: www.facebook.com/hanskombucha ![]() It's June in Utah, which means it's definitely construction season! Essential to the process are the dump truck companies who tirelessly provide materials throughout the state needed to complete the different projects working on our roads, homes, infrastructure, and more. HPG Trucking, LLC is a new trucking company based in Clinton, Utah that serves the tri-state area. Lakasha Hodges and her husband Louis might be new to owning their own company, but the years of customer service and hauling experience in previous jobs have enabled them to now start their own venture. Keep reading to learn more about their journey. UMLF: For those who don’t know, who is HPG Trucking and what do you do? Lakasha: HPG Trucking, LLC ( Hodges Pretty Girl Trucking) is a dump truck company based in Clinton, Utah. We haul aggregates transporting large quantities of construction materials, dirt, rocks, asphalt, gravel, road base, and sand to and from construction sites. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? Lakasha: I always wanted to own my own business. I have been interested in trucking for the past 15 years. I love the logistics part of the business. UMLF: What inspired you to start HPG Trucking? Lakasha: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came available when I heard about a new project that was available for owner-operators, giving us an opportunity to join their team. I knew that was the opportunity for me to achieve my dream. UMLF: What makes you different from other trucking services in Utah? Lakasha: HPG Trucking, LLC provides excellent service to our customers in the construction industry. We pride ourselves on the integrity, compliance and competence from our employees and we prioritize customer service above all else to remain the first choice for our clients’ hauling needs. UMLF: What is your service area? Lakasha: We service all clients within the state of Utah and the tri-state areas. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Lakasha: The day-to-day maintenance and breakdowns are a challenge but with hard work and a little elbow grease we have gotten through them. Being a Black woman in a male-dominated industry is a challenge in its own, but once again I will make it! I am still learning being diligent and resilient in my efforts will help me reach my goals. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Lakasha: Utah Microloan Fund gave us the capital we needed to purchase my first dump truck which helps me achieve continued success and growth for our company. Website: https://hpgtrucking.com/ ![]() Spring has sprung and as Utahns come out of hibernation, we all know one thing: It's time to start thinking about the lawn! When to start watering, what fertilizer or weed care to use, when is it time to start mowing, and most importantly, how is your lawn going to look this season? They say don't judge a book but its cover, but what about someone's yard? A good lawn can make all the difference in how your house is perceived amirite? For the more discerning lawn connoisseur, what if we told you your lawn could look as on-point and premium as a golf green? Jason Taylor, owner of TaylorMade Lawn, has made that very thing possible! Keep reading to learn more about this new Utah company. UMLF: For those who don’t know, who is TaylorMade Lawn and what do you do? TaylorMade: TaylorMade Lawn is a premium lawn leveling, top dressing, renovation, and restoration service. We create and tailor your existing lawn into the lawn you've always wanted it to be. We can transform your lawn to look short and tight, like a golf course fairway, or into a level, lush 3” traditional lawn. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? TaylorMade: I was born and raised in Utah and I love this area and the outdoors. I love golfing and making music. I am a father and a husband and enjoy spending time with my family. I come from the securities and business development world. I thrive around people and love making genuine connections! UMLF: What inspired you to start TaylorMade Lawn? TaylorMade: After working for others for years I wanted to work for myself but I was not sure in what capacity. I love creating things and I enjoy beautifying my own yard. I challenged myself to totally transform my own lawn in a way that is unique to Utah. I studied and experimented on processes. Through my own yard transformation and feedback from friends and neighbors I realized I could bring this service to others and create a niche in the landscaping industry. UMLF: What makes you different from other lawn care services in Utah? TaylorMade: There are many offering lawn maintenance or installing new landscaping. I am exclusively offering lawn leveling and renovation services that are tailored to those who want a unique and upper-end look to their yard. This is a premium service for those who are passionate about their yards and desire an exquisite lawn. UMLF: What is your service area? TaylorMade: We service the Wasatch front area in Utah. I have clients from Bountiful to Nephi. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? TaylorMade: Starting my own company during a pandemic when resources are low for everyone was a challenge. I wasn’t sure how to get started. My company needed specialized and expensive equipment. I had to be creative in getting funding to get my company off the ground. I weighed all of my options and found financing and got things started. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? TaylorMade: I did not know how I was going to get funding for my business and wasn’t sure anyone would be willing to take a chance on a start-up company during a global pandemic. I am grateful to the Utah Microloan Fund for the opportunity to get my company the money needed to start my business and give me guidance along the way. To drool over some beautiful lawns, follow TaylorMade Lawn here: Website: https://taylormadelawn.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/taylormadelawn Instagram: www.instagram.com/taylormadelawn ![]() Spring has sprung and so has the imaginative power of Brian Jensen and Alicia Lockwood, a dynamic brother and sister duo in St. George Utah who own and run 6BIT Creative, LLC. Who are they you might ask? Not only are they the Utah Microloan Fund's choice for our April business of the Month, 6BIT is a company that offers professional creative services, making and selling creative products and digital assets. They are located in a historic part of the heart of downtown St. George, UT at 55 N. Main Street but are also available for work around the state. Keep reading to learn more about Brian and Alicia and why you should think of them the next time you are in need of creative services for your business. UMLF: Tell us about yourselves and your background? Brian Jensen, Co-Owner, 3D Designer, Graphic Designer, Artist Brian is our 3D Master! He can render just about anything and always loves a good challenge. Brian has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Communication with a double major in Fine Art and Entertainment Art. Brian is very creative and his fine art is amazing and interesting! Brian's education and skills in entertainment art help with any video project. Brian's good humor and calm nature make him awesome to work with and be around. We are always laughing during our workday. Brian was part of the team in a mural project of Washington County in downtown St. George, that was for the Greater Zion tourism and Arts to Zion. Brian is also a cancer survivor. He is happily married, and a dad of two boys, one girl, and one angel boy. He loves to go explore and go on hikes with his family. Alicia Lockwood, Co-Owner, Graphic Designer, Photographer, Artist Alicia is our graphic design and printing guru! She enjoys tackling the projects that level up her design work. She says the best feeling is when her clients say, "wow! How did you make that based on my scribbles!?" Alicia has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication with a double major in Graphic Design and Photography. Alicia's education and experience in photography is the icing on the creative cake. Alicia's whirlwind ideas and energy keep everyone on their toes. It is never a dull moment during the workday. Alicia is an active member of several organizations. Alicia has served on several boards and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op. Alicia was one of the 30 in their 30's Influencers in Greater Zion 2019 recipients. She is a 1st place, award-winning photographer. Alicia is a single mom to one girl. When Alicia is not creating for her clients, she is still creating art with her family on Friday Night Art Nights, playing games, or binge-watching Star Trek. UMLF: What inspired you to start 6Bit Creative? 6BIT: We both were doing freelance work but in different cities and we kept collaborating on projects. One evening on April 14th, 2018 we were chatting online about the fate of the future of both our businesses. It was at that moment we were talking about our futures and the idea came up for us to join forces. We decided to merge our two businesses together. We knew we were good at what we did, we loved, we knew we could work well together as a team, we knew we needed to do something to grow our businesses. By April 16th we had registered our LLC and had a logo. What was meant to just be us working remotely turned into a brick and mortar location in St. George, UT. UMLF: What is a creative company and how is 6Bit Creative different from others out there? 6BIT: A creative company is slightly different than a marketing company. Our specialty is taking your ideas and bringing them to life in creative ways. We offer a variety of creative services such as 3D visualization, graphic design, photography, videography, and illustrations. We also make and sell creative products, stock imagery, fine art, and offer printing services. We also have our photography studio and sound room available to rent. What makes us different is the idea that we are the company to complete the project and we have a range of creative services that we have. We structure our business model, subscriptions, and pricing to help those smaller businesses or individuals to bring their projects to life. Our tagline is: visually clarifying ideas. We believe that our clients know what they want to say or do, they just need someone to guide them, interpret it and build it, that is us. And the most important, is we are a brother and sister team. Perhaps it is a brother and sister superpower, or our combined 20+ years experience and combined education, whatever the case may be, we have this creative synergy that produces some amazing work when we come together. UMLF: We love your monthly and annual subscription options for business owners, what made you offer these and what is included? 6BIT: We realized that a lot of time we get smaller jobs that we spend more time billing than doing the actual job. This made it tricky. As the smaller projects were important to accomplish we couldn't figure out how to properly charge for the project. We also understood that hiring a professional graphic designer feels like it is out of budget or unobtainable. So we found a way that we can help our clients budget their graphic design needs, have affordable options, cut time and costs so we can dedicate more hours to graphic design time for our clients. There are no surprises for our clients when the final invoice comes. They know how many hours they have for projects they need to accomplish. We offering a one-time payment for a discount based on how many hours the client needs or we can break up the yearly subscription into 12 payments. Clients that utilize the subscription model love it. It is easier for them to submit projects and us to turn them around without that extra paperwork. Currently, we have graphic design and video services subscriptions. We are working on finalizing other kinds of service subscriptions. UMLF: 3D rending, graphic design, photography, video services, custom illustrations and promos. Is there anything you guys can’t do it? And how did you get so good at this? 6BIT: Actually, there is a lot we can't do, but when we first started we were trying to target a specific industry. It may have worked but we were finding out that we were missing opportunities to some other creative work. We changed our business plan to be a full creative business without being industry-specific. Crazy, right?! We love getting jobs that make us stop and say, "how can we accomplish this?" We love to innovate and learn. We watch tutorials and try them for our own business or personal projects first. We enjoy teaming up with our clients to discuss how to make their ideas happen. We want the projects that we have to research how to accomplish them. And if we can't, we will find someone to contract out that can. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? 6BIT: Social media—believe it or not! It has been a challenge to fully dive into what it can offer and it feels overwhelming at times. We know the power social media can have and we have so many cool things we want to share. We've embraced it by planning out what content we want to share and making sure we are more conscious about what and when we are posting, by using schedulers. We are figuring out ways to make it fun and exciting to do instead of dreading it. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? 6BIT: We are incredibly grateful for UMFL! Honestly, when one of our computers died we were at a slow standstill. Alicia was working at night and Brian was working during the day to still accomplish all the projects we had. We had been so careful to keep our overhead low and save money but nothing could anticipate the need for a new computer during the pandemic! Having the opportunity to get a new computer changed the course of our business. It was a better, faster, machine than the other computer was and we were now able to produce more and at a faster turnaround time. It exponentially helped our business having the equipment we needed to provide that top-level professional service we strive for our clients. I was also in the Banking on Women program and it was a great program. It gave an opportunity to analyze the business and where to take it. It was great to learn more tools and ways to help it be successful. It was also great to make new connections and be a part of a great business community. To stay in touch with 6BIT visit: Website: http://6bitcreative.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/6BITCreative Instagram: www.instagram.com/6bitcreative So 2020 was crazy right? These "unprecedented times" brought about a huge change in the ways we work, see friends and family, shop, and live our day to day lives. One big thing that became apparent was that people starting using their time to learn new skills, try new hobbies, and cultivate their spaces. Baking bread, gardening, knitting, painting, and cooking are just some of the examples of tasks that came back to the forefront of daily life. But what about beekeeping? Bee-Craft Consult LLC is a one-stop-shop beekeeping consulting firm that not only produces high-quality natural honey and other beehive products but also provides consulting to people wanting to bloom into beekeepers themselves. Learn more about how you can keep bees in your very own backyard with owner Adesina Oduntan Daniel Adesina here: UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Daniel: I am Adesina Daniel Oduntan, a Nigerian, an entomologist and a beekeeper by profession; married with 3 kids. I have been in this beekeeping business for almost 28 years. I am the author of a beekeeping textbook named "Beekeeper's Companion illustrated Field Guide". UMLF: What inspired you to start Bee-Craft Consult? Daniel: For a long time since I was young, I always want to be an independent and a successful person because I have seen many people around me that were civil servants working for government and were so poor. When I decided to study agriculture in University, I was determined to be self-employed. At my final year in my University in 1993, I discovered beekeeping through an advert in a national dailies paper for a 3 day beekeeping workshop at University of Ibadan, Oyo State. After the training, I started reading magazines, journals and books on beekeeping and I came across two American families of 5 to 6 generations in beekeeping business, their names are Dadant & Sons and A.I Roots and that inspired me to have my own business that will last many generations. UMLF: You teach the average person on how to engage in beekeeping. Why is this an important skill to know? Daniel: Bees are unique creatures created by God to minister healing to humanity. Everything about bees and products from bees are powerful, so as a result, much information is needed for people to make the best use of them. The usefulness of bees in agriculture (pollination), nutrition, & medicine cannot be over emphasized. The bottom line is that people need to be taught and there must be people like us (Bee-Craft) to teach them so that people will not be afraid of bees stings and know how to manage their bees well for the best profit. The Adage says, "use what you have to get what you want" I am such a person who doesn't like to beg or lobby for favor to get what I need. In Africa or even anywhere, to get money to start business is a problem, you need a bank loan or someone to borrow you money to start the business, and your lenders determine the final say, so I choose to take my life in my own hands and come to conclusion that what can I do to get what I needs by myself. I arrive at teaching people, consulting services can bring me the money needed instead of waiting on someone to determine what happened to me. UMLF: You offer online classes on how to keep bees at home. Tell us more about this awesome program Daniel: Our online beekeeping classes is part of our efforts to spread the Beekeeping Education and Experience Program (BEEP) to a larger audience. It is a distance learning program for those people that want to know more about the rudiments of beekeeping. 20 years ago, in 2001, in our effort to spread the good news of keeping bees among the students and youths in Nigeria, we took the program to the Ministry of Education in Ogun, Oyo & Osun States of Nigeria named "Beekeeping Education Extension Program" to educate the students by given them the right mind set of self-employed & self-reliant as well as, to empower the participants, by pulling resources (genuine & pure honey) together for sale at International markets. Our online classes are solely to educate participants that there is more than just honey in the beehive. We also want to empower them to make additional resources (money) from keeping bees. Bee-Craft Consult is planning a beekeeping education program in Utah Schools now, if approved by the Utah State Board of Education. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Daniel: There are many challenges facing a small business owner, the 1st among many challenges is financing. Money to incur tools (materials), inventories, rents, advertisement, even to acquire knowledge (upgrade) e.t.c. I knew from day one that I would establish a beekeeping school to train people to make money. I have acquired enough practical knowledge about bees, and already training people locally, but modern beekeeping at that time in Nigeria was not really common and it sound strange that someone is culturing bees. In 1999, one of the radio station (Ogun Radio) presenter heard about me and he invited me as a guest on a live phone-in program (ORO SUNNUKUN) a Yoruba program to speak about bees and honey. Before the interview date, I had to negotiate to use a friend's office because I didn’t have one, so that I can direct the potential customers to where they can find me when they ask for address during the interview. The following day after the interview, people began to come to buy honey and someone among the customers just said can you please kindly organize a training workshop on beekeeping, that was how I got the inspiration to start planning the workshop. Before the day of the workshop, another presenter heard about my previous and he then invited me to his Sunday morning Live-On-FM, another phoned in program just 2 days away from my beekeeping workshop. That radio program boosted the workshop and, a lot of people attended. From the workshop, people registered for our Institute of Vocational Bee-Craft, and that was where I got more than enough money to secure my own personal office accommodation. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Daniel: The Utah Microloan Fund has helped me start my beekeeping business in the US. The loan that UMLF gave me was the first ever loan I got in 28 years of business. Despite the fact that I didn’t have record of my business in US, they trusted my integrity with the proof of my works in Africa and Europe (Germany) and granted me the first loan in 2017 and another in 2020. The organization is not limited to giving loan, but they also assisted in organizing training/workshop to promote my business. Who doesn't love a good sandwich? When we were getting together to decide on our January Business of the Month, we knew immediately that we wouldn't be happy campers if we didn't decide on Happy Camper Deli of Salt Lake City, Utah. Owned by Marc Singleton, Happy Camper is a mobile deli with a twist, their trucks are repurposed from old campers and horse trailers which is fun to see. Keep reading to learn more about these deelish sammies and catering. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Marc: I am a Utah native but grew up in California. Once given the opportunity, I moved back to Utah where I worked in clinical diagnostics for 20 years, mostly new start up companies. I have multiple advanced degrees including a Ph.D. from University of Utah Medical School. However, my real passion has been food. There is no joy in telling someone they are sick, but give someone a sandwich, the “Best Sandwich You’ll Have All Day!”, and you can make someone happy. UMLF: What inspired you to start Happy Camper? Marc: I have always wanted to run my own restaurant; I love food and love how it can make even the worst days better. However, despite being a good home chef, I have no culinary training. I figured I would do what I know, sandwiches. I love a good sandwich and have sought out the best I could find. It is the perfect combination of bread, meat, cheese, and veggies! So many combinations that the possibilities are endless. Everyone has their favorite sandwich, from PB and J to Philly Cheesesteak, they are all good sandwiches attached to good memories. UMLF: Your bold claim is that Happy Camper serves “The Best Sandwich You’ll Have All Day!” Tell us what makes it the best! Marc: The “Best Sandwich You’ll Have All Day!” slogan comes from my two loves. 1) I love sandwiches; so, we only use the freshest bread, baked daily, the best meats and cheeses, sourced locally, and fresh veggies. Even if you have another sandwich, it will not be as fresh and good as a Happy Camper Deli Sandwich. 2) I love being a dad! And dads tell “DAD JOKES”. The “Best Sandwich You’ll Have All Day!” suggests that you are unlikely to have multiple sandwiches…therefore I am right! We at the Happy Camper Deli don’t take ourselves too seriously, except for our sandwiches! UMLF: You use cool retro trailers as your food trucks, what was the inspiration behind this? Marc: When I decided to start a food truck I looked around for options. Food Trucks (with engines) cost a lot of money and usually have extremely high miles on them. Buying a new truck would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was inspired by a coffee stand in San Francisco that was built out of a horse trailer. It was stationary, however, it got me thinking, why not build my own. I bought, gutted, equipped, and restored a 1962 horse trailer as our first food truck. It is awesome, the small space made sandwich building fast and efficient 100 sandwiches per hour! However, the small trailer lacked some of the items customers wanted (i.e., grilled sandwiches and fries). Thanks to the UMLF, I purchased and retrofitted a 1962 Forester Camper with a full commercial kitchen. We have a 36-inch griddle, a large deep fryer and a commercial fridge and freezer that can hold enough supplies to serve any event. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Marc: Fortunately, the Happy Camper Deli has experiences only growth prior to the Covid-19 shutdown. Our daily business relied on going to large business parks, festivals, and large gatherings to feed the masses. With the Covid shutdowns many/most of our clients have started working from home. We have attempted to shift to a delivery/pickup business plan, however, because the Happy Camper Deli is a food truck delivery and pickup options are often difficult. We have recently found new opportunities for delivery and hope that the New Year will give us the chance to continue to grow. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Marc: Without the Utah Microloan Fund, we would not have been able to build our second Food Truck. The camper food truck can serve many more people with many more options. We have been able to expand into breakfast and dinner menus. And with both the camper and trailer operating we have been able to grow our customer base significantly. UMLF: Where can people find you? Marc: Our daily schedule can be found at www.HappyCamperDeli.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our weekly schedules. We are always accepting catering orders at www.HappyCamperDeli.com/catering Thanks Marc! To plan you visit or to book catering visit:
“With us, you’re not a price tag. The moment you walk through our doors, you become part of a family.” These are the wise words from the team at Chapel Motorcycle in Murray, Utah and this attitude is one of the many reasons we chose Chapel as our December Business of the Month! Read all about the business that strives to be the best motorcycle shop, parts and accessories vendor in the industry below! UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Chapel: Our team includes Karl Baird, Kolby Reber, and Colleen Reber Baird. We are the owners of The Chapel Motorcycle Shop. We also have a very solid management team including Mitch Fichialos and Robin Neilsen, plus 5 other full-time employees and 2 part-time employees. Karl’s background has been focused on working with start-up companies for the last 13 years along with holding executive level management positions. He has a strong focus on marketing, B2B relationships, and customer service. He has built multiple departments and companies from the ground up while maintaining high levels of employee and customer satisfaction. Karl’s true passion has been riding and working on motorcycles his whole life. His skills and background are a driving force to make this company successful. The last 5 years of Karl’s focus has been on building the overall company but with a strong focus on customer service, shop operations, and efficiencies. Kolby brings a wide range of talents, skills, and abilities to the table. He has been a professional graphic designer with 20+ years of experience working with clients and designing everything from business packages, logos, advertisements, publishing, website design, and even 3 years of pre-press experience. He has worked in retail customer service for 12+ years and understands the true value of keeping the customer happy. Kolby is also very skilled at building and creating things. He has 3 years of remodeling construction experience that taught him a full range of general building practices, including framing, concrete, sheetrock, and various finish work. He also has over two years’ experience, as the assistant head carpenter for the Utah Opera, building professional theater sets. Besides this work experience, Kolby is also a great thinker and has great problem-solving skills. He is excellent at product research and purchasing. He has a keen eye for detail and quality, and he will find the best price. He is also great at choosing products that other people enjoy. He has a great sense of what “cool” is. The last 5 years of Kolby’s focus has been on building the overall company but with a strong focus on running the Design Studio which includes Embroidery, Design, Vinyl, and clothing, this further includes designing custom artwork for custom products, ads, web design, flyers, logos. etc., and his great appreciation for strong customer service. Kolby is definitely a solid asset for the company. Colleen is a retired middle school teacher from the Salt Lake City School District bringing organization and compassion into our shop. She is a mother/owner/partner / who stands behind her two son’s Kolby and Karl. She is a huge part of the foundation of our business and family, and the glue that helps hold it all together. She has a strong passion to see our business grow. Colleen has been involved in the company since the very beginning, she knew there was an opportunity and was the first investor who enabled The Chapel to grow from an idea to a major player in just 5 short years. UMLF: What inspired you to start the Chapel Motorcycle Shop? Chapel: On Paper, The Chapel Motorcycle Shop has only existed since 2015, but the dream and drive began long before that when brothers Karl and Kolby were riding their motorcycles both street bikes and dirt bikes as kids. We were always surrounded by motorcycles. We realized there was something missing in Utah’s motorcycle market. Our family mechanic was retiring, the dealerships treated customers and staff poorly, and the shop with a true personality was closing down. Instead of accepting the fate of Utah’s motorcycle market, we decided to make a move, and after that point, The Chapel was born. Along with our parents (investors) and an amazing determination to succeed we started The Chapel Motorcycle Shop. What started as a long-time dream quickly became a local meeting spot and social hub for bikers of all walks of life from the beginner to the lifelong biker and everyone in between. It was clear from the beginning that the community wanted a change and we were that change. We believe in treating everyone with respect. UMLF: You describe yourself as a one-stop-shop for all Utah Motorcyclists. Tell us about all the awesome services you offer? Chapel: The Chapel Motorcycle Shop has a department dedicated to style. It is called Chapel Customs, within this department, we have multiple commercial embroidery machines, a Vinyl plotter, weeding stations for the vinyl, along with multiple heat presses for both shirts and hats, plus other accessories. Pretty much if we can brand it, we will! This is offered to all of our clientele including small businesses, local clubs, and organizations along with our own apparel. The Chapel Motorcycle Shop continues to service all new and current clientele with a Full-Service Motorcycle Service Shop & Design Studio. The Chapel also continues to aggressively market our services to the current Harley-Davidson market from Logan to Provo, and from Tooele to Heber City. We also market to the rest of the V-Twin market that includes the non-Harley lines. The other motorcycle brands such as Indian, Victory, Triumph, Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, are also markets/brands that we target. We are able to provide services from tires and minor repairs to full high performance and custom applications. This allows us to provide apparel, parts, and accessories to this client base as well. The full-service shop includes custom work and fabrication for items like sissy bars, custom bike modifications, lowering kits, bobber kits, engine builds, fiberglass and LED light kits. Some of these items include outsourcing to local specialists to complete portions of the builds. The Chapel Motorcycle Shop has a Trademarked logo which we use for clothing lines, advertising, and branding of our services and motorcycle lifestyle. Our custom apparel and items include our logos on shirts, hoodies, patches, hats, leather apparel, sunglasses, bandanas, handlebars, pegs, and many other items. UMLF: You celebrated 5 years in business this year. Congrats, how does that feel? Chapel: It feels great to reach these goals and to be stable when we do it. Everyone talks about reaching the 5 years mark but until you can do it with your own company, and a strong team surrounding you it really feels good. I would say hitting 5 years and having a solid plan to move forward to the next 5 years we are very excited. The first 5 years have been a roller coaster, to say the least. We have seen some very dark and challenging days along with some major highlights from ribbon cuttings, to securing large customer accounts and seeing our company grow from 3 people to 12 employees. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Chapel: A low for our company would be when a major supporter, an advisor to our company, a husband and father to the 3 Business owners (Dee Baird) passed away in March 2018. During this time we were also dealing with a very bad person (ex-business partner) with whom we had done business and were paying for it. His goal was to sink our company and take everyone down with it. All said and done we were able to overcome these hurdles and become a top motorcycle shop in the state. Another challenge for our team would be the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. All of our social events have been canceled due to Covid-19. One of our top sources of income was instantly taken away. We sat down and figured out what we needed to do. After a meeting with our team, it was clear what needed to be done. We put our best foot forward, doubled down on our team members, and set out to have a great year of business no matter what happened. As of 11/29/2020, we can say we are still going strong and are now one of the best motorcycle shops in the state. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Chapel: The UMLF has been there for us as a small business when most lenders wouldn’t even return a phone call. As a company, we are very grateful for the relationship we have with the UMLF. Our first loan with the UMLF came at a time when we needed financial support. We were a new business and needed funds for operations. As we have grown over the last 5 years we have been able to keep a strong relationship with the UMLF. From the very first application to today we are always learning new tricks and absorbing all the advice and valuable info that the UMLF team has to offer. As a business owner and an advisor to many other companies and friends, I always include the UMLF, as part of my advice to any start-up. Great Basin Coffee Company’s (GBCC) Roastery is located in South Provo on historic U.S Route 89. Tucked away within an industrial complex, their unsuspecting location is where owners Alex Kopelson and Michael Cunnif roast coffee, play with friends and concoct new products that are meaningful to them and their community. Visitors are always welcome into their shop to drink coffee and talk about life.
Roasting specialty coffee is their foundation and they source great coffees from their friends at Coffee Co-Mission and then roast it on our Diedrich IR-12 where they put methodical love and attention into each small batch. GBCC has a handful of awesome products ranging from roasted coffee, cold-brewed coffee, Great Basin Coffee themed merchandise and their favorite coffee gear. They also love collaborating with other local companies to make other bomb products like buzz bean brownies, espresso yogurt, and even honey kombucha. For everything mentioned above and more, Great Basin Coffee Company is our November Small Business of the month! Keep reading to learn more: UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? How did you get into coffee? Alex: Both Mike and I were wildland firefighters working for the state of Utah on a hotshot crew. We always loved drinking coffee as it kept us going. We wanted to start a business together and after learning more about the coffee industry fell in love with it and decided to start roasting. It has been 3 years now and it has been a rollercoaster! UMLF: What inspired you to start Great Basin Coffee? Alex: We wanted to start Great Basin coffee to control our destiny, make something incredible, and give back to people and the environment. We wanted to share a product that we love with the people in our lives and with others that have the same goals as we do. Coffee is motivating. It is connecting. UMLF: How did you come up with the name? Alex: We have played and worked in the Great Basin region for a long time. It is a region that is meaningful to us because it gives you a sense of adventure and being in the outdoors. That’s what the brand means to us. UMLF: You have AMAZING package art, can you tell us more about your designs? Alex: We are inspired by nature and historical design from the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) era. The old work projects commissioned at this time were timeless and beautiful and really captured the beauty of the great American outdoors. We work with Chris Draney a graphic designer to design and implement all these labels. We named each coffee after a place, tree, or country of origin and made a label to match. UMLF: What are some of your favorite blends and recommended preparations? Alex: We love single origin coffees but we also love blends. Coffee is a seasonal product so blends help us maintain a consistent flavor profile year round. We make coffee every way imaginable depending on the situation. We currently love our espresso machine and make a lot of dairy-free drinks using our Lone Peak Espresso, our flagship espresso blend. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Alex: There are too many to recount a specific one haha. Having no prior business ownership experience, it has been a huge learning curve. We have made a lot of mistakes but we have overcome them this far by continuing to work and improve as we go. There isn’t a one size fits all solution to any problem. It takes dedication and passion to keep working through your mistakes. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Alex: The UMLF has helped our business immensely. Just by building our application and applying for the loan we learned so much about our finances and business needs. We also worked with SCORE to prepare for the loan application and committee review. With the funds we received we were able to improve upon our processes and start marketing to grow our business. We love the UMLF! To get your coffee on visit: A vegan and gluten-free food truck that tastes amazing? Say what?! That's right! You can't beet the Hearty Beet, our October Business of the Month. Keep reading as we learn about what inspired owner Brittney Jones to start her own food truck in the heart of St. George, Utah. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Brittney: I am a food truck dreamer. I thought it sounded like a fun job and I was right. It's very fun and it's hard work, but the fun kind of hard work. I stumbled upon Plant-based cuisine 9 years ago at a cooking class. I have a passion for nutrition, raw food, whole food and plant-based food. I am in the "second" part of my life, my children are now college students and I am ready to focus on what I want to do. Any job I have had, desk job or otherwise, I would always cook and bake for people and I just wanted to talk about food and the food truck was always on my mind. UMLF: What inspired you to start the Hearty Beet? Brittney: It seemed less scary than opening a restaurant and it's something I could do alone if I need to. I am also part of a vegan community that knows there are not a lot of options for plant-based-whole food eaters in Southern Utah. I also wanted something for my kids to experience because they haven't had jobs and this type of hard work. I also want to be my own boss for sure. UMLF: How did you come up with the name? Brittney: I love beet juice and just eating plain whole cooked beets, they are a beautiful color and give you so much energy. They are also a heart-healthy food. And it explains my whole hearty foods; The Hearty Beet. The vegetable on my food truck also attracts customers because they know it will be healthy food. UMLF: You have such a tasty looking menu, what are some of your favorite items we need to try? Brittney: Everything on our menu is scratch-made, no processed sugar, gluten-free (except for pita), and vegan. Here are some of my faves:
Brittney: I am running into challenges all along. I'll have one day where I feel this is a crazy thing I'm doing and the next day I make one connection with someone that gets me a parking place or an event, and things lookup. Right now I think further ahead when I know things will get better and we'll have more events that I can participate in. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Brittney: The UMLF gave me a loan to start my business. They helped me get (Covid-19) loan relief. They have my back if I need help with social media and marketing. They have provided classes throughout the COVID shutdown. And they got me access to their Banking on Women program which I love. UMLF: Where can people find you? Brittney: I am literally roaming the St. George area right now. I am moving around until I find the right fit for me. I also have been at any event I can get in to. Follow me on social media to see where we are at! To eat the rainbow, visit:
Eggnog, pumpkin, lemon, black licorice, cashew, raspberry, peanut butter, very hot cinnamon, mango habanero, and pineapple habanero. What do these have in common? These are just some of the flavors of caramel JulieAnn Caramels makes to tantalize your taste buds. Keep reading to learn more about owner Rowena Montoya and the story of how her delectable sweets came to be! UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Rowena: I am a wife of 35 years, mother to 5 children, grandmother to 17 grandchildren, an aunt, neighbor, friend, and business owner of JulieAnn Caramels. I have always loved caramels, they’re one of my favorite treats! Anywhere I could buy a caramel to try, I would but I was always disappointed. The taste was never what I remember as a child. As an avid baker and chef, I know the difference that quality ingredients make on the final product. So, I would always look at the ingredients in the bags of caramels I would buy and discover that half the stuff in the caramels I could not pronounce, let alone know what they were. I knew there was a better way, so I went to work using the basics of uncompromising quality ingredients and creating a recipe that would bring back the flavor, texture, and experience I fell in love with when I was younger. UMLF: What inspired you to start JulieAnn Caramels? Rowena: I wanted to create a caramel with ingredients anyone can understand and know what they are. When my mother died at the age of 15, I spent a lot of time with Julie, who is in the culinary industry. Julie spent most of her life working with food. I loved being with her and her outlook on life. She gave me a love for fine foods, and creativity with food. I am a true believer that when life hands you lemons, you make lemon caramels with it! Just like everyone, I am accustomed to having downs in life. When I can't change what is going on around me, I know I can change the way I look at things. I learned this lesson after my mother passed away. Having faith, hope and believing that things will work out is what I have done. Little did I know the future would be bright when I went and lived with my aunt, NancyAnn Jones. She and her family changed my life. I will always be indebted to them. Whenever hard times arise, I simply remember where I came from and look forward to what I could create! UMLF: You obviously have high standards for your products, can you tell us about how you choose ingredients and your philosophy behind what you put out? Rowena: I love having the right ingredients. I want the best sugar, did you know there are different kinds of sugar? Each kind will bring with it varying levels of taste and textures, and I’ve learned over time which type makes the grade. My caramels have a clean, not sticky, finish. Next, it’s crucial to use the best butter. High in butter fat makes a big difference in how it all comes together, but that alone isn’t enough. I use a local dairy so the butter is not only more fresh, but I love supporting other local businesses. Once we have the basics covered, I like to keep it simple but then add a little twist to create something fun and new. If I am going to have a treat I want it to taste good and make it memorable! UMLF: What are some of your favorite or unique flavors we need to try? Rowena: We have over forty different flavors of Caramels. In fact, our Pineapple Habanero won an award in New York, it is a fun caramel! I love our Maple Bacon; it has Pancetta bacon in it. We love coconut and have several varieties, such as Coconut Lime, Coconut Dream, and simply Coconut Caramel. The fun thing about our take on coconut caramel is that we use coconut milk! We have tropical caramels like Tahitian Treat, which includes coconut, mango, and pineapple. I have so many favorites right now. I think my love is pineapple because it is so fresh! You could choose a different caramel every day, depending on your mood. Here at JulieAnn Caramels, your favorites can change with each season! UMLF: Where can customers find your products? Do you ship nationwide? Rowena: You can find us locally in Harmon's and Associated Foods stores Peterson, Lee’s Market. Plus, we have a small storefront at 9493 S. 560 W. in Sandy. However, we do ship all over the United States if you have loved ones who need a pick-me-up! UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Rowena: Business is hard and can even be lonely at times when all the final decisions fall to you as the owner. I don't think I have ever worked so hard physically. I have learned plenty of concepts through the road of hard knocks. I am not perfect, but I keep trying and move on. Right now, the hardest thing for me is ramping up our wholesale business. I have been working on machinery in-house and just got it up and running, so we're ready to go! Our new “Cut and Wrapper” machine is amazing, which helps us deliver faster than ever before. With COVID, our wholesale orders stopped because our wholesale partners had to close their doors. I feel like the girl who got ready for the prom, and then it got canceled. Now we're pivoting trying new ways to share our caramels with the world. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Rowena: In the last couple of years, I have had several large orders that I turned away simply because we could not afford the ingredients or machinery to fulfill them. The Utah Microloan made it possible for us to take one of those big orders. It was so liberating to know I could do it. Now I want more! We are more ready than ever before for big orders! It is our time to move forward for JulieAnn Caramels! Thanks Rowena! To stay in touch with your newest caramel obsession visit:
At Beauty Trendz Salon, clients arrive as guests, and leave as friends. Beauty Trendz was founded in 2016 by industry professional and beauty maven Becky Sorensen who wanted to create a beautiful salon atmosphere to tailor to her existing clientele. Beauty Trendz offers a full range of cutting edge salon services and products. Their extensive service menu features hair, nail and skin care; as well as massage and permanent cosmetics. In keeping with their name, Becky and her team strive to stay current with the latest trends in the beauty industry by continually attending and hosting education classes throughout the year with our staff. Keep reading to learn about owner Becky Sorensen and how she started this amazing August Business of the Month. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Becky: I have been a part of the beauty industry since 2008, and knew before I even went to school that doing hair was going to be a passion of mine. I have worked in all kinds of positions within the beauty industry, including a receptionist position, and even running a beauty supply company for a couple of years. UMLF: What inspired you to start Beauty Trendz? Becky: The salon I was with before Beauty Trendz was a full service salon, and I loved that my clientele could get their nails done while their color processed, or get a massage before their hair appointment. That salon downsized without any notice after I'd been there for a little over two years. I knew I couldn't maintain my current clientele there, or grow for that matter with the changes that were made. I decided that I wanted to be an independent stylist at that point, but I also wanted my clientele to continue receiving the other services they loved in the same location, and so I saw an opportunity to create a space for other industry professionals who wanted to be independent as well. I knew if I was going to be the salon owner, I had to be able to work behind the chair with clients on my terms, so I structured the salon in a way that everyone who works for Beauty Trendz rents their own space, and is their own "owner", including me! UMLF: What are some of your favorite beauty trends and what are some you wish would never come back? :} Becky: I am living for all the 70's and 80's styles coming back into the mix honestly! I'm all about the shags and mullets and even love perms, but I also love classic and vintage trends a lot. I think the only trends I dislike are the fauxhawk and the "shadow box" highlight and color style from the earlier 2000's. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Becky: Beauty Trendz has been pretty fortunate to have mostly highs overall, but our low was *really* low! I originally had business partners when Beauty Trendz was founded, and they ended up leaving unexpectedly, and pretty early into the company's history. Long story short, they fabricated some false claims and pressed charges against me! The lawsuit just about took me completely out financially, but I ended up winning after 6 long months of negotiating! Even though we won, I truly did not think the business was going to survive because of the financial turmoil the lawsuit put me through, but then I found out about the Utah Microloan Fund and they honestly saved Beauty Trendz. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Becky: If it weren't for the Utah Microloan Fund, Beauty Trendz would not still be around! We were fortunate enough to be able to get funding from the UMLF after trying unsuccessfully for several months to apply for traditional funding. The business loan we received helped me to replenish inventory, pay our rent for a few months up front and advertise our way back into full swing! My favorite thing about the Utah Microloan fund though are all of the business classes they offer! I have learned so much, and have definitely become a better business owner all because the UMLF gave my business a chance. UMLF: You usually have some fun specials, what are your specials for August that we can get excited about? Becky: Currently we have:
To book your next glow up, visit:
Why should you research fireworks before you buy them? So you get the best BANG for your buck! But in all seriousness, Utah Grand Finale Fireworks is no joke! These are the best aerial fireworks you can find in Utah, hands down and what makes these fireworks stand out even more is that they all have a fun Utah theme like BYU and U Holy War, Utah's Green Jello, Wasatch Thunder, the Polygamist, Uinta Flowers, This is the Place and more. We love these playful pokes at Utah culture but what we love more is that Douglas frequently models for the artwork on his fireworks, a big surprise when he first applied for a microloan! Utah Grand Finale Fireworks is our July Business of the Month so keep reading to see how Douglas got his start creating these awesome fireworks! UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background?
Douglas: I am 63 years old, married and have twenty grand children. I would describe myself as adventurous, an adrenaline junkie. I love sports and am a two time Ironman Triathlon World Championship racer. I also love hunting, skiing, fishing, rock climbing, camping, and of course the BYU Cougars. I am also a six time semi-finalist for the TV show Survivor, but not been chosen yet!!!! UMLF: What inspired you to start Utah Grand Finale Fireworks? Douglas: I have alway loved fireworks and I wanted to do something different than everyone else so I decided to focus only on aerial with Utah themes and now here we are! UMLF: A lot of your fireworks have fun Utah themed names and pictures. How did you come up with these? Douglas: I raised and raced horses for 25 years so I always loved naming the babies born every year so naming fireworks came naturally to me. All of my fireworks themes have a story behind the name and a friend from our triathlon club does all my photography. We have the funniest photo shoots! I have 5 beautiful daughters that can be my models but they are busy with kids. My oldest daughter was the model for the SLC 2002 Winter Olympics. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Douglas: The high in my business is providing a great quality product, something that brings happiness to people, the smiles on peoples faces with the names of the fireworks. Customer service is very big to me. We have a very faithful customer, the Billings family, from Highland/Alpine area and they drive to PG to buy fireworks. They must pass at least 10 fireworks stands to get to my Water Gardens Theater fireworks location. When I run into a person that has seen one of my fireworks shows, and they tell me it was the best show they have ever seen. Lows: Financing. I am so thankful for UMLF!!!!! UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Douglas: I am so thankful for UMLF, there would not be a way for my to grow and expand my business without their help. My bank is Altabank in PG. They are so personable I can walk into my bank and they all know my name and I know their's. Small town bank helping a small town business. My banker Creig Rowley introduced me to UMLF. I am so thankful for the bankers that are on the board of UMLF to make all this possible for me. I thought last year was a crazy year when the ports were closed in China to ship explosive cargo due to an explosion at one of the ports, 2020 totally buried last year!!! UMLF: Where can people buy your fireworks? Douglas: All locations will be in a container this year. The hour for all are:
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With our dog food that is! KetoNatural Pet Foods is our June Business of the Month and not just because owner and founder Daniel Schulof has some of the cutest dogs on the planet. Read our interview with Daniel and how his keto dog food went from just an idea to his successful business below: UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background. Daniel: In a past life I was an attorney at a major international law firm in the city of Atlanta. I began thinking it wasn't the right fit for me right around the time that I got my first dog, a Rottweiler named Kody. Having worked in a high-stress corporate environment for the better part of a decade, I was inspired by an idea popularized by Tim Ferris's bestselling book "The Four Hour Workweek" -- the notion that the Internet economy has made it possible for entrepreneurs to create highly-automated e-commerce micro-businesses, which can serve as a primary means of income (rather than a 9-to-5 job). I thought the idea of working only a few hours a week sounded pretty cool, so I decided to give it a shot. And, since I was so enamored with my new dog, I decided that I'd create a business for dog-owners. My first company, Varsity Pets, was born in the spring of 2011. By the fall it was making enough money to pay me a small but adequate salary. So I quit my job at the law firm on November 1, 2011. I've been in the pet industry ever since. UMLF: What inspired you to start KetoNatural Pet Foods? Daniel: I am a pretty anxious and ambitious person. So even though Varsity Pets was a success, in the sense that I was able to pay my bills while only doing a few hours of work a week, all the free time gave me ants in my professional pants, so to speak. So I began a business-related writing project that started small but quickly grew dramatically in scale. Basically I started writing about why so many pets in the United States are too fat. The facts about canine obesity are staggering: more than HALF of the dogs in America are overweight, and being overweight is deadlier for a dog than a lifetime of smoking is for a human being. That didn't make sense to me -- how could so many pet owners be allowing this to happen to their beloved pets? I thought there was more to the story. And I was right. I spent four years researching and writing what would go on to be "Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma: The Silent Epidemic Killing America's Dogs and the New Science That Could Save Your Best Friend's Life." It was published in the fall of 2016. One of the core theses of the book is that there's a big body of evidence showing that carbohydrates are horrible for canine health -- far worse than most vets were taught in vet school. But kibble products, even the fancy ones, are typically at least 40% carbohydrate. Which is why so many pets in the U.S. are obese. So I decided to create a first-of-its-kind product, a kibble with little or no carbohydrate. KetoNatural Pet Foods is the vehicle for that product. UMLF: For those who don’t know, why is keto dog food beneficial for our furry friends? Daniel: There's abundant evidence that dietary carbohydrate does all kinds of nasty things to dogs. It causes blood sugar to spike, it elevates insulin levels, it causes obesity, it's linked to cancer, the list goes on. So a very low-carbohydrate diet is far more healthy than one stuffed with starch, like 99% of kibbles are. It's also much more "natural" for a dog. As part of my book research I lived with the biologists from the Yellowstone Wolf Project. And they explained to me that for 99.9% of the domestic dog's genetic evolution, they ate precisely zero carbohydrate. Their entire diet was made up of animal-based protein and fat. And it's only recently (with the invention of agriculture) that they began consuming huge amounts of starchy carbohydrate. Right around this time, a host of chronic diseases started becoming common among dogs as well. I don't believe that's a coincidence. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Daniel: Pet owners are often very emotional about their animals and they tend to assume the worst when a new business comes along saying that everything they think they know about their pet's nutritional needs is kinda wrong. So I have found that new customer outreach is often met with skepticism and emotionally-charged negativity, some of it personal. I've had to find ways to live with that. Patience helps, I try to remember that I've been on the other end of these types of conversations too and I have rarely given the benefit of the doubt. But blocking and deleting trolls helps too. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Daniel: The UMLF has helped us tremendously. In the early stages of the business, before we had any financial track record to speak of, UMLF gave me a chance. And they believed in me enough to invest in our company when most conventional investors wouldn't touch it. Without their faith I legitimately don't think KetoNatural would have gotten off the ground. Even today, several years after executing our loan agreement, UMLF continues to provide us with resources -- I meet with Sara Day literally every week and her ideas and professional network have been vital to our success. I am a major UMLF fan. UMLF: What’s next for KetoNatural? Daniel: We closed our first venture capital financing transaction earlier this year. And now we're putting that money to work in a few different ways: expanding our product line, overhauling our website, and bringing on exciting new talent, all while continuing to blast away at the ideological "house of carbs" that legacy kibble companies have constructed to keep veterinarians and pet-owners in the dark about the dangers of carbohydrate consumption. UMLF: And for fun, if your dogs could talk for one conversation, what would you say to them? Daniel: I think I'd try to explain that the dogs that appear on our television from time to time aren't real. Kody seems to believe that they're his mortal enemies and he goes ballistic every time he sees them. My home would be a quieter and more peaceful place if my dog didn't think he needed to kill Scooby Doo or whatever. To follow KetoNatural Pet Foods or to try their products for your furry family, check out their profiles here:
During these current times, we think it goes without saying that we could all use something beautiful to be inspired by right now. With all of the ongoing bad news, uncertainty, feeling stuck at home, and trying to remain hopeful for tomorrow, everyone could definitely use some inspiration and whimsy to brighten their days so our team at the Utah Microloan Fund want to show off a client who brings nothing but beauty to their work. Who is this ray of sunshine? Designer Mr. Michael Ryan Andolsek, creator of ANDOLSEK, a couture fashion label created right here in Utah. At the age of 19, Michael Andolsek was accepted into Parsons Paris The New School For Design after attending Salt Lake Community College’s Fashion Institute. During his time at Parsons, Michael had the opportunity to be mentored by Cecile Pelous, a retired Mater Draper for notable couture houses like Christian Dior and Nina Ricci. Michael's talent then earned him an acceptance into the prestigious École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He was one of three Americans accepted that year. A huge deal! With an ongoing focus of providing women with timeless yet modern apparel, the label is unique in that its designer and his team live with Autism Spectrum Disorder and work to sustain themselves through this company. Keep reading as we interview Michael and learn about his process, his incredible background and more about our May Business of the Month! UMLF: What inspired you to start your own fashion line? MRA: Clothing has been of great interest to me, and I decided to study fashion design in school. After returning home from Paris, where I did just that, launching my line seemed like an appropriate next step. UMLF: When did you first know you wanted to be a designer? MRA: At age fifteen, my best friend would frequently show me fashion magazines. The apparel in these magazines was exciting and completely different from the clothing worn by the people around me. It was like a whole new world opened up, and until then, I had focused on drawing castles and flowers, but all of a sudden, sketching clothes now became a thing for me. UMLF: Tell us about your process behind designing a collection, where do you start? MRA: Sometimes, I need to start with a silhouette and then draw until I'm pleased. That is often the process when working with a client looking for something in particular. Textiles, trims, and notions, however, give me a lot of ideas, so I usually start from there, and then plans for things pop up. UMLF: The Andolsek Company hires interns and fosters a safe, comfortable environment for people with autism to work, explore, and learn about the fashion industry. You have a lot of awesome initiatives and projects that benefit autism awareness as well. How has your own personal journey with autism shaped your label? MRA: Firstly, thank you very much! I am glad you like what we've been up to lately. My journey as a human is ongoing, and yes, I'm on it with autism, so it probably impacts everything I do. Specifically, at ANDOLSEK, any input or direction I provide based on my point of view means it somehow has autism attached to it. You can view more about our mission here: www.andolsek.com/autism UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? MRA: My education was on design and fashion and not entrepreneurship. Developing and refining a business side to my thinking to coexist with my designer side has been tremendously challenging. I like clothes, not commerce. However, as a business owner, I have to acknowledge that they go hand in hand in order for the company to succeed. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business? MRA: Well, the funding you provided was instrumental in the launch of my business, so that was a great help! UMLF: And for fun, what is one current fashion trend you love and one you absolutely hate? MRA: It is becoming more and more difficult for me to distinguish trends and fads from lasting style approaches because it seems that anything goes. What was once a trend that I wish would return is the wearing of gloves. Life's probably easier without them, but they look so darn good. Website: www.andolsek.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/andolsekofficial Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Ej1dfX5aZzQnu4d1VrqwA/featured Although all locations of Jed's Barbershop are currently closed in compliance with the Salt Lake Health Dept Covid-19 health order issued March 16th, 2020, we still want to celebrate them as our April Business of the Month and tell the story of how Jed and Nicole Beal got started as a Salt Lake Institution that offers classic, modern and specialty haircuts, as well as traditional straight razor shaves.
UMLF: What inspired you guys to start Jed’s Barbershop? Jed: Nine years ago barbershops were not a trend. In fact we had four barbershops in a ten mile radius and they didn’t exceed five chairs. Now there are seventeen within one mile of our location with an average of eight chairs, like Jed’s. We were inspired by barbershops that we saw popping up in the midst of the last big recession, in cities like Seattle and Portland. We knew if we got ahead of the game in Utah, and branded ourselves in a difficult economy we would succeed when things got better. Our look and brand was inspired by my love of local art, music, and childhood memories from the 80’s UMLF: You’ve grown from one to two and now three locations over the years. Tell us about that journey and if you have plans for a fourth. Jed: The journey was initially very challenging. We didn’t look like a classic barbershop and we didn’t want to be your Grandpa’s Barbershop. It was difficult introducing a modern barbershop with funny coffee table books, 80’s arcade games, and local artworks, but people eventually got it. From a business standpoint we decided to not maximize growth, but to optimize internally. We are the ONLY barbershop I know of that put the team first by offering 70% health insurance, 401K matching, free virtual doctor’s visits, and paid vacation with tips. This took many years of disciplined financial planning, but we figured it out. Our team deserves it. We are currently working on customer service training systems, and when that’s complete we have plans to expand. UMLF: With there being an explosion of barbershops in the Salt Lake Valley over the past five years, what do you feel like sets Jed’s apart? Jed: Our benefits to employees and customer service models definitely set us apart. As many people know, starting a business is just one hurdle to get pass, but thriving as a business instead of surviving as a business is the greatest hurdle of all. We have been fortunate to create systems to accomplish this year after year. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Jed: One of our biggest challenges as owners, especially since I am a barber with my name outside the business, was learning to be a business owner NOT a business operator. To work ON your business instead of IN your business was difficult to say the least. Both Nicole and myself continue yearly investing in business coaching and training to optimize our time and resources to be the best leaders we can be. It takes time to learn to delegate management and develop leaders within the business UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business? Jed: We would have never had the resources to open Jed’s without the education, financial backing, and encouragement of the Utah Microloan Fund. UMLF: And for fun, what is one hair trend you wish would just die? :} Jed: We love all hairstyles, but if we could combat baldness I would be happy, especially personally. Being a balding barber myself is a conundrum To keep them in mind for a future appointment, check out their profiles here:
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