 Quickbooks Online has become the industry standard for small business owners. While the program is powerful, it can be complicated and counter-intuitive to the way most people think it should be. Here lies the problem. It's really designed for bookkeepers and CPAs, not plumbers, coffee shops, and chiropractors (you know, regular business owners.)
Most business owners, don't know their numbers, don't pay themselves first, and don't keep their books up-to-date, which causes them to file their taxes late, if at all, and never know if they are compliant with the IRS. Which leads to big unnecessary and costly fines and penalties. Bookkeeping made easy is just that, giving you the basics you need to know to keep your books up to date and stay IRS compliant. Because "The IRS doesn't play". Instructor: Tatyana Rose To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org. These materials are free of charge. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation given by the CDFI Fund to specialized organizations that provide financial services in low-income communities and to people who lack access to financing.  When is the last time you have analyzed the pricing on your products and/or services? If you had to think long and hard for your answer, you need this class! With the costs of supplies, transportation, hiring and more constantly increasing, business owners must understand what it truly takes to provide their products and services profitability.
During this pre-recorded class, we discuss:
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org. These materials are free of charge. About the UMLF: The Utah Microloan Fund is a state-wide non-profit that has helped Utah small business owners succeed with business training and microloans up to $50k since 1991. Whether you are a startup or an existing business, we can help you grow.  In its simplest form, a business plan is a guide—a roadmap for your business that outlines goals and details how you plan to achieve those goals. Writing a business plan allows you to think more clearly about what you’re doing and where you are going. Use our 101 class on how to write yours today.
To access the class, click here to be emailed the materials. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Our experienced staff is ready to help you on your path to small business success as we help you secure funding and provide training opportunities to help you develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Call, email or stop by our office to learn more about how the UMLF can help you today!  Are you looking for leads in all the right places? And if so, do you have an effective strategy to open the door to building a meaningful business relationship with the decision maker to convert that lead to a sale? To learn more about generating qualified leads and developing an effective networking strategy, watch this workshop on Lead Generation through effect Networking Strategies.
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org. These materials are free of charge. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation given by the CDFI Fund to specialized organizations that provide financial services in low-income communities and to people who lack access to financing.  Do you have a product that you think would do well on Amazon? Watch this class to learn all the beginner basics to launch your first listing at this Utah Microloan Fund class with instructor Amber Murray!
Topics will include the ins and outs of:
To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org About the instructor: Hi I'm Amber, and within 10 days of launching my product on Amazon, I hit 20 sales PER DAY!! I would love to share with you how I did it and how you can, too! Amber has been a serial entrepreneur since 1999. She specializes in bootstrapping, product development, marketing, website building, Facebook, Amazon, and so much more. She has been hand-selected by both Amazon and Facebook to participate in their exclusive growth, training, and leadership programs. Currently, she is CEO of See Your Strength® and Fidget Stickers™, while also providing occasional consulting and mentoring services for business owners who are ready to grow. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation given by the CDFI Fund to specialized organizations that provide financial services in low-income communities and to people who lack access to financing.  Hiring and retaining employees is getting harder and harder. The process of hiring can be time-consuming and confusing. And once you hire your next employee, what can you do to keep your employee happy, motivated and engaged? To answer some of the mysteries of hiring and retaining employees, this 3 Part Virtual Series will cover:
Hiring for Growth Hiring your next amazing employee is getting more and more difficult. It takes time, processes and a plan. To understand what you need to do before hiring your next employee as effectively as possible, watch this class! Topics include:
The Components of a Win-Win Job Description Before you write a job post, it is essential you write a clear job description that not only includes what you expect of your new employee, but also what can the employee expect from you, their boss. The webinar will walk you through these key elements of a job plan:
Creating an Effective Onboarding, Training & Development Program Once you have hired a new employee, the hard work is not over. From the first day on the job, an employer must make sure to welcome each new employee to ensure they understand how important they are to their new team. To understand how to onboard employees effectively watch this class for:
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org  The process of creating a marketing and sales plan can be time consuming and confusing on where to start. And it’s not as simple as it sounds. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle in order to spend your money and your and/or your people’s time and effort wisely. To answer some of the mysteries of developing an effective Marketing & Sales plan, this series will address:
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org  2022 is here and business owners must identify new goals and areas for improvement. But where do you start? And how do you inspire your team to be a part of your company's success and strategic planning? This class covers:
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org  Knowing the name of the customer or company you do business with these days is not enough. There is an art to understanding who they are, what they need, and why they buy from you. At the next class in the Building Your Business Series, we will discuss the importance of segmenting your customers in a variety of ways to create effective messaging in your marketing and sales efforts. Come prepared to take a deep dive into your CRM to develop the building blocks to grow. The class focuses on developing amazing sales pitches.
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation given by the CDFI Fund to specialized organizations that provide financial services in low-income communities and to people who lack access to financing.  These days, a logo and business cards doesn't cut it when starting, building and growing a business. You need to be aware of how all communication you do affects you and your business. What image do you project? What do customers say about your business? Are you reaching your target audience with the correct message? Use this class to explore the ins and outs to communicating your personal and business brand with the Utah Microloan Fund Building Your Business Series. This class will help you analyze your personal and business brand and decide if are you sending the best message possible.
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation given by the CDFI Fund to specialized organizations that provide financial services in low-income communities and to people who lack access to financing.  Successful strategic planning is based upon understanding the health of your business. And the best place to start is working with your financial statements. But what do you need to know in order to maximize the information they are telling you? To answer this question, the Utah Microloan Fund sponsored two virtual workshops: Financials 101 and Financials 201. This two-part series led by Karin Palle with Advanced Business Consulting focuses on the magic of numbers and how to use them to manage and grow your business.
This class explores the reports you need to manage and grow your business and covers:
Financials 101 is available as well. To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org. These materials are free of charge.  Once you understand what reports you need to manage your financials, it's important to know how to use them to hold yourself and your people accountable for the financial wellness of your business. To support these efforts, Financials 201 will cover the following topics:
Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting Financials 101 is available as well. To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org  Doing business in an economic downturn can be downright scary. Some of us have had to shut down, others have experienced extreme declines in sales. It’s hard to know what the future holds and how to plan for it, but we’ll help you learn to plan your cash flow to make things easier. With instructor Brandon Orr, we’ll discuss cash flow planning basics and how to optimize this planning tool to help your business ride the highs and lows to come.
To access the class, click here to be emailed the slides and recorded class. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.  Not sure how to get started with your first email campaign? Don’t worry, we’ll take you step-by-step through how to create and send your first email campaign with Constant Contact. By the end of this session you’ll know how to create an effective email campaign that looks great on any device and gets your subscribers to take action.
In this one-hour presentation, including a live product demo, we’ll show you: ● How to drive action with the seven essential elements of email design ● A simple, persuasive formula for what to say in any email campaign ● How to save time on future emails with a reusable master template To access the class, click here to be emailed the materials. About the Instructor: Paula Sageser started her own business, PCS Creative Services, to help other small business owners navigate through the Wild World of the Web. Her business is building and troubleshooting websites. As a volunteer, she is a SCORE mentor and teaches classes in Social Media, Email Marketing and Purposeful Websites. As a partner with Constant Contact's marketing community, she blends her knowledge of website design with tips and tricks for connecting the dots between websites, social and email.  Now is a great time to reach out to your existing customers to update them on your status, let them know you appreciate them, and stay top of mind. One great way to do that is through your email list and your email marketing efforts. Make your emails about them, keep it personal, and show genuine appreciation and a willingness to help. This workshop will talk about the importance of appreciation and some ways you can better personalize your email marketing.
Part 1: Appreciating Your Business & Your Customers Small business owners are very busy and rarely have time to reflect on the work they’ve done, the customers they’ve helped and to plan a strategy moving forward. This seminar will discuss ways to show appreciation for existing customers, how to utilize these relationships to attract new customers and how to evaluate what's important to you and your business moving forward. Part 2: How to Create More Personalized Email Messages for Better Results As a small business, you have an advantage over larger businesses. You interact with your customers on a more direct/personal level. These relationships with your customers, clients, or members allow you to create more personalized email marketing efforts that get great results. Personalization goes beyond just adding their name to your emails. In this workshop, we’ll show you: • What it means to personalize your email campaigns • How to add simple personalization in your emails • How to personalize based on what you know about your subscribers To receive the class materials click here to be emailed the materials or send an email to sday@umlf.com. About the Instructor: Paula Sageser started her own business, PCS Creative Services, to help other small business owners navigate through the Wild World of the Web. Her business is building and troubleshooting websites. As a volunteer, she is a SCORE mentor and teaches classes in Social Media, Email Marketing and Purposeful Websites. As a partner with Constant Contact's marketing community, she blends her knowledge of website design with tips and tricks for connecting the dots between websites, social and email. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.  Not every company can afford a graphic designer out of the gate and contracting out projects can be costly and time-consuming. So how can you as a small business meet your needs for marketing materials for very cheap or free? This Utah Microloan Fund class will teach you how! Join instructor Sara Day as she teaches you the ins and outs of Canva, an online tool loaded with enough easy-to-use features and functionality that anyone can create what they need for their business. Logos, business cards, flyers, event covers, social media posts and more, all of these are at your fingertips just waiting to be created.
To receive the class materials click here to be emailed the materials or send an email to sday@umlf.com. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Our experienced staff is ready to help you on your path to small business success as we help you secure funding and provide training opportunities to help you develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Call, email or stop by our office to learn more about how the UMLF can help you today!  Curious about using Instagram Stories for your business, but not totally sure where to start?
This Utah Microloan Fund course will teach you how to grow your business and stay engaged with your followers using Instagram Stories! Learn how to attract more of your ideal audience, boost your engagement, and even make more sales! In this class we will cover:
About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.  Businesses need to be online but it can be daunting to figure out where to start and where to invest your time and money . This class with instructor Sara Day will teach you all you need to know about where your business needs to be online, how to create your different profiles, engage on each platform and most importantly how to manage your online presence. This includes the basics for a website for your business, Yelp, Google Business, social media platforms and more.
To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.org About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.  Are you a small business owner who knows they need an engaging online presence but aren’t sure what to post? Have you had social media for a while and feel like your ideas are getting stale? With instructor Sara Day, this class will break through the fog and help you develop a robust content strategy you can go home with and immediately implement for your small business. Never again will the words “I don’t know what to post” cross your mind!
To receive the class materials click here to be emailed the materials or send an email to sday@umlf.com. About the Instructor: Salt Lake Native and University of Utah grad Sara Day is a food, drink, and culture obsessed gal whose entrepreneurial spirit helped co-found the fast-casual restaurant chain Even Stevens Sandwiches. During her five years there, Sara was integral to the creation of the Even Stevens brand, marketing strategies, and engaging social media presence. Sara is now the Programs Manager of Client Training and Outreach at Utah Microloan Fund where she provides business consulting and training to emerging entrepreneurs as well as creates an engaging online presence for the UMLF. Sara brings over 13 years of service industry experience, her degree in Business Administration and a deep love for the community to the table for any project. In her spare time, Sara serves on the board of Local First Utah as Marketing Committee Chair as well as runs @local_enthusiast_slc, an award-winning Instagram aimed at bringing people together over shared interests in Utah. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Our experienced staff is ready to help you on your path to small business success as we help you secure funding and provide training opportunities to help you develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Call, email or stop by our office to learn more about how the UMLF can help you today!  Instagram 101: How to Create Your Instagram Account, Maintain It and Gain a Following.
This class is designed for both those just starting their Instagram journey as well as for intermediate users. In this class we will cover:
To take this class click here to be emailed the free materials or send an email to sday@umlf.com. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Our experienced staff is ready to help you on your path to small business success as we help you secure funding and provide training opportunities to help you develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Call, email or stop by our office to learn more about how the UMLF can help you today!  Need to be on LinkedIn but aren't sure where to start? Already have one but feel like it needs to be beefed up? This class with instructor Sara Day will go over:
To receive the class materials click here to be emailed the materials or send an email to sday@umlf.com. About the Utah Microloan Fund: Since 1991, the Utah Microloan Fund (formerly Utah Micro-enterprise Loan Fund) has helped hundreds of small business owners make their dreams come true by providing low-interest small business loans. Our mission is to empower underserved communities throughout Utah by providing business training and funding to entrepreneurs in start-up & existing businesses that do not qualify for traditional funding sources. How are we different from other financial institutions? The UMLF helps people who 1) are just starting out and don’t have an operating history, 2) don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan, and/or 3) have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores. We are designed to support business owners by offering small business loans of up to $50,000. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Our experienced staff is ready to help you on your path to small business success as we help you secure funding and provide training opportunities to help you develop the skills you need to reach your goals. Call, email or stop by our office to learn more about how the UMLF can help you today!  The best time to think about how to sell your business is BEFORE you are ready to do so, and certainly before you are forced to do so! Learn about how to ensure that you can maximize your business' value, and what is involved in the process of selling when you are ready. The below class covers the following topics: * What Drives Value - understanding how your business will be valued, and the intangibles to consider * The Selling Process - what goes into selling your business, and how to do it best * How to Structure the Transaction – ensure that you are doing it right About the instructor: Diane Hartz Warsoff is the CEO/Co-owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Utah County. Transworld Business Advisors is the world leader in the marketing and sales of businesses and franchises and offers professional services to successfully bring buyers and sellers together. Diane is a risk management and financial professional with extensive experience in commercial financial services, with an in-depth understanding of business valuation and operations. As a former nonprofit executive, she understands the needs of small business owners. Prior to joining Transworld, Diane was the CEO of the Community Development Corporation of Utah and had spent nearly 30 years in commercial banking. Diane earned an MBA in Finance and International Business from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Diane has lived in Utah for nearly 25 years. She is an active community volunteer, serving as Treasurer of the United Jewish Federation of Utah, while working with several other nonprofits. Diane is a passionate advocate for Holocaust and Genocide/Anti-Hate education in schools, as well as for both living and deceased organ donation, as she is a living kidney donor. She served as a French interpreter at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in February 2002. To contact Diane:  Are you new to adding food delivery to your restaurant? Aren't sure which delivery platform to pick for your business? Trying to innovate during the COVID-19 crisis? Join the guys of Monster Crave as they dive into the pros and cons of the major platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, tips and tricks on how be successful with delivery, how to add plugins to your website if you want to do it yourself, running a virtual kitchen, and more. Watch the full class via the video below. Questions? Email caden@monstercrave.com  "At MonsterCrave Foodlabs, we create food brands that are optimized for taste and made for delivery. Founded by three guys from the tech industry that really love food, we decided to bring our techy expertise to the food world.
Our mission is to increase profit for smart, hard working independent restaurant owners without risk to them. We believe that the future of food delivery is going to be virtual restaurants that exist only on third party delivery apps. So we have created data-driven, low-overhead, fully branded restaurant concepts so that our fulfillment partners can plug’n’play a virtual concept and bring in an additional stream of revenue from their own kitchen." - Jason Randall, Chris Cook, Caden Welsh |
