Online Classes
The UMLF is proud to present our library of online class materials. These classes are free to access and topics range from social media, marketing, business planning, cash flow and more.
 In this class you will learn the key steps to take your product from idea to market success. We cover the essential stages of the product development process so you have the process and skills you need to bring your product ideas to life. You'll learn about the average costs to bring a new product to market and common pitfalls that cause products to fail. By the end of the workshop, you'll have a better understanding of the product development process and how to make your product a success.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials About the Instructor: Josh Taylor is the founder and CEO of Product EVO. He's on a mission to help people bring truly great products to market. Like most of the great things in life, he fell into product development almost by accident. He worked in sales and marketing for the first part of his career. He learned to get good at listening to people and what they really needed. The problem was, that wasn’t always the product he was selling. Then, he got the chance to create my own product. It seemed so simple. He spoke to so many of his clients, that he already knew exactly what they needed, so he just made that. And guess what, it worked! In fact, it worked really well. And that’s where Product EVO was born. At Product EVO, they use their experience and proven processes to help our clients reduce the complexity of bringing new products to market and manufacturing overseas. They're passionate about helping people who want to live bigger, draw outside the lines, and add massive value to the world through their unique talents and creativity. They provide clarity, proven processes, and a team of experts to overcome challenges and help these movers and shakers produce high-quality products that really make an impact for the people that use them. Their mission is to become the single best resource for ambitious founders and product managers to predictably bring successful products to market.  The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is a legislatively mandated program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure non-discrimination against businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals wanting to do business with state agencies that receive federal funding for transportation.
In this pre-recorded class you will learn from UTA- Civil Rights representative Elena Velaochaga who will discuss the program, eligibility criteria, and benefits of being DBE certified in the state of Utah. Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials More info: To be eligible for the DBE Program, a business must be:
Eligible businesses can include those in the following sectors:
 Are you curious about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for your small business, but not sure where to start? This course is designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs who are interested in learning about the ways in which AI can help streamline operations, generate content, and drive growth. Throughout the course, you'll learn how tips and best practices for getting the most out of AI for your small business.
This course is perfect for those who are just starting to explore the possibilities of AI for their business, as well as those who are looking to expand their understanding of how to use AI to drive success. Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials  Scaling a business is hard with a good product, but it's impossible with a bad product. In this workshop you'll learn how to validate if you have a good product worth investing in.
 Are you just about ready to launch your brand-new business, open your relocated store, or add on another location? If so, you need to make your grand opening event count to get business off to a healthy start and generate enthusiasm within your community! Check out our class where we teach you best practices for planning grand opening events, marketing your launch and more.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials  A good business plan can make it or break it for small business owners. Without it, it is difficult to make strategic decisions, identify weaknesses, attract funders, or to even make sure your business will survive and thrive. Join us for our Writing an Effective Business Plan class to make sure yours is setting you up for success.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials  It’s easy to assume that if your business is healthy today, it’ll be healthy tomorrow. But while optimism is important, so is understanding where your business stands financially–both now and in the future. As we all know, cash is the lifeblood of a business. Make sure you are set up for success with our virtual Cashflow Projection Class.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  Nothing has a bigger impact on your business’s sales, health, and bottom line than your pricing. Set prices too high and your products or services won’t sell. Too low and you can't cover your costs, especially in today's ever-changing economy. This class will teach you all you need to know about pricing strategy and how to create a win-win situation for you and your customers.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  Many entrepreneurs start with a brilliant idea, register trademarks, incorporate the business, find funding, and still fail to succeed because they forget an important step. It's called proof of concept and it's the only way to tell if your business idea can and really will work! Before you get too far down the road with your time, energy, money, and more let us help you figure out whether or not the concept can work and what tweaks we can make to ensure success.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  Are you looking to start an e-commerce website, but don’t know where to start? This three part series is for you!
Session 1 Overview: Come learn all the basics to get you going. We will be doing an overview of the initial setup for your store, including domain names, payment setup, and Shopify themes. Session 2 Operations: Now that you have a shop, let’s focus on how to add products and collections, how the ordering system works, and some email customization. Session 3 Themes (website development): You’ve got a store. You’ve got products. Now it’s time to work on the website that people will see. Learn all about Blocks, customizing, pages, and navigation. Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  Is your business ready for a recession? No one likes talking about downturns, and it feels like we have been on a never ending roller coaster for the last few years. Now is the time to make sure you are doing all you can to navigate the uncertainty and changes in consumer spending. Come learn five things you can be doing now to protect, survive, and thrive from Instructor Amber Murray.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  A business plan is only as good as its financials. But, what numbers does a start-up business vs. an established business need to know to secure a loan? How can a business figure out its initial investments, monthly operating expenses and need for cash flow or investments in growth? Let the UMLF provide you with the guidelines to create believable numbers to include in your business plan for a start-up loan or a loan for growth. Join Karin Palle, Business Strategist Extraordinaire as she walks you through the components of Business Plan Financials.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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". Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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:
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials 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 Want to access this class series? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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:
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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:
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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 Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials 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 Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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:
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials  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:
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials. Financials 101 is available as well. Instructor: Karin Palle of Advanced Business Consulting  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 Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and 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 Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and 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. 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.
Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request Class Recordings and Materials |
