How dreams fuel small businesses’ futures

Posted on April 7, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by ALEX HARRINGTON

How does something as gut-wrenchingly difficult as starting a new business ever get off the drawing board?

Simple.

The people who make it happen have a dream.

Oftentimes everything is riding on this dream, which can be as different between business owners as the stars are from the sun. But the common thread is the hope that they can succeed in the unforgiving world of business.

If there’s one person who knows that success in the business world can come from just a dream and a liberal amount of elbow grease, it’s Ann Marie Thompson, the program director for the Women’s Business Center.

It’s Thompson’s job in the WBC to turn prospective entrepreneurs’ lofty, seemingly unreachable dreams into reality. The Women’s Business Center builds dreams in every way it can, from its “Jumpstart” business essentials training to the expert advice it gives on the direction a budding business should take. Thompson described her organization’s mission of making hopeful small business owners “start small and think big.”

However, even with the help that the Women’s Business Center provides, dreams can seem unreachable when so much is at stake. Though Thompson said she frequently advises her clients against quitting their jobs or taking out a big loan, the enormous dreams that her clients hold often demand a lot from their dreamers.

She pointed to “Utah’s cultural aversion to risk” as one of the many reasons that many women and men never pursue their dreams. Thompson said a dream or idea for a small business has to have the potential to make money and to fill a need.

However, not every dream has these qualities. She has witnessed a score of disappointments amid the successes, and seen dreams that weren’t able to come to fruition.

Game Changerz provides incredible customer service and products to all who check them out.

But why does this have to be? Dreams like starting a small business often need more than wishing stars and fairy dust to succeed. While almost anything can be turned into an opportunity to make a quick buck, this need that Thompson describes is much trickier for some small businesses to meet.

Though starting a business from these tiny dreams can be a terrifying and difficult prospect, it is not impossible. For

For Michael Morrissey, branch manager for a video game retail store called Game Changerz, his small business does its best to fill a need that sets it apart from other larger retail stores.

During a phone interview, Morrissey said, “[Our store] is free to do whatever we want for our customers.” He recalled many instances where his store worked with customers, adjusting prices and even throwing in free games, in order to make their experience more positive.

Fulfilling these needs can create something new in the business world. “We offer the best customer service in town,” Morrissey said. From anyone else it might sound like an empty boast, but his willingness to work with customers on a personal level gives it much more weight.

The branch manager of Game Changerz, Michael Morrissey, poses by some of his incredible videogame items.

The branch manager of Game Changerz, Michael Morrissey, poses by some of his incredible video game items.

For people like Morrissey, the dreams they have are about making a new and wonderful experience that the customer has never seen before. He is filling a need that many people didn’t even know they had.

But what does fulfilling this need mean for small businesses? Kristen Lavelett, executive director of Local First Utah, said “[Small businesses] keep the American Dream alive.”

The meaning of the American Dream that Lavelett talked about has been debated for hundreds of years throughout U.S. history. But this dream is almost always thought of as the ability of a single person to find a way to start with nothing and to rise to be as great a business figure as they can be.

But for many small businesses, this big, majestic concept is simply a way of life that they strive to achieve every day. Morrissey described other larger retail stores, like GameStop, as being “very corporate.” In a world cluttered with mega stores that often limit their interests to the contents of their customers’ wallets, small businesses like Game Changerz create a bit of personality and individuality that sets them apart.

Morrissey described in a subsequent interview what he believed makes his small business important to his customers. Game Changerz carries many games that bigger retail stores don’t have, like games for older systems like the Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. Morrissey said “people want to relive their childhood.”

Our world would be diminished without the individuality that the dreamers provide. The dreams are a big part of what makes small businesses so special.

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The Women’s Business Center: A support in the entrepreneurial journey

Posted on March 31, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by LIZ G. ROJAS

One of Utah’s best-kept secrets for aspiring entrepreneurs is the Women’s Business Center, located in downtown Salt Lake City within the Chamber offices.

The WBC is a nonprofit organization that is partially funded by the federal government through the Salt Lake City Chamber. Because the center is a 501(c)(3), it is expected to match the funding it receives through fundraising or sponsors.

The Women’s Business Center’s goal and purpose is to help increase the number of women-owned businesses in the state of Utah through consulting, training and networking opportunities.

The center has been operational for 17 years and has a consultant who provides a variety of different services. Services are free to the public and range from helping with business plans and cash flow projections to government consulting.

Former day-care owner Lorena Sierra missed the opportunity to work with the Women’s Business Center.

Lorena Sierra

Lorena Sierra

“I know a lot of times I needed help with grants and I wasn’t able to apply because I had no idea how,” Sierra said. “I wish I would have known of an organization like that [WBC].”

Sierra owned a day-care center in Utah County alongside her business partner for 17 years. In 2012, after her partner sold her half, Sierra ran out of funding options and chose to sell her business.

According to American Express, her center was 1 of 73,000 businesses in Utah that are women-owned, compared to the 9.1 million nationally that are owned by women.

The Small Business Administration defines a woman-owned business as one that is owned at least 51 percent by a woman. In addition, the woman can make independent decisions regarding the business without being undermined by anyone and is responsible for planning the short- and long-term activities.

Ann Marie Thompson- Program Director for the Women's Business Center

Ann Marie Thompson

Ann Marie Thompson, program director for the Women’s Business Center, says there is demand for a woman-oriented organization because there are different stresses for women than there are for men.

Most women are trying to start a business from home or as an addition to full-time responsibilities. They’re driven by flexibility because their first obligation is to their family. The majority of clients who meet with the WBC have these similar backgrounds and priorities.

Evette Alldredge, a local business owner, was guided by the Women’s Business Center and benefited from its services.

In a phone interview, Alldredge said that she arrived at the center with a partial business plan and high hopes. She met once a week for approximately five months with the center to create a business plan and explore all aspects of the planning.

Alldredge was able to present in front of Utah’s Microenterprise Loan Fund and received funding from the nonprofit for her business.

In April 2014, Evette Alldredge’s business, Super Gym Gymnastics, opened its doors.

However, even though the business center does direct its organization toward women, its services are for everyone. Thompson said that 20 percent of the WBC’s clientele are, in fact, men. She said, “We consult with anyone who wants to come.”

The Women’s Business Center has a broad range of connections and partnerships. Some of the partners are the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund and the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The center also works with the Salt Lake City World Trade Center and Salt Lake Magazine. The WBC refers clients to the World Trade Center if they need help learning how to import and export.

Salt Lake Magazine features the Women in Business section in the September/October issue. The WBC is highlighted in that issue.

Although the center is associated with the Salt Lake City Chamber it is not confined to the Wasatch Front. Thompson said Google Hangout and Skype are frequently used to communicate with clients throughout the state.

According to the Small Business Administration, twice as many women-owned businesses are opened every day, compared to three years ago. However, there are still barriers that haven’t been overcome by women business owners.

One of the barriers is the compensation gap. Even if a woman is the owner of a business, her salary is lower compared to others in her same position.

“Women choose to pay themselves less, not knowing what others are paying themselves,” Thompson said. “Women are also choosing jobs that pay less. ”

American Express reported in 2014 that the goal shouldn’t be to motivate more women to open businesses, but instead to financially support those who are already established and help them expand.

Regardless, the need for the Women’s Business Center in Utah is crucial. As Lorena Sierra said, “We do need a lot of support. We have the desire to have our own businesses but we don’t have a guide.”

The WBC is one of Utah’s best-kept secret support systems for aspiring business owners.

“If it weren’t for the Women’s Business Center I would not be where I am today,” said Evette Alldredge, owner of Super Gym Gymnastics, who continues to work with the center for a business expansion loan. “I am the most happy, successful entrepreneur.”

Filed under: Business, Education, Nonprofits, Organizations, Small Business, Utah's Economy | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Local singer-songwriter Emily Bea uncovers hidden talent after soccer injury

Posted on March 31, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by McCALL GRAY

Music can be defined as an art of sound that turns ideas and emotions into words. The elements of melody, cadence, harmony and voice are strung together with a conscious effort to create it. Music can inspire both the artist and the listener to something beyond the lyrics.

Local singer-songwriter Emily Bea, from Sandy, has demonstrated exactly this — and she’s only 20.

Bea comes from a musical family. Her parents and three siblings all played instruments and shared a love for playing soccer. Bea has been devoted to the sport since she was 3. Simultaneously she began to enjoy music, too. She began piano lessons, then taught herself the violin, ukulele and mandolin. By 8th grade, she had moved on to teach herself the guitar and experiment with song writing.

Bea cherishes her Martin guitar because she earned enough money from her performances to help pay for it.

“The first song I remember her writing and singing to me was about her twin sister who passed away when she was a baby,” said Brian, Bea’s father.

When she wrote it, Bea said she was experiencing a sorrowful moment of loss, missing her sister. She was looking for a way to gain comfort and peace and found that avenue through her guitar.

“I started singing words and they just kind of came out,” Bea said.

The song was called, “Wow, I Really Love You.”

“It completely floored me. … From that experience, I knew she had potential to do something great with her music,” Brian said.

Bea began to discover her way with music and her indie pop style of songwriting. But, it always came second to playing soccer. That is until on two separate occasions she sustained a serious injury. Her ACL tore twice, preventing her from playing on her Brighton High School soccer team. Bea pushed through therapy and worked hard to get back on the field. Meanwhile, the recovery period allowed her more time to focus on her music.

“Soccer was the thing I ultimately wanted to do, but when it [the ACL tear] happened again it made me question if soccer was what I was really supposed to be doing,” Bea said. To her surprise, it wasn’t. After she fully recovered the second time around, she met with a vocal coach.

“[The coach] heard her sing and told her, ‘I don’t care how good of a soccer player you are. God gave you a gift, and you need to sing,’” Brian said. “With that, she gave up soccer and focused on music.”

Bea’s music career progressed from there. She promoted her music independently, gaining a steady viewership on her YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“I think her music is truly original, and that nobody can fully replicate her sound nor style. I appreciate other musicians who take ownership of their art like she does,” said Scott Hebertson, a fellow music artist and friend of the family.

Music turned out to be a natural talent even though Bea hand’t intended to strongly pursue it in the beginning. “Music was always my fallback,” she said. “It was really hard at first, but it’s really been a blessing. … I really enjoy it.”

Bea played her song "Bench For Two." It was the song that sparked her theme for her second album.

Bea played her song “Bench For Two.” That song sparked her theme for her second album.

When it came to performing in public, she started out at open mics and restaurants such as Winger’s in West Valley and Pat’s Barbecue in Salt Lake City. She did her first show in 2012, opening for the musical group, “A Great Big World” and Greg Holden, who wrote the song “Home,” made famous by “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips.

“It is inspiring to see someone start from nowhere, begin to chase their dream, and then start seeing results,” Hebertson said.

Bea’s creation process for writing a new song stems from many sources. “Inspiration comes from everywhere,” Bea said. She discovers ideas for new songs by what people say as they pass her by, what she reads, sees in movies and from personal experiences.

Bea self-produced a quality list of original content where she sang and played an instrument in each song. In 2012 her first EP album, “Love A Fair,” launched. With its success came another and in 2014 she released her first full-length album, “Bench For Two.”

“When I got my first album I cried, a lot, just because it was really exciting,” Bea said. “It was tangible and had my name and picture on it.”

Bea’s producer, Trevor Price, assisted her in recording “Love A Fair” in his basement studio. Two years later, “Bench for Two” was recorded at Price’s new Salt Lake City location, Stone Angel Music Studios.

Once the recording process was complete, she manufactured her CDs through an independent CD and DVD manufacturer called Disc Makers. This allowed her the opportunity to sell them worldwide on CDBaby.com and have them available on Spotify, Amazon and iTunes. Bea also received 1,000 hard copies to sell on her own, which she does through email, emilybeamusic@gmail.com.

“I initially helped out financially to get her on her feet. But she has been able, through album sales and shows, to pay me back and make some money,” Brian said. “She books her own shows and spends a lot of time marketing her music. It is fun to see her learn and grow, both in music and business.”

Bea finds her favorite place to compose new songs is outside.

Bea finds being outside is her favorite place to compose new songs.

Since her latest album release in 2014, Bea aims to perform two to three shows per month. She has performed at the Utah State Fair, Kilby Court in Salt Lake City and many times at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo.

She announced the news via social media that her newest single, “Angel Fly,” had been chosen for the “Songs For Life 2015” album. “Angel Fly” was written in memory of her high school classmate, Tyler Robinson, who lost his battle to cancer. The album was released March 6, 2015, two years and two days since his passing. All proceeds from the album and individual songs are donated to cancer research.

Whether it’s the interactions with fans after performances or the accomplishment of finishing the lyrics to a new song at 2 a.m., rewarding experiences surround Bea and make her journey worthwhile.

“I definitely didn’t expect myself to be this far, especially being independent and doing everything by myself,” Bea said.

She has managed her music career while attending Salt Lake Community College full time and working another job. Bea will graduate May 2015 with her general associate degree. She expects to release more albums in the future and continue her pursuit of a full-time career in the industry.

“I think it’s just a gift that I have that I want to share with people,” Bea said. “And I feel like if I just didn’t do it then I would just be wasting what my Heavenly Father gave me. Ultimately it is to bless other people and their lives as well as help me in mine.”

Filed under: Arts, Entertainment, Culture, Business, Profiles, Small Business, Sports & Recreation | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Spice Kitchen Incubator helps refugees start food businesses

Posted on March 26, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by RYAN CARRILLO

Spice Kitchen Incubator gives certain Utah residents a unique opportunity: a chance to plan and develop a food-based business.

The kitchen incubator primarily assists international refugees who have relocated to Salt Lake City, but also provides services to immigrants and lower-income individuals. The program is part of the International Rescue Committee in Salt Lake City, or IRC SLC, which helps in international crises and relocates refugees in 22 different cities throughout the U.S.

Spice Kitchen Incubator provides everything from ovens to large prep space for the chefs

Spice Kitchen Incubator provides everything from ovens to large prep space for the chefs.

Refugees are individuals forced to leave their native country due to political unrest, war or safety concerns. When they are relocated to the United States, they have to adapt to a completely new culture and way of living.

Spice Kitchen Incubator helps them adjust to some of these changes.

Entrepreneurs, or participants, in Spice Kitchen Incubator aspire to start their own business. These individuals will mostly likely run their own catering business, food truck or farmers market booth by the end of the program.

The program is designed to help each entrepreneur achieve these goals and be successful in the American business market.

“Every entrepreneur’s goals are different but our overall goal is to build self-sufficient businesses,” said Genevieve Healey, the program coordinator for Spice Kitchen Incubator. “Those are the things we are helping them with, [things] like accounting, marketing and connecting them to resources. At a certain point they are comfortable doing that all on their own and they know how to use those resources.”

Spice Kitchen Incubator is divided into two different levels: pre-incubation and incubation. Pre-incubation is designed to help entrepreneurs develop a business plan and teach them how to run a successful business. Incubation is focused on real experience and exposure, putting each participant in control of their business.

Entrepreneurs begin in pre-incubation. They participate in this level for six months before advancing to incubation, depending on their individual needs and progress. During this phase of the program, they are building the foundation for running a business.

Each Saturday, the kitchen incubator hosts workshops for those individuals, covering everything from profit-and-loss and advertising to marketing positioning and food costing. Additionally, each entrepreneur will participate in a focus group. The focus group plays an essential role in the development of the aspiring business owner’s business plan.

“Volunteers from the food industry and the community come and try the entrepreneur’s food and those are entrepreneurs in pre-incubation so they are just developing their menu and what they are going to sell,” Healey said.

Feedback from volunteers is essential. It helps the chefs make adjustments to the business plan. It also can help them develop a mentorship with people in the community.

Kamal is one of 10 entrepreneurs in the pre-incubation stage. As a Bhutanese refugee, he was resettled in the U.S. almost five years ago. He has participated in the Spice Kitchen Incubator for almost a year.

Kamal’s focus group met on March 11, 2015. The chef spent several hours preparing food to present to the group. He said he has enjoyed participating in the program and was excited to share his culture and food with the volunteers and staff. He said he is very appreciative for the help of his wife and daughter, as well as a local volunteer, while preparing for his focus group.

Kamal prepares for his focus group with the help of his wife, daughter and a community volunteer.

Kamal prepares for his focus group with the help of his wife, daughter and a community volunteer.

After pre-incubation, entrepreneurs advance to incubation. This portion of the program typically lasts for 4 to 4 1/2 years. In all, entrepreneurs are able to be in the program for five years. There are currently three entrepreneurs enrolled in the incubation portion of the program. Since the Spice Kitchen Incubator was only opened in 2013, no one has graduated from the program yet.

During incubation, the aspiring business owners begin running an operational business. They start by applying for their business license. Once received, the entrepreneurs begin catering events and participating in local farmers markets.

During the winter, the chefs sell pre-packaged food at the market that they prepare at the Spice Kitchen Incubator’s facilities. The winter market is held every other Saturday at the Rio Grande Depot (300 S. 300 West) from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. It runs through April 2015.

During the summer farmers market, entrepreneurs rotate between packaged and prepared foods. Prepared foods are cooked on-site rather than at the Spice Kitchen Incubator facilities. Healey said the kitchen hopes to expand its services at this year’s summer market to include one booth dedicated solely to packaged foods and another just for prepared foods. This would give the entrepreneurs more exposure and increase their ability to build a client base. The summer market runs from June 13 to Oct. 24, 2015, and is held each week at Pioneer Park on 300 W. 400 South.

Healey said the farmers market demonstrated how beneficial the incubator’s programs can be for both the business owners as well as the community as a whole.

“The farmers market was a really awesome experience, especially the summer farmers market because it is where we can do prepared foods,” she said. “We’ve said that there is a need for this in the community but it was really cool to have that hands-on [experience], like ‘oh yeah, people really want this.’”

Community members can get involved with the incubator through several different ways. The Spice Kitchen Incubator is always looking for individuals to serve on focus group panels, which requires a commitment of a couple hours each session, as well as help with any other topics related to running a business. Donations can also be made on the incubator’s website.

Maria Gigourtaki, who works as the volunteer and communications coordinator for the kitchen, said volunteers can have some amazing experiences with the program. “[The entrepreneurs] are all so passionate,” she said. “I mean, food is something that gets people together and it’s awesome. You can get to see and meet people, new cultures, new flavors, history, languages, everything. It’s amazing!”

Filed under: Business, Food & Restaurants, Immigrants & Refugees, Nonprofits, Organizations, Small Business, Utah's Economy | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Roy coffee shop stays in business by focusing on customers

Posted on March 26, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photo by BRITTNI STRICKLAND

Anna Whitnack sits at a gray table listening to the whir of blenders, ringing timers and the laughter of customers. The smell of brewing coffee fills Jessie Jean’s Coffee Beans and Homestyle Café, the shop she owns in Roy, Utah. Whitnack recounts her journey as a local business owner.

Growing up in California, Whitnack and her friends would always go out to coffee shops rather than bars. But Whitnack didn’t think it was realistic to ever start her own business. “You think you have to have so much to put up and I never thought it would be a possibility because I thought it was beyond who I was,” she said. Then, after moving to Utah when she was 25, a friend encouraged her to go after what Whitnack thought of as a “pipe dream.” She gained the courage to bring her own recipes for pastries, burgers, sandwiches, smoothies and a variety of coffee flavors to the 37,000 people of Roy, Utah.

Whitnack opened Jessie Jean’s Coffee Beans on Nov. 1, 2000, but becoming an entrepreneur didn’t turn out to be so easy. Whitnack decided late in 2013 that times were just too tough and she and her partner were going to have to close the shop.

Anna Whitnack and Ron Ford stand in their coffee shop Jessie Jean's Coffee Beans Homestyle Café.

Anna Whitnack and Ron Ford stand in their coffee shop Jessie Jean’s Coffee Beans Homestyle Café.

They planned to tell employees the news at an early Christmas dinner. When the time came at the end of the meal, Whitnack just couldn’t find it in her to tell the employees that Jessie Jean’s Coffee Beans would soon be closed.

She told herself she would try to last as a local business for just one more month.

Each month she found herself saying the same thing. With increased support from local patrons, things began looking up and now, two years later, Whitnack is still serving customers.

Though there have been tough times, caring customers and the small, family-like group of employees have made it worthwhile for Whitnack. She looks at a wall covered with notes, photos, and obituaries from loyal customers. “This is our life, this is our family, our friends, our social network, our hearts,” she said, while wiping away her tears with a napkin from the table.

Phil Wagner, a Salt Lake City local who makes an hour-long drive north on his motorcycle to Roy simply to indulge in the food, said, “I think this is a great place. It kind of has that ‘ma and pa’ feel to it. Just down home and good food.”

Ron Ford, co-owner of Jessie Jean’s Homestyle Café, said the two became business partners after a unique experience. He and his son, Bryan, had been living in a neighborhood home behind the café. Whitnack said with a laugh that Bryan would play next door in the parking lot when he was 4 years old. Occasionally he would go into Jessie Jean’s and ask if there was any sort of service he could do to get a hot chocolate. He would always run around saying things like, “I’m going to work here someday.”

Right then Bryan, who is now 15, walked up to the table and said, “And guess what? I work here.” Bryan has worked at Jessie Jean’s for two years.

Unlike his son, Ford had never visited the café until he read a sign out front that caught his eye — “Bodacious Burgers.” Ford isn’t sure why he had never stopped in during the eight years of living nearby. But once he finally ate there, he continued to frequent the shop. Over time he developed a relationship with Whitnack, which later led to them co-owning the local coffee shop.

The two firmly believe in supporting other local businesses, because they know what it’s like to be one. If a business in the area does not have the supplies it needs, Whitnack and Ford encourage friends, family and customers to support the owners in the surrounding areas.

Ford and Whitnack said owning a local business and trying to survive from month to month is difficult. Ford advised people thinking of starting their own business, “Don’t take no for an answer, don’t let them get you down and if you have a dream, go get it.”

Whitnack added, “Fight as hard as you can fight and don’t ever go into business thinking you’re going to be rich. If you’re going into it to make money, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.”

Several customers paused at the table, touched her shoulder and  said hello. Whitnack smiled and greeted them by name. Gazing around the room, she said, “It’s hard and stressful, but there are the moments in the kitchen and we’re super busy and we’re crazy and [Ford is] playing drums on the pans,” Whitnack said. “Those are the moments where you stop and you’re like, OK this is good.”

 

 

 

Filed under: Business, Food & Restaurants, Profiles, Small Business | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Salt Lake businesses build relationships with customers

Posted on March 24, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by CALLI PETERSON

Rachael Skidmore makes her way through her little basement shop welcoming and assisting customers. Vintage clothing adorns the walls and fills the shelves and round racks.

Skidmore leads one regular customer to the dressing room while chatting about different aspects that are happening in her life. Other customers wander into the shop and take in the friendly environment.

As Skidmore comes back to take her place behind the counter, she greets the new arrivals and begins establishing relationships with the customers once again.

Amid the tiresome franchise businesses in Salt Lake City, charming local businesses such as Skidmore’s Maeberry Vintage strive to claim their own name and brand by establishing strong ties with customers.

“Local businesses add a lot more flavor,” said Skidmore, whose business is located in downtown Salt Lake City. “They make the community more unique.”

Rachael

Rachael Skidmore opened Maeberry Vintage in the basement of a shop on 207 E Broadway.

Skidmore started her business as an online Etsy shop in 2010. But she noticed her desire to be closer to the community. She transformed her Etsy shop into a physical location in 2013,  and named it Maeberry Vintage.

“It happens little by little, and everything just falls into place,” Skidmore said.

Businesses like Skidmore’s generate their community engagement by communicating with customers and welcoming new guests. Many owners and employees of local businesses push to create relationships with their customers, which creates a connection between shop and customer.

“Local businesses are important,” said Travis Low, a bookseller at Ken Sanders Rare Books. “I think they are crucial.”

He said he believes “there is more personality in local businesses.”

Low understands the value of employee-consumer interaction first-hand. Before he became a bookseller, Low was just a regular customer interested in reading rare books.

He spent a lot of his time browsing and reading books in the store near where he was living. He developed a connection with Ken Sanders, the owner of the bookstore, and ended up receiving a job through this relationship.

“I asked for a job one day, and they needed someone to do shipping,” Low said. He enjoys working somewhere that has character.

KEN SANDERS

Ken Sanders Rare Books is located on 268 S. 200 East in Salt Lake City.

Low has been working at Ken Sanders Rare Books for about five to six years.

“I feel like there is more personality in local businesses,” Low said. “The staff cares.”

That is just what most businesses hope to show: that the staff really cares.

To help build that connection between employee and customer, Utah has its own nonprofit organization to educate and represent local businesses. Local First Utah, organized in 2005, works to provide assistance to local businesses including Mayberry Vintage and Ken Sanders Rare Books.

Kristen Lavelett, the executive director of Local First Utah, wants “buying locally to become the common norm.”

The mission of Local First Utah is “to empower a movement to recognize the value and vitality of locally owned, independent businesses to our communities and our economy,” according to Local First Utah’s website. This is achieved by “educating and engaging the public, the businesses and statewide community partners.”

Lavelett said, “Economic strength has a lot to do with the character of our communities. [Utah locals] would rather buy across the street than overseas.”

Lavelett, who speaks widely to groups about the local economic impact each consumer can have, said, “If every home in Utah shifted its spending just 10 percent, $1.3 billion would stay in the Utah economy.”

But that is just one way the economy can flourish. Local businesses owners can also contribute to the state’s financial health.

According to Local First Utah’s website, “Since local business owners live here, do their hiring here, operate their stores and offices here, buy most of their supplies and products here, pay all their taxes here, and spend their profits here, they obviously contribute far more to our local economies than do chains.”

As Mayberry Vintage owner Rachael Skidmore searches for more clothing and accessories to sell to her customers, she searches for those items from within the state.

“About 95 percent of my products are sourced locally,” Skidmore said.

By doing so, she continues to develop relationships not only with her customers, but also with her suppliers. This generates constant connections with buyers and sellers in Utah.

Whether it be starting a business like Skidmore, or working at a favorite store like Travis Low, local businesses find ways to develop deep connections with their customers.

“Local businesses are, in a real sense,” according to Local First Utah’s website, “the backbone of any community.”

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Unique, local restaurants bring cultural value to Utah

Posted on March 12, 2015 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by William Phifer III

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In Layton, Utah, there is a strip of real-estate running along the east side of Interstate 15 that the locals call “restaurant row.” Littered with a copious amount of national chains, the area also has a few unique, local restaurants that bring an irreplaceable cultural value to the community.

Corbin’s Grille is one of those restaurants. Located at 748 W. Heritage Park Blvd., Corbin’s is a family-owned business that is operated by Jake Garn, whose father is the landlord of the location. Since its opening in 2006, Garn has learned a lot about running a small local restaurant.

“I’ve learned that appreciating the local food, instead of chains, isn’t something that comes automatically to most Utahns,” he said in a phone interview.

However, as time has progressed and people have learned about Corbin’s Grille, Garn said, “I’d like to think everyone is starting to appreciate the value of local flavor a little bit more.”

Garn said his favorite way to make the restaurant a unique place for patrons is by “bringing something that’s a local creation – something people out of town can try and look forward to.”

To help him consistently achieve this goal, Garn appointed Jimbo Snarr the executive chef in 2014. Snarr understands that the owners of Corbin’s Grille are looking to provide a unique experience for their customers.

“Our goal is to take good classic dishes that people really like and make them classy and higher-end,” Snarr said.”[To do] this we use a lot of fresh ingredients and we make everything in house.”

One example of a popular dish that is made at Corbin’s Grille is the spinach artichoke dip. While almost every restaurant has its own variation of this common appetizer, Snarr said most receive it pre-made and frozen from other vendors. Unsatisfied with any of those inexpensive variations, Snarr said that Corbin’s Grille preps its spinach artichoke dip in-house using fresh ingredients.

Another popular dish at Corbin’s Grille is the lemon asparagus salmon, created at the restaurant during a cooking competition among the cooks. The fresh sushi-grade king salmon is pan-seared in a sauce consisting of white wine, lemon juice, fresh tomatoes, asparagus and other ingredients. This particular salmon dish is one of three offered at Corbin’s Grille and it is the only one that is not cooked over a wood fire grill.

Chefs utilize a white almond wood fire to grill everything from steak, seafood, chicken and burgers, to asparagus and lemon wedges, which are used on seafood dishes. Snarr said the intense heat sears the edges of the steak and really locks in the flavors and juices.

While the food itself is a unique part of Corbin’s Grille, Snarr says that is just part of what makes eating there a distinctive dining experience. Snarr believes the open kitchen and experienced staff also create an inviting atmosphere for the clientele.

“We’re an open book, come on in. We have an open kitchen. Anybody can walk up,” Snarr said, “and watch my guys cook. We do it proper, we do it right … and everybody can see it and know it. I think that’s what makes us popular.”

In the spirit of transparency, Corbin’s Grille does cooking demonstrations where restaurant management share their recipes and techniques. Snarr said some people don’t understand why they are divulging “restaurant secrets” and giving people the tools to make their dishes at home.

In his experience, Snarr said, “People are still going to come to us when they don’t want to cook, because they still like to come out” and have a fine dining experience.

Anthony Lella also recognizes the value of unique restaurants, which is why he is entertaining the idea of opening his own Italian restaurant in the Ogden area.

Lella, formerly the general manager of Iggy’s Sports Grill in Layton, is from a family with strong Italian roots.

He has identified a lack of quality Italian restaurants in the northern Utah area. He also has recognized an increasing trend toward homemade food and cultural culinary diversity.

Recalling a visit to Utah years before he moved to Ogden, Lella said he went out to eat with someone who had never eaten prosciutto, which is an Italian cured ham.

“I was so shocked that this grown woman had no idea what this was, that I’d been eating all my life,” Lella said. “So I think things like that, specialty markets, are just emerging in Utah.”

Lella has considerable experience working in restaurant management, both in and out of state, and knows that location is a key factor in making a restaurant unique.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about running a restaurant the last 13 years – location is key,” Lella said. “Think about where you’re at now [and] what has the opportunity to be there in five years.” If someone else builds a similar, competitive restaurant right across the street, he said both restaurants can lose their unique quality.

Lella has been searching for an ideal restaurant location in the Davis County area to bring authentic Italian food and culture to the beehive state.

He already has a clear vision of what the menu will include: four different risotto dishes, homemade fettuccine and gnocchi. He has also considered making his own sausage, meatballs, mozzarella and ricotta.

Like management at Corbin’s Grille, Lella is eager to provide a unique venue where patrons can enjoy fresh food made in-house.

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Retro Betty, a boutique that keeps vintage alive in Salt Lake City

Posted on March 12, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by McCALL GRAY

Vintage is often imagined as objects layered in dust, likely tucked away in an attic with a musty smell lingering about.

Behind the pink door of Retro Betty, vintage is anything but dusty. Lively music from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s is humming on a record player. Clothing, furniture, accessories and gifts from those eras fill every corner of the local boutique, creating an eclectic maze of color.

Vintage is brought back to life.

Amanda Parrish, owner of Retro Betty, wears items you can find in her store.

Amanda Parrish, owner of Retro Betty, wears items you can find in her store.

Owner Amanda Parrish established Retro Betty in September 2012. Retro Betty opened just three months shy of her 30th birthday. Parrish said she had always dreamed of opening her own business and made it a goal to make it happen by that milestone.

“I’ve always loved vintage. I grew up around it,” Parrish said. “I had older grandparents who were born in 1906, so I knew the style.”

The boutique’s name expresses her love for the timeless style. Parrish said she sees the word retro as colorful, and the name Betty reminds her of a 1940s housewife.

“Back in the day people would always say, ‘Oh she’s a Betty,’ meaning she was pretty,” Parrish said. “So that’s what I wanted my store to be.”

Retro Betty, at 2821 S. 2300 East in Salt Lake City, offers a combination of genuine vintage and new items that mimic the vintage style. The boutique is filled with a vast variety, including women and men’s clothing, accessories, home and seasonal décor, and handmade greeting cards and banners made by Parrish’s mother, Kim Holmes. Parrish also taps into her creative side and refinishes furniture, giving it a new look with sometimes just a new coat of paint. The merchandise is priced anywhere between $1 and $150.

Holmes said, “I love creating one-of-a-kind paper goods for her store. It brings me joy to do that for her, and it gives me something to do.”

Other than the blend of new and old, Retro Betty is different from similar stores such as Now & Again and Maeberry Vintage in Salt Lake City. It does not run on consignment. Parrish personally scouts out the merchandise for her boutique at estate sales and flea markets, and often travels outside of Utah to cities such as Los Angeles and New York. She also attends two vintage trade shows every year.

Parrish features seasonal finds in the kitchen corner, such as cake stands, tea towels and bakeware.

Parrish features seasonal finds in the kitchen corner, such as cake stands, tea towels and bakeware.

Parrish said she can never choose just one favorite item in her store. “I love everything [in the boutique]! Everything in here is something I’ve picked out,” she said.

But, she said some of her most-liked pieces are those that seem to be the hardest to find. Vintage radios, cameras and typewriters in good condition are the pearls among the oysters.

Ashlie Roberts, a returning customer, said, “This is a great place to find unique gifts for others. It’s hard to describe, you just have to see it in person to get the full effect.”

Customers will always find Parrish at Retro Betty on Monday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.. With no employees, she enjoys running the shop alone and interacting with the customers who visit.

The proof is in the Facebook posts to her Retro Betty business page. Ashleigh McMahon posted that she was “beyond excited” to go meet Parrish. Parrish said her customers are happy when they walk in and see her, because it makes their experience more personal.

She is considering registering her business with Local First Utah, which promotes shopping at locally-owned businesses such as Retro Betty.

Kristen Lavelett, executive director of Local First Utah, said, “The difference between shopping at a big business and a small business is profound. By shopping locally, it increases our personal stability and increases relationships with the community and who we do business with.”

Since opening, the community and local businesses have supported Retro Betty. There is no competition with other vintage stores because Parrish said the owners like to help each other out. They frequently get together to coordinate vintage shows and Instagram product giveaways to their followers.

“If someone walks in looking for something specific and I don’t have it, I’ll send them to the people that do. They do the same for me,” Parrish said.

She said her business allows her to continually give donations to the community. The Toys for Tots Foundation, cancer fundraisers and local schools are among the recipients.

“I like to help out the local schools. A lot are independent and not funded by the government, so I find those are the ones that need it the most,” Parrish said.

One of those private schools is Canyon Rim Academy. Parrish has contributed Retro Betty gift certificates for school fundraisers. Parrish has also supported Skyline and Olympus high schools by donating costumes for their school plays.

Apart from giving back to the schools near Retro Betty, Parrish also assists churches, such as the Christ United Methodist Church on 2375 E. 3300 South, and recently supplied gift certificates to its Wesley Bell Ringers for the group’s 2015 Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance.

Lavelett, with Local First Utah, said, “When you walk into a locally-owned business you know they’re not there to make money, they’re there to give back to the community.”

Parrish is delighted that her small business allows her to give back to the community. Seeing her customers’ reactions when they walk into Retro Betty is also fulfilling to her, and is what keeps her going.

“What I have here is unlike what they’ve seen before,” Parrish said. “It’s the moments when a woman comes out of the dressing room twirling in one of the dresses that show me I am making people happy.”

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Social media makes or breaks small businesses

Posted on March 12, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photo by ALEX HARRINGTON

Small-business owners struggle to find the time in their lives to simply start a business, let alone worry about the smaller tasks like establishing a presence in social media. But, having a solid presence on social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram is critical.

Kristen Lavelett, executive director for Local First Utah, knows from her own work with the educational group how important social media influence can be. Local First Utah has more than 20,000 followers on Facebook, through which it informs its audience about various campaigns and services it offers. Local First Utah can quickly and effectively distribute information about its mission.

However, social media are not all rainbows and sunshine. There are difficulties with social media that aspiring business owners must grapple with as well.

One artist, Talin Tanielian, experienced these difficulties firsthand. She had been creating art from a very young age, dabbling in everything from watercolors to animation. She even traveled to France to take art courses at “Gobelins,” a prestigious art school where she received training from animators who worked with Walt Disney Studios and Pixar. After she graduated from the University of Utah, she started thinking about turning this passion into a career.

She began selling her art out of her home in Sandy, Utah, via online websites like “Deviantart.” In January 2014, she turned this process into a new business, “TabbyToons.” To start to advertise her newly built business to a wider audience, she branched out from Deviantart and posted various drawings she had done on Facebook and Instagram.

Though she could now more easily distribute her art and show off her talents, Tanielian found the change from doing art as a hobby to doing it for a living was much more daunting than she expected. Before creating her business, she received nothing but positive feedback for her many art pieces. Hardly anyone outside her friends and family had access to her drawings, paintings, and animations. However, when she started using Facebook and Instagram as a medium to advertise her various creations, she experienced an unexpected and disheartening result.

Her newfound viewers began critiquing her art, posting comments from the constructive to the downright cruel. Tanielian said it was difficult to receive “harsh feedback from others.”

But she realized these critiques didn’t have to have a negative impact on her or the artistic reputation she created. She strove to use the criticism as another positive aspect of social media, rather than retreating from the judgments people have made about her art. “Feedback is inspirational and pushes me to keep going forward,” she said.

So Tanielian embraced social media. She put her art out on Facebook and Instagram and prepared for the judgments that would inevitably come from complete strangers. “[TabbyToons] adds to who I am and what I do,” she said.

Her business has grown from a small group of admirers to dozens of fans and buyers, due largely to social media. She said she still has a long way to go to get “TabbyToons” where she wants it. But her goal is to have multiple websites devoted solely to selling her art.

Ann Marie Thompson said the Women's Business Center is available to help all small-business owners, both women and men.

Ann Marie Thompson said the Women’s Business Center is available to help all small-business owners, both women and men.

This growth may have occurred in a small business like Tanielian’s, but can a larger, locally-owned business expect the same success?

Ann Marie Thompson, program director of the Women’s Business Center, works with small businesses ranging from a one-woman operation like Tanielian’s to larger ones. She swears by the importance of this online presence. “[The] Women’s Business Center utilizes social media every day,” she said. “Business appears to be driven more by social media than traffic.”

 

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Locally owned boutique, Unhinged, is unique

Posted on March 12, 2015 by comm5775

Story and photos by NATHAN ASTILL

Store

Unhinged storefront at the Sugar House location.

Unhinged is the oddity, the outside-of-the-box store, the artistic Neverland. It is one of Pan’s lost boys that never quite grew up.

“Purveyors of the oddly beautiful,” says Amy Taggart, manager of Unhinged at 2165 S. Highland Drive. Her friendly, welcoming smile reflects the store’s atmosphere. She is holding a cup of coffee, sitting on an old wooden chest. The chest is for sale. The lights hanging from the ceiling all around her are as well.

Then again, that’s not unusual here. Everything in the store is for sale — from the clothing, to the artwork, to the organic soaps. Even the enormous wooden canoe hanging high up on the wall is for sale. If a person sees something they like, they can buy it. It’s a fairly new idea that makes the experience of shopping at Unhinged unique. “It is much more of a destination location,” Taggart says.

Owner Corey Folster, 45, grins as he says that’s exactly what he was aiming for. “I wanted to bring something different to Salt Lake. It’s so easy to get lost in the brick and mortar experience when shopping online, so I knew when I created this business that I wanted to provide a fun atmosphere,” he said. “I hated when I would go into shops and I couldn’t buy certain things that caught my eye.”

Folster used to manage other stores, such as Urban Outfitters and Forever 21, before he founded Unhinged. He opened the business in the Sugar House neighborhood in 2011, and in 2014 relocated a couple blocks south to a bigger and better location.

Folster opened another Unhinged in Provo in 2013. He plans to open a third shop, called Rewind Exchange, in Provo on Friday, April 3, 2015.

While Folster hadn’t initially planned to carry a lot of local merchandise, that began to change over time as he started to meet fun local artists and designers. “It’s really neat when you can add a local element to it,” he says.

Unhinged carries products made by more than 25 local designers, from Cardi Allyson, who created hellbent, a clothing brand with a Gothic twist, to Mieke Okamura, owner of Purring Buddha, a company specializing in the creation of organic soaps, lotions and lip balms.

Wallets

Handmade leather wallets created from old cowboy boots, by Salvage West.

Forty percent of the merchandise Unhinged carries is created by local artists through upcycling. Upcycling is the process of reusing old materials that may seem like trash to some people, in order to create new products with significantly higher quality and value. Take Salvage West, for instance. The owner crafts slickly designed wallets from the leather of old cowboy boots.

But while the value of these products may be higher, Unhinged prides itself on its competitive, more affordable prices. And while some of the art the store carries may not be everyone’s cup of tea, its purpose is making something out of nothing. Folster likes his artists to be one of a kind and more often than not, exclusive to the store. Most importantly, he wants to be able to sell things that are of high quality.

While selling quality merchandise is not much of a challenge, getting the word out about the store is. Advertising is expensive and Folster believes that “getting people out of their normal shopping modes and into their neighborhoods” is one of the hardest things about owning a local store.

Folster has been taking a different route to traditional advertising as he tries to support his company and its local artists through online media exposure. Unhinged has a strong online social media presence through its Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram pages. It also participates in the Sugar House Art Walk, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote local art and music in the Sugar House community.

“People need to realize that we have a lot of the same stuff as the big department stores,” Folster says.

But while they may have the same items as the bigger stores, the shopping experience is different. Unlike the bigger department stores, Unhinged carries local brands that have not been made on an industrial level. And because of this, customers are able to purchase clothing and art, among other things, that is one-of-a-kind.

Bathproducts

Organic bath products, by Purring Buddha, are on display at Unhinged Sugar House.

Not only does Unhinged offer the same things in a more unusual way, but buying local is much better for the community.

Kristen Lavelett, executive director of Local First Utah, has a goal for buying local. “Our vision for buying local is for it to become as common as recycling is now,” she said. “The difference between big business and small business is profound. Small local businesses can help to enhance our local community.”

Now moving forward, one thing is certain for Folster — change. “One thing I love is changing things up,” he says. “It’s not about being crazy, it’s about thinking differently about things. I would love to eventually have our own Unhinged line.”

Folster plans to grow Unhinged, aiming on getting bigger in home décor offerings, particularly once Rewind Exchange opens in April 2015.

When asked over email about the feel of this new store, Folster said, “The vintage and preowned modern clothing will be carefully chosen to reflect a current well thought look that matches our customers[‘] tastes. It won’t be like a thrift store or resale shop that has a big assortment of random items. It will feel ‘collected.’”

Collected, like the artwork Taggart walks by hanging next to the stairs of the Sugar House store she manages. “Art is a creative outlet,” she explains, “a means of communicating something. Corey [Folster] was born for retail, and as the company continues to grow he will keep on reinventing the wheel.”

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