Author: admin

The month of November has always been a time of reflection. As we prepare for Thanksgiving we can be reminded of good memories and people that we are thankful for in our lives. Friends, family, love, opportunities, a steady job, good health, the comfort of home, children, and… BBQ?  Down-home, smokey, flavorful meaty, finger-lickin good BBQ, yep we said it! With all of their new developments and because we can’t seem to get BBQ off of our mind, Big Daddy Hill’s is our November Small Business of the Month! We recently sat down with owner and secret recipe master, Lee Hill, to get the story of what inspired him to start Big Daddy Hill’s, his childhood spent cooking with his family in North Carolina, and more! Read our interview below. 
About Big Daddy Hill’s:
​Now in its fourth year of business, veteran-owned Big Daddy Hill’s is our go-to for BBQ sauce and rubs. Born and raised in North Carolina, Lee Hill knows good BBQ. His current lineup includes over 10 tasty different sauces (think honey chipotle, Jamaican BBQ, sweet and tangy, bourbon blues, and more) plus his famous rubs. From his humble beginnings at the Farmer’s Market Lee has grow his business into a commercial success and in addition has recently opened a catering company, Smokeworks. 

UMLF: What made you start Big Daddy Hills?
Lee: My wife, Monique, and I started our company to provide some assistance in paying for our little girls physical therapy.  I am thankful for the encouragement my wife and her sister, Rowena Montoya, gave me in those early days of production and sales.  I’m also thankful for our growing number of customers, and business supporters.  If it hadn’t been for those two, things would have surely happened differently.  I would have given up, I wasn’t a “tough skinned” individual then, and our daughter may have never learned to walk.  Every sale made from our first event in 2014 to now have a greater meaning for us.  My little girl, my family as a whole, and a growing number of US military veteran employees are better off because of our customers and our supporters.

UMLF: You are a veteran-owned business, does that make you proud to represent veterans?
Lee: I am very proud of being a veteran-owned business.  I hear all the time from customers “thank you for your service” and my immediate response is always, “you are welcome”.  Often times I think people in general do not realize that veterans see this statement the other way around.  It was an honor for me to be able to serve my country honorably, so getting a thank you from customers puts a smile on my face. What I find most memorable about my military time is not summed up by basic training, going to war, or traveling. The greatest thing I will have forever are the friendships made during my time.  These are the friendships that will last a lifetime.

UMLF: What are your favorite ways to use your products?
Lee: I enjoy using our products in a number of ways.  Our sauces can be used as a marinade, dipping sauce, finishing glaze, or seasoning.  My favorite sauce is our sweet and tangy bbq sauce.  It is most easily used as a dipping sauce, but I like it as a cooking sauce when making pulled pork, or pulled beef sandwiches.
 
UMLF: You recently started Smokeworks, a catering company using all of the Big Daddy Hills products. What gave you the idea?
Lee: Smokeworks somewhat came out of a “Plan B” option for Big Daddy Hill’s. We wanted to of course have a way to generate income to provide for our family and as a way to continue to promote Big Daddy Hill’s products.  We found Smokeworks to accomplish both of those goals. Not only has Smokeworks increased Big Daddy Hill’s sales, we have also seen a growing number of new customers interested in our smoked meats for office parties, bulk prepared meals, and holiday foods like smoked turkey and ham for family dinners.  What I have found most enjoyable about Smokeworks is being an entirely new company we do not always sell out of product purchased each week.  What we have been able to do is donate food to families in need and from time to time we are able to do something to help others with fundraising activities.  

UMLF: You’re from North Carolina, how is North Carolina BBQ different than the others? What flavors inspire you?
Lee: ​I would say North Carolina BBQ is different than the others as it more closely resembles how barbeque originated. The word comes from the Spanish preparation of “barbecoa”, which is the  way I grew up seeing barbeque prepared, just as it was in the Caribbean with a fire made from piled up sticks. I grew up having “cookouts” which were whole hogs smoked over a bed of coals from chunks of wood that had burned down.  Since I grew up on the coast of North Carolina we also prepared fish the same way.  I still remember starting fires on the beach just off the Pamlico Sound with my grandfather and smoking fish we had caught earlier in the day.  What makes North Carolina different in my opinion has nothing to do with it being better than other regions of BBQ. North Carolina is known for whole hog BBQ, pulled and chopped pork.  Texas BBQ is primarily beef brisket and Memphis and Kansas City are known for pork ribs.  I would have to say the flavors that most inspire me would be comfort food associated with bbq and I think the side dishes are equally important. I love having pork shoulders smoked over hot coals and then piled on a plate with the eastern Carolina vinegar and peppery bbq sauce.  BBQ beans are best kept simple with a bit of chopped onion, spices to season, and molasses to sweeten.  My all time favorite food which puts me back home is Brunswick Stew.  I have yet to find this on any BBQ menu here in Utah.  Trust me when I say this….Brunswick Stew can be a dish added to a menu here in Utah that will set the restaurant apart from the rest. 

UMLF: Lastly, can you tell readers how the Utah Microloan Fund helped you with your business?
Lee: Utah Microloan Fund helped our business by providing the necessary money to build our own facility, it gave us some extra capital needed to start buying ingredients in excess of what we had ever purchased, and probably most important outside of funding, the utah microloan employees are a great resource.  Utah Microloan Fund does not simply hand over a check after filling out paperwork and meeting with them a few times.  I have found referral sources that I did not know existed for small businesses.  I have been put to task on completing profit and loss statements in the real world, because that is where we exist, and not asked to do it because of a business class requirement.  The “knowing your numbers”part of business is your lifeline to succeed and grow.  I continue to hear of new resources available from new members of the team at Utah Microloan Fund, and I would suggest the sooner a small business taps into the people working there the better they will be.
​
We want to thank Lee for sitting down with us and for his DELICIOUS sauces and rubs. This author personally has three of four bottles of his sauce plus another two bottles of his rubs including my favorite, the Spicy Apple rub. 

To order smoked turkey, pork shoulders, briskets, or ham for the holidays:

• Please contact Big Daddy’s by phone at (801)834-1269.  Leave a message and someone will be in touch to complete your order! You can view their menu here. 

Website: 

• www.bigdaddyhills.com

Facebook: 

•  www.facebook.com/bigdaddyhill12​

Instagram: 

• www.instagram.com/bigdaddyhill12

It’s that time again, time to announce the UMLF Small Business of the Month! October’s winner is none other than Snap Shop Photo. Owner Sasha Taylor has grown Snap Shop Photo to two locations, is a freshly-minted Benefit LLC and was recently awarded with the Women’s Business Center of Utah Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award. We sat down with Sasha to catch up, learn more about her passion and to hear where it all began. Check out our interview below. 

About Snap Shop Photo: Snap Shop Photo creates beautiful images through amazing experiences because fun is their superpower. Sasha’s vision has always been to create a studio where every person is welcome, every interaction is positive, and every photograph is a true reflection of the individual. Because of Sasha’s vision, they are more than just a photo studio, they are a people company loved by the Utah community. 

UMLF: Sasha tell us about yourself. What’s your background? What made you want to start Snap Shop Photo?
Sasha: First and foremost, I am a mother to five beautiful children and a wife to a wonderful woman. I shamelessly love reality tv, hate beets, and own more shoes than anyone ever should. I have had enough major hardships in my lifetime to write an entire series of books, or at least one best seller. I keep saying I will write it – someday.
                    
My passion for photography began as spending the summers of my teen years in Las Vegas, where my grandpa, a retired Chicago Fire Department photographer, would teach me how to use an SLR film camera, photographing everything from cactus, to burros, and even the lights of Vegas. But, right from the beginning, I preferred photographing people. In 2001, I graduated with a degree in Visual Art and Design and Photography. I was immediately hired as an adjunct professor at Salt Lake Community College in the photography department. Sharing my passion for photography in this way was extremely rewarding and I really found a home in teaching. After 4 years at the college, I took a position as the Education Director for Pictureline, a high-end photography retailer, and developed a complete photographic education program for them.
                    
Snap Shop Photo really is a dream realized. I have owned my own studios before, but I havenʼt been successful in the past for many reasons. Mostly, because I had a terminally ill child who was in and out of hospitals, surgeries, and treatments for 19 years. That eventually required me to move my family to St. Louis so he could receive a heart transplant. My son passed away in 2016 and my youngest child graduated high school in 2017. So, it was the right time to take all the things I had learned from my failures of the past and create the studio I have always wanted. My vision has always been to create a studio where every person is welcome, every interaction is positive and memorable, every photograph is a true reflection of the individual, and every client leaves happier than when they arrived.

UMLF:  Every business has its high and lows and being an entrepreneur is no easy feat. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it?
Sasha: The biggest challenge I have faced is maintaining relevance. In a world where everyone has a camera in their hand at all times, It is difficult to maintain clientele. We are constantly coming up with new and creative sessions and processes, so the product we offer canʼt be duplicated with a cellphone. Every business has to constantly be looking to the future and find innovative ways to grow.

UMLF:  You recently became a Benefit LLC, congrats! What inspired you to make the switch?
Sasha: I have always felt a need to help people. I have been through a lot in my life beginning at a very young age and have been on the receiving end of generosity and compassionate service. I knew that when I opened Snap Shop I wanted to not just make money, but I wanted to make a difference. I first learned about BLLCʼs during my Banking on Women course through the UMLF. I quickly realized that it was the perfect way for me to create a company I would be proud to own.
​           (* To learn more about a Benefit LLC and why Sasha became one, watch her video here.) 

UMLF:  What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs who are just starting their journey?
Sasha: The thing I go back to the most when I reflect on my journey as an entrepreneur is the importance of continually learning how to be a better business owner. It is amazing to me how much I learn that I didnʼt even know I didnʼt know. Every time I attend a workshop, networking meeting, business educational programs, or meet with one of my mentors, I learn ways to make my business journey better. Better for my clients, my employees, my vendors and most of all better for me. When you stop learning you stop growing. And when you stop growing, your business stops growing.

UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business?
Sasha:  The UMLF has been an integral part of my business growth. From the amazing Banking on Women program, to providing capital I needed to grow my business. The staff is so supportive and willing to help and share their knowledge and resources. I am so grateful for their commitment to the small business community.

To learn more about Snap Shop Photo, to schedule a photoshoot or to just go meet this superstar and her staff in person, visit her website and locations listed below. 

Locations:

• 3599 2700 W Suite 200, West Valley City, UT 84119
• 5585 South 3500 West Suite E Roy, UT 84067

Website:

• www.snapshopphoto.com

Facebook:

• www.facebook.com/snapshopphoto 

Instagram:

• www.instagram.com/snapshopphoto

This week we sat down with State Director of the Women’s Business Center of Utah(WBCUtah), Ann Marie Wallace, about why Utahns should know and love WBCUtah. WBCUtah is a trusted partner of the Utah Microloan Fund. Together we help support the village it takes to help entrepreneurs grow and succeed.

About the WBC: The Women’s Business Center of Utah, established in 1997 as a nonprofit funded in part by a federal grant, is an entrepreneurial center that offers services such as individual and group mentorship and online training for Utah women business owners and women who are thinking about starting a business. Most women (and men!) who want to start a business don’t know where to begin and this is where WBCUtah can help – they can guide new entrepreneurs through the process of starting a business while also providing support and connections to other resources in the community. A little direction goes a long ways, and with follow-up support, what else does an aspiring entrepreneur need? The center helps women throughout the entire state of Utah through 8 Virtual Women’s Business Centers in partnership with rural chambers of commerce and located on their websites. 

UMLF: Ann Marie tell us about yourself. What’s your background? What made you want to take over the WBC?
Ann Marie: I really love what I get to do at the Women’s Business Center of Utah! In 2008 I started serving on a committee overseen by WBCUtah, then I became a client in 2010 and experienced their help in starting my own business. I was very lucky when I applied for and was hired to mentor other women business owners as the WBCUtah’s business consultant. And for the past five years I’ve been the director overseeing those same services that helped me become an entrepreneur. In the last few years our center has gone online and statewide and it has been thrilling to be a part of the expansion of services and impact to other women, like me, who are from a rural area in Utah.

UMLF: What are some of the awesome new projects your team is working on?
Ann Marie: So many! The WBCUtah is opening a second office in Cedar City, which will launch tailored services for women business owners throughout the southern half of Utah. Meanwhile, the center continues to grow its virtual network, which we hope to reach 25 by the end of next year. Additionally, WBCUtah.com is getting a major overhaul to ensure online services are forward-thinking, easy to access and use, and ever more powerful in helping female and male entrepreneurs throughout  Utah.

UMLF: What is your favorite way that the UMLF and WBC work together?
Ann Marie: A majority of our clients who are preparing for microlending are considering Utah Microloan Fund. It is wonderful for us to know there is a non-profit microlender and we understand UMLF’s loan process and time frames, which helps us better coach a client through the process and support them in their preparation. AND, we really enjoy the UMLF staff and culture!

UMLF: What is something you want UMLF clients to know about WBCUtah?
Ann Marie: I’d love UMLF clients to know that the WBCUtah is available at no charge to help them through the process of completing their application and preparing for their loan committee. We understand in general what the loan committee may ask, care about, and consider when deciding whether the microloan will be approved. The center has many free and low-cost ways to learn how to run a business, especially for those who have received a loan and get to put their business plan into action. Let us be your accountability partner so you can move your business forward.

UMLF: What do you love most about Utah business owners/entrepreneurs?
Ann Marie: I am impressed with Utah women business owners because, collectively, they are more successful than they know. I love looking at the annual rankings from American Express OPEN Report because it shows where Utah women soar! Utah women business owners rank #7 in the US in “economic clout”, which is a combination of the number of companies that are majority owned by women, number of people employed, and the money they earn. Utah women business owners are innovative, hardworking, and better at it than most other women in our country!

UMLFL: Tell us about Foodtrepreneur. What made you start this rad event?
Ann Marie: The Foodtrepreneur Festival started to “educate & celebrate” food products  and the business owners behind them. A few years ago, Rachel Hofstetter, former food editor of Oprah Magazine, moved to Utah from New York and wanted to start something with WBCUtah. Together we came up with and named the Foodtrepreneur Festival. The festival includes a panel to learn from successful food product entrepreneurs and then a showcase of local Utah food products. The first year brought 500 attendees! What I love about the event – it is not only a great atmosphere, which includes live musical entertainment a cash bar, but it also requires the business owners to be present so that participants can talk to them about their food product business, how they got started, and any tips they are willing to share.

UMLF: Do you have any events coming up that you would like us to share?
Ann Marie: Yes, we have two upcoming events: WBCUtah “Meet the New Team” and the 2018 Appreciation Breakfast:

WBCUtah “Meet the New Team”
Tuesday, October 2, 2018, 2pm – 4pm
We have a whole new team serving Utah women business owners and we are providing an opportunity to meet them all and have a bite to eat. We feel collaboration is the best way to serve more Utah women, so we likewise want our team to meet those in the community that we can support.

WBCUtah 2018 Appreciation Breakfast
Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 8am – 9:30am
We are providing a hot breakfast with a chance to say “Thank You!” to our clients, partners, supporters, and volunteers for their help in accomplishing the WBCUtah’s mission to help women build confidence, create opportunities and experience success. The 2018 WBCUtah Annual Report will be shared along with highlights of accomplishments of the center and some of its clients.

UMLF: And for fun, you’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
Ann Marie: Azure Blue. Because I love the letter “z” and because it’s the “color of the sky on a clear day”. 🙂

To learn more about the Women’s Business Center of Utah and to stay caught up on all the action visit  http://wbcutah.com/ and give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram. 

On Friday September 7th we transformed our parking lot for our annual shindig. The occasion? A night of food, fun and festivities to honor our financial and resource partners throughout Utah. It’s no secret that our state is ripe for budding entrepreneurs and the numbers don’t lie. According to the Small Business Administration, 96.7% of businesses in Utah are small businesses. Utah also won America’s Top State for Business in 2016 by CNBC. So what does this have to do with a Friday night party at the UMLF? We know it takes a village to support and grow emerging businesses in Utah and we can’t do it alone. With an amazing network of partners we can meet existing demand for resources and time required by new and growing companies. Whether they need help with business plans, cash flow statements, counseling, mentorship, funding options or an ongoing network, we know our Utah partner organizations are up to the task of helping all small business owners succeed.

Invitees included our esteemed partners such as the Salt Lake Chamber, the Women’s Business Center, SCORE Miller Business Incubator,  Suazo Center For Entrepreneurship, Dixie State Business Resource Center Southern Utah, University Business Resource Center, Utah Valley University Business Resource Center​, Box Elder County Business Resource Center, Sustainable Startups, Investable, Salt Lake County Economic Development and Westminster College to name a few.

So with everyone invited, what is a party without good food and entertainment? While there are many amazing companies in Utah to choose from, we were able to pull from our own network of amazing clients for the job. Dashing Events provided the styling and event rentals key to any successful event. Need to make a parking lot look good? Liz is your girl! (In addition to our office manager, Andi! Since our theme was New Orleans we knew we needed excellent food and music to do it proud. While listening to the tunes of David Halliday Music, guests were able to fill up a plate of gourmet soul food from Casual Cuisine and then top off their meal with a fresh crepe from French eatery Monsieur Crepes. Lastly, attendees could get their photo taken by the owner of Snap Shop Photo, get a mini massage from Mountainside Spa, sample tasty BBQ from Big Daddy Hill’s BBQ, pine over Stone Mountain Designs and peruse Everything Utah’s awesome local-themed gifts. Not bad for a work party if we do say so ourselves!

We would like to extend a big, big thank you to everyone who came to our event and to those who were there in spirit! Helping entrepreneurs grow their business is no easy feat and we sincerely appreciate the year-round support and hard work of all of our partners and are excited to keep working together for years to come. Also big thanks to our clients who helped us make the party a HUGE success. Lastly thank you to our financial partners who make all of our work possible: Zions Bank, Medallion Bank, Bank of the West, JP Morgan Chase, Synchrony Bank, Key Bank, UBS, American Express, First National Bank, First Utah Bank, Washington Federal, Ally, Merrick Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of Utah, Bank of American Fork, Mountain West Small Business Finance and Banner Bank. Until next year, cheers!

Thinking about re-branding your small business? It may be a good time to look at some new fonts and eye catching designs! You only have one chance to make a first impression…what does your logo, font, and icon say about you or your business?  Is your color theme out of date?  Do you LOVE it?  Ask your customers! Do they LOVE it?   If not, it may be time to re-brand! 

Logo Fonts and Colors
Changing your logo, profile, and/or icon can be intimidating at first, but is a great way to keep your currents customers engaged in your product/service and attract new ones to your business.  Trends for 2018 include keeping Logo fonts clean and simple.  Colors can be tricky to choose, but sites like Logo Lounge can help.  In a recent article Bill Gardner shared, 

           “Colors are merging and blending, and gradients are now part of our color
           dialogue.  A lot of this has to do with apps like Instagram—which, in fact, has a
           gradation as part of its logo. “

Sticking with one color can be a good way to keep consistency, but adding a color gradient may just what you need to catch a customer’s attention.  Watching big brands like Instagram, Arby’s, and Red Robin change their logos can be very insightful.  They spend large amounts of money on A/B testing to find out which font styles and logo designs resonate with their customers.   Scrappy entrepreneurs can save time and money and just learn by watching and applying what they do. 

Where do I start?
If you are seriously considering a rebrand, start with researching popular brands in your industry.  Find 3 or 4 you really love, copy them, and play around with them in photoshop.  You can also DIY a new logo on site like www.canva.com (one of our favorite go-to’s for inspiration and easy design help) or if it is in your budget you can hire a local designer like Highlo Designs (our new favorite designer out of Park City!)  Print some fake business cards on your computer with a logo design you might like.  See how it looks and feels to you.  Does it tell your business story?  Does it make customer trust your brand? Evoke emotion? Connect? 

Stay True
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to stay true to your business vision and mission.  Let your logo reflect the passion you have for your business and your drive to give your customers the best experience working with you.  

​Photo Credit & Feature to Highlo Designs, Park City, Utah.

BUILD YOUR FACEBOOK FOLLOWING
​Start the new year off by building your business Facebook page!
Invite your current followers to

• visit your business Facebook page, for example:  www.facebook.com/utahmicroloanfund
• then ask them to click on the “Invite Friends” button on the right hand side of your Facebook page and ask their friends to “like” it!

And while you are at it — be sure to visit our Facebook page, click on “Invite Friends”, and invite your business minded friends to “like” our page!

Happy New Year!

Blog Post by Emily Ashby
Small Business Owner & Training and Marketing Manager at the Utah Microloan Fund. ​