Archives: Classes

Not quite ready for a traditional bank loan? Kiva may be a strong next step.

Kiva is a global crowdfunding platform that provides 0% interest, no-fee loans of up to $15,000 for small businesses and entrepreneurs who may face barriers to traditional financing. This session introduces how Kiva works, who it’s designed for, and how entrepreneurs can use Kiva as a practical financing tool for equipment, inventory, working capital, or business expansion.

About the Instructor:
Karli Salisbury has more than 10 years of experience in small business management, operations, and consulting. She brings a practical, grounded approach to her work with entrepreneurs and understands the real-world challenges that come with running and growing a business.

In her role with RCAC’s Building Rural Economies team, Karli supports small business owners as they strengthen their financial systems, improve operations, and make decisions that align with their goals. She is especially interested in helping entrepreneurs build confidence and create businesses that are sustainable, manageable, and rooted in the realities of their lives and communities.
 
​Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:
​

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

Learn how Utah’s Custom Fit grant can help your business pay for employee training and education.
This recorded class walks through what Custom Fit funding is, who qualifies, and what types of training may be eligible, including marketing, finance, websites, certifications, leadership development, technical skills, and more.
You’ll also learn how the application process works, what requirements to keep in mind, and how this funding opportunity can support your team’s growth.

About the Instructor:
 Kara Laws is an award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of Launched, a business education company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build profitable, sustainable businesses – especially in rural communities.
Named Utah Business CEO of the Year, Kara has started seven businesses and successfully sold five. She is the bestselling author of Don’t Suck at Business, a practical, no-nonsense guide to building a business that actually works. Her work centers on strategy, systems, and execution – cutting through noise and breaking business down step-by-step to help owners move from overwhelmed to in control.
 
​Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:
​

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​
​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

Most people aren’t short on time. They’re spending it in the wrong places.
In this session, you’ll learn how to spot the habits, distractions, and “time bandits” that derail your day. We’ll cover common productivity styles, ways to prioritize what matters most, and simple techniques to stay focused and get more done without feeling overwhelmed.

Topics include:
• Productivity styles and common time traps
• Prioritization strategies, including the Eisenhower Matrix
• Managing distractions and competing demands
• Creating systems that help you stay on track

A great fit for business owners, managers, and professionals looking to make better use of their time.
​
About the Instructor:
Kristen is a Co-Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Progression for Life, as well as a Certified Empowerment Engineer. An accomplished MBA graduate specializing in Entrepreneurship, Kristen combines academic expertise with practical coaching skills to empower individuals and businesses to achieve lasting success.
 
​Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:
​

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

Join Jill Shroyer, CEO of Expedition HR, for our next class:
This training equips attendees with tools to handle tough conversations with confidence and without feeling awkward, pushy, or like a jerk. We cover building trust, reading and managing body language, and using “inviting in” rather than “shutting out” language. Participants will learn Expedition HR’s 5-step formula for tough conversations, along with a 3-pronged approach to amplify its impact. We’ll also prepare attendees for the “What Ifs” when conversations don’t go as planned and share phrasing tips for successful outcomes.

After this training, attendees will:

• Script their next tough conversations using the 5-step formula
• Prepare for the “What Ifs” in any conversation
• Leave ready to tackle that tough conversation weighing on them—without feeling like a jerk!

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of good business, paralysis is. This workshop challenges small business owners to reframe risk from something to avoid into something to design around. We will practice identifying upside risk (the kind you want), downside risk (the kind you plan for), and ambiguity (the kind most people ignore until it’s too late).

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 
​
About the Instructor:
Charlie (she/they) is a self–described wanderpreneur and loves exploring our human relationships with work. She specializes in strategic alignment and supporting individuals and organizations in orienting to their Core Purpose & Values. She has her MBA and teaches strategy and leadership as an Adjunct Professor. Charlie mentors leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in aligning their work.

About Us:
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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Learn more at www.umlf.org

Learn how brand psychology shapes buying decisions so you can attract better customers and increase the value of what you sell.
A logo is not a brand. Your brand is the experience people have with your business, from your messaging to how clients feel when they interact with you. In this workshop, you’ll learn how brand psychology influences buying decisions and how to shape your brand experience so it attracts the right clients, builds trust faster, and increases the perceived value of what you offer. When your brand communicates the right signals, people are more willing to buy and pay more.
​

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 


About the Instructor:
Kara Laws is an award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of Launched, a business education company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build profitable, sustainable businesses – especially in rural communities.
Named Utah Business CEO of the Year, Kara has started seven businesses and successfully sold five. She is the bestselling author of Don’t Suck at Business, a practical, no-nonsense guide to building a business that actually works. Her work centers on strategy, systems, and execution – cutting through noise and breaking business down step-by-step to help owners move from overwhelmed to in control.

From rural Utah, Kara leads events, develops education programs, and advocates for small-town economic growth while raising three boys alongside her husband. She believes you don’t have to choose between building a meaningful business and building a meaningful life – and she has built both.

About Us: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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital. Learn more at www.umlf.org

Money touches every part of running a small business, yet most owners are left to figure it out on their own. Whether you are trying to stretch your dollars, preparing to borrow, or simply wanting a clearer picture of where your money goes, getting back to the basics can make a real difference.

In this class, First Electronic Bank breaks down the core skills that help small business owners stay in control of their finances. We look at how to cut expenses in ways that feel realistic, how to track your spending so you can make informed decisions, and how to create a simple spending plan that helps you prioritize needs over wants. We will also talk about what responsible borrowing looks like and how it can support your business rather than add stress.

The goal of this session is to give you practical tools and a clearer roadmap for managing your money day to day. No jargon, no judgment, just straightforward guidance to help you build healthier financial habits and create more breathing room in both your personal budget and your business.

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​
We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans and free business education and advising. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

HR issues can get complicated fast, especially when you are focused on running and growing a business. In this class, Jill Shroyer, CEO of Expedition HR, will walk business owners through 10 practical ways to prevent common and costly HR challenges before they turn into bigger problems.

The session will cover practical steps like creating clear and up-to-date job descriptions, understanding key employment law risks, and confidently navigating difficult workplace conversations. Attendees will leave feeling empowered to take immediate action, reduce risk, and build stronger, healthier workplaces while avoiding sticky HR situations.

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​
We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans and free business education and advising. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

If opening TikTok or Instagram and staring at a blank “create” screen makes you want to immediately close the app, this workshop is for you. This is a hands-on session taught by Kendall Rodriguez, aka Queen of SLC, who has helped local businesses grow real followings, attract new customers, and turn attention into actual sales through social media. You already know your business is good. Now let’s make sure Utah knows it too!

What is covered: 

• Content pillars that give you structure so you are not guessing what to post
• How to find the right side of TikTok and Instagram where your customers already hang out
• Using comments and conversations to build a loyal community, not just views
• Faster, smarter editing, including batching, strong hooks, and spotting trends without living on your phone
• Growing locally by collaborating with other businesses, vendors, and creators in Utah

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About Kendall:
In January 2022, Kendall posted her first TikTok. That summer, an eight-second video she made about a local Utah soda shop unexpectedly went viral, giving her first real traction on social media. Instead of treating it as a one-off moment, she leaned in and started using her platform to highlight how much she loves Utah and how much there actually is to do here.

As she spent more time creating, Kendall kept hearing the same narrative online that Utah and Salt Lake City were boring or had nothing going on. That criticism only fueled her motivation to prove otherwise by spotlighting local businesses, events, and experiences. Since then, she has built a hyperlocal following of more than 160,000 across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
In June 2025, Kendall left a decade-long career in Power 4 collegiate athletics to pursue social media full-time. Her ability to create engaging, authentic content has led to collaborations with Fortune 100 brands and helped elevate local businesses throughout the Salt Lake community and beyond.

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​
We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans and free business education and advising. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org

And how to avoid them!

Stop wasting money on marketing that is not working! Learn the biggest mistakes small businesses make and how to fix them. Join Kara Laws of Launched Academy for a no-fluff class designed to help you stop wasting money on marketing that is not working.

In this class, you will learn how to identify broken marketing strategies, understand why your current efforts may be costing you money instead of driving results, and discover what actually increases sales. Kara will walk through common marketing mistakes small business owners repeatedly make and share clear, actionable ways to fix them. You will also learn what truly gets clients excited about your business and how to position your brand so people want to engage, buy, and come back.

Want to access this class? Fill out this form: Request UMLF Class Recordings and Materials 

About the Utah Microloan Fund:
Our mission is to help 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:

• Are just starting out and don’t have an operating history
• Don’t have enough collateral for a conventional loan
• Have had life events that have had a negative impact on credit scores

​
We are designed to support business owners by offering small business microloans and free business education and advising. Our application and loan process is simple and can provide funds for equipment, inventory, or working capital.

​ Learn more at www.umlf.org