Business Resource Center
Helping Small Business Owners
When Molly Kohrman decided to open up her late-night brownie shop, she needed help fulfilling her business plan.
Kohrman heard about a free resource at Zions Bank that helps entrepreneurs learn what they need to do before starting a business. It was there that she met Greg Cassat, director of the Zions Bank Business Resource Center located at 310 S. Main in Salt Lake City.
“The Business Resource Center is an invaluable resource that provides business owners — whether Zions Bank clients or not — with free resources to help their ventures succeed,” Kohrman says. “Greg connected me to other community resources, other local entrepreneurs and possible suppliers. He also pointed me in the right direction to obtain the hard data I needed that was essential in obtaining a small business loan.”
Kohrman worked with Cassat on the basics and her business took shape. In October 2018, she opened BROWNIES! BROWNIES! BROWNIES! in Salt Lake City, fulfilling a long-held dream.
Creating a Plan
Entrepreneurs requesting a business loan from Zions Bank must first come with a business plan and financial projections. A major function of the Business Resource Center is helping clients prepare these items.
“Ideally, we’d all like to make sure the plan makes sense before we spend a lot of time and money to start the business,” Cassat says. “A lot of people get so excited about their products and services that they don’t think much about things like who will buy the product, who their competitors are, how many people would be willing to buy the product and so forth.”
Many entrepreneurs who come through the resource center are referred by Zions Bank loan officers, but that referral is not required. The main purpose of the resource center, Cassat says, is to help people start and run better businesses.
Someone to Help
“A lot of people don’t know about the process a bank goes through to approve a loan, and I can help demystify that,” he says. “My job is not to assess whether a business idea is a good one or a bad one; my job is to help entrepreneurs think about their business in a structured way so they can come to a conclusion on their own.”
Cassat is a former financial coach for Rich Dad Coaching, a business created by Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” Cassat is also an entrepreneur and real estate investor with military experience, which enables him to help clients in unique ways.
“The mindset piece is the most important piece,” he says. “A lot of people don’t do things simply because they don’t believe that they can. My job is to show them that anybody can start their own business. All it takes is an idea and a willingness to follow that through.”
Continuing Support and Resources
As every business owner knows, a good business plan isn’t enough to guarantee success. In the days, months and years after starting a business, entrepreneurs need continuing support and resources. The Business Resource Center offers plenty of both.
“I know a lot of people who offer services who I can reach out to in order to get the right kind of help for the client, no matter what stage of business they’re in,” Cassat says.
To schedule an appointment with someone at the Salt Lake City Zions Bank Business Resource Center, call 801-844-7900 or email utresources@zionsbank.com.