SALT LAKE CITY — So just how easy is it to start a business in Utah? Well, WalletHub says Utah ranks third among states in making it easy to start a business.
The duo that started the Sunroom Coffee Shop in Salt Lake City just over a month ago teams up daily to get customers ready to face the day.
"It's been crazy," said co-founder Sweden Allsop. "It's been nonstop. I feel like there's been like a constant line since we've been opened.
Allsop and her co-founder, Brian Raines, loved how the city didn't get in their way.
"We found out we needed, applied for, got inspected for and got a business permit for fire, health, and the city in one day, which is impossible, basically a wizard trick to ... find out you need a permit and get one in the same day," Raines said. "Only in Utah."
Local experts weren't surprised about Utah's ranking in the recent study.
Jim Herron, the director of the Salt Lake region of the Utah Small Business Development Center, says the high rating has a lot to do with the ease of securing business loans. At the same time, Herron cautions those looking to start a business not to get ahead of themselves.
"Don't do what they say in the movie 'Field of Dreams,' if you build it they will come," he shared. "The worst feeling in the world is to build it, open the doors, nobody comes."
Herron added it's all about doing the research to make sure there's a demand for your product.
"You gotta sell something that people want," he said.
So far, it's clear people want what Sunroom Coffee is serving, and the co-owners are already thinking about expanding.
"I could definitely see us doing one in California, one in probably Arizona and kinda start there and then kinda maybe go further to like someplace like New York one day," Allsop said, "so that's the goal.:
