Moab SBDC supports more than 40 businesses under new director

Nine months after taking over Moab’s Small Business Development Center, Associate Regional Director Todd Thompson said the program is active, accessible and delivering results after a period of turnover.

Since January, Thompson has worked with more than 40 businesses across Grand and San Juan counties, offering free advising on business planning, financial projections, marketing, leadership, customer relations, liability protection and guidance through grant and loan applications.

The Moab office is part of the Utah Small Business Development Center Network, a statewide and national program that provides free advising and training for entrepreneurs. Utah State University hosts 15 SBDC locations across the state, including Thompson’s offices in Moab and Blanding.

The Moab SBDC had previously struggled to keep a permanent director, leaving the local position vacant for long stretches. Last fall, Grand County commissioners extended a $20,000 contract with USU to keep the program running through its full three-year term, hoping stable leadership would improve results. After this period of turnover, Thompson said his focus has been on being consistently available so businesses know they have someone local to rely on.

“People know that I’m present, I respond quickly back to them,” he said. “They like that they’re able to come in … know that I’m dependable and that I’m working for them.”

Local entrepreneurs said the impact is clear. Ride Moab Industries, a veteran-owned motorcycle rental and tour company that has operated since 2022, turned to Thompson this year for help purchasing the building it currently rents on Spanish Valley Drive. Co-owner KaLeigh Welch, who runs the business with her husband, said the support has given them confidence to pursue financing and expansion.

“After talking to Todd, he just really put us at ease … encouraging us to go after some of these grants and even a loan,” Welch said. “He helped us lay everything out, revise our business plan and financials, and that gave us a solid foundation.”

She added that Thompson’s ability to identify realistic opportunities saved them time and stress.

 “It’s like a live Google search engine optimization, but personalized to me,” she said. “The knowledge we’ve gained already … I just can’t believe we’re not paying for it.”

John Early, who is preparing to open Coyote’s, a new café and community hub in the old visitor center off Main Street, said SBDC guidance gave him more than the loan advice he initially sought.

“What started as pursuing a loan actually became a really great business plan, and that was the most important thing I got out of it,” Early said.

Early, who has lived in Moab on and off for two decades working in restaurants, guiding, retail and tourism, said Coyote’s — expected to open within a month — will offer grab-and-go food such as sandwiches, coffee and ice cream, along with gear, gifts, art and souvenirs.

He said the most valuable part of working with the SBDC is the accessibility and encouragement from Thompson and other advisors, who checked in with ideas, connections and grant opportunities. He contrasted the free service with consultants who charge by the hour and may not be invested in a business’s long-term success.

“It’s like having somebody in your corner,” he said, calling the support a “pleasant surprise” and a no-strings, good-faith effort to help local entrepreneurs succeed.

Thompson said each case is different. He is currently helping a non-English-speaking client navigate the entire startup process, from business planning to funding and property acquisition. He also pointed to new opportunities such as the state’s Economic Assistance Grant program, which opened Monday,  Sept. 1 and provides up to $200,000 for project-based expansions.

“We’re here to help them look at different funding options,” he said. “If they have a request, making sure that I’m able to fill those requests and make sure that I’m able to help them put all the paperwork together necessary for them to be able to grow their businesses.”

Looking ahead, Thompson said he will continue building partnerships and outreach, including a December workshop with the Economic Opportunity Advisory Board to help businesses prepare stronger applications for the county’s Rural County Grant program. He is also working with the Utah Microloan Fund to expand financing options for local companies.

He emphasized that SBDC services remain free — a fact Welch and Early both said still surprises them.

“Our job is to make sure that we provide a service that each business needs, and every business needs something different,” Thompson said. “If there’s something that I don’t know, I can easily reach out to any of the other regional directors … we all work very well together to be able to provide assistance.”