Merchant services can help as more workers move to Utah for great outdoor life

One huge advantage that Salt Lake City and all of Utah has for attracting new businesses and recruiting the top talent is our recreation. The ski resorts and all they have to offer are one perk that other workers throughout the West — especially in the tech sector — are paying attention to when considering a move to Utah.

A recent story in the Salt Lake Tribune goes into more detail on how the area’s ski resorts are helping to bring more residents to our state to share in all of the advantages we have when it comes to the great outdoors.

With all of these potential new employees also becoming potential new customers for your own business, merchant services become a vital part of daily work. By using a hometown bank such as First Utah Bank, you can take advantage of a wide range of services under that umbrella that can bring convenience to your customers as well as additional funding sources for your business.

Mountain life becomes a big plus to new businesses

The Tribune article highlights Utah’s big economic growth in part to outdoor activities on public lands as well as the resorts. One economic expert, Natalie Gochnour of the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, noted that Salt Lake City has this advantage that few metro areas can boast.

“In my experience, that consistently comes up in conversations with companies,” Gochnour said. “Our access to superb recreational opportunities is a huge advantage for our job creation and recruitment.”

Savvy companies that want the best and the brightest in their industries are looking to recruit outdoors enthusiasts. People who like to ski or snowboard, fish, camp or cycle are finding plenty of reasons Utah could be an ideal place to relocate.

John Harrison, senior director of engineering at Utah-based Lucid Software, relates in the article that those types of interests give his tech firm a large advantage over Silicon Valley, New York City or the Seattle area.

“When applicants come to Utah for interviews, we take them to destinations like nearby ski resorts or southern Utah,” Harrison said. “So, they can envision for themselves a life where they can make a few ski runs before coming to work, mountain bike on a summer evening, and inspire their kids with a weekend camping trip to the redrocks.”

A closer look at two top companies

Two of the recent Utah companies named as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in America by Outside Magazine clearly tout the outdoors in the Beehive State as a big attraction for employees.

In a recent article in Outside, American Fork-based BrainStorm, which helps businesses with software needs, lists some of the perks they give to employees: corporate ski passes, out-of-office days for events like snow tubing and adventure-grant opportunities.

The other Utah company that made the top 50 list is Skullcandy, the popular headphone and earbud developer that is based in Park City. They offer tons of perks related to the outdoors: power days, ski-pass reimbursements, indoor storage for boards or bikes and an annual ski day at Park City Mountain Resort, among others.

One employee of Skullcandy put it this way to Outside: “One of our company values is First Chair, Last Call, which is our way of saying work hard, play hard and we live this every day. With three different ski areas within 15 minutes of our office and 450 miles of trails out our back door, we work hard so that we can get out and play at every opportunity, winter or summer.”

How merchant services can keep your momentum going

As a hometown bank, we know how the Utah business economy is growing, as well as how hard you both work and play. Using our merchant services can help keep that aspect of your business close to home. We even partner with a local payment processing company, Select Bankcard, in order to bring you these solutions for your customers.

First Utah Bank offers merchant services for credit and debit card payments in retail, restaurants, mail order, telephone orders, internet or mobile purchasing. There’s also check processing services, EMV and NFC point-of-sale terminals, online software and payment gateways, and custom or pre-designed gift cards. All of your credit card terminals, websites and virtual terminals can be in sync with First Utah Bank’s business checking account, where your funds can be deposited directly after a purchase.

Having a merchant account means more than just offering customer convenience. It’s also a better way to manage the money coming in to your business. Accepting cards for payment streamlines the way you can handle transactions, and you can forecast and manage your cash flow much easier. You’ll also have fewer concerns with bad checks, which cause needless and inconvenient expenses and headaches for businesses.

Look to First Utah Bank for your merchant account and banking needs to help provide convenience not only to customers but also to your own business. Learn more at our website, or call First Utah Bank at 801-308-2265.