Owning a business in Logan as non-LDS (St. George, Draper: countertops, loans)

[woodguy00]

Hi Folks,

I am looking at buying a sub-contractor type business in the Logan area. My family is not LDS. Is this a high percentage LDS area? Do you see it a challenge for a non-LDS business owner to get contractors (presumably many will be LDS) to send work your way or do they tend to take care of their own? Is this even an issue?

Thanks for any help.

[BuhByeCalifornia]

I seriously do not think it's an issue.

We're building a house right now and I'm pretty sure that maybe 80% of our sub-contractors are NOT LDS. We're building in North Salt Lake, and my builder is from Draper.

It's really a non-issue.

As an active LDS person, I really don't care what religion my sub-contractors are - as long as they're honest, they work hard, and they do a good job.

[woodguy00]

Thanks for the input. That is what I was expecting. Reading here seems to give a bad picture of Mormons. My experiences with LDS neighbors and coworkers have been quite positive -as it has been with members of many religions.

Does anyone else have any thoughts?

[cracejy]

Would this be true of all business? I am considering moving to Utah and continuing my side business in photography. I am also considering opening a studio....do LDS tend to stay with LDS retailers?

[Blondie-Rabbit]

Depends on where you move to in Utah. It is not that you would not be welcomed, but out here with the family value thing, we are saturated by photography studios. If it were to do free lance work, and the art end, it is burgeoning. I'm a photographer as well. I'm freelance and stay busy in spurts traveling all over the world. Being close to Vegas makes the travel time for me not a hardship.

[almostidaho]

I am looking at buying a sub-contractor type business in the Logan area. My family is not LDS. Is this a high percentage LDS area? Do you see it a challenge for a non-LDS business owner to get contractors (presumably many will be LDS) to send work your way or do they tend to take care of their own? Is this even an issue?

It's good you're asking that question now, because some non-LDS and/or nonUtahns encounter problems doing business up here in Cache Valley. What you describe is definitely not unknown. There's way more clannishness up here than in SLC, for example, which shocks new people.

It is rapidly changing, however, with competition from outside the valley. For example, I just had cabinets installed and the installers were from outside the valley. An SLC firm will be installing the countertops. I didn't choose this setup: the cabinet people did because they weren't happy with local help.

Your BIGGEST problem as a subcontractor is going to be getting contractors or consumers to buy quality and to pay you decently. Folks around here will shop endlessly to get the cheapest deal done fastest. Also, beware the one big contractor here who doesn't pay unless you cosign his bridge loans. If that doesn't bother you as a craftsman, then you should pursue it. The housing market here seems to still be hot.

Gotta pass on a funny story. A good friend of mine had a window treatments business here. She finally folded it (voluntarily) for two reasons. One, it got to be really unpleasant constantly dealing with mean, cheap customers; and two, she just couldn't stand to be asked to match the blinds to that iconic LDS "George Washington praying in the snow" prints any more.

[cracejy]

Originally Posted by Blondie-Rabbit

Depends on where you move to in Utah. It is not that you would not be welcomed, but out here with the family value thing, we are saturated by photography studios. If it were to do free lance work, and the art end, it is burgeoning. I'm a photographer as well. I'm freelance and stay busy in spurts traveling all over the world. Being close to Vegas makes the travel time for me not a hardship.

Really well that is what I am doing now is freelancing. I string for a local paper and also a monthly sports paper....so that is good news.

[john2timex]

I also know of a photographer who had a thriving niche working the local sports scene. She would go to the games and take a lot of shots of "everyone". She handed out a lot of business cards throughout the game and as people were leaving. Parents mostly would then call and she would then find the shots based on the players number. She moved down to St. George recently.

[kbucket]

I live in Logan and have no idea which business owners are LDS, which are agnostic, Catholic, Baptist, or whatever. I don't care what their religion is. I go to whoever had the best products for the best deal. None of my friends care about the religion of business owners either. I can't think of ever hearing someone say that they turned down a contractor, photographer, etc. because they were not LDS. It wouldn't even be a question for me.

[rsalgado]

I would have to agree with Kbucket. It doesn't matter if the business is owned by LDS people or not. I go wherever I can find the best product for the best price. I should hope that everyone would do the same, I wouldn't have time to find out which businesses are LDS owned or not.