Across the University of Utah, there are student-owned small businesses helping to fund tuitions, bulk up resumes, be a creative outlet and even fulfill credits for majors. I spoke to a few student small business owners to learn more about why they do what they do. 

LOAFGURL

When I first put the call out for small businesses, there was a resounding cry for LOAFGURL, owned by Grace Kratz — a sophomore at the U majoring in marketing with a finance minor. The community’s love for her baking is clear, reaching over 200 Instagram followers in just five months. Kratz started baking at 10 years old and sells her loaves to students across campus.

Initially, it was difficult for Kratz to balance schoolwork and baking, but she soon developed a consistent schedule. The week’s menu is posted for orders Monday-Friday, leaving the weekdays open for schoolwork and classes. Saturdays are dedicated to baking and Sundays are delivery days. By sticking to this strict schedule, Kratz is able to continue her studies and her business simultaneously. 

When asked about the motivation behind her baking, Kratz said, “I wanted to make it something college students would want and was affordable.”

She offers free deliveries to Lassonde Studios and Kahlert Village, and often has parents order baked goods for their on-campus children.

“I’ve had students tell me that one loaf can work as breakfast for a week —that’s huge,” Kratz said. 

LOAFGURL can be found at @loafgurl_ on Instagram and Facebook. Her menu rotates each week with different flavors of loaf cakes and baked goods, but don’t worry: the popular pumpkin chocolate chip is always offered. 

Kelsey Hartf

Kelsey Hart is a computer science major and a sophomore at the U. She started KandKKrafts, a Redbubble shop, in the summer of 2022. Redbubble, much like Etsy, is a platform where artists can share and sell their work. When not doing homework, Hart draws her designs and sells them as stickers, tote bags, phone cases and even canvas prints. 

Being a full-time student, Hart has arranged her schedule to allow for more time to draw and upload her work.

“It’s a form of self-care for me,” she said. “And I want to start drawing more trending art.”

For right now, there isn’t too much pressure for the business and she’s able to draw for herself. 

You can find and support Hart at KandKKrafts on Redbubble. Hart expressed the more support she gains, the more her art can help with her tuition and other expenses. 

Janeth Sanson

Baking is a growing craft for many U students. Janeth Sanson transferred from SLCC in 2022 to study art education after earning her associate’s degree in criminal justice.

She said she wanted to start baking because, “I saw my mom using prepared cake mixes and thought ‘I wonder how I could do that from scratch.’” From then on, Sanson has been experimenting with all sorts of desserts and selling them out of her home. 

Sanson has started looking for ways she can pull baking inspiration from her Hispanic heritage. She loves to bake flans and has been experimenting with using other desserts as the base including cheesecake, brownie and a variety of other unlikely but fun flan combinations. She has definitely earned her stripes in the baking world, having won a third place title in the 2022 Utah State Fair jello contest with her no-bake mango cheesecake.  

Baking helps support her studies and passion for art.

“There are times when I have to sell more to help pay for my required art supplies,” Sanson said. “I have to [put aside my] social life so I can finish baking orders.”

You can find Janeth’s baked goods and crafting creations on Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest: @janethhh_s, @janethsanson and Janethhh_s, respectively. 

Ashlyn Burns

Ashlyn Burns is a first-year biology major who is on a pre-veterinary track. She is a photographer based out of Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls who loves to “incorporate modern, editorial poses and editing to create images that still communicate the subject’s personality and vibe.” To Burns, each photo is a piece of artwork and should be treated as such from the beginning to the end. 

The time-consuming nature of being a full-time student with a full-time job has made it difficult to keep up with her photography. She continues to try to fit in shoots at least once a month, but she cannot wait until the summer comes and she can open her bookings once more.

“If you are looking for an artsy flare to your photoshoot this spring or summer, then I’m your gal,” Burns said. “I love working with clients who want to push the boundaries of art and turn their photos into images fit for a magazine.”

Ashlyn can be found on all social media platforms at @ashlynburnsphotography, and her website is ashlynburnsphotography.com.

Whether you are looking for a sweet treat or wall art, there is a community of hard-working U students eager to share their talents.

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