For many of us, choosing a little easier path to make our way through life, at least when we can, is pretty appealing. So much so, we can probably even call that kind of thinking “human nature.”

But then there’s Thomas Coates – a Jordan High School graduate who chose instead, to enter a career that is arguably the most physically demanding – and dangerous, for only modest pay – of any job out there.

“Growing up, I just always kind of wanted to enlist in the Marines,” Coates said. “I served for eight years, with one deployment in 2007 and 08 to Iraq. I decided to get out after suffering a non-combat back injury. To this day, all of my closest friends are Marines.”

Still avoiding the easy path, Coates next earned a double major in finance and accounting at the University of Utah, followed by an Accounting MBA through Illinois University. Oh, and he just passed the rigorous certified public accountant exam.

Ah, finally, the easy life – a quiet, bean-counting gig. And, yes, Coates is working that kind of job full time now. But, with his wife and brother- and sister-in-law as partners, Coates is back on yet another challenging path, part time. They’re working to introduce dessert-loving Utahns to sweet treats most of us have never heard of or tasted. 

“Our business, Shiro Kuma Snow Cream (shirokumasnowcream.com), sells Asian frozen desserts,” Coate’s wife, Lissette Coates, explains. “Snow cream is lighter than ice cream, with more flavor than snow cones. We also sell Hong Kong bubble waffles.”

Uh…OK?

“Most people don’t know what our desserts are until they try them,” Lissette Coates continued. “But our customers love them. We had a store in West Valley City before COVID hit. Now we are bouncing back, serving out of our food trailer. Last summer we sold desserts at lots of Salt Lake Valley festivals and food markets, including the Taylorsville Food Market. That one fit our schedule perfectly on Tuesday nights. We hope and plan to be there again this summer.”

As they were working to bounce back into business, post COVID, the Coates crossed paths with Becky Guertler, Manager of the Utah Veteran Business Resource Center.

And VBRC is just the beginning of the alphabet soup. There’s UDVMA, USSBA and SLCC to go with it.

“The VBRC was established in 2017 through the Utah Department of Veteran and Military Affairs,” Guertler explained. “We are also supported through the United States Small Business Administration. Salt Lake Community College provides us with office space and amazing support – marketing and public relations assistance, many things.”

With an annual operating budget of $450,000, Guertler and two other employees work out of SLCC’s Mill Entrepreneurship Center on the school’s Sandy campus. That’s also where the eight previous Utah Veteran-Owned Business Conferences were held. But this May 9, the event – which normally draws a couple of hundred Veterans and/or their spouses – will be in Taylorsville.

“Our conference will be held at the SLCC Student Center on the Taylorsville campus, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Guertler said. “Every other service we provide to Utah military veterans is free. But we do have to charge a nominal $35 fee for the conference to help cover costs. The fee includes plenty of coffee, a meal and dessert.”

Which brings us back to Shiro Kuma Snow Cream.

“We provided dessert at last year’s veteran’s conference and we’re excited Becky invited us back to do it again this year,” Lissette Coates said. “We’re expecting another busy spring and summer season at festivals and farmers markets this year. Eventually, we may look at adding a second food trailer. We may also get back into a brick-and-mortar store, like we had for four years before COVID hit.”

Lissette Coates recently attended a free entrepreneur training course, presented by VBRC. And that means it’s time for a second helping of alphabet soup.

“VBRC presents six STRIVE (Startup Training Resources to Inspire Veteran Entrepreneurship) courses each year,” Guertler said. “The curriculum was created through the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, in New York. Our courses meet two hours a night, once a week, for eight weeks. We keep the classes small – and students work on their own particular business ideas.”

Lissette Coates already has a marketing degree from a prestigious New York fashion and business school. But despite that background, she found her free STRIVE course to be very valuable.

“They provided such a wonderful space where there were no dumb questions,” Coates said. “We really got into great details. It was like having a private tutor. The speakers were so knowledgeable.”

Lissette Coates was eligible to attend, despite not being a military veteran herself, because all VBRC programs are open to vets and their spouses.

“Our VBRC slogan, ‘Your Service Paid for Our Service,’ is something we truly believe,” Guertler said. “Our military veterans have given so much to this country. As far as VBRC is concerned, they have already paid for any assistance we can provide. We’re proud to extend that to their spouses, as well.”

According to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 118,000 military veterans live in Utah, and close to 19,000 of them own businesses. However, since opening shop in 2017, the Utah Veteran Business Resource Center has only worked with about 2,300 of those vets. 

Perhaps that means all the others are doing just fine without VBRC assistance. But Guertler says those veteran business owners don’t know what they don’t know.

“Whether they are just starting out, or they have a well-established business, I believe VBRC has something to offer veteran business owners,” Guertler concluded. “We assist vets at all levels. For those who are already very successful, VBRC provides networking opportunities that might help them grow their businesses even more.”

As for eight-year Marine service veteran Thomas Coates, even though his wife has the closer connection to Guertler and VBRC, he too appreciates what it provides.

“I believe the two things veterans appreciate most are being recognized for their service to our country and being provided opportunities to tell their stories,” Coates said. “Not just our military stories – but stories about what we are doing now. I enjoy talking about our Shiro Kuma Snow Cream dessert business. VBRC provides opportunities to do that – along with their professional training.”

To learn more about the Utah Veteran Business Resource Center – and to sign up for the May 9 Utah Veteran-Owned Business Conference, this year on the SLCC Taylorsville campus – visit utahvbrc.org. λ