SOUTH SALT LAKE — In launching her own business in 2019, Jen Silver found there were few resources to help her address some of the questions that emerged.

As a female business operator herself, she had sought guidance from other females running their own businesses, figuring they could identify with some of the issues she was sorting through. “It was hard at first as there are almost no women in construction,” said Silver, operator of Roofing Utah.

She kept at it, ultimately found encouragement from other female business operators, though, and now hopes to make it easier going forward for other women looking to launch their own businesses, or create another resource to aid them, anyway. She’s launched Women Owned Businesses of Northern Utah, or WOBNU, a nonprofit meant to serve as a resource center of sorts for would-be female entrepreneurs and as a directory for consumers seeking out female-owned businesses.

“Our goal is to give Utah women the confidence to start new businesses or grow their existing businesses. And that’s good not just for the women of Utah, but it’s good for all of Utah,” said Silver, who’s targeting her efforts to the area extending from Utah County up into Northern Utah.

So far, operators of around 25 female-owned business operators have reached out, interested in getting on the directory. They include operators of hair and nail salons, a marketing firm, bakeries. Silver said she’s reviewing their information, hoping to get the names of 50 businesses in all before going live with it all. But she’s eager to move the effort forward.

Silver launched her South Salt Lake-based firm after the Salt Lake City roofing company where she was working went under. “I loved what I did. I loved my team,” she said.

She felt confident she could do it, but still, had questions. One of the big ones — how do you work through the fear and uncertainty that comes with launching a business, particularly as a woman in a male-dominated industry? “I wanted to find a like-minded woman who had pushed through that and I couldn’t find any,” she said.

In WOBNU, she envisions a place where female business operators might feel a bit more comfortable seeking feedback and information on all sorts of issues, everything from how to address cash-flow issues to picking proper attire. She wants it to be “something that’s easy and accessible and quick,” she said.

Beyond that, she wants to create a haven where women feel empowered to start businesses. As is, she suspects many don’t even give launching a business a go, intimidated by the perceived challenges. “I believe that happens every day,” she said.