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Small Business Matters


SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES


Find out more about Bluegrass State Skills training opportunities
The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development's Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC) works with business and industry and the State's educational institutions to establish programs of skills training. The BSSC's basic purpose is to improve and promote employment opportunities for the residents of the Commonwealth through training grants and investment credits for skills training programs.
Find out if your company qualifies for either a training grant or investment credit.

HOT NEWS!


2008 Kentucky Small Business Air Quality Stewardship Award
(1) Are you a small business in Kentucky with less than 100 employees or do you know of a small business in Kentucky with less than 100 employees? (2) Are you, or a small business you know, doing great things for the environment, such as pollution prevention or community leadership, relating to air quality? If you answered YES, you could qualify for the 2008 Small Business Air Quality Stewardship Award to be presented at the 2008 Governor’s Conference on the Environment, Oct 6-7, 2008.
Click here for nominations forms:

Kentucky Division of Compliance Assistance 300 Fair Oaks Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601 Phone: 800-926-8111 E-mail: envhelp@ky.gov

SBA’s 504 Loan Program - “Land, Buildings, and Equipment for Business Growth”
504 Loan Program for small business fixed asset financing is a viable solution for taking that next step up the growth curve. The program has also been enhanced with the addition of a 504 Loan category specifically designed to help small businesses in the manufacturing sector. Full Article

Steven R. Ayers, Kentucky District Director
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Commission on Small Business Advocacy to implement Kentucky Existing Regulation Review and Reform Initiative
The Commission on Small Buisness Advocacy is initiating an existing regulation review and reform program. We will begin with the three questions below to gain understanding of particular problems in these areas: 1) Have you encountered problems with the existing Worker’s Compensation system? Please explain in detail. 2) Have you encountered any problems with the Unemployment Insurance System? Please explain in detail. 3) Have you encountered any regulations regarding your industry that are overly burdensome or out of date with industry standards? After a reasonable response time to these questions, we will begin to identify specific regulations.
To respond to questions, click here:


RegWatch was nominated for and won the Best of Kentucky Technology Award for Best IT Collaboration among Organizations.
The awards ceremony will be at the Kentucky Digital Government Summit on Tuesday, April 22 at the Embassy Suites in Lexington
Full Article

Commonwealth Office of Technology

New Web Site Combines Kentucky's Education, Employment, Economic Development Information
For the first time, Internet users can search Kentucky's education, employment and economic development information and resources from the convenience of their home or office at one easy-to-use site. Now in its second phase, www.e3.ky.gov recently unveiled a menu of new services that can benefit all Kentuckians.
Full Article:

Kentucky Education Cabinet
INSURANCE


Northern Kentucky Chamber Comments on the Family Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) states that covered employers must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons: • for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee; • for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care; • to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or • to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce responded to the Department of Labor’s request for comment on the FMLA. Their response addressed 12 specific issues that the Department of Labor has identified.
Full Article:

Steve Stevens,CCE,President Tim Becker,Chair, HR , Labor & Employment Policy Committee
Nothern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

Kentucky Office of Insurance launches Insure U
http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/doi/insureu.htm


Insurance Coverage, Affordability and Relief to (small) Employers, or ICARE
This initiative helps the commonwealth's small businesses keep a competitive edge while providing health care to employees.
http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/governor/02072006icare.htm

TOPICS OF INTEREST

Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative
Small businesses and their representatives have eagerly responded to Advocacy’s call for nominations of federal rules in need of review and reform. Nominations have been received from across the country since the announcement of the Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative
Full Article:

Office of Advocacy
U.S. small Business Administration

New Agenda for Kentucky
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce unveiled a Web site this morning to promote an idea-gathering project called New Agenda for Kentucky. The site, www.newagendaky.com, invites Kentuckians to submit their own ideas on education, the economy and quality of life issues. A task force will research the ideas, and present the best of them in December to Kentucky’s next governor. A similar effort is underway in Florida, where state leaders are tracking a project through their own Web site, www.100ideas.org. About 2,000 businesses belong to the Kentucky chamber. Other elements of the chamber’s Web site include a tool that allows users to rate ideas submitted by other people, and an overview of past studies and reports on agriculture, education, the economy and other issues.
Website Address:

Alex Davis
The Courier-Journal

Bringing it Home
Steven Ayers brings a passion for small business to SBA Kentucky post
Lucy M. Pritchett Business First Correspondent
Business First of Louisville
U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy

ALL CABINETS SMALL BUSINESS OMBUDSMEN
Tourism, Arts, and Heritage: Matt Osborne Email: Matt.Osborne@ky.gov
Education: Jeff Mosley Email: Jeff.Mosley@ky.gov
Economic Development: Ken Robinson Email: Ken.Robinson@ky.gov
Energy & Environment; and Public Protection: Kate Shanks Email: Kate.Shanks@ky.gov
Finance: Angela Robinson Email: Angela.Robinson@ky.gov
CHFS: Nancy Ovesen Email: Nancy.Ovesen@ky.gov
Justice and Public Safety: Karen Howard Email: Karen.Howard@ky.gov
Personnel: Tanya Lawrence Email: TanyaR.Lawrence@ky.gov
Transportation: David Harris Email: David.Harris@ky.gov
Labor: Chuck Stribling Email: Chuck.Stribling@ky.gov

Contact Us

Email:
econdev@ky.gov

Address::
Kentucky Cabinet for
Economic Development
Old Capitol Annex
300 West Broadway
Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone:
800-626-2930
502-564-7140