2017 Bowling Green & South Central Kentucky Magazine

Page 28

28

Central for Business

GROW KENTUCKY

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n today’s competitive economic market, your business is smart to collaborate with an experienced partner who can help you navigate obstacles, optimize performance and achieve success. The National Center for Economic Gardening, the Kentucky Small Business Development Center and the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky established Grow Kentucky – a network that provides businesses virtual access to teams of highly-skilled research specialists. Each team is matched with a select group of qualifying companies. Using private conference calls and a secure online workspace, the team interviews the company to identify specific issues it can help with. Over a few weeks, the team devotes between 35 to 40 hours to each company, delivering action-oriented information at no cost.

READY TO GET STARTED?

1

Contact Grow Kentucky at 859-257-6957.

2

Fill out the application at www.growkentucky.com.

3

A Grow Kentucky representative will contact you within one business day.

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Once accepted into the program, Grow Kentucky will schedule an interview with you and the team to get started.

SPARKING NEW CULTURE CHAMBER JOINS FORCES WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL ENTITIES TO SPUR INNOVATION

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outh Central Kentucky has been busy creating a strong community for entrepreneurs, specifically through South Central Kentucky Opportunity Network for Entrepreneurs – a powerful partnership between the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bowling Green office of the Kentucky Innovation Network and Western Kentucky University’s Small Business Accelerator and Small Business Development Center. The partnership cross promotes the services and benefits of each office and streamlines processes for entrepreneurs and companies seeking their services. “SCKyONE will transform how our business development resources are used,” said Jeff Hook, director of the Center for Research & Development and Small Business Accelerator. “This partnership will spark conversations among the partners and throughout the community resulting in an invaluable information-sharing network for the partners, business owners, startups and entrepreneurs alike.” As the voice of the business community, the Chamber convened

the partners that comprise SCKyONE in order to accelerate the growth of existing and new regional businesses. “Each of the partners offers a variety of services and resources,” said Ron Bunch, Chamber president and CEO. “SCKyONE will link each organization, encouraging collaboration and ensuring assets are being leveraged to grow businesses throughout the region. We are confident that this collaboration will spark a new culture of innovation and creativity in South Central Kentucky that will serve our existing businesses and grow new ones right here at home.” SCKyONE is a one-stop-shop for financial and technical assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The partnership establishes a system of volunteers to enhance the creation and growth of local small businesses. Partners offer seamless collaboration with multiple points of entry and identify funding resources that assist in entrepreneurial success and small business development. The partners also collaborate on networking events, training and professional development activities.


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