Success Stories – Read how KSU and USDA Rural Development are making a difference in Kentucky
Resources for Kentucky Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses
USDA Rural Development – Agencies & Offices
USDA Rural Development is committed to the future of rural communities. Their role is to increase rural residents' economic opportunities and improve their quality of life. Rural Development forges partnerships with rural communities, funding projects that bring housing, community facilities, utilities, and other services. They also provide technical assistance and financial backing for rural businesses and cooperatives to create quality jobs in rural areas.
USDA Rural Development – Business Programs
Promoting a dynamic business environment in rural America is the goal of Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), Business Programs (BP). BP works in partnership with the private sector and the community-based organizations to provide financial assistance and business planning. BP helps fund projects that create or preserve quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural environment. The financial resources of RBS BP are often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business and credit needs in under-served areas. Recipients of these programs may include individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and private companies.
USDA Rural Development – Kentucky Office Locations
USDA Kentucky Rural Development is the primary federal provider of assistance to rural areas. Their mission is to promote sustainable rural communities and to assist the residents of those communities improve their quality of life. Rural Development is comprised of three agencies: the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service.
USDA Service Center Agencies Online Services
The Service Center Agencies (SCA) include Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development. For your convenience we have provided several services online.
USDA Economic Research Service
This agency provides economic facts, research reports, and analyses for critical issues facing farmers, agribusiness, consumers, and policymakers.
US Small Business Administration (SBA)
Every state has at least one SBA district office, with multiple resource partners to support the needs of the small business community.
US SBA Small Business Start-up Guide
This small business guide is intended to serve as a roadmap for starting a business. It also includes numerous electronic links for additional information. Use this interactive tool, with many supporting resources to help you start a successful business.
Kentucky Small Business Development Centers
Kentucky's Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) Network is a statewide partnership between Kentucky's higher education institutions, state government, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the private sector. KSBDC consultants provide small business owners the help they need to deepen their understanding of management and business ownership. They provide analysis and data that is generally beyond the capacity of small businesses to purchase in the private sector.
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Small Business Services
The Small Business Services Branch coordinates Small Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise and Women Business Enterprise activities throughout the state's administrative structure. The branch acts as an advocacy agency for the furtherance and expansion of Kentucky-based small, minority and women-owned businesses through the utilization of resources available through the state or under the purview of the state.
Kentucky Secretary of State Business Services
To register a business entity, file reports with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and other business services including the online business database, the Kentucky Secretary of State Trademark search, and UCC online services.
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy
The Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP) provides a direct link between the Governor and Kentucky’s agriculture community. The office administers the Governor's Commission on Family Farms, the Kentucky Agricultural Resource Development Authority (KARDA), the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (Phase I), the Kentucky Tobacco Settlement Trust Corporation (Phase II), and the Kentucky Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund.