Business Development Resources
Page Title
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce provides valuable services to our partners, advocates a positive business environment and stimulates economic development for South Central Kentucky. The Chamber unites businesses and professionals to collectively accomplish what cannot be done individually. Through our 1,300 partners the Chamber represents more than 36,000 employees.
Listed below are a variety of resources for our partners:
| Strategic Business Alliance | CEO Roundtables |
| SCORE | "How to Start a Business in the Bowling Green Area" |
| Industry Guides | WKU Small Business Development Center |
| Additional Websites for Small Businesses |
Other materials found in our Marketing section can provide valuable assistance to all businesses and organizations.
Strategic Business Alliance
South Central Kentucky's economy depends on the health of its small and entrepreneurial businesses. This region has a vibrant and diverse business community. Approximately 90 percent of Chamber partners are comprised of small businesses (defined as companies with 100 or fewer employees). The Strategic Business Alliance champions the growth and development of small business and non-profit organizations by providing education resources and fostering business development through relationships and networking. Small business and nonprofit organizations which are partners with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce are encouraged to join the Strategic Business Alliance at no additional fee.
Visit the Strategic Business Alliance page on our website to learn more about upcoming events.
Contact Program Director Lindsey McClain for details.
CEO Roundtables
CEO Roundtables provide a confidential board of advisors to support owners and managers of small and mid-size businesses with the challenges, problems and opportunities encountered in leading and managing. Participants in CEO Roundtables are owners or managers of small and mid-size companies or persons, regardless of title, who are responsible for direction of a company of the Bowling Green site. Participating in a CEO Roundtable is a place to share and gain management assistance and the ultimate purpose is to help businesses increase profits and grow.
SCORE
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce encourages business owners and entrepreneurs to look to the Service Corps of Retired Executives Association (SCORE) for business counseling and education.
SCORE has been assisting small business for more than 40 years and is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The association, made up of 11,000 volunteer business executives and professionals across the nation, provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with free counsel, advice and education. Counselors advise and guide their clients to make decisions about business ventures, and counseling is available for persons wanting to go into business as well as those already in business. SCORE counselors have a wide variety of experience from areas such as sales, marketing, manufacturing, inventory control, production scheduling, finance, and engineering, among other business experiences.
To learn more, call Ed Adkins at 270-746-5948. Meetings are available by appointment only.
The Bowling Green branch of SCORE is in need of more SCORE counselors. There are many opportunities to become involved for business leaders who are looking to utilize their business expertise to help a small business startup or to expand an existing industry. Volunteer roles are available for individual/team counseling, e-mail counseling, business training workshops and administrative support. Volunteers do not need to be retired to join SCORE. To learn more, e-mail bowlinggreenscore@score-kentucky.org.
"How to Start a Business in the Bowling Green Area"
A helpful online publication - "How to Start a Business in the Bowling Green Area" has information on preparing business plans, financing your business, obtaining business licenses, authorizations, and more. This article can be found within the Chamber Store.
Industry Guides
Industry guides are helpful with future business planning and are available to partners for $15 each, a discounted rate compared to the $35 fee for non-partners. These publications can be ordered through the Chamber Store.
Western Kentucky University Small Business Development Center
The Western Kentucky University Small Business Development Center has assisted entrepreneurs for 25 years by providing emerging and existing businesses with:
- Free one-on-one consultation
- Small business training programs
- Small business publications and reference information
The Western Kentucky University Small Business Development Center supports 11 counties in South Central Kentucky. It provides free one-on-one management counseling and can help with:
- Needs Assessment
- Market Research
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Business Planning
- Management Issues
- Strategic Planning
Click here for a complete listing of the consulting services offered by the Small Business Development Center.
The WKU Small Business Development Center is affiliated with the Small Business Administration; each university in Kentucky has a SBDC office and several of the universities have satellite offices.
Visit the WKU Small Business Development Center's website at www.wkusbdc.com. Contact the Miller Slaughter, director of the WKU Small Business Development Center, at 270-745-1905 or miller.slaughter@wku.edu..
Additional Websites for Small Businesses
- IRS Tax Center for Small Businesses: www.irs.gov/businesses/index.html
- The Government’s Small Business Administration: www.sbaonline.sba.gov
- Kauffman Resources Foundation: www.entreworld.org
- Wall Street Journal’s Center for Entrepreneurs: www.startup.wsj.com
- A Global Entrepreneurship Website: www.zeromillion.com
- US Patent and Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov
- About.com Small Business Site: sbinformation.about.com
- United States Chamber of Commerce: www.uschamber.com
