Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development

Increasing the capacity of entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region is a vital component of a successful Appalachian transition. Increased entrepreneurship expands local ownership of the economy—keeping dollars circulating locally--generates income from sales outside of the region, and provides vital goods and services to others in communities. Numerous resources are available for highlighting policy and support needs, as well as examples of successful strategies throughout the region. Key resources include:

Stories

• KD’s Homemade BBQ Sauce — Kevin McKee was born into the restaurant business in Whitley County, Kentucky. “I learned the business from the ground up in my parents’ 24-hour restaurant in Williamsburg,” Kevin explains.

Websites and Organizations

• Appalachian Center for Economic Networks
• Center for Economic Options
• Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute
• Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation
• Mountain Association for Community Economic Development
• Natural Capital Investment Fund

Reports and Resources

• Aspen Institute, “Developing Entrepreneurial Economies in Rural Regions: Lessons from Kentucky and Appalachia” (1998)
• Aspen Institute FIELD, “Case Study of Advantage Valley, West Virginia” (2008)
• Aspen Institute FIELD, “Making the Connection: Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)” (2000) ($ Req'd)
• Aspen Institute FIELD, “Making the Connection: People, Incorporated of Southwest Virginia/Appalmade”(2001) ($ Req'd)
• Barkley, David and Markley, Deborah “Development of an Entrepreneurial Support Organization: The Case of the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation” (2003)
• The Brandow Company, “Analysis of Business Formation, Survival, and Attrition Rates of New and Existing Firms and Related Job Flows in Appalachia” (October 2001)
• Central Appalachian Network, “Strategies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
• Emery, Brenda, Fisher, Larry and Macke, Don “Boosting Entrepreneurship in Appalachian Ohio” (2003)
• Markley, Deborah et al. “An Evaluation of the Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute: Insights and Recommendations” (February 2007)
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition, “Access to Capital and Credit for Small Businesses in Appalachia” (January 2007)
• Regional Technology Strategies, “Evaluation of the Early Stages of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Entrepreneurship Initiative” (March 2001)
• RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, “Creating a System of Support for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in Kentucky: Insights and Policy Recommendations” (August 2008)
• Rural Policy Research Institute, “Creating an Entrepreneurial Appalachian Region: Findings and Lessons from an Evaluation of the ARC’s Entrepreneurship Initiative 1997-2005” (April 2008)

To suggest a resource or link: info@appalachiantransition.net