Small Business

The Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer county Chambers of Commerce are partnering with state and federal organizations to aid in ice and wind storm recovery efforts. The chambers, along with the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are asking that small businesses in Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer counties report estimated costs of damages to their local chamber. This unprecedented effort will help state and federal officials put a price tag on the recent storms and ensure that the small business community will have as many resources as possible to aid in the rebuilding efforts.

Dear Editor, Janet Hamner is my choice for city commission. She has an extensive knowledge of city issues and is a staunch supporter of economic development. We need more jobs in Danville. I believe that Janet will understand and support the efforts to recruit more companies to Danville. Our city government needs to be more business friendly and I am confident that Janet's knowledge of the complexities involved with running a small business will be beneficial when serving as a commissioner.

STANFORD - Dr. Jennifer L. Brown, O.D., didn't need a prescription to see the benefits of Southeast Kentucky Economic Development's Entrepreneurial SMARTS training (Simple Methods And Reality-based Training for Success). All she needed was $25 and a desire to better manage her burgeoning optometry business in Somerset. The Pulaski County native was among 12 current and aspiring small business owners from all walks of life who attended SMARTS training in Stanford this month and received certificates of completion recently at The L&N Depot.

Trey Grayson Party: Republican Education: Harvard Univer-sity Honor Graduate, University of Kentucky Honor Graduate, Governor's Scholar in public high school. Public Service: Founding member of Legacy, an organization for young professionals. Grayson has served on the following boards: New Hope (crisis pregnancy) Center, Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education, Kentucky Gover-nor's Scholars Program, and the Commonwealth Fund for Kentucky Educational Television.

STANFORD - Small business owner Masato Sugimura - winner of the 2012 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) - was recognized as one of the region's top entrepreneurs at an EIEA Hometown Event in Lincoln County. Sugimura, president and owner of Lincoln Manufacturing USA, LLC, celebrated his win in the For-Profit Business category with employees, local community leaders, and EIEA sponsoring partners on Oct. 23 at a catered reception at Lincoln Manufacturing plant on Industrial Park Drive.

I encourage your support and vote for Janet Hamner for city commissioner. She has had years of experience in owning and managing a small business in downtown Danville.  This has provided her with exceptional knowledge in business management, finance and employee understanding. Janet has served on numerous boards and committees in Danville over the past 37 years and has provided great leadership. She has been totally dedicated to every project she has undertaken by first understanding the goals and then doing her “homework.” Janet has the skills necessary to assure that our city is run in a businesslike manner with openness and fairness for all residents.

In the midst of the hectic commercialism that has engulfed the weekend following Thanksgiving, specifically the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, a day has been designated to promote the small businesses in communities nationwide.  This includes many in Danville, where owners say they are feeling the love on Saturday. “We have had a fair amount of shoppers expressing that they're happy we're here,” said Julie Nelson, owner of Maple Tree Gallery on Main Street, which has extended its hours through the holiday season.

The Better Business Bureau serving Louisville, Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky now is accepting nominations for the BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics. BBB hosts its annual Torch Awards event to recognize and honor those companies and non-profit organiza tions whose business practices and related activities in the community exemplify the BBB?s mis sion of advancing marketplace trust. The program awards businesses and non-profit organizations that maintain a solid commitment to conducting their business practices in an ethical fashion.

Creating a Creek Walk along Town Creek and eliminating parking on Main Street were among the many ideas brought forth by more than 90 people who attended a public workshop to discuss the needs of downtown Nicholasville. The meeting's goal was to help develop a master plan for downtown Nicholasville. With that in mind, the city of Nicholasville enlisted the services of New Cities Institute of the Kentucky League of Cities and the Lexington-based CDP Engineers. "Where do you see the city going, and where do you want the city to go," CDP's Scott Southall asked the crowd Saturday morning.