On Friday, July 26, 2019, two Kentucky Land Grant Universities, an 1862 and 1890, teamed up to address existing business retention and expansion issues in the Frankfort Area. Kentucky State University (KSU) Extension Community Resource Development (CRD) team and the University of Kentucky (UK) - Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) partnered with the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce and the Frankfort City Mayor's Office to provide a community-based program (Business Retention and Expansion Program (BR&E)) that engages the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce to examine the local small business situation, interpret the information collected, and purposefully plan to strengthen the ability of the community to understand local business needs and to positively respond. A Frankfort Area BR&E Task Force was created. The BR&E Task Force's goal and objects were to develop an in-depth small business survey; advertise and promote an informational Kick-Off event; provide the survey via Frankfort Area Chamber's website, via KSU's social media, face to face interviews; analyze the results of the survey; create and share the executive summary with the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce and present the results to the greater community, and address the needs of the survey with resources. 

On Tuesday, September 17, 2019, seven small business owners attended the BR&E Informational Kick-Off, hosted by KSU CRD and the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce at KSU's Cooperative Extension building. The UK-CEDIK representatives explained the BR&E program and the business survey. 

From September 17, 2019, to October 31, 2019, 45 surveys were collected online and face to face interviews. Sample of the survey demographics (below)

• Primary Business Types: Professional Services (49%), Restaurants (16%), Retail (11%), “Other” (16%), and didn't self identify (8%)
• 36% of women-owned; 31% Minority Owned; 13% Veteran Owned
• Business Size: Between 1 to 70 employees

December 2019, the 2019 Frankfort Area BR&E Executive summary was shared with the President of the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce - sample of the executive summary (below)

Positive aspects of doing business in the Frankfort Area: 

• friendly community 
• diversity and cultural opportunities
• State Capital and Government hub
• beautiful area

Barriers/Challenges of doing business in the Frankfort Area:

• access to credit to start, retain, and or expand a business
• regulations and red tape in starting a business
• new businesses needing to prove themselves to the community before being received

Small Businesses' survey Recommendations to the Chamber and CRD Extension: 

• Provide access to capital for new and existing businesses with attractive interest (incentivize) 
• incentivize or assist businesses in order to facilitate expansion
• explore the specific high school workforce training needs 
• streamline business start-up experience to reduce unexpected hurdles, red-tape, and complications
• create a collective marketing tool for small businesses with limited marketing budgets

March 16, 2020, Kentucky businesses were closed by the governor in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic 

April 22, 2020, Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce, KSU Extension CRD, and UK CEDIK created a list of small business programs to address their needs from the BR&E survey. 

June 1, 2020, the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce received a $90,000.00 grant from the Care Source Foundation to support Frankfort Area's small businesses that were locally owned, had at least one employee, and located in the downtown Frankfort area. To aid in the distribution of the grant and in light of the 2019 Frankfort Area BR&E Executive Summary, the Chamber selected board members and the KSU Extension CRD team was asked. The ReOpen Frankfort Grant Program tends to serve as a gap funding for small, consumer-focused businesses located in Frankfort and the Frankfort community that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards may be used for operating expenses including rent, utilities, payroll, inventory costs, etc.  

June 2 - 5, 2020, KSU CRD assisted four of the 18 applicants (business owners) with their applications. One business is owned by a black male, one business is a white female-owned, one business is owned by three black females, and one business is owned by a Hispanic family. Five of the 18 applicants were BR&E participants. 

June 5, 2020, the deadline for small businesses to apply for the grant. 

June 15 - 26, 2020, KSU CRD and other board members received news coverage when presenting 17 checks in the amount of $4,700.00 each and one check in the amount of $2,500.00 at the businesses storefronts with the owners. The four businesses that the KSU CRD aided received $4,700.00 each. The owners were grateful for the funds. 

June 30, 2020, Kentucky State University Extension CRD, the University of Kentucky CEDIK and the Frankfort Area Chamber President created a list of small business programs to address the BR&E survey list of needs in conjunction with the COVID-19 small business operating issues:

• How to re-open my business post-Social Distancing 
• How to complete and submit CARES Act Stimulus paperwork
• Parking and traffic patterns in Franklin County
• Promotion of a Business Friendly environment 
• Customer Appreciation Plans for Franklin County businesses 
• Cost of doing business in Franklin County: utilities, rent, and taxes
• Planning and preparedness for disasters 
• How to obtain small business funds
• Where to find, hire, and how to retain and develop employees – High School Business Training/ Skilling Me Softly 
• How to market and advertise a small business
• How to create a business transition plan 
• Support communication and networking among new businesses
• Facilitating connections between business and local government leadership
• How to share your business concerns

These programs will be delivered via video conferencing presentations, FactSheets, and Face to Face meetings. Programs will start in July and continue into the foreseeable future.