Coronavirus (COVID-19): Relief options and Additional Resources
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Success Stories

Situation

Will Rivera was an accomplished high school track and cross-country runner in Puerto Rico. Having numerous college scholarship offers, Will instead joined the U.S. Army. While serving his country, he became a certified natural running coach and ultra-marathoner. He also obtained a B.S. Degree in Leadership Management and Human Resources.  Last stationed at Ft. Knox in central Kentucky, Will retired as a First Sergeant after serving honorably for over 24 years.

Solution: How the SBA Helped

Will had a dream of turning his fitness passion into a retail store that was a “one stop hub” for running, walking and cross-training. While at Ft, Knox, he attended the Boots to Business entrepreneurial training program and worked with the University of Kentucky SBDC in Elizabethtown. The SBDC helped him develop a business plan and obtain an SBA loan in 2013. The result: a veteran-owned and family-owned business, Running Soles, LLC. Will, wife Madeline, and sons Jonathan and... Read More

Situation

Bailey Safety, Inc. offers a full complement of training and education services for companies requiring compliance and facility specific needs. Bailey Safety is focused on OSHA training requirements and performs Safety Program Evaluations and Compliance Analysis. Services include consultations, 36 on demand “Tool Box Talk” topics and on-site or remote safety training. They also offer company-specific safety management and training plans.    Launched in June 2012 by Nancy Bailey, the company has focused on providing businesses with the benefits of a company safety director without the overhead. Bailey Safety revenue grew steadily until February 2020, when COVID-19 hit.

Solution: How the SBA Helped

After COVID-19 forced Nancy to suspend her business model, she applied for an SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan with Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. Nancy Bailey is a recent graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders Initiative, offered by the SBA Kentucky District... Read More

Situation

In 2004, Rhonda Hatfield and her husband Tim opened Little Scholars, Inc. childcare center in Louisville, KY. The childcare industry is highly fragmented, labor-intensive and very competitive. Cash flow must be well monitored and managed. Management skills required to start a business are different from those needed to grow a business with more employees & obligations. In 2013, Rhonda sold the childcare business and began searching for her next entrepreneurial voyage.  Rhonda opened Blue Halo Med Spa in 2014, a day spa that offers a customized program, including wellness services for its patrons. In 2020, Blue Halo Med Spa was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Solution: How the SBA Helped

In March 2020, Rhonda applied for SBA loans specifically for COVID-19. Rhonda Hatfield had used the Louisville SBDC office for budgeting, management and marketing assistance in 2003 and still does. The SBDC provide Rhonda with guidance as her first location evolved. They... Read More

Situation

Paul Isenberg learned many lessons from his adopted family: his mother, a teacher for 40 years; his father, a banker; and his grandfather, best friend and mentor. Although he had enjoyed a very successful career in sales and marketing, Paul’s heart tugged at his passion for teaching and an itch for becoming an entrepreneur. With this background, plus an undergraduate degree in education and an MBA, Paul started an elite child care learning center in his hometown, Bowling Green, KY with his wife, Stacy. Despite the unique skills he acquired and the wisdom his family provided from their careers and experiences, Paul and Stacy ran into major challenges from the start.

How the SBA helped

Paul contacted the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), an SBA resource partner, shortly after forming the company. The SBDC assisted Paul and Stacy in developing a plan to fund a new location with SBA loans. Paul still faced... Read More

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