FRANKFORT, KY. – Amanda Kelly is driven by a desire to help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed in life and business.
That’s why she gets paid to do just that as Director of Small Business Training at Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corp. (SKED), and that’s why she wins awards for doing what she loves.
SKED Small Business Training Director
The Somerset resident has been named 2024 Kentucky Financial Services Advocate of the Year.
She was presented the award May 8, 2024, alongside other statewide business award winners, by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Kentucky District of the Small Business Administration (SBA) at the Kentucky Celebrates Small Business event at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. The event recognized high-performing small business owners from across Kentucky.
The Kentucky Financial Services Advocate of the Year award is given to an individual who assists small businesses through advocacy and other efforts to increase the usefulness and availability of financial literacy or financial services for small businesses and those who assist entrepreneurs in obtaining small business financing in Kentucky.
“Receiving the Kentucky Financial Services Advocate of the Year award is truly an honor, and I am deeply humbled by this recognition,” Kelly said. “I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside the most inspiring clients imaginable. Their passion, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit fuel my own love for what I do. I would also like to thank our partners at the SBDC for all their support and good work – especially Michelle Spriggs.”
The Pulaski County mother of two is honored for her work nurturing the entrepreneurial environment in Southern and Eastern Kentucky as the director of SKED’s Small Business Training program and creator of the digital marketing course Be Boss Online and recovery center entrepreneurial training course Recovery & Entrepreneurship Elevating Lives (REEL KY).
In addition to teaching courses for these distinctive entrepreneurial programs, Kelly works to provide free technical assistance to and coaches small business owners across SKED’s 45-county service region.
Her most recent project involves leading the training of new and current daycare directors for the Kentucky SBDC Childcare Initiative, a statewide partnership between SKED and the Kentucky SBDC funded by the Truist Charitable Fund.
But it is her clients who best describe the work she does daily.
“With Amanda’s help, I was able to navigate difficult decisions regarding my business, do a deep dive into my books, and set realistic and achievable goals,” said entrepreneur and communications coach Jordyne Carmack. “She’s trustworthy and insightful, and her no-nonsense business acumen has helped me reach my goals more quickly than I imagined. I owe so much of my success to her behind-the-scenes impact!”
“Every small business owner deserves their own Amanda Kelly. We are blessed to have her in our lives, and grateful for the invaluable support she provides. A true asset in every aspect of business. Thank you, SKED, for bringing her into our world.”
Jennifer Bates, co-owner of ProTrade Hardware & BBQ Supply in Somerset, Ky.
Kelly came to work for SKED in 2015, following a successful career in the private sector. Since then, she has worked with hundreds of small business owners, helping them with everything from designing and writing their business plans to figuring out ways to market and sell their products online.
In addition to teaching entrepreneurs how to start and grow their businesses, she developed a technical assistance solution to teach business owners how to utilize digital marketing and social media to grow their businesses called Be Boss Online, a 12-hour course covering social media presence, website development, online analytics, search engine optimization, email marketing and related topics.
Since 2015, she has delivered tens of thousands of hours of technical assistance to hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the SKED service territory. Many of those small business owners have gone on to apply for and receive SKED’s small business loan funds.
SKED Executive Director Brett Traver calls Kelly’s talents and skills valuable assets to the organization and the region’s small business community.
“The SKED team is fortunate to have Amanda,” Traver added. “This award simply lets the rest of the world know what we already knew. Amanda rocks.”
Outside of work, she is Advancement Chair and merit badge counselor for Boy Scout Troop 170 and volunteered for the Youth Entrepreneur Academy program in Somerset for six years. She also coaches her children in various sports activities.
Other 2024 Small Business Administration award winners at the event include:
Kentucky Small Business Person of the Year – Ines M. Rivas-Hutchins, INTEC Group, LLC
Kentucky Home-Based Business of the Year – John Batts, Stonewall’s Studio, LLC
Kentucky Minority Small Business of the Year – Asia Latrece Rivers, Talk Childcare to Me, LLC
Kentucky Rural Small Business of the Year – Judith R. Schmitt, JC TEC Industries, Inc.
Kentucky Small Business Advocate of the Year – Tomi Jean Clifford, Cynthiana Harrison County Chamber of Commerce
Kentucky Women-Owned Small Business of the Year – Raquel Carter, Guide Realty
Kentucky Veteran Small Business of the Year – Michael Frank, Homestretch Mortgage
For a complete list of winners, see the full press release: https://news.ca.uky.edu/article/kentucky-small-businesses-be-awarded-and-recognized-state-capitol
To learn more about how SKED helps business owners do business better in our 45-county service region, visit www.skedcorp.com.
