FRANKFORT, KY. Amanda Kelly is driven by a desire to help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
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 on 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 the state of Kentucky.
The award is given to an individual who assists small businesses 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 this award is truly an honor, and this recognition deeply humbles me,” 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 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 in 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 the recovery center entrepreneurial training course “Recovery & Entrepreneurship Elevating Lives” (REEL KY).
In addition to teaching courses for these distinctive entrepreneurial programs, Kelly provides free technical assistance 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.
However, 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 joined 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 the Advancement Chair and merit badge counselor for Boy Scout Troop 170 and has 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 Rural Small Business of the Year – Judith R. Schmitt, JC TEC Industries, Inc.
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
