In this episode, we welcome Amanda Kelly from the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED), an expert in economic development for small businesses. Amanda has extensive experience working with entrepreneurs to start, grow, and expand their businesses. She is passionate about empowering individuals and communities through entrepreneurship and business ownership. Amanda emphasizes the importance of having a team to support you in your business journey, and shares valuable insights on how to overcome common challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

Episode Summary: Starting and growing a business can be challenging, but having a team and understanding the science behind it can make it easier. Amanda Kelly's expertise in economic development for small businesses provides valuable insights and resources for entrepreneurs.

Highlights:

• It's essential to evaluate business ideas and write a solid business plan that aligns with the four categories of business operations.
• It's also crucial to ensure that the plan works on paper before investing resources. Having a solid financial plan and collateral for business loans is also important.
• Setting goals and having a clear vision for the business is crucial, as is being comfortable with rejection and taking risks in business.
• Resilience and the willingness to pivot when things don't work out are also important.
• Traits and behaviors of successful entrepreneurs include tenacity and tolerance for ambiguity.