Entrepreneurial Summit set for Friday at Fort Knox

Countless entrepreneurs have found the entrepreneurial resources available across our region and state to be essential to their success.

With that in mind, an entrepreneurial summit is set for April 28 at Fort Knox. This event will bring multiple small business experts under one roof and offer participants more than a dozen break-out sessions so they can learn more about the topics most relevant to them. The event is open to all aspiring entrepreneurs including members of the military, veterans and their spouses.

Retired Col. Darrall Henderson with the Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is among the presenters. Kentucky PTAC offers free counseling services to help small business owners win local, state and federal contracts. Working with government agencies can be tedious, Henderson said, but PTAC staff makes navigating the maze of regulations easier for small businesses.

At the summit, he’ll discuss the government procurement cycle as well as required certifications.

“Everyone in industry wants to help the little guy and the only way to do that is to give him a level playing field,” said Henderson, who served 26 years in the Army.

One manner of leveling the playing field is called a set-aside.

“If enough small businesses respond credibly to a government request for information, the procurement can be set aside for small business competition only,” Henderson said. “Those small businesses don’t have to compete with the largest defense contractors.”

The PTAC program is available to small businesses throughout the commonwealth thanks to the support of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Prospective business owners at the summit will have access to experts in a number of other areas, from business plan writing to patents to raising venture capital.

To learn more and register for the event, call 270-351-1192 or visit wku.edu/etown-ftknox/summit.php.