Small Business Development Center outlines local results, asks Paducah partners to sustain $50,000 cash match

Aaron Hornet, center director for the Kentucky Small Business Development Center in Paducah, told the Paducah Board of Commissioners on Feb. 11 that the center delivered 632 client-hours during the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024; helped start or purchase 24 businesses; supported $7,430,000 in closed loans or owner equity injections; and supported, retained or created 584 jobs across its service area.

Hornet said the Paducah center operates on multiple calendars (federal reporting, University of Kentucky program year and local finances) and requires a 1-to-1 local cash match for Small Business Administration funding. “The total amount of cash match that’s needed to operate the Paducah Center is $50,000,” Hornet said, adding that the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce serves as fiscal agent and the city of Paducah currently contributes $5,000.

Why it matters: Hornet told commissioners the Paducah center’s cost metrics compare favorably to other centers in Kentucky — he reported $79.11 in cash-match cost per hour of client service, an approximate $195 cost per client, and an average of about $85 per job supported when program outputs are measured against the local cash match and SBA funds.

Hornet described the center’s four main services: one-on-one business coaching (about 60% of workload with pre-venture clients), capital-access assistance, business trainings (on-demand and live), and connector/referral services to other state or local resources. He said the SBA requires strict documentation to claim outcomes: surveys and an attribution form, a closed loan or bank statement for capital infusion claims, and payroll or other records to substantiate job claims.

Mayor Bridal and other commissioners praised the center’s work; Bridal said the city and county and chamber have collaborated with Hornet and the SBDC to support small businesses. Commissioners asked about office location (Hornet said the Western Kentucky Community and Technical College provides donated office space inside the Emerging Technology Center), definitions of “small” (Hornet cited SBA size standards tied to NAICS codes, typically businesses under $5 million revenue or fewer than 500 employees), and referrals to angel investors or accounting firms for equity deals.

Commissioners and staff discussed practical steps to connect city applicants to the SBDC (flyers at planning and finance counters and attendance at kick-start meetings). Hornet asked only two routine items of clients — an email address for SBA survey distribution and an attribution form when a client reaches an economic milestone — and said those requirements support the SBDC’s federally mandated reporting.

Hornet closed by encouraging referrals and offering his contact information for local entrepreneurs.