1. 2ND STAGE COMPANY
SERVICES
Kentucky Small Business Development
Center
Grow Kentucky – Economic Gardening

2. What is Economic Gardening?
 An economic development program
 Focused on “grow your own” companies
 As opposed to hunting companies
 Coined by Phil Burgess
 Focused strictly on growth companies
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

3. Where did it come from?
 Developed in Littleton, Colorado 1987
 25 year results
 Jobs 15,000 – 30,000
 Sales tax $6 – 20 million
 Population growth 23%
 No recruitment of companies
 No incentives
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

4. What Makes It Different?
 The types of companies we target
 Stage II
 The types of issues we address
 Strategic
 The types of tools we use
 High-end sophisticated corporate level
 The underlying concepts we use
 New sciences used in five frameworks for dealing
with classes of business problems
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

5. What Kind of Help Will I Get?
 Strategic Information
 Market research
 Competitor intelligence
 Industry trends
 Custom research
 Strategic Frameworks for five classes of business
problems
 Market dynamics
 Core strategy
 Innovation
 Qualified sales leads
 Team dynamics
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

6. What Will I Not Get
 Operational assistance
 Implementation
 Financial analysis
 Primary research
 Focus groups, surveys, etc.
 Recommendations
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

7. So how does it work?
 Initial interview with call leader (1-2 hours)
 Phone call with full team to clarify information
and develop research tasks
 Information/messages posted on Greenhouse
(Drop Box like) collaboration Website
 Follow up explanations from specialists
 Close out/Wrap up call
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

8. How long will it take?
 About 35 hours of high quality assistance from
specialists
 Focusing on one or two major issues
 4 - 6 weeks for entire engagement
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

9. What kind of tools do we
use?
 Search Engine Optimization
 Web marketing
 Competitor strategies
 Geographic Info Systems
 Qualified sales leads
 Heat maps
 Database research
 Market info
 Competitor intelligence
 Industry trends
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

10. What are the New Sciences?
 New sciences being developed around
biological systems
 Business as biology
 Complexity Theory
 Systems Thinking
 Temperament
 Network Economics
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

11. How will we work together?
 Gardening Team are Not consultants
 Not deep in your industry
 Do not make recommendations
 Extension of your team
 Strategic information to help you make decisions
 Frameworks for trouble shooting problems
 Work quickly
 Continue to work with SBDC
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

12. Do I get qualified sales leads?
 Core Strategy Review
 Market Dynamics Analysis
 Innovation Assessment
 Temperament & Management Review
 Marketing /Qualified Sales Leads
Kentucky Small Business Development Center
You will Get

13. Do I Qualify ?
 Must have five or more employees
 Annual Revenue of $500K and up
 Must be profitable
 Have a commitment to growth
 Kentucky based company
 Must be exporting product or service
outside the area
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

14. How do I apply?
 Go to www.ksbdc.org click on Grow Kentucky
link
Kentucky Small Business Development Center

15. FAQs
Kentucky Small Business Development Center
 Is there a cost? Engagement valued at $4,290
however there are a limited number of
scholarships available.
 What sort of outcomes have been achieved?
20+ year track record in Littleton, CO. Created
between 15,000 to 30,000 jobs growing sales
tax base from $6M to $21M.

16. FAQs
Kentucky Small Business Development Center
 How many clients has Grow Kentucky assisted
so far?
 As of this writing the Grow Kentucky Team has
completed 10 cases with a handful more in
progress.

17. Need More Information ?
Kentucky Small Business Development Center
Contact: Gordon Garrett, Associate State
Director
859-257-6957
gmgarr2@email.uky.edu
www.ksbdc.org