FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 13, 2010) -- Gov. Steve Beshear today announced an initiative to help raise awareness of the impact of small businesses in Kentucky, launching a design competition for a specialty small business license plate.  

“More than 90 percent of the employer firms in Kentucky have 50 or fewer employees,” said Gov. Beshear. “These small businesses are responsible for thousands of jobs that form the backbone of our economy. A small business- themed license plate is a unique way to recognize the important contributions made by all kinds of small businesses throughout our Commonwealth.”

Submitted designs will be reviewed and narrowed to a group of three to five finalists by a joint committee of Kentucky small business owners and advocates. The winning design will be selected by the Kentucky Commission on Small Business Advocacy and submitted to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for final approval.

“We are excited about this opportunity for a creative individual or small business to help remind us that small business is big business in Kentucky,” said Cathy Zion, acting chair of the Kentucky Small Business Advocacy Commission and owner of Zion Publications LLC, a small business in Louisville. “Not everyone is aware of the huge economic impact of small businesses in Kentucky. Creating a small business license plate will help all of us focus on the fact that small business ‘drives’ our economic engine.”

Upon completion of the design competition, the commission will join with Partners for Entrepreneurial Advancement in Kentucky (PEAK), a private nonprofit organization focused on small and micro-business development in Kentucky, to collect the 900 applications that must be submitted to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet before license plate production can begin. The proceeds collected from those purchasing a small business specialty license plate will be used to fund small business and entrepreneur development programs in Kentucky.

The Commission on Small Business Advocacy is an independent state commission attached to the Cabinet for Economic Development. The commission acts as an advocate for small business and works to raise the visibility of small business statewide. More information about the Commission is available at www.kysba.com.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state. New business investment in Kentucky in 2009 totaled nearly $977 million with the creation of more than 6,900 new jobs. Information on available development sites, workforce training, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other resources is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.