BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Blake Moss and Jeremy Goodson from the Big Sandy Area Development District (BSADD) were guest speakers at the Kiwanis Club luncheon Thursday in Inez.
Moss and Goodson discussed BSADD’s business program FIRE – Fueling Innovation, Revitalization, and Entrepreneurship – a comprehensive initiative designed to support small business development. By leveraging cutting-edge data and web-based platforms, FIRE provides personalized, hands-on assistance tailored to a wide range of small business needs.
Moss, a public administration specialist, and Goodson, a business development specialist, collaborate with a network of regional partners to connect businesses with vital resources.
“There are small business programs across the country, the state, and even our region that do a lot of what we do,” Moss said. “What makes us unique is that Jeremy will go to your business. We never expect a business owner to come to us. We are very hands-on and will help with anything and everything.”
Moss has been in his position for about two years.
“I’m from central Kentucky, where we have a thriving small business community,” he said. “I moved here to do economic development work and see what I could do to help the region.”
Because of Big Sandy ADD’s role in the region, Moss and Goodson are well-connected and frequently hear about challenges facing local businesses.
“We figured we would use our role to help small businesses,” Moss said. “At first, we weren’t sure how to do that or where our data would come from, so we reached out to the Secretary of State. Secretary of State Michael Adams provided us with statistics that were great for the grant we applied for, but they revealed some concerning trends about our region.”
In the five counties that make up Big Sandy ADD—Floyd, Johnson, Martin, Magoffin, and Pike—small businesses make up only 4.4% of the population, significantly lower than the national average of 10%.
“Four out of every 100 people here are small-business owners, compared to the national average of 10,” Moss said. “Additionally, our five counties have double the national unemployment rate.
“FIRE helps small businesses navigate available resources and get the assistance they need.”
The program employs Placer AI and Resimplify to provide valuable business insights.
“Placer AI is a location intelligence platform,” Moss explained. “Every time you log in to an app or use your phone, data is collected, anonymized, and sold. We have purchased that data and can analyze key insights. For example, we can determine how many people drive past this Giovanni’s each day, how many people come inside, and, with an upgraded version, even identify customer preferences.
“Say we find that 17% of customers are coffee drinkers. We could further analyze how many prefer mocha lattes, Americanos, or black coffee. That kind of insight allows business owners to tailor their offerings to their audience.”
FIRE combines Placer AI with Resimplify, a commercial real estate database housing property listings across all five BSADD counties.
“We can use Placer AI alongside Resimplify to help a business owner find their perfect location,” Moss said. “One of the biggest challenges in our area is the lack of data. I studied international affairs in grad school, with a focus on West Africa, and there’s more data available about West Africa than Eastern Kentucky. That’s because everyone acknowledges that West Africa is extremely impoverished. Our region needs better data access, and this program helps fill that gap.”
The FIRE team is actively recruiting sponsors to donate funds or provide other support for the program.
“Sponsors can be individuals who want to grow their businesses while also supporting other local businesses,” Moss said.
Additionally, they are exploring the possibility of launching an emergency grant program for disaster-affected businesses and a revolving loan program in the future.
“With the recent flood, FIRE is pivoting to help local businesses impacted by the disaster,” Moss said. “We are assisting them in navigating complex systems like FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and other recovery resources.
“We help businesses write grants for disaster recovery and complete loan applications with all the necessary documentation.”
Goodson shared a recent example of a small boutique shop that had just installed its signage on Monday, only to have the flood wash everything away on Saturday.
“We connected them with resources, including the Small Business Administration and the Mountain Association,” Goodson said. “The SBA offers a 12-month, no-interest, deferred payment loan, which is a lifesaver for them. It allows them to restore some inventory and continue selling from home until they can reopen their storefront.”
“The SBA loan process is easy,” he emphasized.
Moss clarified that while the program itself does not offer financial aid, it helps businesses find the resources they need.
“We’re aggressive,” he said. “There isn’t a single resource for flood recovery in this region that we aren’t aware of right now.”
Since starting his job two months ago, Goodson has worked with 90 businesses. Following the flood, he has assisted 20 businesses and is actively helping six or seven recover.
“These businesses range from one-person operations to Infinity, a Floyd County company that employs 25 highway workers earning over $70,000 a year,” Moss noted.
Regena Jones, field representative for Senator Rand Paul, also attended the Kiwanis luncheon. She said Rebecca Seidel, a grant writer in Senator Paul’s office, is working with Moss to secure grant funding.
Senator Paul recently wrote a letter in support of Moss’s $19.8 million grant application to revitalize the Tug Fork River.
Moss explained that the project includes several river access points and resilience hubs in South Williamson and Warfield.
“The resilience hub—essentially a flood shelter equipped with boats and other resources—would be built in Warfield Park, elevated above the floodplain,” he said. “If that grant comes through, it will be a game-changer.”
“A big thank you to Senator Paul,” Moss added.
For more information on BSADD’s business services, contact Blake Moss at blake.moss@bigsandy.org or call (606) 886-2374 Ext. 328.