Bevel & Sloane helps Kentucky businesses of 10 to 250 people build training programs, onboarding academies, SOPs, manager training and KPIs, then trains an internal successor to run them. We work from Chicago, remote and on site by arrangement, on a fractional basis from $4,500 a month.
Kentucky small business at a glance
Kentucky has major auto and battery manufacturing, a large logistics and air cargo presence around Louisville and Northern Kentucky, healthcare, and the bourbon industry with its tourism. These are process heavy businesses where shift handoffs, safety training and supervisor routines decide whether quality holds as headcount grows.
| Measure | Kentucky | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| Small businesses (under 500 employees) | 393,860 | 2022 |
| Small employers with 1 to 19 employees | 56,991 | 2022 |
| Small employers with 20 to 499 employees | 8,812 | 2022 |
| Small business employees | 710,613 | 2022 |
| Share of private employees at small businesses | 42.6% (US 45.9%) | 2022 |
| Monthly quits rate, average Jul to Dec 2025 | 2.1% (US 2.0%) | 2025 |
The small business share of jobs is below the national 45.9% (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 Kentucky profile). From March 2023 to March 2024, small businesses there had a net increase of 22,043 jobs (BLS Business Employment Dynamics, in the same profile).
In Kentucky, the quits rate averaged 2.1% a month from July to December 2025, close to the national rate of 2.0% (BLS State JOLTS, Table 4, released July 22, 2026). Turnover is about average, which still means a steady flow of new hires to onboard and a steady drain of know how.
Where small business jobs are in Kentucky
The industries with the most small business employees in Kentucky are hospitality and food service (105,644), healthcare (104,712) and manufacturing (74,494) (SBA, 2025 profile, 2022 data). Among firms with 20 to 499 employees, the size band closest to the teams we serve, the largest groups are hospitality and food service, healthcare and retail.
Bottlenecks we expect in this mix
Hospitality and food service
Small firms in Kentucky employ 105,644 people in hospitality and food service, 61.2% of the sector's jobs. Restaurant groups, hotels and event businesses. Accommodation and food services had the highest quits rate of any industry, 3.5% in August 2026, so crew onboarding, shift lead training and the same standard at every location carry most of the weight. See Multi location restaurants.
Healthcare
Small firms in Kentucky employ 104,712 people in healthcare, 39.7% of the sector's jobs. Think multi site clinics, dental and therapy groups, behavioral health and home care. New front desk and care staff are often trained by whoever is free that day, and documentation habits vary by provider. With 74% of dentists recruiting hygienists calling it extremely challenging, a faster, structured ramp is worth more than another job posting. See Dental groups.
The third largest, manufacturing, has its own patterns; see Inconsistent quality and rework.
How does a remote engagement work in Kentucky?
Most of Kentucky is on Eastern time (western Kentucky is Central), one hour ahead of Chicago, so the weekly 60 minute calibration lands at a normal hour for your team. The rest runs in a shared Slack channel.
- Week 1. Free checkup and a discovery session by video.
- Weeks 1 to 2. Shadowing by video and screen recordings, plus interviews with the people who hold the know how.
- By Day 30. You name an internal successor who co-pilots every build.
- Months 2 to 6. SOPs, onboarding, manager training and KPIs piloted, then handed over.
We have no office in Kentucky. Work is remote and on site by arrangement: if a kickoff or a shadowing day in person would help, we scope it in up front.
How much does an operations consultant cost in Kentucky?
Pricing is published and the same in every market: retainers run from $4,500 to $7,500 a month by headcount and tier, and the two week Operational Diagnostic is $5,000, fully credited toward a 3 or 6 month engagement. See every package and price and how the six step method works.
Questions owners ask
Do you have an office in Kentucky?
No. Bevel & Sloane is based in Chicago and has no office or address in Kentucky. We work remotely, and on site by arrangement when a kickoff or workshop in person is worth the travel.
How many small businesses are in Kentucky?
The SBA Office of Advocacy counts 393,860 small businesses in Kentucky, using 2022 Census data. Most have no employees; 56,991 have 1 to 19 employees and 8,812 have 20 to 499.
Is employee turnover high in Kentucky?
The monthly quits rate averaged 2.1% from July to December 2025, close to the US rate of 2.0%, based on BLS state JOLTS estimates. Your own industry and roles matter more than the state average.
What would a 50 person Kentucky company pay?
Companies of 36 to 85 people usually start around $5,200 a month for The Prelude (3 months) or $5,800 for The Blueprint (6 months).
The Prelude
3 months, from $4,500 a month
Most Kentucky engagements start with a free business checkup, then the two week diagnostic or The Prelude.
Not sure yet? Start with the 2 week Operational Diagnostic, $5,000 and fully credited if you continue.
