Within walking distance from Northern Kentucky University lies a road for entrepreneurs to follow. It’ll lead them to the Small Business Development Center on Johns Hill Road. Affiliated with NKU for 17 years, the center’s staff assists people who want to start a small business.

“I think if we had a mission statement, it would be to add new jobs and retain jobs in the Northern Kentucky community,” said Tom Burke, director of the SBDC.

“New business owners, those that are going to start a business and those existing businesses that may need some help in their expansion.”

“A person that is interested about starting a new business … they (say) it’s overwhelming,” Burke added. “They’re not sure where to start, where to go and how to begin the whole process.”

With that said, here is some advice on how to get things rolling.

1. Attend the Seminars

Burke said the SBDC hosts approximately 30 free seminars a year. Most seminars are held at NKU, but some are on remote locations around Northern Kentucky.

Topics include “Building a Better Business,” “Secrets to Starting a Successful Small Business” and “Small Business Marketing Mastery.” Moreover, the center hosts “Water Cooler Talks,” which are 90-minute seminars co-sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.