Firleaf Lending Group, a small-business funding broker in Bowling Green, Kentucky, works with Warren County owners by phone and online. The county had 3,076 employer establishments in 2023, 45.1 percent with fewer than five employees, led by retail trade with 515 (Census CBP). The credit decision, the rate and the terms belong to lending partners alone.
| County | Warren County, KY |
|---|---|
| Employer establishments | 3,076 (CBP 2023) |
| Under five employees | 45.1% of employers |
| No-payroll businesses | 12,938 (NES 2024) |
| Largest sector | Retail trade, 515 establishments |
| Housing units authorized | 2,286 in 2024; 1,453 in 2025 (BPS) |
| Office ZIP | 42101: 1,396 employers (ZBP 2023) |
Bowling Green, Kentucky, not Ohio or Virginia
Several U.S. places share the name, including Bowling Green, Ohio and Bowling Green, Virginia, Missouri and Florida (Census population estimates, 2024). Everything on this site is about Bowling Green, Kentucky, in Warren County. When you search for local records, add "KY" or "Warren County" so results from the other states do not mix in.
Warren County, KY businesses in Census data
Warren County had 3,076 employer establishments in 2023, with 59,803 paid employees and about $3.06 billion in annual payroll (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). The sectors with the most establishments:
| Sector | Establishments | Paid employees | Share under five employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 515 | 8,177 | 36.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 422 | 9,047 | 43.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 318 | 7,503 | 20.8% |
| Other services | 273 | 2,175 | 56.4% |
| Construction | 265 | 2,742 | 60.4% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 231 | 2,530 | 58.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Manufacturing had fewer establishments (107) but the largest payroll, about $873.1 million, and 12,569 paid employees.
Separately, 12,938 Warren County businesses had no paid employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Because it is a separate survey for a later year, the two Warren County counts stay side by side, never summed.
Employer size in Warren County, KY
Most employers are small. In 2023, 1,388 establishments had fewer than five employees, 599 had five to nine, and 493 had ten to nineteen. Only 98 had a hundred or more (CBP 2023). For funding, size matters: a firm of four people often depends on a handful of customers, and partners look at its deposits and the owner's credit closely.
The office ZIP code, 42101
Firleaf's address is in ZIP 42101, which had 1,396 employer establishments in 2023 with 34,401 paid employees; 42.3 percent of those establishments had fewer than five employees (U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Retail led with 231 establishments, followed by health care and social assistance (167) and accommodation and food services (151).
The ZIP and the city are not the same area. Bowling Green covers about 7.4 percent of ZIP 42101's land and also reaches into ZIPs 42103 and 42104 (Census 2020 ZIP code relationship file), so treat these as postal-area figures, not city-limit figures.
Self-employment in Bowling Green, KY
About 7.2 percent (plus or minus 1.2) of employed Bowling Green residents are self-employed, 2.5 percent in their own incorporated business and 4.7 percent unincorporated (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). The Warren County figure is 9.4 percent (plus or minus 1.0) and Kentucky's is 8.6 percent (plus or minus 0.2). The margins overlap, so these are best read as similar levels rather than a ranking.
Building permits in Warren County, KY
Warren County authorized 1,444 new privately owned housing units in 2023, 2,286 in 2024 and 1,453 in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual). In 2025, 708 of those units were in buildings of five or more units and 691 were single-family. These figures count residential units only, but they are one public measure of building activity for the county's contractors.
Licenses and records in Bowling Green, KY
Partners often check that a business is current with the state and with local tax and license offices. The occupational license records checklist covers the city and county side, the annual report guide the state side, and how to get a business loan in Kentucky pulls it together.
Advising, the chamber and economic development
Owners often search for "sbdc bowling green ky", "bowling green ky chamber of commerce" and "bowling green ky economic development". Firleaf has no affiliation with any of these organizations. Warren County government's website is warrencountyky.gov (checked 2026-10-16).
The Warren County resources guide lists what to bring to free advising.
Sectors, products and nearby towns
Contractors, restaurants and medical and dental practices have their own pages under funding by sector. The comparison page sets all six options side by side; working capital and equipment financing are the two owners ask about first. Owners in Franklin, Morgantown and Scottsville will find their towns under nearby towns we work with.
Reaching Firleaf Lending Group
Call (270) 364-2504 or write to 436 Spring Alley, Bowling Green, KY 42101. About Firleaf explains who we are and the contact page has the details.
Bowling Green, KY businesses we help
Our partners have confirmed appetite for four kinds of business: contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices, and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock. If your Bowling Green, KY business is something else, call and ask before you spend time on paperwork.
What to gather before you call
- The last three to six months of business bank statements
- Your most recent business tax return
- Current financial statements: profit and loss plus a balance sheet
- A driver's license or passport for each owner
- Proof of ownership and business registration
- A written quote or invoice if the money is for equipment
Each lending partner sets its own list, so treat this as a starting point. Our document guide explains each item.
From first call to a partner's decision
- It starts with a call to (270) 364-2504 or the short contact form. On the phone we cover the purpose of the funds, time in business and approximate monthly revenue.
- We walk through the funding types that suit that purpose and the paperwork partners tend to ask for. Nothing goes out until you say so.
- With your permission, we take the request to lending partners that offer that kind of funding. Each partner reviews it and makes its own credit decision.
- If a partner makes an offer, you compare the total cost, payment schedule and terms. You are never obligated to accept.
Our office is at 436 Spring Alley, Bowling Green, KY 42101.
By Firleaf Lending Group · Updated