Bartow County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community
ATLANTA, May 22, 2008 – Northwest Georgia's Bartow County is now one of the state's newest 'Entrepreneur Friendly' communities. The designation means the community has developed an environment that is welcoming to small business and entrepreneurs. Ninety percent of Bartow County's 3,533 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. 'The economic activity created by small businesses and entrepreneurs brings prosperity and opportunity to every part of Georgia,' said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. 'By championing these businesses, we are investing in a stronger future for communities throughout the state.' Bartow County is the 105th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Northwest Georgia counties include Cherokee, Pickens, Gordon, Floyd, Polk and Paulding. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Chattooga, Murray, Dade and Walker. Catoosa County received their designation last month. To earn its designation, Bartow County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Dawn Townsend. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster its growth. Bartow County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Georgia Tech Entrepreneur Outreach Program, Small Business Development Center, Department of Labor and the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Bartow County are now eligible for customized market data, such as demographic and business information, to help them become more competitive. The county is also eligible for an Entrepreneur-Friendly Implementation Fund (EFIF) grant to help it implement programs that support their entrepreneurs and small businesses and have a regional impact. The grant must be matched 50 percent in dollars or in-kind value by the community. 'Because entrepreneurship is the heart of the American dream, Bartow County wants to be known as a place where ideas and innovations sprout, grow and thrive. The Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce is proud to have led this effort to assemble resources for entrepreneurs in Bartow County. We believe the results of the Entrepreneur Friendly initiative will allow members of our community to start new businesses with greater ease and will help our existing entrepreneurs to prosper,' said Kay Read, President and CEO of the Cartersville Bartow County Chamber of Commerce 'Small businesses are the linchpin in all of Georgia's communities. By supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, we help Georgia grow,' said Heidi Green, chairman of the Georgia Entrepreneur and Small Business Coordinating Network and GDEcD's deputy commissioner for Global Commerce. 'We congratulate Bartow County for making small businesses part of its strategic plan for growth.' The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.