Columbia County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, October 9, 2007 – East Georgia's Columbia County is one of the state's newest 'Entrepreneur Friendly' communities. The designation indicates the community has worked to develop an environment that is welcoming to small business and entrepreneurs. Ninety-one percent of Columbia County's 4,576 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. 'Small businesses and entrepreneurs create the kind of economic activity that is integral to ensuring prosperity and opportunity throughout Georgia,' said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. 'By encouraging and supporting these businesses, we are investing in a stronger future for our communities and the state as a whole.' Columbia County is the 61st community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Lincoln and Richmond. Oglethorpe County received its certification last week. To earn the designation, Columbia County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Adela Kelley. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Columbia County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Tech, OneGeorgia, SCORE, Senator Isakson's Office and Georgia Medical Center Authority. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Columbia County are now eligible for customized market data such as demographic and business information to help give them a competitive edge. The county is also eligible for an Entrepreneur-Friendly Implementation Fund (EFIF) grant to help it implement specific, long-term programs that support their entrepreneurs and small businesses and also have a regional impact. The grant must be matched 50 percent in dollars or in-kind value by the community. "The Entrepreneur Friendly Initiative has allowed the chamber and development authority to gather candid feedback as to not only what we are doing right but what we can do better to serve our business community,' said Pat Goodwin, business manager of the Medical College of Georgia and committee chairman. 'We will continue to learn from the feedback received from our community's investors who are in the large part small business owners. Columbia County is known for its quality of life and this process can only help us to continue to improve on what is already a great place to live and work." 'Small businesses are the backbone of Georgia communities. By helping entrepreneurs and small businesses grow, 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 applaud Columbia County for incorporating small businesses into 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. For more information, please visit our "Entrepreneur Friendly" Inititiative page.