Floyd County is States Newest Designated Entrepreneur Friendly Community

ATLANTA, March 26, 2008 – North Georgia's Floyd County 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. Eighty-nine percent of Floyd County's 3,259 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.' Floyd County is the 86 th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated North Georgia counties include Polk, Paulding and Haralson. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Bartow and Chattooga. Gordon County received its designation last month. To earn the designation, Floyd 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 the growth of this critical business segment. Floyd County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Department of Community Affairs, Berry College, Small Business Development Center, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network, Goodwill Industries of North Georgia and a participant in the Academy for Economic Development. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Floyd 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. 'We are pleased that Rome and Floyd County have been designated as an 'Entrepreneur Friendly' community. For us, 'Entrepreneur Friendly' is an important step towards building capacity for economic development,' said Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board Randy Quick of Southern Broadcasting Corporation. 'This exactly fits with the Rome/Floyd 20/20 Part II Economic and Community Development strategic plan and the Partners in Prosperity program. Small business is and always has been important to the community and the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to implementing even more strategies and programs to further strengthen small business in our community.' '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 Floyd 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.