Habersham County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, March 30, 2007 – North Georgia's Habersham County has joined the state's ranks of 'Entrepreneur Friendly' communities, an official designation indicating the community is developing an environment conducive to small business and entrepreneurs. Ninety-four percent of Habersham County's 947 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
'Homegrown businesses and entrepreneurs create quality jobs that are integral to ensuring prosperity and opportunity throughout Georgia,' said Governor Sonny Perdue. 'By encouraging and supporting small businesses, we are investing in a stronger future for local communities and the state as a whole.'
Habersham County is the 38th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Other northeast Georgia counties slated for designation in the next few months include Clarke, Barrow and Rabun. White, Stephens, Banks, Franklin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties are also in the certification process. Walton County was certified March 14, 2007, and Hart and Elbert counties earned Entrepreneur Friendly status in 2006.
To earn the designation, Habersham County completed the Entrepreneur-Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Suzanne Browne. Program steps involved analyzing the current entrepreneurial and small business development environment and strategizing options for fostering small business and entrepreneurs. Habersham County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff, representatives from the Small Business Development Center, Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology and North Georgia Technical College.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Habersham County are now eligible for customized market data, such as demographic and business information, to help give them a competitive edge.
'The process of becoming an Entrepreneur Friendly County has been a great experience for our Chamber staff and volunteers,' said Ed Nichols, executive director of Habersham Chamber of Commerce. 'We now know a lot more about small businesses, and we have developed new materials and initiatives to help them grow their business in the future. The assistance from the state was essential in developing this structured program for Habersham County.'
'We congratulate Habersham County for taking this proactive approach to supporting its small businesses,' added Chris Clark, chairman of the Georgia Entrepreneur and Small Business Coordinating Network and GDEcD's deputy commissioner of Global Commerce. 'Steps like these ensure growth and development in the local business community.'
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.