Heard County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, March 27, 2008 – West Georgia's Heard 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-three percent of Heard County's 186 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.'
Heard County is the 88th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated West Georgia counties include Carroll, Coweta and Troup. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Meriwether and Lamar.
To earn the designation, Heard County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Kristen Miller. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Heard County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives
from U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson's office, Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Georgia Power.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Heard 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. The grant must be matched 50 percent in dollars or in-kind value by the community.
'Heard County recognizes the need to attract new and develop existing entrepreneur efforts in our community for the vitality of our overall economic development growth,' said Julie Pope, president and executive director, Heard County Chamber of Commerce & Development Authority. 'By receiving the State's 'Entrepreneur Friendly' community designation, Heard County can continue to focus on the advancement of economic interest within our commercial, residential and civic communities.'
'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 Heard 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.