Jones County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, November 29, 2007 – Central Georgia's Jones 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-two percent of Jones County's 889 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.'
Jones County is the 71st community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Central Georgia counties include Baldwin, Jasper and Wilkinson. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Peach, Putnam, Hancock and Butts. Baldwin County received its designation earlier this year.
To earn the designation, Jones County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Ryan Thornton. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Jones County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Department of Community Affairs, Small Business Development Center and Central Georgia Technical College.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Jones 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.
'I am excited at the opportunity that the Entrepreneur Friendly program has given our community and businesses,' said Pamela Christopher, executive director of the Jones County-Gray Chamber of Commerce and the Development Authority of Jones County. 'Through Governor Perdue and the Georgia Department of Economic Development spearheading this program, we have learned how best to help our small businesses. We now better understand their products, their workforce and business needs and have taken time to listen to their concerns and address them on a community level. We feel that this program will strengthen our business community and overall economy. Together we can build a stronger Georgia!"
'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 Jones 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" Initiative page.