Lee County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community
ATLANTA, April 16, 2008 – Southwest Georgia's Lee 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 Lee County's 533 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.'
Lee County is the 95th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Southwest Georgia counties include Dougherty, Calhoun and Miller. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Webster and Marion. Early County received its designation last month.
To earn the designation, Lee County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Rebecca O'Neil. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Lee County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from Moultrie Tech, Albany Tech, the Agriculture Innovation Center, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, Department of Community Affairs and USDA Rural Development.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Lee 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 did one-on-one interviews with small businesses and compiled information to help us determine our best course of action to help every small business be successful in Lee County,' said Lesley Barbosa, coordinator for entrepreneurship for the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority. 'The Entrepreneur Friendly initiative enables us to work together to more effectively and efficiently support these current and future Lee County business owners.'
'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 Lee 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.
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