Newton County joins other metro Atlanta counties as states newest Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, Jan. 29, 2007 – Newton County is the most recent metro Atlanta county to be certified 'Entrepreneur Friendly' by the state. The Jan. 26 designation means that the community is strategically building its environment to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ninety-one percent of Newton County's 2,266 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.'
Newton County is the 33rd Entrepreneur Friendly community in the state and the first in 2007 to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)'s Entrepreneur and Small Business Office. Other metro Atlanta counties that have been recently certified include Gwinnett, Rockdale, Henry, Douglas, Cherokee and Forsyth. DeKalb County is in the certification process at the moment.
To earn the designation, Newton County completed the Entrepreneur-Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Ryan Thornton. Program steps involved analyzing the current entrepreneurial and small business development environment and strategizing options for fostering small business and entrepreneurs. Newton County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff, representatives from the Small Business Development Office and the Department of Labor.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Newton County are now eligible for customized market data, such as demographic and business information, to help give them a competitive edge.
"We were already aware of the large number of small business and entrepreneur initiatives in Newton County, but going through a structured process to deliver support to them was an eye-opening experience,' said John Boothby, president of the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce. "Having the guidance and experience from the State was more than useful to us. It enabled us to produce practical materials that are absolutely necessary to entrepreneurs."
'We congratulate Newton 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.