Pickens County is States Newest Designated Entrepreneur Friendly Community
ATLANTA, March 11, 2008 – North Georgia's Pickens 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 Pickens County's 1,305 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.'
Pickens County is the 83rd community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated North Georgia counties include Cherokee, Paulding, Polk and Whitfield. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Bartow, Gilmer and Murray. Gordon County received its certification last month.
To earn the designation, Pickens County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Dawn Townsend. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Pickens 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 Department of Labor.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Pickens 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.
'In Pickens County, 92 percent of our businesses have five employees or less. That makes our entrepreneurs and small businesses an extremely important part of our county's economy. It also tells us that we absolutely need to have support strategies in place to help these businesses stay viable and grow,' said Susan Wright, marketing and business development officer for the Community Bank of Pickens County. 'We have found the Entrepreneur Friendly process very enlightening and have identified several strategies we will be putting in place to support our small businesses. This process has also created an enthusiastic spirit in our volunteers that is quickly becoming a passion to identify and implement strategies that will help our local businesses and entrepreneurs succeed!'
'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 Pickens 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.