Polk County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, November 8, 2007 – Northwest Georgia's Polk 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 Polk County's 1,155 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.'
Polk County is the 65th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously certified Northwest Georgia counties include Whitfield, Paulding, and Haralson. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Floyd, Bartow and Gordon.
To earn the designation, Polk 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. Polk County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Department of Labor, Georgia Tech, Small Business Development Center and Georgia Power.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Polk 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.
'The 'Entrepreneur Friendly' initiative has provided us with the framework to honestly assess how well we are cultivating our small businesses,' said Laron Maloney, chairman-elect of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce. 'Small businesses have more of an impact on our local economy than we realize. By supporting them in every way possible, we are supporting the basic foundation of our local economy. Through this process, we have learned about additional tools and resources that are available for our small businesses. We are excited about establishing long term programs in our community to make this information more readily available to our small 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 Polk 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 on the "EF" program, please visit our "Entrepreneur Friendly" Initiative page.