Screven County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, February 21, 2008 – East Georgia's Screven 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-six percent of Screven County's 626 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.'
Screven County is the 80th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated East Georgia counties include Burke, Jenkins, Emanuel and Candler. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Bulloch, Richmond and Treutlen. Effingham County received its designation earlier this week.
To earn the designation, Screven County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Adela Kelley. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Screven County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from CSRA Business Lending, the Department of Community Affairs, Small Business Development Center, Service Corps of Retired Executives, United States Department of Agriculture and representatives from U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss' office and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson's office.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Screven 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.
'Working on the Entrepreneur Friendly Initiative has allowed the development authority to gain some much-needed information from successful local entrepreneurs,' said Gayle Boykin, executive director of the Screven County Development Authority. 'We will use this information to craft a user-friendly program designed to assist new entrepreneurs and hopefully make our community an even better place to do business.'
'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 Screven 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.