Walker County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community
ATLANTA, June 18, 2008 – Northwest Georgia's Walker County is now one of the state's newest 'Entrepreneur Friendly' communities. The designation means the community has developed an environment that is welcoming to small business and entrepreneurs. Ninety-three percent of Walker County's 1,853 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
'The economic activity created by small businesses and entrepreneurs brings prosperity and opportunity to every part of Georgia,' said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. 'By championing these businesses, we are investing in a stronger future for communities throughout the state.'
Walker County is the 110th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Northwest Georgia counties include Catoosa, Whitfield and Gordon. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Dade, Chattooga and Murray. Bartow County received their certification last month.
To earn its designation, Walker 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 its growth. Walker County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Southeast Industrial Development Association, Coosa Valley Regional Development Association, Department of Labor and Small Business Development Center.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Walker County are now eligible for customized market data, such as demographic and business information, to help them become more competitive.
The county is also eligible for an Entrepreneur-Friendly Implementation Fund (EFIF) grant to help it implement programs that support their entrepreneurs and small businesses and have a regional impact. The grant must be matched 50 percent in dollars or in-kind value by the community.
'We are so pleased to receive certification as an Entrepreneur-Friendly community from the Georgia Department of Economic Development. In Walker County, small business is big and thanks to this process, we now have the tools and resources needed to help this important industry thrive," said Stacey Mauer, president of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce.
'Small businesses are the linchpin in all of Georgia's communities. By supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, 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 congratulate Walker County for making small businesses part of 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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