Webster County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community
ATLANTA, July 17, 2008 – Southwest Georgia's Webster 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-one percent of Webster County's 45 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.'
Webster County is the 116th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Southwest Georgia counties include Muscogee, Lee, Dougherty and Calhoun. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Stewart, Randolph, Quitman, Clay and Marion. Seminole County received its designation in May.
To earn its designation, Webster County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Rebecca O'Neil. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster its growth. Webster County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the UGA Small Business Development Center, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, Darton College and the Middle Flint Regional Development Center.
Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Webster 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.
'The Entrepreneur Friendly committee members talked with current and potential business members in the community, held a resource event for business and entrepreneurs in the community and developed a new way of looking at our community,' said Cynthia Barley, CEO of the Webster County Chamber of Commerce. 'We now know barriers and problems that inhibit entrepreneurship and also have discovered assets and resources that we had been unaware of. As we reach the end of a year of exploration and learning in our community, we are ready for the coming year with a plan in hand to foster and support local business and entrepreneurs. As an agriculture-rich community we understand growing things and are prepared to grow entrepreneurs in the future."
'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 Webster 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 agency attracts new business, encourages the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, and locates new markets for Georgia products. It also markets Georgia to tourists and promotes the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects. For more information, visit www.Georgia.org.