Brooks County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, March 8, 2007 – South Georgia's Brooks County has joined the state's ranks of 'Entrepreneur Friendly' communities, an official designation indicating the community is developing an environment conducive to small business and entrepreneurs. Ninety-four percent of Brooks County's 371 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. 'Homegrown businesses and entrepreneurs create quality jobs that are integral to ensuring prosperity and opportunity throughout Georgia,' said Governor Sonny Perdue. 'By encouraging and supporting small businesses, we are investing in a stronger future for local communities and the state as a whole.' Brooks County is the 36th Entrepreneur Friendly community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously certified South Georgia counties include Lowndes, Cook, Miller, Calhoun and Dougherty. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Decatur, Worth, Tift, Berrien and Lee. McDuffie and Baldwin counties in Central Georgia received their certifications last week. To earn the designation, Brooks County completed the Entrepreneur-Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Rhonda Geiger. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies tailored for that environment, to help foster the growth of this critical business segment. Brooks County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Small Business Development Center, the Georgia Department of Labor and Valdosta Technical College. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Brooks 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. 'Over the last year, we have seen a significant increase in entrepreneurial startups in Brooks County, and we've had net positive job growth among our entrepreneurial businesses for the first time in several years,' said John Cox, president of the Quitman-Brooks County Chamber of Commerce. 'Through our interviews with community entrepreneurs we learned that our efforts, though successful, can be improved on. Our Entrepreneurial Friendly work group intends to act on this and continue our positive momentum.' 'We congratulate Brooks County for taking this proactive approach to supporting its small businesses,' added Chris Clark, chairman of the Georgia Entrepreneur and Small Business Coordinating Network and GDEcD's deputy commissioner of Global Commerce. 'Steps like these ensure growth and development in the local business community.' 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.