Murray County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community

ATLANTA, June 26, 2008 – North Georgia's Murray 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. Eighty-nine percent of Murray County's 863 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.' Murray County is the 113th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated Northwest Georgia counties include Gilmer, Fannin, Whitfield and Gordon. Nearby counties in the process of designation include Chattooga and Dade. Walker County received its designation earlier this month. To earn its designation, Murray 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. Murray County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Department of Community Affairs, Small Business Development Center, Southeast Industrial Development Association, and Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Murray 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. 'By working through the Entrepreneur Friendly Designation process, which includes the one-on-one survey completion, the chamber was able to listen to our small business owner's challenges and triumphs. Having always striven to assist in any way possible, the new ideas the surveys present are an exciting venture for the chamber,' said Dinah Rowe, President of the Chatsworth-Murray County Chamber of Commerce. 'New resources and ways to support our entrepreneurs will be an investment in the future of Murray County.' '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 Murray 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.