Warren County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, December 3, 2007 – East Georgia's Warren 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-one percent of Warren County's 160 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.' Warren County is the 72nd community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated East Georgia counties include Baldwin and Wilkes. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Candler, Jefferson and Screven. McDuffie and Columbia Counties received their designations earlier this year. To earn the designation, Warren 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. Warren 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, OneGeorgia Authority, Sen. Johnny Isakson's office, Sen. Saxby Chambliss' office and CSRA Business Lending. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Warren 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. 'The Entrepreneur Friendly designation process has allowed the Warren County Chamber to better understand the challenges facing small businesses in our community,' said O.B. McCorkle, executive director of the Warren County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority. 'Even though we still have more interviews to conduct, we have gained valuable insight and are already responding to requests and suggestions offered by the business community. Our goal is to know the needs of the small businesses and provide services that will allow them to be the best they can be.' '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 Warren 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.