Decatur County is states newest designated Entrepreneur Friendly community
ATLANTA, October 4, 2007 – South Georgia's Decatur 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 Decatur County's 1,115 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.' Decatur County is the 60th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously certified South Georgia counties include Miller, Worth, Calhoun and Dougherty. Nearby counties in the progress of designation include Seminole, Early, Mitchell, and Grady. To earn the designation, Decatur 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 the growth of this critical business segment. Decatur County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff and representatives from the Small Business Development Center, Darton College, Agriculture Innovation Center, Albany Community Together and Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Decatur 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. 'With the ever changing market place and decline of large manufacturers, the Entrepreneur Friendly initiative is a great way to aid and assist the fast growing small business segment of our work force and to give them the tools, resources, and most of all encouragement to be successful at a time that is critical to them and to us,' said Vic Pemberton of Pepi Food Service and EF Committee Chairman. 'Having 15 to 20 of Decatur County's entrepreneurs guide us through the process of becoming Entrepreneur Friendly has been enlightening. We are looking forward to the next opportunity to help someone become a successful entrepreneur. Who knows, we may see the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates rise up from right here in Bainbridge, Ga.' 'Bainbridge and Decatur County have recently seen some economic development success with new industry and the growing small business sector,' said Cile Warr of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce. 'Through the Entrepreneur Friendly designation process, we were able to combine resources, gather feedback and bring our existing entrepreneurial community together to formulate what we hope are the right tools to develop and encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to invest in Bainbridge and Decatur County.' '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 Decatur 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. For more information, please visit our "Entrepreneur Friendly" Initiative page.