Lamar County is States Newest Designated 'Entrepreneur Friendly' Community
ATLANTA, June 19, 2008 – West Georgia's Lamar 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-two percent of Lamar County's 467 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.' Lamar County is the 111th community in the state to be named Entrepreneur Friendly by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Previously designated West Georgia counties include Spalding, Upson and Meriwether. Butts County received its designation earlier this month. To earn its designation, Lamar County completed the Entrepreneur Friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD's regional representative Kristen Miller. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster its growth. Lamar County also underwent a full-day assessment by a review team composed of GDEcD staff from the Regional Small Business & Innovation and International Trade programs along with representatives from Senator Isakson's Office and Senator Chambliss' Office. Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners in Lamar 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 Program has certainly opened our eyes and allowed us to take a close look at our local business environment. This program has helped us better understand the difficulties as well as the triumphs that an entrepreneur encounters everyday,' said Missy Kendrick, Executive Director of the Barnesville-Lamar County Industrial Development Authority. 'We plan to use the knowledge that we have gained from this program to better serve those who are in the process of starting a new business, as well as our existing entrepreneurs. During the course of this program, we have developed valuable tools and strategies to help make Barnesville-Lamar County a much more business-friendly community.' '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 Lamar 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.