"Entrepreneur Friendly" Initiative
The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Small Business & Innovation (SBI) Division provides a community-based program that helps create an entrepreneur environment, building entrepreneur and small business strategy into the community’s overall economic development strategies.
The GDEcD Regional Project Managers-Small Business & Innovation (RPM-SBI) have taken Georgia's communities through proven methods designed to establish an entrepreneur support program, help them better understand their existing entrepreneur environment and develop sustainable, effective local strategies.
Through the Entrepreneur and Small Business Office (ESBO), strategic planning is facilitated to help create long-term, sustainable small business development programs.
Colquitt received the designation as an “Entrepreneur Friendly” Community in July 2006.
In order to receive the designation Colquitt had to meet the requirements below:
The key steps to become “Entrepreneur Friendly” include:
- Identifying the local organization & champion who will lead the community in their entrepreneur and small business development strategy; Form the committee that will support the initiative
- Increasing community awareness of and support for strategies, needs and resources; Educate the community about the benefits of “homegrown” business development and fast-growth companies
- Enhancing relationships with state and federal resource providers, including SBDC and others in educational sessions that help local leadership learn how entrepreneurs can be supported
- a) Identifying local entrepreneurs (potential, existing, growth)
b) Identifying unique local resources
- Visiting and interviewing local entrepreneurs; reviewing and compiling results to determine appropriate strategies
- Scheduling the Review Team visit
- Assistance and facilitation from the RPM-ESB in planning and implementation of ESB strategies that result from the EF process and designation
Entrepreneur Friendly Implementation Fund
The Entrepreneur Friendly Implementation Fund (EFIF) is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the OneGeorgia Authority offering grants to Georgia’s "Entrepreneur Friendly" communities located in the 111 eligible and 35 conditionally eligible counties within the OneGeorgia framework.
This grant program has a cap of $25,000 and must be matched 50% in dollars or in-kind value by the community. Projects must be an initiative that shows the community’s commitment to continue to build and maintain sustainable ESB programs in their efforts to create an entrepreneur environment. Projects with regional impact will fare very high with scoring. However, conditionally eligible counties must develop a project that is regional in nature which will impact any and all of the eligible counties it borders.
Colquitt was awarded this grant in 2006 in the amount of $10,000 to update the community brochure, as well as working with Georgia Tech to create an entrepreneur and small business strategic plan.
Research and Consultation Services to Help Miller County Further Develop an Entrepreneurial Friendly Culture Report completed by Georgia Tech This report was funded through a grant received because of our involvement as an Entrepreneur Friendly Community with the Georgia Department of Economic Development through Colquitt's local Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee.
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