Entrepreneur and Small Business Fair to bring new business resources here

Interest is already growing for the planned Entrepreneur and Small Business Resource Fair set for Thursday, June 28, at the Fitzpatrick Hotel.

"We're already seeing lots of interest from local folks," said Donna Hardy, executive director of the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce. "They're hungry for this information."

The resource fair will bring together people and information that a small business, a new business, or someone with an idea for a business, might need to get started or make their businesses successful.

"We'll have experts from One- Georgia Authority, from the Department of Community Affairs, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, from Georgia Tech's Small Business Center, CSRA Business Lending at the resource fair," Hardy said. "You'll be able to get information on all the programs, different kinds of assistance, and loans that are available, and you'll be able to apply for loans right there. We'll have information on employees, taxes, licensing, and zoning, too."

The resource fair is a part of Wilkes County's application to be designated state Entrepreneur- Friendly Community. To help get the word out, Hardy and Regional Project Manager Adella Kelley will be speaking to civic groups in the area, and reaching out to the public with information on the program.

The community-based program is designed by Georgia Department of Economic Development's (GDEcD) Small Business & Innovation Division to help create an entrepreneur environment, and to build entrepreneur and small business strategy into the community's overall economic development strategies.

Working the assigned regional project managers, Hardy said the program will take a community through proven methods designed to establish an entrepreneur support program, help them better understand their existing entrepreneur environment, and develop sustainable, effective local strategies.

"We've got to do everything we can to help the small businesses of Wilkes County," Hardy said, "to help start new businesses and to help keep existing businesses alive and thriving. Small businesses account for 80 percent of new jobs, so each successful entrepreneur is vital - and that's why this upcoming small business resource fair is so important."

McDuffie, Newton, Baldwin, Brooks, Walton, Habersham, Spalding, Athens-Clarke, Jasper, Berrien, Paulding, Carroll, Jenkins and Worth counties were recognized as the most recent communities to earn the Entrepreneur-Friendly designation.

To date, 47 communities have earned this designation and more, including Washington-Wilkes, are working toward this important certification.Once a community has earned the Entrepreneur-Friendly designation, they have the opportunity to apply for entrepreneur and small business implementation grants of up to $25,000.

"This program is really going to help us as a community put the resources in place to help entrepreneurs and small-business people," Hardy said. "We're going to assess what assets we have, what we need, and how we can help businesses survive and thrive in Wilkes County."

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