County seeks governor's mark of being entrepreneur friendly
Entrepreneurs are invited to attend
Community business leaders and state economic agencies will gather Tuesday for a forum to help budding entrepreneurs and existing small-business owners succeed.
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The inaugural Small Business and Entrepreneur Resource Fair will be held at the Columbia County Board of Education offices at 4781 Hereford Farm Road from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Karen Chrjapin, named Friday as the new executive director of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, a host of the event, said the forum will help entrepreneurs network and learn about the resources available to assist them at the local, state and national level.
"The purpose is to let businesses know who (the agencies) are and what they have to offer to small businesses specifically," she said.
Featured guests at the event include the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, CSRA Business Lending, Bank of America and business resources from several state colleges and universities.
The forum is part of an effort by the chamber and the Development Authority of Columbia County to attain the state's "Entrepreneur Friendly" designation for Columbia County.
Endorsed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, Entrepreneur Friendly is a state program that urges small-business development in each one of 10 state regions and 159 counties.
The state program places special emphasis on companies with fewer than 20 employees that are innovators in such fields as aerospace, agribusiness, manufacturing, health care, telecommunications and homeland security.
All small-business owners are welcome at the forum, but registration is required. Admission is free, but lunches will be made available from Heavenly Ham for $10. To R.S.V.P., contact Chrjapin at (706) 651-0018.