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Haywood County Celebrates as First Certified Entrepreneurial Community in the Country Haywood County Celebrates as First Certified Entrepreneurial Community in the Country
Haywood County is the first community in the United States to be named a CERTIFIED ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY, a new program of AdvantageWest Economic Development Group that aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship while improving the business climate for existing companies.
The community will celebrate Haywood County’s success during an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at The Gateway Club in Waynesville.
Through the CEC program, a community’s leaders collaborate to assess how entrepreneur-ready their community is and to plan how small businesses and start-ups can play increasingly vital roles in the local economy.
Haywood County had to complete a rigorous, five-step process to become certified. Those steps included assessing the community’s current entrepreneurial landscape, creating a comprehensive strategy for entrepreneurial growth, marshaling the community’s entrepreneurial resources, and identifying and nurturing the community’s most promising entrepreneurial talents.
With the CEC certification, Haywood receives support and marketing from AdvantageWest; improved access to capital, employees, customers and partners for entrepreneurs wanting to start or grow their businesses; simpler permitting and licensing; and pursuit of infrastructure enhancements.
The AdvantageWest region – the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina -- is the first area in the country to initiate a method to make communities entrepreneur-ready. Fifteen additional communities in the region have pledged their intent to become CEC certified, and AdvantageWest officials have heard from business leaders across the Southeast and as far away as New York and Iowa who want to bring the certification to their communities.
To attend the Haywood County celebration, RSVP to Cheryl Myers at edcasst@haywoodnc.net or (828) 456-3737. For more information on the CERTIFIED ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY program, e-mail info@awnc.org or call Pam Lewis, Senior Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives at AdvantageWest, at (828) 687-7234.
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This web site was made possible by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission  |
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