FEDCO Salutes Fulton County Entrepreneurs

Last week was National Entrepreneurship Week. It is important to note that small businesses make up approximately 99.7 percent of all employers nationally and they employ about half of all private sector employees. In Fulton County, over 70 percent of businesses were started by local entrepreneurs.

Most times when people think about economic development opportunities they think of projects like the new Honda plant going into Southern Indiana. Nationally there are approximately 200 of those types of projects a year and there are over 15,000 organizations similar to FEDCO pursuing those projects. The fact is our chances of getting similar projects are slim. Therefore, we choose to pursue the real opportunities of working with smaller businesses and local entrepreneurs to grow and expand their businesses.

Since Fulton County is located so far from a major metropolitan area we have been able to avoid an influx of chain stores. This has fostered a spirit of entrepreneurship that has served this community well. Additionally, it is important we continue to encourage this spirit in our youth. Their interest in pursing these opportunities, coupled with our community’s willingness to encourage their young, creative minds could prove crucial to our future.

Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our economy. Our company is proud to support small business efforts across the county. The jobs created by small businesses fuel economic growth at the local level, creating a solid foundation that attracts major industry to the state and starts a chain reaction of development. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our local entrepreneurs for their contribution to Fulton County.

Through the Small Business Development Corporation, FEDCO provides counseling for small businesses each month in an effort to aid entrepreneurs in their growth. Supporting small businesses is vital to success.

To learn more about services provided by FEDCO, visit our web site at www.fultondevelopment.org.