The 2008 Business Startup Competition winner is

Smoky Mountain Dance Center, Nicole Polzella, owner. 

SMDC is a dance studio where children and adults can participate

in structured dance and physical education.  

Greater Haywood County Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber Business and Community Development Committee believes that a key pillar of economic development in our community is to promote the start-up and expansion of local and small businesses in addition to the typical focus on recruitment and relocation of larger manufacturing or related businesses that employ large numbers of people. Most business growth occurs in smaller businesses in our community.

To achieve this vision, the business community must promote the spirit of "entrepreneurship" among aspiring business owners in order to create and add as little as "one job at a time" to the economic base of our community.

With this vision in mind, the Business Competition has been implemented to encourage and financially reward those prospective business owners who choose to start a business in our community.