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Small Business Director receives fifth statewide award

2020-03-10

Young woman dressed in blue sits behind a laptop at a tableFor the fifth time, Tiffany Henry of Southwestern Community College has received a statewide award from the North Carolina Community College System’s Small Business Center Network (NCCCS-SBCN).

Henry, Director of the Small Business Center for SCC, recently received an award entitled “Business Success Story: Most Impact” for her work with Baxley’s Chocolates in Sylva. Henry began working with owners Steve and Lauren Baxley in 2014, helping them craft their initial business plan and meeting with them regularly to transform their ideas into a business model.

“We started with the workshops that the Small Business Center offered. We went to every single one, attended multiple all-day events and just tried to soak up as much information as possible,” Steve Baxley said. “Our individual meetings with her to develop our business plan were critical to our success. She also helped us secure initial funding. Since we’ve opened, she’s continued to be there with us every step of the way.”

Baxley’s opened in 2015 on Main Street. Last year, Henry helped them move to a new, larger space to further expand their business.

Since joining the Small Business Center in 2014, Henry has helped local businesses create more than 450 jobs and secure more than $3 million in financial assistance.

Her efforts have been recognized by the state’s Small Business Center Network through the additional awards of: “Rookie of the Year” in 2014; “Innovation Award: Services/Collaboration” in 2015 and 2017; and “State Director’s Award” in 2018.

Henry not only helps local businesses, but she works directly with county officials throughout SCC’s service area to provide insight and recommendations for the overall regional economy. Southwestern serves Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.

“Plain and simply put, I consider Tiffany my ‘go to’ resource for anything and everything small business-related here in Jackson County, which is critical because we are primarily a small business economy,” said Rich Price, Director of Economic Development for Jackson County. “It’s rare that you find an individual with a passion for helping and promoting small business success to the degree that she does. Her tenacity toward continuous improvement of our local economy is so greatly appreciated. She is a true asset to our region.”

Throughout the year, she hosts major seminars and workshops on agricultural business success, nonprofit organization funding, how to start a business, social media training and more.

“Starting or expanding a small business can be intimidating, but Tiffany does a great job of navigating the business owner through this difficult process,” said Scott Sutton, Dean of Workforce Continuing Education at SCC. “She is an invaluable resource to the local business community, and her passion for serving entrepreneurs in our region is only partly exemplified by her being recognized numerous times by the NCCCS-SBCN.”

For more information, or to register for any of the services and seminars offered by SCC’s Small Business Center, contact Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4426.

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