Carolyn West-Price Touhey, owner of SmartBiz Strategy and Two Eagles Lodge B&B in Union Bay, was recognized for her accomplishments as an entrepreneur at an Enterprising Women Magazine awards gala in Boca Raton, Fla.
Touhey was among a select group of nominees to receive an honorable mention at the 2011 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards. One of three Canadian residents honored at the event, she was inducted into the Enterprising Women, Class of 2011.
"Nominations poured in throughout October and November, with an unprecedented number of nominees from throughout the world," Enterprising Women publisher Monica Smiley said. "The magazine's editorial team narrowed the field to a group of semi-finalists, while members of the magazine's prestigious advisory board assisted in the final screening process."
Touhey's start on the entrepreneurial path began in 1990 in Maryland where she started a consulting company, which continues to operate.
In 2000, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognized Touhey in Maryland as the state's top Women In Business Advocate of the Year.
When she moved to B.C. in 2006, Touhey opened SmartBiz Strategy to provide marketing consulting and ad-agency services to businesses and non-profits. In 2007, she and her husband opened Two Eagles Lodge, an award-winning B&B that welcomes tourists and hosts various events.
Touhey also teaches entrepreneurial marketing programs through workshops and webinars around North America, and has written hundreds of marketing advice articles.
In 2010, SmartBiz Strategy was named Business of the Year by the Comox Valley Home-Based Business Association. The lodge received the 2010 and 2011 Vancouver Island Better Business Bureau's Torch Award, recognizing the couple's commitment to customer service from hospitality businesses.
Two Eagles was also recognized with a 2011 Vancouver Island Business Excellence Award, winning for Tourism/Hospitality Business of the Year.
Touhey is a member of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, Home-Based Business Association (HBBA), CV B&B Association, Women's Business Network and the BC Innkeepers Association. She is the marketing director for the HBBA.
