Successful businesswomen from St Albans and London Colney have been nominated for a national award.
The owners of Naomi Czuba Dance, Naomi Czuba, and Amber Mountain Marketing, Emma Ellis, are finalists in the Best New Business category of the Best Business Women Awards 2019.
Naomi only set up the St Albans dance school in February last year.
She said: "It's fantastic, I am blown away - it took my feet from underneath me because it is a big application with 5,000 words. It is a big deal.
"There were so many entries from around the UK that I thought I had no chance and I am happy just to be nominated."
The school offers classes in a variety of disciplines including fusion, hip hop, and Afro beats.
Naomi has been dancing her whole life, teaching for eight years, and believes the business has been successful partly because the styles she offers are not as readily available in Hertfordshire.
She gave advice to other women who are considering starting up an enterprise: "You need to really work hard and put the work in, and for a while you don't get anything.
"But then for me it all happened at once - really it was happening the whole time, it was just bubbling under the surface."
Mum-of-two Emma set up Amber Mountain Marketing in March last year and is passionate about supporting small businesses and employing young people in apprentice positions.
She said: "I am absolutely over the moon. I have worked really hard to get this business going - I am passionate about helping small businesses implement marketing plans and it is nice to be supporting young people as well."
The name, Amber Mountain Marketing, comes from Emma's auburn hair and every company's journey "climbing to the top of their mountain".
The Best Business Women Awards were founded in 2015 by multi-award winning entrepreneur Debbie Gilbert.
Since then more than 3,000 people have entered the awards.
Results for 2019 will be announced at a ceremony in London's The Tower Hotel in October.
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