Businesswoman's Stroke of Luck was Tennessee's Good Fortune
(Click here to see a photo gallery of the trip to Washington, D.C.)

Johnson City has a good reason to celebrate May as national Small Business Month--the state's top small business owner is in our own back yard.

Elisa Comer, founder and CEO of Eagle's Landing Transcription Service, recently was named Tennessee's Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. State officials caught on quickly to Comer's success; she's been here only 15 months, but Comer insists the admiration is mutual.

I've said that if someone wants to start a business in Tennessee, they should be required to own a business in other states so they know how good they've got it," she said.

Two of Johnson City's small businesses — Jane's Lunch Box and Eagle's Landing Transcription Service — were recently honored for their outstanding quality and performance with Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"It's really just shining a flashlight on outstanding small businesses," said Brent Inscoe, director of small business marketing communications for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.