Do you love weighing in on shows like Dancing with the Stars and The Voice? Participate in a live business competition right here in Westminster on Thursday--the audience will get to weigh in on who they think should walk away with the $5,000 prize.

The first-ever Carroll Biz Challenge brought together more than 20 local entrepreneurs interested in starting a small business. The field was narrowed to five finalists and those five will pitch their ideas to a live audience Thursday evening at McDaniel College's Decker Auditorium.

The following finalists will be competing for the $5,000 prize:

• Michael Jordan, Critical Response Management
• Helene Taylor, The French Twist
• Sean Schmidt, Holistic Home Energy Services
• Laura Ruby, Optimal Wellness
• Kevin Giffhorn, WeLearn Educational Software

See all of the applicants here.

The event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. at McDaniel College’s Decker Auditorium. Tickets are $25 for general admission. Carroll County Chamber members and family/friends of Carroll Biz Challenge finalists pay $20 to attend.

Each finalist will take the podium to pitch their startup business, followed by a period of Q&A with the contest judges. After each Finalist has pitched, attendees will cast their vote for their favorite startup business. The Finalist with the most audience votes will receive the equivalent of one “judge vote”.

During a brief intermission, the audience votes will be tallied and the judges will cast their votes. The winner will be announced and awarded their $5,000 prize. The event will conclude with a brief speech from the Carroll Biz Challenge 2012 winner.

Visit www.carrollbizchallenge.com to learn more and buy tickets.