Orange City, Iowa — Three northwest Iowa entrepreneurs will get some much-needed capital for their businesses after competing in an idea pitch-off contest Thursday night in Orange City.
Northwest Iowa Development board member and Lyon County Economic Development director Steve Simons says that the Dream Big Grow Here competition is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to sharpen their business focus and showcase their business in a competition for prize money to put back into their young businesses. He says that those competing all presented their business plans, successes, strategies, and how they would utilize funds from the program to grow their businesses, and he says they all did a great job.
Breann White of Lester, owner and operator of Small Batch home bakery, received the top prize of $4,000 which she will use in expanding her kitchen facility. Leann Kruger of Rock Rapids, owner and operator of Creative Edge, received the second prize of $2,000 for equipment and her move to a storefront in Rock Rapids. The third prize of $1,000 was earned by Nicole Rozenboom of Hull, who is moving her B. Fierce Boutique to a storefront in Hull.
Other finalists in the contest who did not win prize money included Carroll Street Treats from Rock Rapids and Twin Flames Massage & Wellness Centre from Akron.
The pitch-off was held at the Prairie Winds Event Center in Orange City.
Photo caption: Entrepreneurs earning prize money in the Dream Big Grow Here competition were Nicole Rozeboom of Hull, B. Fierce Boutique ($1,000), Breann White of Lester, Small Batch ($4,000) and Leann Kruger of Rock Rapids, Creative Edge ($2,000).
