Owner of two Cedar Rapids area businesses chosen for statewide SBDC award

The following press release was distributed on January 17

Megan Knatz chosen for Small Business of the Month Award

AMES, Iowa – America’s SBDC Iowa (SBDC) is pleased to announce that Megan Knatz, owner of Take the Cake Cupcakes & Desserts in Marion and Ashton Hill Farm in Cedar Rapids, is the winner of the SBDC’s statewide Business of the Month Award.

Scott Swenson, regional director of the Kirkwood Community College SBDC, Hiawatha, says, “Ashton Hill Farms has been a huge success since opening in November! Megan had a vision for this which grew from her insight of the wedding business and her experience through Take the Cake catering. She’s one of the brightest entrepreneurs I’ve met and has a unique way of working with customers and providing them exceptional joy in the wedding planning process. Even more amazing is she continues to build on this vision and already has ideas in mind for growth.”

Take the Cake Cupcakes & Desserts is a specialty retail food business located in Marion that produces and sells cupcakes, cakes, and other desserts, plus caters many different types of events. Ashton Hill Farm is a unique wedding and special events venue with the feel of a country location that is located on the southeast side of Cedar Rapids.

For more information on these two special businesses visit http://www.takethecakecupcakes.com, http://ashtonhillfarm.com and https://www.facebook.com/ashtonhillfarm .

The SBDC Business of the Month Award will be presented to Megan by SBDC Regional Director Scott Swenson, who nominated her for the award.

America’s SBDC Iowa is an outreach program of Iowa State University’s College of Business and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3350 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294- 7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, America’s SBDC Iowa has 15 regional assistance centers located strategically across the state. Since program inception in 1981, the SBDC has helped Iowa businesses and entrepreneurs through no fee, confidential, customized, professional business counseling and practical, affordable training workshops.

For more information on America’s SBDC Iowa programs or services, call (515) 294-2030 or visit www.iowasbdc.org, https://www.facebook.com/AmericasSBDCIowa, or https://twitter.com/IowaSBDC.

Press Contacts: Scott Swenson, Kirkwood SBDC, 319-377-8256, scott.swenson@kirkwood.edu
Tricia Janes, America’s SBDC Iowa, 515-294-2030, triciaj@iastate.edu

Read the release here.