Monthly Archives: October 2009

Midwest Regional TaeKwonDo Championship!

Posted on October 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Midwest Regional Championship (ITA TaeKwonD0) will be held at the South Ridge Golf dome on November 14, 2009. This is going to be a fascinating event that will take place here in Siouxland. We welcome all of the participants and their families to our community and wish each contestant the best of luck!

Here’s some more information on the all day event:

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.- Artistic Seminar for ages 13 and up

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.-Artistic Seminar for ages 12 and under

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.- Competition, black belts 15 and up

10:30a.m.-11:30 a.m.- Competition, Tiger Cubs, White & Yellow belts 14 & under

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.- Competition Xtreme & Traditional, Single & Team Synchronized

1:00 p.m.- Opening Ceremonies

1:30 p.m.- Competition 14 & under (Green, Blue, Brown & Red belts)

2:30 p.m.- Bar Black belt

3:30 p.m. Students 15 & up (White, Green, Yellow, Blue, Brown, & Red)

Cost for admission is only $6 and children 4 & under get in FREE!

Have you ever thought of owning your own TaeKwonDo franchise?

Too often in life when starting a business do we fall into the trap of following the same model for success. If you have been looking to get off the same beaten path and open a franchise away from the norm, then this is your opportunity…

photo courtesy of International TaeKwonDo Alliance The night before the championship, members of ITA Franchising Inc. will have an informative open house for individuals interested in opening one of their franchises. The open house will start at 7:30 p.m. and will be held at Tiger Rock’s Hamilton location. The address is: 316 W. 25th Street.

New Opportunity, New Growth, New Vision

Here is some info. on how to start your own franchise…

ITA Franchising Inc. welcomes instuctors, academies, black belts, students, parents & citizens to start up their own TaeKwonDo franchise today. This is such a unique opportunity because TaeKwondo academies are so inexpensive to start! Their one time franchise fee is only $500.00. Forget about constant oversight, fees & regulations; each academy is independently owned and operated.

The International TaeKwonDo alliance doesn’t just specialize in curriculum for TaeKwonDo they offer much, much more. Different areas include the Tiger Cub, Han Mu Do, Personal Safety, Jiu-Jitsu, & Yoga.

If this ignites your interest and leaves you wanting more check out http://www.itaonline.com or call 1.800.489.5101

Don’t forget the Open House at Tiger Rock! Mark your calendar for November 13, 2009 at their Hamilton location at 7:30…

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Posted in General info, Uncategorized

Tagged black belt, golf, ITA, Siouxland, South Ridge Golf Dome, TaeKwonDo, Tiger Rock

The Ghost From K.D. Station

Posted on October 28, 2009 | 2 Comments

photo courtesy of Mihela 816

Halloween is here and the Siouxland area has you covered for all your scary, spooky, frightening, chilling, eerie, ghostly, mysterious, uncanny, unearthly, weird, supernatural, alarming, ominous, fearful, and horrific fun.

We shall start this blog with a little story…

K D Station was constructed around 1915 as a meat-packing plant. Its existence for that purpose was short-lived as it soon went bankrupt. The building was then purchased by Swift and Co. who operated a packing operation in KD Station for many years.

A gas leak explosion back in 1949 killed a number of people and years later Swift moved out and a shopping center, bowling alley, a miniature golf course, and martial arts studio took its place. It was the martial arts owner, who also worked in security that reported a number of strange occurrences…

Enter the ghost of KD Station…

One night, this owner proceeded to turn off the lights at KD Station. These lights were the type that had to be unscrewed in order to be turned off. He did just that, then proceeded to lock the doors in front of the building and as he walked away he glanced back at the building.

A flushed, white complexion changed the tone of his body and fear filled up his core as he saw that every single light had been turned back on. He reported that there was no possible way that someone could screw the lights back in thirty minutes; let alone thirty seconds. If a patron was still locked inside there were no on/off switches to give them light in the haunted building. His fear refrained him from returning inside the premises that night and as he returned in the morning the lights were how he intended originally…Shut off.

The elevators seemed to have a mind of their own as well as they would make sounds of movement and yet they remained still. Patrons, owners alike don’t deny that the ghost of KD Station has haunted the building for years.

Recently, the old building has seen a wrecking ball shatter the brick that once held area businesses. Rhonda’s Speakeasy resides along the base line and as people roll in to enjoy a night of fun they see a building that once was. These customers have different accounts of the ghost that is looking for a new place to roam and as Halloween approaches Rhonda’s Speakeasy proves to be the closest thing to the supernatural that you’ll see….

If the ghost fails to show his shadow, Rhonda will have you lined up for other forms of chilling entertainment.

This week Rhonda’s will have two nights dedicated to Halloween. The band “Stealing Mercury” will be playing both nights and Saturday night is the costume party. They will be giving away $100 to the best costume and at midnight the band will be dressing up as Rhonda, Mac from Mac Behrs, and Rick Swanson form Chesterfield’s.

So come on out and enjoy your scary weekend at Rhonda’s Speakeasy!

Don’t forget as you enter or as you leave to pay attention to an old building adjacent from Rhonda’s. With luck, you just might see or hear a ghost that has been in KD Station for over 60 years.

Who knows what plans it has for the future? It may be coming to a closet near you…

-Ian Banks-Social Media Intern

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Posted in General info, Uncategorized

Tagged Chamber, halloween, intern, KD Station, Rhonda's, Siouxland

Positively Siouxland

Posted on October 27, 2009 | Leave a comment

The time has come for this week’s Positively Siouxland!

This week the Siouxland Chamber’s own Christopher McGowan is boasting a little bit, but not about himself.

Don’t believe me?

Well, listen and you’ll find he is bragging about Sioux City after hearing of some more national recognition we picked up these past months. Way to go Siouxland!

siouxland cham

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Posted in General info

Tagged Chamber, Chris McGowan, Commerce, recognition, Siouxland

Community Day 2009!

Posted on October 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

Part of success in business depends on the partnerships you currently have and those you would like to build. Younkers has set a good example of giving back to the community for years with their Community Day. Now they are looking for even more ways to get involved and partner with businesses. Are you a non-profit agency looking to find funds for a project or your mission? Maybe you’re a business owner and want to think of other ways to reach your target market. Whatever the case, we encourage you to start a conversation with your neighbors in business, you never know when a great idea may strike.

What is Community Day?

couponbooklet Community Day is an annual fundraising event designed to provide schools, nonprofit and 501c3 organizations with a fun and easy way to raise money. Since 1999, the event has raised over $63 Million! As any fund-raiser or non-profit employee will tell you, raising money to support your cause isn’t always simple. One local business is helping to ease the pain of collecting donations by pairing goodwill with something many of us love, shopping!

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, Younkers is going to host Community Day 2009. This is a great event that donates money to Non-Profit Agencies all over Siouxland. Younkers would like to invite all Siouxland Businesses to sponsor a Non-Profit Agency and join us for our Community Day Event.

Here’s how it works:

-Younkers invites Siouxland businesses to sponsor a Non-Profit Agency

-Younkers donates coupon booklets to Non-Profit Organizations for no charge!

-The employees will sell these booklets for $5 on Community Day and the money raised will go to fund their organization

-Each booklet sold contains a $10 off coupon good on most merchandise $10 or more & four 20% off coupons in Younkers

So go out and get a booklet today and come to Younkers on the 14th and get behind this event for a great cause.

-Ian Banks, Social Media Intern

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Posted in General info, Uncategorized

Tagged Community Day, Non-Profit, November, Siouxland, Younkers

Posted on October 26, 2009 | 1 Comment

BusinessRoundtable Header copy Our next Business Roundtable will be held Nov 12th at noon at the Siouxland Chamber. Don’t forget that this committee is open to all chamber members and their guests at no charge. Here is a preview of the November roundtable. If you are interested please RSVP to Nicole at nthompson@siouxlandchamber.com . Also, lunch will be available for $7 at the event. Hope to see you there!

Expanding Cultural Diversity: How your business can reach out

As a business owner it is essential to know your market, not just who you are targeting but how. Siouxland has long been a melting pot of nationalities, but that mix has changed significantly over time and especially during the past few years. Do you still know your market and how to reach it? Join us for a Business Roundtable discussion with community leaders from some of the various cultures represented in Siouxland to hear about their needs, customs, and where your business can reach out.

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Posted in Business Roundtable

Tagged Business Roundtable, cultural diversity

Posted on October 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

The entrepreneur in us sees opportunities everywhere we look, but many people see only problems everywhere they look. The entrepreneur in us is more concerned with discriminating between opportunities than he or she is with failing to see the opportunities.

-Michael Gerber

This week the Chamber blog turns its spotlight on J & L Staffing as we recognize their commitment towards innovation in the Siouxland Community.

On August 19, 2005 Premier Services Inc. was born. A location was picked, ideas were formed, but the founders had nothing concrete as to which specific industry they would belong to. Nevertheless, the owners grabbed a historic landmark residence and converted it into corporate offices. This was no easy task, because in actuality they purchased a Victorian home with five bedrooms, two and a half baths and five fireplaces!

Their imagination knew no end as they began to form a business out of what used to be a home. They replaced an old dining room and turned it into a conference room, an old parlor into a reception area, and an old library into an office. Next, the 2nd floor that was full of bedrooms was re-shaped into offices and the third floor ballroom transformed nicely into an exercise facility fully equipped with a massage parlor for the staff’s use.

From 2005 to present, Premier Services Inc. has developed into the staffing service it is today. The owners took that staffing service and broke it off into four different sectors of business, they include: Premier Services Cleaning Services LLC., Premier Services Property Management LLC., J&L Enterprises staffing, J&L storage facility. These four business entities successfully feed off each other and mesh to provide different services for the Siouxland community.

For instance, the cleaning service can employ potential workers directly from referrals by J & L Enterprises Staffing. Meanwhile J & L doesn’t primarily refer potential employees to just their cleaning service. To the contrary, they focus on marketing temporary to permanent employees to other Siouxland companies and national employers. J & L currently has over 500 plus temporary employees placed at a wide variety of Siouxland businesses around the area.

Why is this important?

Well, A regular staffing agency assists potential employees in finding a job locally or nationally. What J & L is doing has broken the mold in this aspect and not only locates jobs away from J & L, but has created separate entities connected to J & L to create more jobs within their own company.

Furthermore, with the four different sectors they offer, J & L can cover a lot of different areas and the newest addition is the J & L Storage facility. Just this month, J & L purchased the former “Glass House,” a historic building on West 7th Street.

The building is perfect for a large storage facility as the elevator is 8ft. wide by 20 feet. They plan using the 1st level for staffing and maintenance and the 2nd and 3rd level for storage items that could include jet skis, motorcycles, small campers, small to mid size cars, and trucks. This facility will be made available to customers who want to store their prized possessions in a year round storage facility.

These are all truly great ideas and it is just a testament how the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kickin’ here in Siouxland.

The versatility of J & L from the time of its existence to now has truly been a blessing for this community and all of those who work for them. Down at the Chamber we look forward to seeing their different resources flourish in a productive Siouxland economy.

-Ian Banks- Social Media Intern

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Posted in Guest Blogger, Uncategorized

Tagged Chamber, Enterprises, J & L, Jackson, Premier Services Inc., Siouxland, social media

What can the Chamber of Commerce do for YOU?

Posted on October 22, 2009 | Leave a comment

The answer, A lot. When businesses invest in the Chamber they are supporting the very things that make a community grow. There are many benefits to becoming a chamber member, many of which are automatic when you join. Our goal is to support our business community and help to grow business. That being said, many times what you need from the chamber may not be on our benefits list. That doesn’t mean we still can’t help.

Last week we held a focus group for the Siouxland Community Christian School in Sioux City. We gathered some individuals who they considered their target market and brainstormed ideas over lunch. This gave the school some useful feedback and brought a new perspective into the mix. Here is what Siouxland Christian School Board Member, Terry Krei had to say.

“Thanks again for taking time in your busy schedule to visit with us last week. Not only do we appreciate your time, but that of the motivated and helpful advisors you assembled!

You all had some great feedback and observations for us. We will continue to discuss the ways we can better leverage our unique posit

ion in Siouxland with some of the specific suggestions you shared with us.

Would you please pass on our sincere appreciation to the members you brought with you who also shared their time and energy.

There is no doubt that they are all committed with you to build a greater Siouxland. And to the extent that our school joins in that effort, we valued your participation with us last week.”

We were glad to help the Siouxland Christian Community School as a part of our mission to grow Siouxland. Make sure to keep the Siouxland Chamber in mind when your building your business, or when you just need some new ideas–we are always just a phone call or email away :-)

-Beth Trejo, Director of Investor Relations Siouxland Chamber of Commerce

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Posted in Chamber Members, testimonials

Tagged chamber benefits, focus group, siouxland christian school

Positively Siouxland

Posted on October 21, 2009 | 1 Comment

siouxland cham

Good morning Siouxland!

What a rainy, cold fall we are having, what is up with the weather?

Anyways, stay warm and endulge in this double dose of Positively Siouxland featuring the Chambers’ own Chris McGowan.

The first sound byte features Chris talking about the City of Sioux City’s “Business for Breakfast.” For this special occasion, the city is bringing in FDNY Battalion Chief Salka.

Click on the audio to find out the details on how you can attend…

Photo Courtesy: Cheryl's Art Box

The second audio features an event in Siouxland that will involve the color pink, hockey, raising awareness and fundraising for a great cause.

Think you know what I am talking about? Click below to find out…

Well, I hope you enjoyed Positively Siouxland X2 this morning and try to stay dry as it is suppose to rain, rain rain…

Ian Banks-Social Media Intern

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Posted in Weekly Update

Tagged Breast Cancer Awareness, Chief John Salka, Chris McGowan, Fire, Musketeers, Pink, positively Siouxland

Monthly Archives: October 2009

Midwest Regional TaeKwonDo Championship!

The Ghost From K.D. Station

Positively Siouxland

Community Day 2009!

What can the Chamber of Commerce do for YOU?

Positively Siouxland

Hear What the Chamber is Saying Now

Flickr Photos

Follow the Chamber Blog

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