Sometimes working at the Chamber is refreshing. Inspiring, heart-touching and yes, refreshing. I had a great meeting today with a gentleman who decided to start his own business. Simple enough, a man with a plan. However his story shows that sometimes the plan actually does work out and reminds us that start-up businesses is what drives our community.
Until last year, Joe was working at a local manufacturing company. He decided that he needed a change and really wanted to start his own business. With 7 kids and another on the way, this was not a wake-up-and-go type of commitment. This was something that he needed the support of his wife and family to go forward in making his dream a reality.
Joe also didn’t have any previous business knowledge. That did not stop him. He found resources to get him started at the Goodwill Connection Center where he began taking classes on how to become successful within his industry. From there, they referred him to the Siouxland Chamber where he could get business resources and get connected to the right people. Through the Chamber, I was able to give Joe some suggestions on the next steps for his business and who might be good people and organizations for networking. I also made him aware of the membership benefits available through the Chamber to help out with marketing his business such as $400 worth of radio advertising and ¼ pg ad in the Siouxland Business Journal. These media partnerships with Powell Broadcasting, Clear Channel Radio, and the Sioux City Journal, gain initial exposure from the business community and sincerely help new businesses grow.
Ultimately it is Joe’s drive and commitment that will make the business succeed. As Thomas Jefferson once said “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”
-Beth Trejo, Director of Investor Relations, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce
Info on Goodwill Connection Center:
- Hours: Monday – Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm.
- Location: 3100 West 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51103 – inside our main retail store
- Staff: two Connection Center Representatives and one Job Placement Specialist. One of our Connection Center Reps is bi-lingual in Spanish.
- 8 fully equipped computers available to access the internet, online training, job links, resume writing resources, Tell Me More English software (coming this month), running windows 7 with Office 2010. Wi-Fi is also available.
- Classroom equipped with audio/visual equipment for presentations/videos
- Private meeting room for interviewing/small private meetings
- Collaborating with WIT to provide ESL classes
- Collaborating with New Iowan Center/IWD to provide Citizenship classes in the future
- Goodwill University – forklift/warehouse training and janitorial training
- Strengthening relationships with a number of community resources to better connect people to their needs – Sioux City Housing Authority, Women Aware, Community Action Agency, Job Training Partners, Morrell Transition Center, Iowa Workforce Development etc.
- Focused on building relationships with area employers – we want to be their resource for connecting with potential employees
Upcoming Event: April 27th from 10 am to 2 pm they will host a free job fair. It will be free to employers.
