|
Villisca's business community is a blend of retail, service, technical and agriculture related businesses. It is a supportive community where business owners work not only to see their own businesses grow but to see the same for others in the community. Because of changes in technology, businesses that at one time needed to be located in urban centers can operate from rural areas giving new possibilities to businesses in Villisca. There are certainly some types of businesses which still would not find it easy to do business from Villisca but we encourage business owners, would-be business owners and people at the corporate level of large businesses to take a look at locating a business in Villisca. Contact Roxanna Sieber, Villisca Economic Development Director at rtsieber@netins.net for more information. On this page, we highlight Vilisca businesses and provide a listing of Villisca businesses. We also provide information that business owners can use and to highlight business life in Villisca.
Villisca businesses - they are exceptional - each one. In the December 30, 2009 edition of the Villisca Review, Judith Ann Moriarty wrote in her City Mouse column, the following:
I didn't leave a message other than my name, but call me back they did, and an hour hadn't passed before Scott phoned to say he'd managed to get my number from Ms. Vermillion. If that isn't Iowa service, I don't know what is. "We were taking a break for supper," he said. It reminded me how long it had been since I'd heard the word "supper." And how spoiled I'd become in expecting 24/7 service. Anyway, I told Scott who I was (City Mouse says I), and then asked if he might have a small mouse he could attach to my Flower Basket order. There was a pause and he quipped, "well, we trapped a few around here." We shared a laugh over that before he suggested they could whip up a mouse out of moss or a pine cone or two. 'I don't want anything fussy, (says I). The person I'm sending it to, isn't fussy, at least I don't think she is. Unfortunately, I've yet to meet her." "We can do a contemporary arrangement," said the kindly voice. In the background I could hear his partner say they were located in Chunky Dunn's former Five & Dime. I immediately imagined myself entering that store, the same place where I purchased my first tube of Tangee lipstick (guaranteed to be invisible), and a least a few Storybook Dolls. All of this led to inquiries about how long the business had been in Villisca. "Seventeen years!" I gushed. Seventeen years. It sounds like a lifetime in a world where businesses sometimes don't last out a year. Scott said 2009 had been a bit challenging, but his voice was steady and sure. Earlier in the day I had watched the billionaire duo, Buffet & Gates, present an informal question and answer session to students at Columbia School of Business, and the two came across on television as absolutely sure we'd come out of our current economic mess. In retrospect, their comments don't give me half as much hope as the voice of true entrepreneurs running a business in a former Five & Dime located in the heart of America on Third St., south of the square. After my order was firmly in place, Scott told me he reads City Mouse and "likes it." I know from the pile of emails I receive, that I do have male readers, but it was particularly nice to hear the actual words coming through my receiver. When I hung up, I realized that it was silly of me to assume the Flower Basket would have a ceramic mouse just waiting around for me to ask for it. In the city, we have way too many choices and well, those multiple choices lead to the expectation that our every wish will be granted on demand. And of course, it's not just flowers that can be sent these days. Now we have elaborate arrangements of sliced fruits, cookies on sticks, and any number of foodstuffs cobbled together and delivered in lieu of what some would say is the same old same old. Remember when our choices in breakfast cereal were Wheaties and/or oatmeal? Two choices! It was exciting to have two instead of only one wasn't it? And even more exciting for mother who no longer felt completely obligated to be up fussing over caramel rolls at dawn's early crack. Well, I'll tell you what. Give me the personal touch; the voice of an owner who picks up the phone. I felt so confident, so cared for when I gave the Flower Basket my order that I said, "Do whatever you like with the arrangement. I'll leave it up to you. It's your choice. And take your time. No rush." And
so it was on Christmas Eve…. I sat back to imagine: was it a mouse
of moss or a mouse of pine cones that made its way up the hill to the
friend I've never actually met?
|
The
day before Christmas Eve day, I called Flower Basket Wildflowers to
place an order. It was one way I could thank them for placing an ad
in the Christmas issue. A recorder answered at 712-826-2484, and a male
voice advised me to leave a message and they'd call me right back.|
Villisca
Business Directory Find below a list of Villisca businesses. We are pleased to include businesses outside Villisca who consider themselves a part of the business community by participating in the Villisca Chamber of Commerce. We've tried to include all Villisca businesses and welcome corrections. The one exception is that we have included only the farm operations which belong to the Villisca Chamber of Commerce. |
||
|
Ag
and Related Businesses D & J Farms,
Inc. Frey Enterprises Golden Harvest Hilltop Greenhouse
& Gardens Kernen Farms,
Inc. Mark Focht Farms Nodaway Valley
Equipment Nodaway Valley Feeders Penwell Grain Company Pioneer Hi-Bred
Intl Southwest Iowa Carcass
Data Sunbest Papetti
Farms Tyson Fresh Meats
Inc United Farmers Merc
Co-op and Elevator Bruce and Donna
Williams David & Corrine
Williams Antiques Villisca
Furniture & Antiques Automotive
Repair & Maintenance Kasha's Garage Schafer Automotive
Service Villisca Detail
Center & Car Wash Banking
and Financial Great Western Bank Houghton State
Bank Page County State
Bank Beauticians Hair Kut Korner Studio Central
Salon Villisca Child Care Providers Joni Currin 826-4525 Jennifer Witcher 826-4299 Amber Grantz 826-4150 Tara McCormick 826-3391 Carolyn Fisher 826-3122 Churches Mount Calvary Lutheran
Church Presbyterian Church St. Joseph's Catholic
Church Strand Evangelical
Lutheran Church United Methodist
Church |
Communications KCSI-KOAK Radio Mediacom Communications
Corp. Red Oak Express SWIE Digital Villisca Review
Stanton Viking Villisca Farmers
Telephone Co. Construction Brian GayConstruction
Co. Hammerstrom Construction J & J Construction
& Lawn Service Jim Parker Construction Joe Cooney Jr. Bergren Kammerer Shawn Carpentry
& Roofing Leichty Construction Mark Cody Nishna Valley Builders Roger Williamson Terry Currin Construction Todd Bowden Winther Construction Entertainment
and Cultural Affairs Rialto Theatre Villisca Country
Club Villisca Alumni
and Friends Association Food
and Drink Casey's General
Store City Lounge Country Lane D&D Bar and
Grill Evie's Coffee Cup The Bank V-Bar, American
Legion Villisca Foods The Witch's Den Insurance
and Law Firms Swanson Law Firm Medical Clarinda Reg. Health
Center Montgomery Co.
Mem. Hospital Villisca Medical
Clinic Stoner Drug Villisca Family
Health Center Good Samaritan
Society - Villisca Wyatt, James F.
MD |
Real
Estate Century 21, Bill Jacobs, Agent 2453 T. Avenue Villisca, IA 50864 826-8132 Crawford &
Co. (formerly Kline Real Estate) John Hausen/Jim
Hughes Real Estate Sun Valley Apartments Villisca Housing Individuals
- Supporters of the Villisca Chamber of Commerce Tom Focht Mark Focht Dave & Mary
Lindburg Clarence Peterson Jim & Diane
Wallick Donna and Bruce
Williams Retail Casey's General
Store Country Lane Flower Basket Granny's Auto Parts Hilltop Greenhouse
and Gardens Red Oak Chrysler Stoner Drug United Farmers
Merc Co-op and Elevator Villisca Foods Villisca Furniture
& Antiques Service Businesses Alliant Energy provides gas services for the Villisca community. Alliant is also active in helping entrepreneurs and businesses find the right location for their business and supporting entreprneurs in a number of ways. More about Alliant Energy can be found at www.midwestsites.com. Automotive Relocation
Service, LLC Brown's Sales &
Service Dance Unlimited Cindy's Tanning Fish Appliance Svc,
Htg & AC Jewels Professional
Cleaning JW Photography Kendrick &
Heard Plumbing & Heating Means Lawn Scape North Page Detailing
LLC Richard Bross Tom's Service Clean Southwest Iowa Rural
Electric Cooperative Thompson Woodworking
& Rock U.S. Post Office Villisca Community
Schools Villisca Detail
Center & Car Wash Villisca Municipal
Power Plant Villisca Public
Library Villisca Small Engine Villisca Storage Wallick Family Trucking,
Inc. Wolfe Funeral
Home
|
|
VILLISCA Celebrates
JW Photography established itself as a Villisca business on November 1, 2008. Congratulations to Julie Wainwright on the first anniversary of her business. Julie has a preference for doing portraitures and candid shots in natural outdoor settings. She also produces outstanding photos in her studio. Her repertoire includes family photos, senior pictures, baby photos and weddings. She has photographed Villisca's EMTs and the 2009 graduating class, In her studio window, at the corner of 4th Street and 3rd Avenue, is an outstanding photograph of the bikers who came through Villisca this past summer. The studio is open by appointment. Julie
was an amateur photographer and began working as a professional in
2005. We appreciate Julie establishing her business in Villisca and her active support of the Villisca business community. The Chamber of Commerce encourages community residents and those from surrounding communities to support Villisca businesses by doing business with them regularly. Though it has not been a focus of her business to date, businesses which need promotional photos should seek the services of JW Photography. |
VILLISCA Celebrates
Pictured are employees
when the bank changed hands and today's employees Bank Iowa celebrated its 20th Anniversary on November 5, 2009 with an open house. On hand were some of those who were with the bank when it changed hands. The headline in the Villisca Review in November 1989 was simply "Bank Sale final Nov. 1". The sale of the bank to Citizens State Bank marked the end of the Nodaway Valley National Bank which Walter Hyink had owned and operated for 41 years. Since that time, Citizens State Bank has changed its name to Bank Iowa. In
the 1989 announcement, Michael Thompson, Vice President, was quoted
"Our Villisca bank will offer the same full service banking found
at our Clarinda bank," … "It is our plan to grow in
Villisca and be active in community affairs as well as offer our customers
the best financial service possible." The banking industry has
seen significant changes since that change. Citizens, now Bank Iowa,
has kept that commitment and has served the Villisca community well. Having a local bank committed to serving the community is important for a community with an eye toward the future. As noted above, the banking industry has changed and it has been a challenge for the smaller rural banks to keep up with the many new regulations and the changes in technology and still continue to serve their customers with the same commitment to being a "hometown" bank. Bank Iowa has been able to meet the challenges and serve their Villisca customers well. They have 24-hour service with the ATM and with the availability of online banking. Customers can still just stop in and get personal help with their accounts or stop in and visit with Scott Sunderman, branch manager, about loans and other banking matters. Bank
Iowa is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. Scott Sunderman
currently serves as Chamber secretary. He also serves on the Kids
and Kinship board and represents Villisca on the Montgomery County
Community Foundation board. You can see many of the Bank Iowa employees
out in the community serving in a number of organizations and events.
Thank you Bank Iowa for your 20 years of service to the Villisca community. |
|
VILLISCA
Celebrates
Schafer Automotive's Anniversary |
New
Business Owner in Town
|
|
Brian and Laci Schafer opened the doors of Schafer Automotive on September 28, 2003, one year to the day after they were married. The business is at the same location where Brian's dad operated Schafer Automotive before his death. Schafer's is a full service auto repair and maintenance shop. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 and some Saturdays by appointment. Brian and Laci are active in the Villisca community and in the Villisca Chamber of Commerce. Laci has held several offices in the Chamber, serving as President in 2007. They have been active in planning Heritage Days activities including the Fireworks and the Street Dance and in the fundraising that supports these events. VHS
alumni, Brian graduated with the class of 1991 and Laci in 1997. We appreciate the Schafers establishing their business in Villisca and their support of the Villisca business community. The Chamber of Commerce encourages community residents and those from surrounding communities to support Villisca businesses by doing business with them regularly. |
Welcome to the Villisca business community to Pam Gray who has purchased the Villisca Detail Center in September 2009.. In
an interview with the Villisca Review, Pam indicated, the nature of
the business will stay the same as it has in the past offering complete
professional automotive cleaning for the interior and exterior of
your vehicle, and Gray has no immedicate plans for changes to the
facility. For the time being, Gray is assisted by her son, Nick, who worked at the center during his high school years and is showing his Mom some of the waxing and buffing ropes. Former owner, Donna Robinson, also assisted prior to the purchase and will continue to be a source to turn to if in need.
|
|
Jim
and Donna Robinson - it's not goodbye
|
|
|
With the news that the Villisca Detail Center has been sold, it is appropriate to recognize the contributions the former owners, Donna and Jim Robinson, have made and continue to make to the Villisca business community. Both Jim and Donna have served in various Chamber positions including that of President. They are most always on hand to serve at Chamber fundraisers and events including the Annual Chamber Easter Egg Hunt, the Annual Chamber Holiday dinner, and the various Heritage Days activities including the Fireworks and the street dance. They work behind the scenes to work on behalf of the business community as a whole and on occasion on behalf of individual businesses. Jim and Donna were some of the charter members of the Villisca Alumni and Friends Association (VAFA). Jim was the first president of VAFA. The Robinsons are active in the various Montgomery County organizations. Donna is a Montgomery County Supervisor and gives Villisca a voice on the county level. Jim serves on the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Board, an important role in the health and welfare of all the citizens of Villisca. The Robinsons made it clear at the October Chamber meeting that they are not separating themselves from the Chamber just because they are not currently business owners. |
|
They
became parents in January 2009..
|
SCAM ALERT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES - 2/18/09 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a scam alert today to small businesses, warning them not to respond to letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates. The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to be an SBA letterhead to small businesses across the country, advising recipients that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and that SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate. The letter asks the small business to provide the name of its bank and account number. These letters have not been sent by or authorized by the SBA, and all small businesses are strongly advised not to respond to them. The scheme is similar in many ways to e-mail scams often referred to as “phishing” that seek personal data and financial account information that enables another party to access and individual’s bank accounts or to engage in identity theft. |
|
WASHINGTON – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains a package of loan fee reductions, higher guarantees, new SBA programs, secondary market incentives, and enhancements to current SBA programs that will help unlock credit markets and begin economic recovery for the nation’s small business sector. “The tax incentives and credit stimulus elements of the Recovery Act will truly help small business owners affected by the credit crunch, and will provide financing opportunities to help them create new jobs in their communities,” said Acting SBA Administrator Darryl K. Hairston. “There’s a lot to digest in the legislation, and SBA has established teams to tackle a wide variety of policy decisions, system modifications, regulatory changes, legal requirements, and new program launches authorized by the President and Congress,” said Hairston. The bill provides
$730 million to SBA and makes changes to the agency’s lending and
investment programs so that they can reach more small businesses that
need help. The funding includes: The bill also authorizes refinancing for certain SBA loans so borrowers can expand their businesses on favorable terms, and expands leverage capability for Small Business Investment Companies. “We are going to be part of the solution, and this bill gives us specific tools to make it easier and less expensive for small businesses to get loans, give lenders new incentives to make more loans, and help restore healthy SBA secondary markets to boost liquidity,” Hairston said, noting also that more details on implementation will be coming over the next few weeks. The stimulus bill takes a comprehensive approach and attacks several problems facing small businesses at once by reducing fees, guaranteeing a greater share of certain loans, expanding capacity in the Microloan program, providing new loans to help small businesses keep their doors open through economic hardship, as well as new mechanisms to help unfreeze the secondary markets for SBA-backed loans. Declines in SBA lending volume last year, which are continuing in FY 2009, reflect problems in the broader credit markets, and present hurdles to small businesses that are seeking credit in the current economy. The financial crisis has created a variety of conditions that impact small businesses, including a lack of liquidity in the banking system, a reluctance of many lenders to extend new loans, tightened credit standards, weaker finances at small businesses, and uncertainty about taking on new debt on the part of many entrepreneurs. The Recovery Act addresses small businesses’ lending problems, and addresses key investment and contracting issues. The bill helps Small Business Investment Companies better leverage investment capital to reach more small companies. The bill also increases the current contract limit for SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee program, which will help small businesses compete for contracts.
|
90
Percent Guarantee The bill allows SBA to raise its loan guarantee from the current levels to as much as 90 percent for some loans. At present, SBA can guarantee loans up to 85 percent on loans up to $150,000, and up to 75 percent on loans greater than $150,000. The 50 percent guarantee on SBA Express loans would remain unchanged. Increasing the SBA guarantee percentage will encourage lenders to extend more capital to small businesses by increasing the share covered by an SBA guarantee. Business Stabilization
Loans Microloans Refinancing Secondary Market
Expansion The bill also empowers SBA to set up a Secondary Market Lending Authority that would make direct loans to broker-dealers that participate in the secondary market for SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loans. These broker-dealers would use the funds to purchase SBA-backed loans from commercial lenders, assemble them into pools and sell them to investors in the secondary loan market. This program may help address some of the issues facing the secondary market for SBA loans and may ultimately help SBA lenders make new loans to borrowers. Investment Program Surety Bonds |
|
Are your potential
customers Can your potential customers find you in the yellow pages? - in the "yellow pages" on the Internet that is. More and more people use the Internet to find information so you need to make sure your business is listed on the Internet as well in the more traditional yellow pages of the telephone book. You need to check for correct category listing and for accuracy of information as well as just to make sure you are listed. There are "Yellow Pages" on several web sites. These are where people can find businesses based on the category of the business and/or the actual business name. The information on these yellow pages come from a couple different databases. Each site that has a yellow pages link does not necessarily maintain the database that the information comes from. The main sources of the information are: Superpages.com; Yellowpages.com; and InfoUSA.com. As a business owner, you need to check on your listing in each of these services to check for accuracy and to assure that you are in the right categories so people and other businesses can find you. There are also a couple websites that people go directly to for "yellow page" information that are used specifically here in the heartland. They are: Switchboard.com; QuestDex.com. You need to check these for accuracy as well. |
State of Iowa Vendor and Bid Opportunities Requests for Proposals, Bids, Contracts and Services. Small and microenterprise businesses can do business with the State of Iowa. Listed below is a central e-location where state agencies can publish, post and advertise vendor and bid opportunites for procurement of goods or services. A great place to start to find opportunities to contract with the State of Iowa. http://eservices.iowa.gov/rfp/
Demographic
Information Do you need demographic information in planning your business expansion or in writing an original business plan - you'll find much of what you'll need on ISU Extension's website www.seta.iastate.edu
Checklist for
business preparedness for pandemic flu or bioterriorism The time to prepare is when the sun is shining Disaster Recovery Tips for Small Businesses
|
A Web site is not a magic bullet for business success but ... A recent look at the Web sites of a couple local businesses has caused me on to make a couple comments. First, the myth that a Web site can bring on business profits has long been dispelled. At the same time, the time when it was believed that microenterprise and small businesses don't need a Web site has passed as well. This article is not meant to be a primer on small business Web sites. It is just meant as a caution sign - pay attention to how your Web site reflects your business to the consumer so pay attention to what it looks like, what is on it, and how easy it is for your customer to navigate. Small business owners wear a lot of hats and developing your Web site may be one of them. The decision should depend on how tech savvy you are, how willing you are to educate yourself on some Web basics and how much of an eye you have for design. When you hire someone to create your Web site, you need to ask the same questions. Just because someone is in business as a Web site developer does not mean they are good at it. Tech: Just because you can - you don't need to. There are a lot of things that can jazz up a Web site but it they take a lot of time to load and have no value to the visitor - leave them out. Design: A Web site is a visual tool - you need to know the value of color or the lack thereof. Color can be a distraction. Color can make text difficult to read. Certain colors can bring on emotional responses. Speaking of reading text, while TimesRoman is recommended for ease in reading printed text, it is not so for reading on a computer screen. Balance and white space is as important on a Web site as in an advertisement. Your Web site needs to be easy on the eye and appealing. Web basics: what do your customers expect from a Web site; how long do you have to attract the visitor to keep them on the Web site; how many times is a visitor willing to click to get the information they want; what are the greatest irritations to surfers; how do you get visitors to your Web site to start with? |
