January 2016 Newsletter
Host a Coffee!

The 2016 Chamber Host sheet is out!  If your business would like to host a Hoisington Chamber Coffee, please contact Kristi at the Chamber.  Coffees are every Thursday at 9:30 a.m., and can be  held at your place of business or at the Chamber.  It is a great opportunity to announce specials, news or events to many of the communities leaders.

 
CLICK HERE to see a current list of the 2016 coffees and what is still available!
 50/50 Fundraising Raffle

Somebody is going to win some serious cash on January 16th, and it could be you!  The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce is excited to host a Winter 50/50 Raffle.  
money_lots.jpg

The raffle will run through all of
 December, and the winner will be drawn at the Annual Chamber Banquet on Saturday, January 16, 2016. The holder of the winning ticket does not need to be present to win.
 
Raffle tickets are being sold at only $1 or six tickets for $5 and may be purchased at the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce, 123 N Main, from the Chamber Directors or any of the Chamber Ambassadors.  

The Hoisington Chamber's Fundraising Committee is even throwing in $100 to get the raffle started with a bang!  Half of the proceeds from the raffle will go to the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Operating Account and the other half will go to the holder of the winning ticket.

The winner need not be present to win.
You can keep track of the growing jackpot in the Chamber's window or on the Chamber's website! 

CURRENT TOTAL - $185
Janaury Chamber Events
Monday, January 4th 
Fundraising Committee Meeting - Noon @ Chamber

Wednesday, January 6th
New Director Orientation - 7 p.m @ Chamber

Thursday, January 7th 
Chamber Coffee hosted by Hutchinson Regional Hospital- 9:30 a.m. @ Chamber

Monday, January 11th
Cash Mob @ The Liquor Box - 5-7 p.m.

Thursday, January 14th
Board of Directors Meeting - 8 a.m. @ Chamber
Chamber Coffee hosted by 2B Organized - 9:30 a.m. @ Chamber

Friday, January 15th
Lunch and Learn Registration Deadline
Set up for Chamber Banquet - evening @ K of C

Saturday, January 16th 
2016 Chamber Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet 6:30 p.m. @ K of C

Monday, January 18th
Labor Day Committee Meeting - Noon @ TBD

Tuesday, January 19th
Lunch and Learn Session - Noon @ Chamber

Thursday, January 21st
Chamber Ambassador Meeting - Noon @ Chamber, bring Town & Country for lunch
Chamber Coffee hosted by Scott Christians Construction - 9:30 a.m. @ Chamber

Thursday, January 28th
Chamber Coffee - NEED HOST! - 9:30 a.m.


Thank You to Our Renewing Investors!
Miriam Wilborn - Member since 1998

And again, welcome to our new members who joined in December!
Hoisington Chamber Events
  We are not issuing paper tickets for the banquet. Please call or email the Chamber to reserve your place. We can take cash or checks made out to the Hoisington Chamber mailed or dropped off at the Chamber, 123 N Main St., Hoisington, KS  67544, or you may pay at the door on the 16th.

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We must have at least 12 people RSVP for this class by 1-15-2016 to hold the class!  Lunch will be Subway sandwiches, chips, cookies and ice tea/water.

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CASH MOB!!!

Have fun shopping local with our monthly CASH MOB sponsored by the Hoisington Chamber Ambassadors!

This month, the CASH MOB is scheduled for Monday, January 16th from 5-7 p.m. at the Liquor Box, 168 W 2nd!

Stop in and say Hi and Thank You for being a long-standing Chamber Member and business in Hoisington!

And if you'd like, spend a few dollars! 
January Hoisington Area Events
Monday, January 4th
7 p.m. - City Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall
7 p.m. - USD 431 BOE Meeting

Tuesday, January 5th
USD 431 - Classes Resume
6:30 p.m. - HEPA Meeting 

Thursday, January 7th
5:30 p.m. - City Court

Saturday, January 9th
8 p.m. - Texas Hold 'Em Champion Bounty Poker Tournament - Hoisington Knights of Columbus - Details below.

Monday, January 11th
2-4 p.m. - Hoisington Food Bank Open
7 p.m. - City Council Meeting

Saturday, January 16th
7-9 a.m. - Clara Barton Lab Fair - Details below.

Monday, January 18th 
USD 431 - No School
Hoisington Cardinal Winter Jam begins (through Jan 23)
5:30 p.m. - Clara Barton Auxiliary Meeting

Thursday, January 21st
5:30 p.m. - City Court

Monday, January 25th
4-6 p.m. - Hoisington Food Bank Open
7 p.m. - City Council Meeting
7 p.m. - Clara Barton Hospital Foundation Members Save the Date: Annual Meeting @ Turnbull Safe Room

Member News & Events
2B Organized Offers Special & Tips!

Getting organized is one of the top 3 resolutions people make every year. 

Make this year be THE year you make it last with help from 2B Organized! Our January special is buy two 3 hour sessions for $250. This is $50 dollars off the normal price!  Consultations are free in January- book now!

Use these tips to get started...
*For each gift that came in for Christmas, donate one item to charity.
*Reevaluate your decorations. If you haven't put it out in the last couple of years, let it go.
*It doesn't have to look like Christmas threw up in your house. Use classic decorations and let the tree & nativity scene be the focus.

Find out more on the 2B Organized website!

Great Bend Regional Hospital SANE Program Featured by Kansas Coalition
 
Deb Higgins has been helping patients at Great Bend Regional Hospital for many years. But recently, her efforts were highlighted statewide by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. Deb Higgins has been the hospital's sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) since the program launched in 2011, and has examined a growing number of victims each year.

"The SANE program allows our staff to provide physical examinations to victims of sexual and domestic violence, which is used to collect evidence and document their case for legal and criminal purposes," says Adina Gregory, COO of Great Bend Regional Hospital. "Before our program started in 2011, victims had to be transferred to another facility up to two hours away."

In 2011, five patients were seen. In 2012, that number increased to eleven. Last year, that number jumped to thirty-nine and 2015 is on track to exceed that number again. All together, they have examined more than 130 victims from 14 counties in Kansas. Because of the increasing need, Great Bend Regional Hospital is now training a second SANE to assist when needed. "Our program is growing every day, and we continue to make strides in the right direction with the hospital's and the community's ongoing support," says Deb Higgins, SANE. "We strive for 24/7 coverage, and will help accommodate any needs that our patients may have."

One of the ways the GBRH SANE program accommodates these victim's needs is by utilizing a private room for sexual assault patients that is outside of the emergency room. This room has its own bathroom with a shower for the patient to use after the exam, providing a more private, safe, and trauma-sensitive examination.

The program has been successful due to a number of community partnerships built by Higgins and other staff at GBRH. "Our community has really pulled together in a collaborative effort to serve our physically and sexually abused victims," Higgins says. "Our partnerships include those with the Great Bend Police Department, Barton County Sheriff's Department, DCF, the Family Crisis Center, and the Dell Hayden Child Advocacy Center (CAC). At the CAC, the victim can have their interview and exam all under one roof. But at either location, the victim will have a family advocate called in to support the victim and their family that can then walk them through the legal process."

While crime is not something to boast about, Great Bend Regional Hospital is proud to do what they can to combat this violence and help the victims convict their perpetrators. Higgins says, "When we can positively impact even one person's life and make a small difference, we have succeeded."

 
                                  TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER TOURNAMENT
 
EVERYONE 21+ WELCOME!
 
TEXAS HOLD'EM
CHAMPION BOUNTY
POKER TOURNEY
 
8:00 P.M. SAT. JAN. 9
 
HOISINGTON K. OF C. HALL
 
$100 DONATION - NO REBUY
KNOCK OUT A CHAMPION AND       WIN THEIR $100 BOUNTY - ONE BOUNTY PER 10 PLAYERS.
90% PAY OUT!
 
$ 10.00-Shrimp Dinner $15.00-KC Strip Steak Dinner
 $18.00 - Steak and Shrimp Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
 
EVERYONE INVITED TO DINNER!

Weekly Business Article
 Tips to Starting a Business

"I want to go into business."

I hear that all the time, and I get excited when someone wants to invest in the community. So here's my best advice on starting a business.

Location, Location, Location
First you need to consider location.
I remember reading that the three most important things in opening a business are location, location and location.

Make sure you do your homework and pick the best spot. Years ago, I was a part owner in a men's store on Main Street, and it was a perfect location, plenty of foot traffic, high visibility, in the center of it all.

Know Your Business (Plan)
Next is a business plan. This is very important to being successful. With all the information available on the internet you should be able to get all the data that you need to put together a plan, or you can contact the Small Business Development Center at your local college or university. Most are happy to assist you in putting together a business plan.

If your community has a small business or economic development organization, visit their website and check out their resources. Some offer classes as well.

Choose Wisely
Next, and I think this is the most important, is hiring the right people and teaching them great customer service.

I talk a lot about taking care of your customers. There was a video store on Main Street that only hired people who smiled. That's the right approach - pick people with a positive attitude, and they will make you successful.

A Story of Outstanding Customer Service
I love to tell stories because they're memorable. This is one of my favorites. A business woman went into a restaurant in New York City, and a young male waiter waited on her. When he asked what she would like drink, she said, "I know you don't have RC Cola, so I will just have a Pepsi or Coke." She also ordered her meal at the same time. The young man went back to the kitchen and gave the order to the cook, and said he had to run out to the grocery store next to the restaurant and he would be right back. He proudly had the RC Cola on the tray with a glass of ice, and the customer was very surprised.
She asked him where he had gotten it, and he told her the story. Every time she came back to the city, she went to that restaurant and asked for the young man to wait on her. A few months later, she was in New York again but her favorite waiter was gone - he had gotten his own restaurant! And you can be sure she became a patron of that one too.

Good customer service makes you stand out. People want to do business with you and you can parlay that customer loyalty into a million different opportunities.

Isn't that a great story? Those are the kind of things you should be doing for your customers.
 
Ron Orris is the Executive Director of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, where he has led the chamber in its adoption of social media and is a strong proponent for blogging as a way to reach your audience. Under his leadership membership has increased 40% over the past two years. He has also served as the city controller for the City of Bradford and as a store manager for Walmart, a position he values as teaching him a lot about customer service.
 
Barton County Young Professionals Corner
Save the Dates - Two Upcoming BCYP Events Jan. 16 & Jan. 29

The next two events for Barton County Young Professionals will be a Literacy Kit Work Day on Saturday, January 16th from 12-6 p.m. and a Networking Mixer at Barton Community College on Friday, January 29th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
 
Literacy Kit Work Day
United Way of Central Kansas plans to give a literacy kit to every preschool student who attends Kindergarten round-up in the spring. With about 400 anticipated children to prepare for, the BCYP group will gather on January 16th to assemble these kits while enjoying snacks and watching the Star Wars movies. Sign up to volunteer by emailing Community Impact Team chair Traci Burns, [email protected]Join the Facebook Event.
 
Networking Mixer at Barton Community College
Barton Community College will host a Young Professionals mixer event on Friday, January 29th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in The Shafer Gallery inside the Fine Arts Building, 245 NE 30 Rd in Great Bend. Come and enjoy a variety of wine and beers, an Italian pasta bar with salad and breadsticks, and a stroll through the Gallery's exhibit "Exposure Time" along with hands-on activities. Barton is giving away a free 3-credit hour course of the winner's choosing!  Join the Facebook Event.

The NEW #BCYPproud Merchandise Campaign Has Officially Opened Online!
In an effort to increase awareness for our growing group and give members a chance to brag about their involvement, the Public Relations Team for Barton County Young Professionals is facilitating a merchandise campaign between now and January 20th (that's less than 2 weeks!). Members can order cotton t-shirts, dri-fit polo shirts, and magnetic name tags through our online store.
 
Orders can be placed anytime between now and Wednesday, January 20th at 11:59 p.m. The orders will then be turned into the manufacturer to be produced and shipped to Great Bend. We will distribute the NEW shirts and nametags at our next Networking Mixer on January 29th at Barton Community College. Members also have the option to pay a flat-rate shipping fee if they would prefer to have their items shipped directly to their home or office.
 
Sample of the NEW Shirt Design:

 

Check it out at www.bartonyp.com/shop
Job Opportunities
In the interest of keeping the eBlasts and Newsletters manageable in size,
the Job Opportunities from our investment members will be listed on our website under the "About Hoisington" link under "Employment".

TO SEE WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OUR MEMBERS.
Kansas November Unemployment Rates/Labor Market Report

 
Labor Market Report November 2015

TOPEKA, Kan. - The state's November seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, down from 4.1 percent in October and decreased from 4.2 percent in November 2014.

Seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 10,000 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.9 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 7,000, or 0.5 percent, since November 2014. Since last month, Kansas lost 2,800 seasonally adjusted private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. The state lost 2,600 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs since October 2015, or 0.2 percent.

"More than 10,000 people returned to the labor force in November, resulting in a record number of employed people in the state," said Kansas Secretary of Labor, Lana Gordon. "The unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent, the lowest level in more than 14 years."

Not seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 9,900 private sector jobs since last year, or 0.9 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 6,900, a 0.5 percent increase since November 2014. Since October, private sector jobs decreased by 2,000, or 0.2 percent. The state lost 1,100 total nonfarm jobs over the month, or 0.1 percent.
                                                 
 


"November typically sees an increase in unemployment claims compared to October. This year, seasonal inclement weather and temporary layoffs continued that trend," said Emilie Doerksen, Labor Economist, Kansas Department of Labor. "Even with the over the month increase in claims, continued claims remain below pre-recession levels, a sign that Kansans looking for work are able to find it."
 
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November was 3.5 percent, down from 3.7 percent in October and down from 3.9 percent one year ago.
 
There were 13,344 initial claims for unemployment benefits in November 2015, up from 8,652 in October and up from 12,003 in November 2014. There were 63,370 continued claims in November, up from 49,616 the previous month and down from 68,018 in November 2014.

Data provided is preliminary and subject to monthly revisions and annual benchmarks by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information on procedures for producing Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) estimates is available on the BLS website here. Procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates are available on the BLS website here.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The December 2015 Labor Report will be released on Friday, January 22.

Call for Content eBlasts and Newsletters

 

If you have exciting news that you would like to share in our monthly newsletter or weekly eBlasts with nearly 200 individuals in our business community, please send it to the Chamber office at [email protected] three business days prior to the 1st of the month.

 

If you would prefer to get a printed copy of the monthly newsletter, please let the office know.


The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce
123 N Main St.
Hoisington, KS  67544
620-653-4311