Who can be a Member or list their business? 

Owners of local independent businesses headquartered in the Siouxland area.  Majority owners must have primary residence in the Siouxland area. Business can have multiple locations but must be headquartered in the Siouxland area.  Franchises or Multilevel Marketing Businesses headquartered outside of Siouxland do not qualify.

What are the boundaries on the Siouxland Area for the purposes of Siouxland Made? 

A 70-mile radius from downtown Sioux City, IA. Contact Us for more information and for requests for exceptions.

Who can be a Vendor?

Any business that can be a member (see above) that creates their own products.  Products can be made, grown, designed, created, or significantly altered by owners or employees.  Resale of new or used products is not allowed for vendors, as it is a marketplace for locally made products.  If you sell both made products and resale, only products you have made can be sold through our marketplace.

What licensing and insurance is required for me to be a Vendor?

All businesses are required to have a tax ID (or SS number for Sole Proprietors).  Specific licensing requirements for different industries are up to the vendor to procure.  All vendors must have proper licensing in place before selling.  Anyone selling food, beverage, or cosmetic products must carry product liability insurance.

Are there items I am prohibited from selling as a Vendor?

The following items are prohibited: individual items valued at over $1000 or more per item, liquor or alcohol products, tobacco products, vaping products, e-cigarettes, hookahs, cannabis, CBD oil, hemp or any cannabis or CBD oil infused products, pharmaceuticals including contraceptives and “health and wellness” type products such as homeopathic, herbal remedies, nutraceuticals, vitamins, nutrition or diet supplements, weapons, weapon accessories, guns, firearms, ammunition, protective equipment including helmets and sports gear, adult material, child safety devices or equipment, furniture intended for infants or children, or children’s sleepwear, farming supplies, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers,

Members can point consumers to their own website for details on products and promotions of legal products that are age or otherwise restricted.  Siouxland Made does not have an age restriction on our website so all products advertised and sold on the site must be family friendly and legally allowed to be promoted to all ages.

Can non-profits be listers, members or vendors?

Yes, non-profits can list for free, or purchase subscriptions at the member and vendor level at a discounted rate. See our Non-profit subscription page for more details (coming soon).

Will membership rates increase?

Our goal is to keep rates the same forever.  We will evaluate as needed, but our hope is that the platform will expand to a physical location with additional options in the future.

Can I pay extra to get my products/events featured?

No, we want to be as unbiased as possible for local consumers , and we want to give the startup a chance to make their way without a lot of additional cost.  The subscription prices are what they are, we won’t be offering add-ons for other marketing opportunities.

What do you mean by unlimited categories?  

If your business legitimately fits in the category, you can list your business in all the categories that apply.  If you want us to create a new category let us know through the support button on the footer of the member pages!

Do I have to be open to public reviews?  

Yes, that is an important part of the website.  We are helping consumers shop locally and trust building is the most important part of that.  If you feel that a review is unfair, we will investigate the review upon request.

What kind of things are discussed in the online forum?

Topics include Q&As about licensing and business, buy/sell/trade, collaborating and networking.  Members can start new discussions, so anything PG/family friendly is on the table.

How do collective pickups work? 

A collective pickup is a weekly set pickup window and place where consumers can pick up purchases.  Vendors can choose which collective pickups to participate in and post inventory accordingly.  Consumers can shop multiple vendors in one transaction, for one pickup.  Vendors must have product to the location 30 minutes prior to pick up*.  A pickup organizer will put orders together; however, the vendor is responsible for their products until the end of the pickup window.  At the end of the pickup window, the buyer bears responsibility for all products whether they have been picked up or not.

*For vendors selling under cottage food laws, you must be present at pickup to handoff directly to the consumer.

How do individual pickups work? 

Vendors set times and place for individual pickup of their products on their marketplace dashboard.  Vendors can allow consumers to pay cash at pickup sites rather than prepay but will be responsible for collecting sales tax.

What happens if a customer isn’t happy with a product? 

Customer service complaints will be handled directly by the vendor.  If a resolution cannot be reached, a Siouxland Made staff member will investigate escalated cases and recommend arbitration if a dispute cannot be settled.

What if I am a vendor and cannot fulfil my sale or cannot get to a pickup time? 

First, let the consumer know immediately and give a complete refund to the customer.  Second, let us know what happened.  We understand that emergencies happen and mistakes are part of life. We do reserve the right to remove vendor access if unfulfilled sales become a consistent problem. 

What if I have an event listed and I can’t make it?

We understand that illness and emergencies happen.  Let us know immediately so we can post on social media and take the event down with as much notice as possible.  If missed events become a consistent problem, we do reserve the right to remove event posting access.

Do you certify that businesses are independent local businesses or that the products they sell are truly grown, made, created, altered or designed by that business? 

We do not have a certification process.  We ask the owner to testify that their business and their products do meet the criteria.  If you know someone is making false statements, please contact us immediately so we can check into it and keep this a place that truly is for local independent businesses.  See our Site Disclaimer (located in the footer) for additional information.

Does Siouxland Made or any of its owners or employees endorse any of these businesses or products? 

We sure do love local businesses, but we do not endorse any businesses or products on this website; we exist to help consumers find local businesses.  We expect you to do your own research when deciding where to shop and whom to do business with. See our Site Disclaimer (located in the footer) for additional information.