Keep up with the Localization Movement monthly by email!
AMIBA welcomes our newest affiliates:
Independent Booksellers of NYC
New York, NY
Concord IBA
Concord, MA
Belknap IBA
Laconia area, NH
Capital Region IBA
Albany, NY
Independent Business Alliances in the News:
New Humboldt IBA (CA) wants to ensure independent doors stay open.
Op-ed: Albany's economic development better served by indies
Jackson, MI editorial supports JXN Local First
Kalamazoo Buy Local effort gains ground
AMIBA seeks a Program Assistant -- see our job posting!
New! AMIBA's Why Buy Local? poster series
Tools to help you create a culture of support for independent businesses in your community
See all 5 posters here
Think of your favorite shop or restaurant. We'll bet it's a 
home town business. Independent locally-owned businesses are essential to a vital local economy and community character. They use the goods and services of other local businesses, serve as community hubs, and are vital components of healthy neighborhoods and strong city centers. They're where the locals go. They're owned by our friends and neighbors, or maybe even by you.
The threat to our communities is real. The trend of increasing recruitment of and dependence on absentee-owned chains -- with formulas dictating everything from the look of the building to who does the printing to where the money gets deposited -- has unhealthy consequences. It's not just local businesses who suffer -- our communities are losing social, cultural and economic strength, a place for entrepreneurship, and the ability to choose our own futures. But you have a choice.
AMIBA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping communities and independent businesses thrive. We help citizens, independent businesses and communities prevent the displacement of locally-owned businesses, ensure ongoing opportunities for entrepreneurs, and advance citizen engagement in directing the development of their community through:
See the benefits of AMIBA affiliation
Read The Benefits of Doing Business Locally (pdf) for more on the importance of independent, local ownership.
Whether you aim to launch an IBA promptly or get your community talking about the issues, AMIBA's presentations and workshops will get it done! More than 90% of our community presentations help spark new Alliances. They also generate media attention, community support and new members for your group. Our presentations for trade shows and conferences have led both to many new local efforts and national campaigns by existing organizations. Learn more!
U.S. Survey Demonstrates
Value of Local Alliances
A nationwide survey of nearly 1400 independent businesses in all 50 U.S. states showed independent retailers’ 2007 holiday sales increased just .6% over 2006. However, businesses from communities with IBAs or ongoing campaigns to promote local independents reported sales increases seven times greater than other communities. Read more.
| What They're Saying... |
|---|
"I was struck by how many small businesses had the same issues we had -- limited resources and a David-and-Goliath attitude...But there's a lot of power if you work together. Clark Kepler, owner Kepler's Books & Magazines and president Hometown Peninsula IBA |
It's our vision for a start to leveling the playing field for locally-owned independent business. We invite organizations, local, state, and national legislators, and government officers to endorse this platform, developed by AMIBA and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Better yet -- implement it! View the Platform for Independent Business
