About the Independent Business Alliance®
What is a "Local" Independent Business?
- Private, Employee, Community or Cooperative ownership
- At least 50% owned by area resident(s)
- Full decision-making function for the business lies with its owner(s)
- Limited number of locations, all within a within a single state or region
An Independent Business Alliance works to build vital local economies based on independent, locally-owned businesses and prevent chain proliferation and other trends from displacing local entrepreneurs. IBAs unite locally-owned independent businesses, citizens and community organizations to achieve this goal.
IBAs accomplish this through four focus areas:
1) Public education about the greater overall value local independents often can provide (even when they are not the cheapest) as well as the vital economic, social and cultural role independent businesses play in the community.
2) Cooperative promotion, advertising, purchasing and other activities to help local businesses gain economies of scale and compete more effectively.
3) Creating a strong and uncompromised voice for local independents in the local government and media.
4) Engaging citizens in guiding the future of their community through democratic action.
Interested in exploring an Independent Business Alliance for your community? We work with organizers, whether you're a business owner or a dedicated citizen, to get and keep you going. Click HERE to find out more to begin your exploration. Click HERE to see how AMIBA supports local IBAs.
The IBA model was pioneered in Boulder, Colorado by AMIBA's founders in 1998, and it has been used by communities of all sizes around the country (see About AMIBA).
You can discover if there's an IBA near you or in your travel destination HERE
Independent Business Alliance is a registered mark of the American Independent Business Alliance and may not be used without express permission of AMIBA. Please capitalize the first letter of each word in publication.