New Public Education Tools

AMIBA has produced five colorful new 11” x 15” posters, each providing a different answer to the question “Why Buy Local?” All AMIBA affiliates receive a box with six sets (30) of posters and re-supplies are available to members at our cost. Others may order from our merchandise page. These have proven to be our most popular public education tool to date and we’ve sold as many as we could reasonably carry to recent speaking engagements.

The other new item is a set of eight bag stuffers / countertop takeaways. The bag-stuffers thank patrons for purchasing from your/your members’ independent business, and their decision is reinforced by informing them about one of eight different benefits they or their community gained as a result of their choice to buy local.

These are available to affiliates electronically in the Member Resources section of our website in a “generic” form, with just AMIBA’s name, or you can customize it with your organization’s name and logo added to ours (see samples of back and front that we produced for our allies at the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (front design will be slightly modified). Trade groups, local governments and others should contact us for bulk pricing or to get a quote for a customized file.

 

Independent Cafés Beating Goliath

New from Business Week online is this report and accompanying slide show on independent cafés that have competed successfully against Starbucks outlets in their community (the corporation is closing 600 stores in the coming months). Not coincidentally, seven of the nine cafés featured in the story are members of AMIBA affiliates. Your organization or business can benefit from our emerging status as a leading voice for independent, community-based business by joining the Alliance!

Chain store closings and bankruptcies can be a great news hook to shine a spotlight on businesses that have outlasted their chain competition. Contact us if you seek professional help in creating a press release and generating media.

 

The Movement Grows!

New Independent Business Alliances during the second quarter of 2008:

Capital Region Independent Business Alliance in Albany, NY

Concord Independent Business Alliance in Concord, MA

Belknap Independent Business Alliance in Laconia/Lakes Region, NH

Summit Independent Business Alliance in Summit County and vicinity, CO

JXN Local First in Jackson, MI

 

Mark Your Calendars! Jan. 27-29

Join us January 27-29 in Salt Lake City for the second international gathering of business localization advocates, community organizers, government officials and others who seek to help independent businesses thrive in their community.

The event will begin with a welcome dinner/social the first evening, Tues, Jan 27, followed by two full days packed with workshops to help you run successful local initiatives. Thursday’s program will overlap with the American Booksellers Association’s major winter conference, creating some great opportunities for both organizations. We expect to (at least) double the size of last year’s gathering, but aim to keep the grassroots, interactive nature intact. Our August update will have details on schedule, lodging and more.

 

IBA Action

Indie Biz Awards Recognize Businesses’ Civic Contributions

In almost every sizable city, someone has created annual awards for the best businesses in various categories, but Oakland Unwrapped founder and AMIBA board member Erin Kilmer Neel created something totally different with the first Oakland Indie Awards last year. First, the awards recognized outstanding contributions to the community, such as supporting local non-profits and other local entrepreneurs, community service or green business practices. And rather than just take a poll and announce winners, the awards were announced at a community-building celebration. “It’s sort of Oscars meets the Nobel Peace prize for Oakland businesses and artists,” says Erin.

The event’s success was replicated this year not just in Oakland, where the awards party included local performers from hip hop to rock to gospel, but 3000 miles away in Portland, Maine, where the Portland Independent Business and Community Alliance says they “shamelessly stole” Erin’s idea to organize the Portland Indie Biz Awards. “One of the best things about being connected to through AMIBA is the ability to borrow the best ideas from others,” said a PIBCA board member. “This was by far the best event we've had. More than 2,000 people voted online and several new businesses joined, plus we had a terrific party and raised some money for our campaign.” We’ll be talking to Oakland and Portland organizers to create a new addition for our growing toolbox of “how-to” documents for IBA programs and events in our member resources.

Independents Week

SinceJustin Dahlheimer of the New Rules Project wrote a nice summary of many affiliates’ Independents Week organizing, we’ll just point you there and say thanks to New Rules for all their great research and reporting in support of the Localization Movement.

 

Commentaries by IBA and AMIBA leaders

Capital Region IBA founder Jim Gile and Stacy Mitchell write for the Albany Times Union: Bigger bang from independents' bucks.

Dana Ennis, Director of Stay Local! ( New Orleans) writes in the Times-Picayune: Thinking Outside the Big Box.

Stacy Mitchell deconstructed the arguments of a Walmart booster in Low prices, but at what cost? in a recent Minneapolis Star Tribune commentary, hitting just a few of the points she covers in Big Box Swindle.
a must-read essential read for any independent business advocate.

 

Other media Coverage of IBA Issues

Is Your Favorite Shop a Commons? by Jay Walljasper. Bookstores, record stores, coffee shops and other independent businesses offer more than stuff to buy–they are an essential part of our communities.

Sharp Rise in Shopping Center Vacancies by Stacy Mitchell. The consequences of overbuilding retail capacity are beginning to be felt. This may be valuable information to feed your local development officials.

Tools & Tips

AMIBA’s Tip of the Month: Tell Stories!

In our workshops for communities launching Independent Business Alliances or “buy local” campaigns, we always emphasize the power of storytelling. Reading some key studies and mastering facts to advance the pro-independent message is important, too, but engaging community members emotionally even more critical. Associating names, faces and stories with your member businesses and offering compelling anecdotes about why independent businesses matter and what they do for your community will magnify the impact of your work. So back up your data…with a story!

Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath is an outstanding guide to the elements of “sticky” stories and messages -- ones that stick in people’s minds and influence their behavior. Pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore if you haven’t already.

 

Fall Presentations and Workshops

We’ll soon be determining the fall schedule for in-community presentations like Strength in Numbers.  More than 90% of communities to host such events have promptly formed Independent Business Alliances or related long-term organizing campaigns. Please contact us ASAP if you’d like to learn more about scheduling or costs.

 

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