IBA Success

The Austin IBA’s (TX) landmark economic impact study measuring how money spent at two independent businesses (Waterloo Records and Book People) and a pending Borders superstore impacted Austin found that $100 spent at Borders generated $13 in local economic activity, while $45 was generated by either independent store (through patronage of other local businesses, paying more employees, etc.). The results have been cited widely and sparked similar studies. (See studies on our recommended readings page)

The Austin IBA used their study results to help defeat a $2.1 million public subsidy for the proposed Borders development. Vocal critics, AIBA gained public support that caused the City to rescind the subsidy. The Borders never went in. AIBA also was instrumental in helping prevent a proposed Wal-Mart superstore. AIBA’s Independent Business Improvement Zones program to identify and enhance unique business areas and its CLIC program to match developers and locally-owned independent businesses are enthusiastically embraced by Austin City government and helped AIBA gain the City’s ear on policy decisions affecting independent businesses -- before they are made.
On the heels of the 2005 election cycle, the director of the Metro IBA in Minneapolis/St. Paul was asked to serve on the transition team of St. Paul’s mayor-elect Chris Coleman to help evaluate Economic Development, Planning, and Community Outreach.
The Santa Fe Alliance collaborates with city government and even New Mexico’s state government on “plugging the leaks”—preventing leakage of dollars from Santa Fe and New Mexico that could remain to help New Mexicans. It’s only reasonable that taxpayers should reap the benefit of their own tax dollars! This Alliance also designed and implemented a Locals Care credit/debit card program with a locally-owned bank to help keep more spending in the community.

BUILD St. Louis is positioning itself as a uniting force in a deeply divided (racially, socially, economically, geographically) community. BUILD is forging relationships with community organizations to connect these diverse communities in a concerted effort focused on community-building and preserving independent business in St. Louis, neighborhood by neighborhood.
The website and neighborhood maps created by Stay Local!, our New Orleans affiliate, provide a service beyond merely identifying locally-owned independent businesses -- they help residents and visitors know which businesses are open in the recovery following Hurricane Katrina. That service received strong recognition from the Office of Recovery Management when it committed federal matching funds to extend Stay Local's independent business locator map program to 17 more recovering neighborhoods.

The Boulder IBA (CO) proposed a policy initiative package, the Community Vitality Act, to City Council intended to strengthen City support for locally-owned independent businesses. It included a local leasing preference for City-owned commercial properties, a local purchasing preference for City procurement, and a cap on the number of “formula” businesses operating in the city at a given time. None of the initiatives was implemented, but BIBA sparked community dialogue about locals v. chains that couldn’t have occurred otherwise and made BIBA’s name a household word.

IBAs are gaining representation on local economic development committees. Local government officials are starting to recognize that the voice of the established small business community has been missing from discussion about community economic well being. IBAs fill a critical local role.