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Asheville Grown Business Alliance is organizing the first Big Love Fest in downtown Asheville, NC and aims to attract 5,00-10,00 people for this celebration of homegrown business. Homegrown El Paso is working to ensure annual most of the money spent by the huge influx of visitors for its annual Sun Bowl college football bowl game stays local. Director Nancy Ontiveros reports for the past three years Homegrown El Paso has staffed a welcome table and provides referrals for shopping, entertainment, dining and more that leads many visitors to their members.
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AMIBA Welcomes Three New AffiliatesWhile our news this month has an urban bias, Independent Business Alliances now are spreading into the heartland and many rural communities. (The newest AMIBA affiliates includes Whitehall, MT, population 1,044.) We'd love to hear more of your small-town successes to report on next month!
(AMIBA gladly provides support for chambers, Main St. programs, local governments and other groups wishing to implement "buy local" campaigns that define local as locally-owned and independent, as well as other elements of IBA work.)
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Brainstorm for Independents WeekIndependents Week is an annual celebration the week of July 4. The campaign raises awareness of the role independent business plays in enabling citizens and communities to control their own economic destiny and all the great things homegrown businesses do for our communities. Though it's still frostbite weather for many of us, it's time to brainstorm what you might do to use the opportunity this year! See our existing toolbox (undated templates will be available for all items) for ideas and tell us your thoughts on what we can add to help you!
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Sales Taxes Reach All-time High in U.S., Amazon Flees Texas to Avoid Fair CompetitionWhen Texas recently became the latest state to stop subsidizing Amazon.com by insisting it collect sales tax like all storefront businesses must do, Amazon executives shut down its Irving, TX distribution center in an attempt to deny having a physical presence in the state. Amazon executives clearly aim to intimidate other states that may be considering free market competition, rather than subsidizing internet retailers. Amazon Corporation's actions generated criticism not just from Texas media like the Dallas Morning News, but even Amazon's "local" paper. Amazon is the largest online retailer and the only one among the top 10 not collecting sales tax from most buyers. Sales tax rates reached a record high after increasing 1% on average in 2010 alone. One report cites the national average at 9.6%. Though that estimate likely is a bit higher than the real average, it means most storefront business are facing competitors effectively subsidized by government policy on every purchase. Forbes just published a fine primer on this battle. We urge all of you in states that have not yet acted to speak out for closing this loophole in a revenue-neutral way and we're ready to help with local and state outreach. Our allies at the American Booksellers Association have led the charge on this issue and their E-Fairness page offers many great tools. One Lesson for Business Owners from Borders Bankruptcy
If your business or local business coalition do not yet have gift card programs, consider those numbers and the benefit of providing locals an indie alternative.
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New Graphic to Help Convey Benefit of Educational Campaigns + Unearthed History |
As detailed in AMIBA's January newsletter month, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's latest survey indicated for the fourth straight year that independent businesses in communities served by "buy independent / buy local" campaigns fared far better than those in communities lacking these groups. This graphic can help you convey the value of your alliance or potential alliance in a glance. See the complete report (6 pg. pdf) for a full account of the survey. Many groups already used the news of the survey results to generate great local media coverage, including these from the Summit IBA (CO), Louisville IBA and Humboldt IBA (CA). It's not too late for you to use the opportunity. Contact us if you'd like a high-resolution image. As "buy local" history geeks we're often amused when folks credit us with the idea, which has likely existed almost as long as regional commerce. For those sharing our interest, the Lancaster Gazette just re-published the oldest "buy local" newspaper editorial we've seen: 1847.
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| Spring Training for Recent and Prospective New Alliances Just as major league ball players need great coaching to reach their full potential, your campaign or IBA can enjoy lasting benefit from trainings and on-site assistance from AMIBA. Hosting a public event also can attract many new people to help launch or grow your existing organization. Dozens of communities now home to successful IBAs used such events to make a big impact at their launch. A sample outline for a single day presentation and training can be downloaded here. We're currently scheduling events in the following regions/date ranges:
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In Case You Missed ItHere are two items posted via our social media earlier this month, but worth a look if you haven't ye't seen them. The Case Against Walmart in NYC, in which Stacy Mitchell convincingly debunks the corporate hype. The SBA and Obama Administration have scheduled "Startup America" roundtables in eight cities (more may follow). Use the opportunity if there's one near you! |