Strength in Numbers, November 2011
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America / Canada Unchained! |
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For the first time since its inception, we fully refreshed the look of Unchained!, offering you a choice of the designs above. Visit the Unchained! resource page to see our primer and browse templates for buttons, posters and more (just added: posters modified to use "Shift Your Shopping" logos). While national publicity focuses on Nov. 19, you are not limited to a specific date. We're eager to help any group with local outreach and customization -- just ask!
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News from Local AlliancesWill Buy Local (Will County, IL) has a mobile site that loads The Corvallis (OR) Gazette-Times reports on the 40th birthday of Grass Roots Books & Music. "When [owner Jack Wolcott] heard whispers in 2000 that Borders was planning to open shop in Corvallis, he banded together with other local business owners to create the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance... 'The first year Borders opened was our best year ever,' Wolcott said." The energy CIBA sparked was obvious to us when they turned out 300 people for a talk by AMIBA's co-founders at their first major event (when social media was barely known) -- a record yet to be broken. Tampa Independent Business Alliance founder Carla Jiminez is another IBA founder whose business anniversary was celebrated in their metro newspaper. Welcome to the newest AMIBA affiliate, Keep Saint Petersburg Local, which chose America Unchained! to announce its debut. Website coming soon. |
New AMIBA Member ResourcesA new radio spot by Humboldt County IBA promotes both the economic and political value of doing business locally. Listen to mp3 (no login needed). The resources below are accessible only to affiliates (if you are a board member or volunteer with an affiliate, contact your leader for login). ** Log in before clicking links below.** Increase You Member Retention! Publicity at Start-Up
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 2012 Conference -- Last Call for Topic Requests + Registration OpenBe sure to mark your calendar for Go Local, Grow Local: Building Community Prosperity from Within, March 29-April 1! if you haven't yet, send us your thoughts about what you want to see there or propose a session by Monday. After visiting the Galt Hotel and conference event venues in downtown Louisville last month, we're thrilled about the location. Click here for registration info and to book your room (well worth booking early for river-view rooms and suites). If you'd like your company featured in front of business leaders from across the continent see the sponsor packets (information on a la carte booth space will be announced next month).
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Good Reads for Indie Business Owners and AdvocatesWalmart's Greenwash Exposed Marketplace Fairness Act Introduced with Bipartisan Support Crowdfunding Bill Advances in Congress Is Yelp Helping Indies Compete vs Chains? Community Ownership Model Spreads East Looking to raise funds for your group at year's end? Check out 7 Reasons I’m Not Going to Donate to Your Group. We'll add one of our recent admonitions to local groups: make sure your website has human names and a phone number on your contact tab! Forcing people to use nameless web forms are not the impression you want to make on prospective members or donors.
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Help, My Board is on Fire! Here's what the coordinator of New Albany First (IN) had to say about their Oct. 29 workshop: "You invigorated my board and myself to keep pushing and stay out of the rut I feared we might get into. My board [of directors] is on fire... I'm glad we affiliated with AMIBA!" AMIBA is now scheduling events throughout the Southwest U.S. for Feb. 1-8. Contact us for all the details or learn more about AMIBA presentations and trainings to ignite your local efforts or participants at your conference or trade show. Help spread the buzz! If you like what you read here, please share it widely with the social media links below (short url= http://bit.ly/uqgKwT).
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