Indie Business News & Resources

Surviving Roadblocks
Thousands of independent businesses reside in plazas with chain supermarkets, but may not have considered what to do in the event of a strike against the anchor, which appeared imminent in So. California earlier this month. Also, extended road or infrastructure work has crippled countless businesses. Business writer Mark Deo offers tips to help survive either scenario.

Houston passes local purchasing preference. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere!

The National League of Cities now offers a free primer, "The Role of Local Elected Officials in Economic Development: 10 Things You Should Know," but you don't need to be elected to learn useful ideas from it.

Quote of the Month
From Sue Bullerwell of All My Life Jewelers and the Belknap Independent Business Alliance (Central NH): "A customer was looking for an item we don't normally carry, so I told her I'd look around for her. I called her this morning to ask if she was still interested. She told me she'd found it for less on eBay. Rather than purchasing it, however, the woman chose to buy from us, saying she wanted to stay local." A perfect example of how IBAs build a culture of support for local entrepreneurs!

Organizational Tip of the Month
While it may seem obvious, we see many local business groups neglect to promote their membership growth actively. We suggest issuing a press release every month announcing your newest members and a sentence or two about what makes them special, as well as promoting your growth in your own newsletter and social media outlets. This not only will keep your organization in mind for prospects, but gain appreciation from your new members.

Join Us Oct. 6 for a Webinar Introducing the New Collaborative Holiday Campaign Alliance

As we mentioned last month, AMIBA, BALLE and several regional partners have been working to amplify the "buy independent and local for the holidays" message. Join us for a free webinar at 10 AM PT / 1PM ET on Oct. 6 to get an overview of available tools, share best practices for successful campaigns and offer your ideas to build a huge holiday presence! Register by emailing Joe Grafton of Somerville Local First (thanks to Joe for his key role in this effort!).

Please contact us if you would like to participate in the group as we explore new holiday slogans, images and campaign ideas! Meanwhile, explore some of the free public resources AMIBA provides for the annual "Unchained" campaign here. AMIBA affiliates can access an additional library of templates in Member Resources.