AMIBA or the AMerican Independent Business Alliance is a non profit organization as well, they are a national alliance of independently owned businesses and provide their members with information and products. They have a lot of information about how to successfully compete against Big Box stores. www.amiba.net
Stickers are being shaped by our steering committee and should be printed soon both for car bumpers and store windows. The message is clear. Think Local First, Buy Local, Keep Western North Carolina in Business. If you want to help pay for stickers we would love it.
Buy Local Week is happening this holiday season in a few areas of Western North Carolina. We encourage local governments to officially declare a week "Buy Local Week" in honor of our locally owned businesses. We would love to organize a Buy Local Week in your town or township. It is a great reminder to everyone to support local businesses around the holidays. If our steering committee declares that a particular week is best across the region, then that is that.
Posters educating people about the benefits of supporting locally owned and operated businesses are produced per town. It is important for people to recognize that all of the locally owned businesses in their area would love their support. By combining the efforts and resources of many small businesses high quality and catchy advertising materials can be produced to effectivley reach our audience--the locals. We are happy to make and print posters if you will send us photos of shop or industry owners from your area.
Cards that can be given to customers thanking them for supporting locally owned businesses and telling them the tangible benefits of having done so, are being produced. These cards are flashy and beautiful. They are created pro bono by local artists and graphic designers. You will love them. If you are an artist or graphic designer, call us, we would love to talk about promotion of your work through cards and the warm feeling that accompanies doing something good for the community.
Networking between businesses to try to buy in bulk, or create cooperatives with which to purchase better supplies or services may be something you want to do. We are happy to help. We understand that many small business owners must spend a lot of their time minding their business. We are more than happy to facilitate networking, and even draw up and do some of the paperwork that is required for such things as bulk orders by multiple businesses.
Directories are important. Some people may not know where the local businesses are, how to contact them, or that a local business offers a particular service or product. We are willing to create directories of local businesses. These are self reporting entries, and all local businesses must meet our requirements of having ownership be held by people in Western North Carolina and not being publicly traded, unfortunately we do not list franchises, we assume they do not need our help.