ABOUT AIBA

The Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) was founded in 2002 by a group of concerned local businesses. Originally modeled after the Boulder Independent Business Alliance, AIBA seeks to preserve and support locally owned, independent businesses. We began with a room full of twenty local business owners interested in doing something about the containment of chain and big box retailers while providing a voice for independent business. Since that first meeting of activist souls, AIBA has grown to represent more than 300 independently owned businesses. AIBA's greatest strength is its ability to speak for the interests of hundreds of locally-owned independent businesses. AIBA collaborates with public policymakers, community representatives and business leaders to devise and implement programs that will sustain local independent businesses and help them to grow and prosper. AIBA advocates on behalf of member businesses to address issues of common interest but we do so judiciously and only with the support of our board of directors. We address only issues that affect independent businesses and only to protect member interests in local, state and sometimes national affairs. We do not endorse political candidates, engage in elective politics or lend our voice to issues that are not directly related to the business concerns of our membership. Our combined membership gives AIBA a strong collective voice that is heard locally through our efforts and across the nation through our active participation in the American Independent Business Alliance.
Mission:	Board of Directors:
The Austin Independent Business Alliance works to promote locally owned businesses and speak to the concerns of independent business. Our mission is to shift more dollars to locally owned independent businesses by helping shoppers make fully informed decisions by recognizing the full value that locally owned independent businesses provide to our community. The value includes, but is not limited to, serving local customers' tastes and owners' preferences, spending profits locally instead of exporting them to distant corporate headquarters, carrying a higher percentage of locally made goods, and providing unique goods and services that contribute to the nature and character of Austin.	Steve Bercu AIBA Board President & Treasurer Bookpeople 603 N. Lamar Austin, Texas 78703 472-5050; ext. 401 steve@bookpeople.com www.bookpeople.com Rebecca Melancon AIBA Board Vice President The Good Life Magazine P.O. Box 4400 Austin, Texas 78765 236-1618 474-5725 (fax) hello@goodlifemag.com www.goodlifemag.com Conrad Bejarano Spiderhouse, ILuv Video, Ecoclean 2908 Fruth St. Austin Texas 78705 480-9562 conradism@earthlink.net www.spiderhousecafe.com Mike Blizzard Blizco Productions, LLC (512) 481-8048 (512) 656-3805 (cell) bliz@flash.net Claudia Conner BiGAUSTIN Gene's New Orleans Style PoBoys & Deli 928-8010 ext. 102 1050 East 11th Street, Suite 350 Austin, Texas 78702 claudia@bigaustin.org www.bigaustin.org www.genesrestaurant.com John Dorgan Spiderhouse, ILuv Video, Ecoclean, US Art Authority 2908 Fruth St. Austin Texas 78705 480-9562 johncdorgan@gmail.com www.spiderhousecafe.com Dan Gillotte Wheatsville Food Co-op 3101 Guadalupe St Austin, Texas 78705 478-2667 gm@wheatsville.coop www.wheatsville.coop Ruth Glendinning Cafe Caffiene 744-3411 rlg@guruth.com Daniel J. Klopp Sign Satisfaction, Inc. 107 RR 620 South, Suite 117 Austin, Texas 78734 266-6115 dan@sign-satisfaction.com www.sign-satisfaction.com Kevin Lewis Whole Earth Provision Co. 1010 West 11th Street Austin, Texas 78703 476-4811 xt. 18 KLewis@wholeearthprovision.com www.wholeearthprovision.com Melissa Miller Cielo Wind Power 10522 Bilbrook Place Austin, Texas 78748 784-4347 (cell) Melissa@ibuyaustin.com
Goals:
To help locally owned independent businesses flourish, AIBA will work to raise awareness of the power of consumer purchasing decisions, publicize the full value offered by independent businesses, and shift consumer spending to AIBA member businesses by: Increasing community awareness of the value of doing business with locally owned independent businesses through editorials, broadcast interviews, cooperative advertising, presentations to civic groups, and other promotional efforts. Marketing member businesses to the public through the AIBA Membership Directory and a web site that provide an easy way to find AIBA businesses that sell needed goods and services. Building critical brand-name recognition through the AIBA name and logo, cooperative promotions, discounted advertising rates with participating local media, and group purchasing. Building rapport with key media and government officials to make future reporting and local policies more responsive to the needs of locally owned independent businesses. Working cooperatively with government officials when laws or government plans threaten the interests of Austin's locally owned independent businesses.
Austin Independent Business Alliance Accomplishments:
AIBA tripled membership in 2002 (its first year) and continues to grow. In April 2005, AIBA lobbied for and was successful in getting a local business economic impact analysis of proposed commercial design standards for Austin. Since August 2004, AIBA has sustained a full time Executive Director and added a Membership Director in December 2005. AIBA has also successful in acquiring a donated office space beginning in July of 2004. AIBA launched a slick new website, IBuyAustin.com, in August 2005. The website features a new name, and has the increased functionality for members to add events, participate in forums, as well as the added ability for new members to join online. AIBA published its first Membership Directory in April 2003, and now publishes ten thousand copies each Spring & Fall, with distribution at over a hundred locations around Austin. The directories showcase locally owned businesses to consumers and touts the benefits of shopping locally. In November 2004, AIBA launched the CLIC Program: Collecting & Linking Independents with Commercial Developments, and is planning a trade show for May 16, 2006 at St. Edward’s University. The CLIC Trade Show will showcase upcoming developments in Central Texas and provide education for local businesses in the areas of Leasing, Lending, Permitting, Marketing, and General Business Development. AIBA created an IBIZ Task Force in 2004 and in 2005 solidified the concept of IBIZ: Independent Business Investment Zones, which are neighborhood business districts that AIBA advocates for and assists in the development of a sustained collective marketing effort. In December 2002, AIBA was one of four entities funding the study Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study of Local Merchants vs. Chain Retailers which revealed, in specific dollars, the local economic impact of chain stores compared to local retailers. AIBA President Steve Bercu has represented the interests of locally owned businesses by serving on Mayor Will Wynn and Councilmember Betty Dunkerley's Small Business and Entrepreneurship Task Force. AIBA is the creator of Austin Unchained, a day of shopping locally owned, designed to bring attention to the economic and cultural impact of consumers shopping at only locally owned businesses for one day. The successful event Austin Unchained has also expanded to become America Unchained, and was promoted in over 200 cities nation-wide in 2005. AIBA was a major force in helping to dissuade the subsidized Border's Books & Music from the 6th and Lamar development. This protected our members BookPeople and Waterloo Records. AIBA member John Kunz (Waterloo Records) gave voice to member concerns by serving on the Austin Cultural Vitality Task Force.

Mission: