by Rebecca Melancon | Apr 14, 2020 | Blog, News & Updates
AIBA is introducing a new feature offering notices for local businesses to help them grow and thrive. Opportunity Hub is a central source for information businesses need to connect and learn, Divided into five searchable subcategories, Connecting, Bidding, Learning, Funding and Growing, this resource hub contains opportunities from other AIBA members as well as government entities, nonprofits and other community organizations.
Because of the pandemic, you may not see an exhaustive list of events but you will find a selection of webinars available to you. Also included are notices about the ongoing pandemic. The news originally posted in our rapid-update blog Coronavirus Preparation, Information and Resources will continue in Opportunity Hub.
Have a listing for Opportunity Hub? If you are an AIBA member or community organization, simply email your information to [email protected].
by Rebecca Melancon | Apr 13, 2020 | Connecting, Learning, Opportunity Hub
Business owners, we want to hear from you. AIBA has teamed up with the
Downtown Austin Alliance to gather data about the current state of Austin’s businesses. Access to this Austin specific data will help us as we advocate for you during this crisis. We are looking for responses from all over Austin for this survey.
by Rebecca Melancon | Apr 12, 2020 | Growing, Opportunity Hub
AIBA is delighted to present a wonderful opportunity for AIBA members in a Coop Media placement with KUT and KUTX. We’ve been offered a great deal for a prime audience!
AIBA Members can get 56 announcements for only $500
Read all the details with this info sheet from KUT. This opportunity will likely sell out so act quickly on reserving your spot by contacting Parrish Walker at KUT, 512-232-9695 today.. This offer is for AIBA members only.
by Rebecca Melancon | Apr 12, 2020 | Learning, Opportunity Hub
Join
Advanced Business Strategizers Club any Wednesday from 2:15-3:15 online where we mix networking with an informative mastermind of like minded professionals. Welcome to the Advanced Business Strategizers (ABS)! We are your new home for the Quarantine Virtual Business Networking. Zoom link here: https://zoom.us/j/649500402?pwd=UCtHOFR0Zmw1ZlV1UUNnMTR0ZUtlUT09
Our founders and co-hosts, Certified Business & Executive Coach Scott Finkelstein and Marketing Guru Jennifer Ratliff, together with 50 years of business experience and nearly $6.5 billion in revenues, created ABS to provide a safe haven and a beacon for business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals to carve out a path and make a plan to fulfill your purpose. READ MORE.
by Rebecca Melancon | Apr 10, 2020 | Blog, News & Updates
It’s time to bid you farewell as Executive Director of the Austin Independent Business Alliance. I resigned in January, effective April 30, before the pandemic hit us all. I’m glad I was able to be here to help guide and assist local businesses during this time.
I can’t begin to tell you what an honor it’s been to lead AIBA to become the successful organization it is today. I’ve been with AIBA for 19 years, first as a founding board member, then Executive Director for the past 10 years. Now it’s time for me to embark on my next adventure.
I was involved in the very first discussions of an organization for local business back in 2001 when I co-owned a local magazine, The Good Life. There weren’t any other city-wide independence independent business alliances in the country and, true to our entrepreneurial roots, we invented as we went. In the beginning, we offered only a fledging website and a printed directory. Today we have built that into the AIBA Community embracing advocacy, connecting, education, marketing to both consumers and businesses, place-based economic development, resources for local business, and more. And we’ve had fun along the way.
AIBA isn’t just local, we’ve become nationally known. I now serve on the Board of Directors of our national umbrella organization, the American Independent Business Alliance, and on several national advisory groups. This has given AIBA a connectivity and access to our best national localists. A couple of years ago I was interviewed by a professor from Boston who was writing a book on culture. It was a fascinating discussion but I was puzzled about why he came here to interview me (or rather AIBA). His answer was “You are the mothership.” It’s an image I carry always.
I will always cherish these years and each and every one of you for letting me travel this path with you. Getting to know our local legends and shining a spotlight on new entrepreneurs has been an education like no other and a joy. I bid you a heartfelt farewell.
As I do this I am thrilled to hand the mothership over to Dixie Patrick. You’ve known Dixie as our Membership Manager and now you’ll know her as the Interim Director of AIBA. Dixie has been with AIBA for more than four years and will do a great job of steering the ship as AIBA moves forward.
—Rebecca Melançon
