member volunteer steering committee. Three weeks later we had 63 members and today we have 72. It’s onward and upward from here.” When told of CAIBA’s rapid growth July 2, Milchen was impressed.
“That’s probably the most rapid growth of any new Independent Business Alliance and it certainly speaks to the competence of the organizers and the enthusiasm in Springfield,” Milchen told Illinois Times.
“The business owners I met seemed eager to create a strong, uncompromised voice that truly represents their needs and concerns.
The only way to do that is to create your own organization and the people who joined the May workshop clearly were serious about the commitment they made. “While most IBAs don’t come out of the gate so fast, we’re seeing steadily increasing interest and new Alliances spreading nationwide. I think there’s been some skepticism in many places — rightfully so — as a result of ‘buy local’ campaigns that have come and gone with little impact. But independent business alliances have now proven the organizing model works, and word is getting out.”
Milchen also had some good economic news. “Well, a recession is tough for most businesses and, inevitably, some won’t survive, but independents may be weathering the storm better than chains overall,” he said. “And there’s growing evidence the work of groups like the Capital Area Independent Business Alliance is helping local entrepreneurs.”
Milchen said the U.S. Commerce Department reported that December 2008 retail sales overall were down a record 9.8 percent over December 2007. But a nationwide survey in January by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance showed independent businesses with “buy independent / buy local” campaigns supporting them had a far more modest decline in holiday sales (down 3 percent from 2007 to 2008). They also outperformed independents in cities lacking such campaigns, where reported sales dropped 5.4 percent.
“Obviously, few business owners are happy when sales go down, but these results are encouraging. Also, communities that have maintained a strong base of local independents seem to be faring much better than those that became heavily dependent on chains or other absentee-owned businesses.
This is one reason we’re seeing an increasing number of cities investing in the activities of local IBAs.” Although many of CAIBA’s efforts will be aimed at what independent businesses can do, consumers have some things to do as well, Whalen pointed out. “Every time a consumer walks out his or her door to go to lunch, to go to the hardware store, to basically do any of the services of life, each one makes a choice.”
Whalen said CAIBA is challenging consumers to consider spending at least 50 cents of every dollar at a local business. “Try local first. If you can’t find what you want there, go on down the road to the national chain. Try it for a week and you are going to feel so good when you eat, drink, shop local first. That’s our motto.”
Rick Wade is a freelance writer living in Pekin with his wife, two dogs and a recent addition, a stray white kitten. He is a Decatur native who’s worked at both religious and secular newspapers in Illinois and Colorado for 22 years. He is a graduate of Sangamon State University (UIS) in Springfield.
Top 10 reasons to shop local first
• Local dollars multiply in the local economy.
• Independent business owners are invested in local success.
• Independent businesses foster local job creation.
• Avoid homogenizing our community.
• Help the environment.
• Nurture our community.
• Personal service, community knowledge.
• Creating fairness in tax incentives.
• Preserve entrepreneurship.
• Maximize every dollar.
Information provided by Capital Area Independent Business Alliance. To learn more about CAIBA and its members, go to www.ibuyspi.com. For more about the national buy local first movement, go to www.amiba.net, www.newrules.org, or www.buyaustin.com.
