America Unchained
by ctb
On Saturday, November 21, the Tampa Independent Business Alliance (TIBA) marks America Unchained! by asking the community to “unchain” by doing all shopping, dining out, and other business only with locally-owned independents, adding millions of dollars to the local economy.
“On an average November day last year, over $44 million dollars entered the Hillsborough County economy, and over $28 million in Pinellas. If all those transactions had been exclusively with locally-owned independent businesses for just one day, we would have kept over $23 million dollars more in the local economy than if spent at national chains,” says Carla Jimenez, co-owner of Inkwood Books and Board member of TIBA and AMIBA. “America Unchained helps everyone quantify the impact of personal spending choices. If you’re spending less these days – and who isn’t? – we offer a way to make it count more.”
America Unchained highlights the findings of studies in Maine and Austin demonstrating that locally-owned independents generate 3.5 times the local economic activity as chains. A study from Andersonville, Illinois, finds independent businesses generate about 70% greater local economic activity per square foot. And Studies in San Francisco and Grand Rapids, Michigan demonstrate that even a 10% shift in personal spending can make an immense difference, with findings in terms of jobs. The latest study, from New Orleans, shows a similar contraction of the local economy with a 10% shift of spending away from local independents.
“The timing is intentional, at a time of the year when people are spending more, and an avalanche of advertising slicks are beginning to arrive,” said Josh Dohring, President of TIBA and Vice President of the Dohring Group. “We hope everyone will reflect on the big impact of small everyday acts as they do their holiday purchasing and other business. America Unchained reminds us what is at stake – environmentally, culturally, and socially – as our independents compete with big box chains and online giants that send so many dollars away in the overnight deposit. We put your money to work directly helping you and your neighbors keep your jobs and businesses, and repeated sales tax collection contributes much more to the public revenue for social services and safety nets we all rely on.”
Many TIBA member businesses offer special discounts to highlight America Unchained! “If your list includes clothing, books, music, wine – or a gourmet dinner or massage after shopping all day – you’ll enjoy special value as you visit local merchants ready to give you personal attention,” says Scott Moore of Urban Body Men’s Clothing. “Just remember to mention America Unchained or TIBA!” In addition to Urban Body, participants include A Business Printing, Bungalow Bistro, Forever Beautiful Spa, Inkwood Books, Mojo Books & Music, Stehlik Photography, Tanner Paint, Why Not Boutique, and more.
“Give yourself the gift of human-scaled, serene shops, with accessible, accountable, and personally invested owners, confident that it’s your best choice for community stability and prosperity,” said Jimenez. “And since local businesses also give about 4 times as much of their earnings to charitable causes, it’s more important than ever in the season of giving.”
A national campaign of the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), America Unchained! is observed by over 100 participating business alliances, main street coalitions, national trade associations representing booksellers, music stores, toy retailers and restaurants, and numerous individual businesses. In Florida alone, there are AMIBA affiliates in Gainesville, Naples, Tallahassee and Stuart as well as Tampa, with similar groups organizing in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
Resources:
Tampa Independent Business Alliance www.tibatampa.org
American Independent Business Alliance: www.AMIBA.net.
Studies referenced located at: http://amiba.net/recommended.html#studies
Florida Department of Revenue sales tax data at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/tables/f10_netdue_cy0809.xls
See also www.liveablecity.org, www.newrules.org, www.civiceconomics.com).
Tags 20091109 | Category Creative Communities, Newsletter
