Indies are a family made stronger by, and bound by, our diversity. That diversity is what customers seek when they choose to shop at independent businesses—not to mention loyalty, expertise and heart. And they’re choosing to do so more and more, every day. IndieBound is means to evangelize for local independent business alliances and compliment shop local movements.

Independent business alliances already in place in your community can use IndieBound materials to promote their efforts. Place your IBA’s name on the “We’re IndieBound” window decal; add the IBA logo to the Here’s What You Just Did poster. Your IBA’s name and logo have great community impact among local shoppers. IndieBound is a signifier to shoppers, meaning “an independent business lives here!” The logo and window decal reinforce the message to your local, regular customers, and IndieBound’s national reach speaks to travelers, tourists and people new to your town. It’s a lot like the recycling symbol: it indicates the quality of what’s inside and amplifies the message when shown with like-spirited symbols.

Communities with emerging IBAs—or none at all—can use IndieBound to kickstart their efforts in developing a strong, local IBA. There is a wealth of resources available to stores about Shop Local campaigns around the county from the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), and we urge booksellers to contact them for a shop local start-up kit. You can find more resources on BookWeb.org under Advocacy/Shop Local, and see the Talking Points in the Public Relations Primer. Use our resources while you develop your own, or use them as the foundation to build your own.

One of IndieBound’s goals is to excite and unite independent business owners to gather together to promote all of the great attributes that are unique to indies. Use your IndieBound materials to speak to your fellow independent businesses. Start with one other retailer in town and bring them a window decal, the Here’s What You Just Did poster and a Declaration poster. Ask them to talk to one other independent retailer, and another, and let the movement grow in your community. Use all the IndieBound materials and ideas to strengthen, support and promote any community efforts to band together independent businesses.

And don’t forget the people who already support independent businesses: your customers. Talk to your customers and ask other retailers to do the same. Customers will respond to the energy and the message and want to support and join the movement. Host some events to get people excited about local business and what it means to the community.

Find an IBA in your community.
Use the searches on AMIBA and BALLE's websites to find an IBA near you:

• AMIBA search
• BALLE search

Or learn more about starting your own IBA.