Deadline Is Almost Here

The KeepItQuerque "I Love Albuquerque" Contest deadline is almost here.

It is fast approaching. Since you are a KeepItQuerque member and a Locally Owned Business, you should help us celebrate living and doing business in Albuquerque.

What better way to do that than entering the contest and winning a great prize.

But you must enter by NEXT Thursday, February 3rd.

So do it now before you forget.

Click here to place your entry online at our website.

Whether you enter or not, be sure you are at our Mix & Mingle "Awards Ceremony & Celebration" on Thursday, February 9, 6-8 pm.

You must register to attend. Click here for more info and to register online now. Because of the size of the room, we can only register 110 and you may miss out connecting with all the other business owners.

Study Proves BUY LOCAL Works

2011 Survey Results:
A Great Year for Those Involved in
"Independent Business Alliances" (IBAs)!

This article was published by "American Independent Business Alliance" (the national organization supporting Buy Local programs).

The fifth annual post-holiday survey of independent businesses by Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance yielded powerful evidence that pro-local attitudes are growing and Independent Business Alliances (IBAs) and similarly-modeled community organizations are yielding greater benefit than ever for their members.

The survey tallied responses from 1768 businesses, all independent and locally-owned, across 49 states. About half were retailers. Among the notable results:

A larger share (61%) of respondents reported revenue growth in 2011 compared to 2010.
Independent retailers enjoyed stronger holiday sales than the retail sector as a whole. While overall holiday sales were up 4.1% in 2011, respondents reported an average increase of 6.7%.
More than three-quarters of businesses surveyed said that public awareness of the benefits of supporting local independent businesses had increased in the last year.

Here's the result that proves the value of IBAs' educational activities: Independent businesses in communities with an active "buy indie/buy local" campaign run by a local business/citizen alliance saw revenues grow 7.2% in 2011, compared to 2.6% for those in areas without an alliance.

From your KeepItQuerque Communications Committee:
Help us continue to support your message of "Buy Local and Grow Our Albuquerque Area Economy Faster." Be sure you renew your membership, so we can do even more this year.

Watch for "Buy Local" message advertising we will be publishing throughout the year in local media. We are also looking for sponsors to help us fund even greater efforts to get the message out to local consumers and businesses.

I Love Albuquerque
Deadline Is Almost Here The KeepItQuerque "I Love Albuquerque" Contest deadline is almost here. It is fast approaching. Since you are a KeepItQuerque member and a Locally Owned Business, you should help us celebrate living and doing business in Albuquerque. What better way to do that than entering the contest and winning a great prize. But you must enter by NEXT Thursday, February 3rd. So do it now before you forget. Click here to place your entry online at our website. Whether you enter or not, be sure you are at our Mix & Mingle "Awards Ceremony & Celebration" on Thursday, February 9, 6-8 pm. You must register to attend. Click here for more info and to register online now. Because of the size of the room, we can only register 110 and you may miss out connecting with all the other business owners. Study Proves BUY LOCAL Works 2011 Survey Results: A Great Year for Those Involved in "Independent Business Alliances" (IBAs)! This article was published by "American Independent Business Alliance" (the national organization supporting Buy Local programs). The fifth annual post-holiday survey of independent businesses by Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance yielded powerful evidence that pro-local attitudes are growing and Independent Business Alliances (IBAs) and similarly-modeled community organizations are yielding greater benefit than ever for their members. The survey tallied responses from 1768 businesses, all independent and locally-owned, across 49 states. About half were retailers. Among the notable results: A larger share (61%) of respondents reported revenue growth in 2011 compared to 2010. Independent retailers enjoyed stronger holiday sales than the retail sector as a whole. While overall holiday sales were up 4.1% in 2011, respondents reported an average increase of 6.7%. More than three-quarters of businesses surveyed said that public awareness of the benefits of supporting local independent businesses had increased in the last year. Here's the result that proves the value of IBAs' educational activities: Independent businesses in communities with an active "buy indie/buy local" campaign run by a local business/citizen alliance saw revenues grow 7.2% in 2011, compared to 2.6% for those in areas without an alliance. From your KeepItQuerque Communications Committee: Help us continue to support your message of "Buy Local and Grow Our Albuquerque Area Economy Faster." Be sure you renew your membership, so we can do even more this year. Watch for "Buy Local" message advertising we will be publishing throughout the year in local media. We are also looking for sponsors to help us fund even greater efforts to get the message out to local consumers and businesses.
Your Local Connection - I Love Albuquerque