Your KeepItQuerque - buy local Nominating Committee's recommended slate of candidates for the board was unanimously approved by those members who voted.

Congratulations to Maxine Chavez of ABQ Drug Testing Inc,  Linda Dodson of Girl Fridays, Debby Kruzic of Records & Data Management, Inc., and John Seaver of Just Sprinklers. 

We're fortunate to have Linda serving again as she's proven herself a valiant contributor to the organization.

Mark Santiago of Burt & Co. CPAs was elected to a second term as well, and we are fortunate to have a dedicated individual of Mark's character helping take us forward into 2014.

Join us in expressing our gratitude to Lucy Rosen and Deb Austin who also served on the KeepItQuerque - buy local board.

Sadly for KeepItQuerque - buy local, bylaws prohibit anyone from serving more than three terms and Duane Trythall has been a trouper serving well for six years, ultimately as President and, subsequently as past-president, helping guide our organization's trajectory with a deft hand.
 
Please remember to say "thanks" to the new board, and to Gilbert Chavez of Gilbert J. Chavez CPA, Shelly Branscom of NAI Maestas & Ward, Erica Shelton of Shelton Jewelers and our current Board President Wayne Story of Marketing Strategies RX, all of whom are working to give voice to our organization as we spread the word - KeepItQuerque - buy local!

You've probably heard of Indiegogo or Kickstarter, to online sources fro raising money, generally for arts related projects.  Well, keep your eye on your own KeepItQuerque.org - we'll be hosting a platform for civic organizations to raise money for community development projects.  Projects like a new fire truck for the volunteer fire department, new lighting equipment for the local theater, funds to repair the fire-damaged library, or add streetlights to a neighborhood that wants to become more "walkable."

We Need Your Help
 
Your KeepItQuerque Board of Directors is embarking on an aggressive media and speaking campaign over the next 12 months.
 
We are determined to get the word out to consumers and business buyers in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area about buying from you, our locally owned business members. We have an excellent opportunity to improve our local economy and your business, IF we focus the awareness of the Albuquerque area consumer.
 
But we need your help! Soon some of you will be receiving your annual membership renewal statement for $97. Please return the statement as soon as possible with your annual renewal as an investment in changing the mind of the consumer.
 
Shortly after the first of the year, we will be publishing a list of current members to up to 180,000 homeowners in the Albuquerque area. We want you to be recognized as a local business as we implement our KeepItQuerque 50 / 100 KeepItLocal Initiative.
 
 

Our 2014 advertising package is available for your consideration so please visit www.rockoftalk.com under "Interact". We are offering unbelievably low prices again and for the first time "Category Exclusivity and Protection". Why? Because it's hard enough for businesses to have to compete in the marketplace so they shouldn't have to compete with other advertisers on our station. It's also very affordable, as you all know.

 

Since you're reading the e-newsletter I assume you know all about our affiliation with the eighty or so other members of the American Independent Business Alliance and their affiliation with the Institute for Local Self Reliance. Among other benefits of belonging to these larger groups is the network of "shared Information available to us all.

Dan Lucero of ABQ Bikeworks recently shared some information he'd received through one of his affiliations; The Independent Bike Blog, A blog for bike shops.  The article Dan saw refered to a study done in Salt Lake City that was essentially the same study done in Albuquerque by Civic Economics (available on our home page in .pdf form for your ease-of-redistribution).

 

Our colleagues at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce held a meeting this morning to orient Small Business Owners to changes coming with the Affordable Care Act.

Key take-aways include

• "Affordable" really refers to those who absolutely couldn't afford insurance in the past.  Until this new, untested "pool" shakes out most of us will see higher premiums and more limited coverage
• Employers of 2 to 50 should enroll in SHOP TODAY in order to assure you're eligible for tax credits
• The New Mexico Health Connections is the only "new" insurer, though Molina Healthcare will be providing some individual plans.  Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lovelace and Presbyterian will all have plans that meet new criteria available in Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze levels, and Health Care Guides will be available to help people determine which level best suits their need.
• New Mexico Health Connections is a non-profit Co-op and according to Dr. Martin Hickey there is research indicating these locally originating co-ops help keep costs down.