Houston's Buy Local Business Alliance

Below are some useful links to get you started.

• BALLE - The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Over 20,000 entrepreneurs building the new economy The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is North America's fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks with over 21,000 independent business members across the U.S. and Canada. 
   
• American Independent Business Alliance® - An Independent Business Alliance works to build vital local economies based on independent, locally-owned businesses and prevent chain proliferation and other trends from displacing local entrepreneurs. IBAs unite locally-owned independent businesses, citizens and community organizations to achieve this goal.

• To Beat Recession, Indies Launch Buy-Local Push  (Article)
  Small business owners are banding together to encourage consumers to shop nearby independents. Would such a campaign help your business?

• Cumulative Direct and Indirect Economic Effects of Buying Local (Report)
  Economic studies across the country show that locally owned retailers return incremental revenues of 9-246% to their local economies and tax bases, compared to national retailers depending on location, business sector and economic metric.  Benefits accrue through comparatively higher local labor utilization, purchasing of goods and services, profits and charitable giving.

• Read about BIBA: Boulder Independent Business Alliance
  Boulder Independent Business Alliance (BIBA) is a grassroots collaborative organization of locally owned independent businesses in Boulder County. Together, we promote locally owned independent businesses in an effort to preserve Boulder's unique character and ongoing economic viability. Jennifer Johnson, the keynote speaker for our Buy Local Conference is the Executive Directorof BIBA and has been involved in promoting buy local for years.

• Kiplinger Report:  High Court Wallops Small Business (Article)
  Small business took a big hit from the Supreme Court’s recent decision on campaign cash. When the justices ruled -- in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission -- that companies and unions can spend as much as they want, they gave big business, with its far richer coffers, a huge advantage over small firms with no money to spare.

• Twelve Great Reasons to Buy Local (Article)
  Increasingly we hear about recalls of tainted food in the media and calls for better inspection and enforcement. Can we trust our food supply today, when you hear of people dying eating ground beef and tomatoes?  What can we do about it?  A positive change in your food buying habits is to buy local.

• Dane Buy Local
  Dane Buy Local is a coalition of local independent businesses, organizations and citizens in and around Dane County, Wisconsin acting in alliance to keep our communities prosperous and sustainable.

• Making Money Work: How Can We Reconnect Capital with Community?
  Our investments tend to fund consolidation and speculation. But new models are emerging that allow us to finance the economy we really want.

• Invest Locally: Put Your Money Where Your Life Is
  Americans want to invest locally: here’s how.

• Yes Magazine
  Powerful Ideas, Practical Action