MetroIBA Organizing
Join MetroIBA Now
Click here to join MetroIBA! The Metro Independent Business Alliance is open to independent businesses and supportive citizens from the entire Twin Cities Metro area. Founding membership dues are $100 for member businesses and $50 for citizen members. Your check can be made out to MetroIBA, 785 Goodrich Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105. (If you've already registered a user account, edit your user information and check the member box to join).
Welcome to Our New Executive Director!
Melissa Waskiewicz is the new Executive Director of the Metro Independent Business Alliance. Melissa has a background in teaching and in small-business development--I think you'll find that she knows the issues and can present them in a compelling way. She'll soon be posting her contact information on this site. Please give her a warm welcome!
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Big-Box Swindle Author Stacy Mitchell to Speak
The Metro Independent Business Alliance (MetroIBA) invites the public to a talk by Stacy Mitchell, author of Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses (Beacon Press), at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 11, at the Weyerhaeuser Chapel on the Macalester College campus, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul. Mitchell’s talk will be followed by a reception and book signing from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the basement of the chapel. Admission to the event is $5.00 for members of sponsoring organizations and $7.00 for the general public.
Membership Drive Extended
Just to give you a little more time to gather your wits about you, we're extending the membership drive a couple of weeks. You now have until Thursday, June 29 to qualify for the free ad in the next Passport by recruiting the most new members. We're also moving out the day of the Independents Week Celebration: it's now on Saturday, July 8. Same place though: Black Dog Cafe, Saint Paul.
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We Have a Winner!
Jon Novick of Fast and Furless in Saint Paul’s Macalester neighborhood is the winner of the “Wheel of Fortunate Small Businesses” game! With only the “E’s” showing, Jon correctly surmised the remainder of this inspiring quotation from the management guru Peter F. Drucker:
“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”
(Well, that’s certainly true, isn’t it?) For his puzzle powers, Jon wins a free ad in the upcoming MetroIBA membership directory, the Passport.
“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”
(Well, that’s certainly true, isn’t it?) For his puzzle powers, Jon wins a free ad in the upcoming MetroIBA membership directory, the Passport.
Announcing MetroIBA’s June 2006 Membership Drive!
Calling all member businesses! Bring in the most new members between now and Thursday, June 15, and win a free ad (a $200 value!) in the new edition of MetroIBA’s Passport, our chic, exclusive directory of the coolest locally-owned, independent businesses in the Metro area.
To give those potential new members an incentive to join, tell them that they too will be entered in a drawing to win a free ad.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! Everyone within the sound of this announcement is invited to play the “Wheel of Fortunate Small Businesses” game. Hidden behind the asterisks below is a semi-famous, inspirational quotation about what makes a business successful. For each new member business that joins during the membership drive, one letter of the quotation will be revealed.
To give those potential new members an incentive to join, tell them that they too will be entered in a drawing to win a free ad.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! Everyone within the sound of this announcement is invited to play the “Wheel of Fortunate Small Businesses” game. Hidden behind the asterisks below is a semi-famous, inspirational quotation about what makes a business successful. For each new member business that joins during the membership drive, one letter of the quotation will be revealed.
Give us Your Slogan Input
Please give us your thoughts on a MetroIBA slogan! Check out the "Brainstorming" section under the 'Forums' link.
Or link to: http://www.metroiba.org/slogan
Thank you.
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MetroIBA February Newsletter
MetroIBA 1st Annual Meeting!
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2003
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: Roseville Library, meeting room (2180 N Hemline, just south of Hwy 36)
Key Speaker: David Morris, from the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, will discuss the state of independent businesses and what's being done to strengthen them.
Other Business: MetroIBA's first 7 months in review; Outline of 2006 Goals and Workplan; and presentation of the new Board of Directors.
Next Member Event: Building a Voice at the Legislature
Speaker: MN House Representative Jim Davnie (Mpls) will discuss developing a voice for independent, small businesses at the MN Legislature.
Date: Thursday Feb. 23, 2006
Time: 7:30-9:30 am
Location: Acadia Cafe, 1931 Nicollet Av (corner of Franklin)
Refreshments: Coffee, juice and muffins/bagels for modest cost.
This event is open to members and the public. Please bring a friend or potential member.
Note: 3 member businesses are invited to introduce themselves (in 5 minutes or less). Contact me if you are interested. We will do this at each member event in 2006.
Unchained Twin Cities Movie Poster
Help us spread the word about the Unchain Twin Cities event, a showing of the documentary film Independent America. Print out a copy of the flyer and post it around town or send to friends:
Independent America showing on November 19: Poster (PDF file)
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Results of METROiba Survey - Aug/Sept. 2005
Ways MetroIBA can apply its resources to improve the competitive standing of Independent Businesses, ranked from most important to least, based on 22 survey responses. (Weighted total of votes shown as number after each.)
#1 - Educate the public as to the merits of supporting local independent businesses.
(99 points)