American Express, the founding partner of Small Business Saturday, and the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), a non-profit that helps communities launch and operate buy local campaigns, have joined forces to enable more small businesses and communities across the U.S. to successfully launch “buy local” campaigns in order to inspire people to “shop small” all year around.
Highlights of the initiative
AMIBA and American Express will host training events beginning in September through May 2013 to educate communities on how to develop successful “buy local” campaigns. Any community can apply by contacting AMIBA.
AMIBA and American Express will also offer “Train the Trainer” programs to expand the ranks of qualified facilitators to lead training events for hundreds of small business owners and advocates to spur more pro-local initiatives.
AMIBA and American Express have developed a primer for small business owners and advocates to guide them on how to successfully nurture a culture of support for local businesses within their community.
As a supporter of Small Business Saturday, AMIBA will distribute tools to help local retailers more effectively market themselves to encourage consumers to shop at small businesses on November 24, 2012.
Upcoming training events
Upcoming presentation and training events include:
- Sept 25 – 28, 2012 for Oregon and Washington
- Oct 8 – 13, 2012 for New England area and New York
- Oct 15 – 18, 2012 for Mid-Atlantic States
- Nov 5 – 9, 2012 for California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah
More events will be added throughout the year.
