UA student promotes local businesses
Taniah Tudor
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: News
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Slape and Sharp met because of their common interest in the local economy and decided to begin a chapter of the American Independent Business Alliance, Slape said. FIBA became an affiliate of AMIBA in October.
Top priorities for FIBA are education and awareness, Slape said, and the group also wants to shift consumer spending and promote local independent businesses.
FIBA is organized so that it is possible to act politically, a power that Slape and Sharp do not want to use unless it is an issue that affects the majority of members, Sharp said.
FIBA has two primary goals: to create a brand identity, which members can carry on their products, and to educate consumers about the economic benefits of shopping locally, Sharp said.
"It's really easy to pull on people's heartstrings, but the message we are trying to send is about their purse strings," Slape said.
The hope is to have enough businesses spreading the word about the brand name that shoppers will begin looking for the logo by next fall, Sharp said.
Slape, the founder of "Keep Fayetteville Funky: Support Your Local Businesses," said small businesses provide a variety of products that wouldn't be out there otherwise. She gave the example of Sharp's bookstore allowing space for authors who may not be well-known, giving the consumer more choice and the author more exposure.
It is not just money, Slape said. Shopping locally has implications for freedom of speech and expression, as well as for the environment.
"The goal of FIBA is to keep the community from becoming 'Anywhere, USA,'" Slape said. "If you as a consumer don't make conscientious decisions about your purchasing, those decisions will be made for you."
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