What is the Boulder Independent Business Alliance?

The Boulder Independent Business Alliance (Biba) is a grassroots collaborative alliance of over 125 locally owned and independent businesses in Boulder County. Together, we promote locally owned independent businesses in order to preserve Boulder's unique character and economic viability. Our goals are achieved, respectively, through three initiatives; brand recognition, public awareness and cooperative marketing. Biba highlights the local independence of our members and the importance of shopping locally in Boulder County.

Brand Recognition
When customers see our logo at over 125 member businesses, including McGuckin Hardware, Boulder Bookstore, and Peppercorn, they associate the BIBA arrows with the values that instill a sense of community pride throughout Boulder County. The Biba brand is also well recognized through the Biba Guide to Locally Owned Independent Businesses, Biba Community Benefit Card, Biba Coffee Cup and Local! Bumper stickers

Public Awareness
BIBA educates the public regarding the issue of point of purchase and the impacts within the community regarding independent business. Advocacy is supported through public campaigns, email, Independents Online, opinion-editorials, and letters to the editor.

Cooperative Marketing
n addition to brand recognition programs, BIBA promotes independent businesses with the ad spreads in the independent and local media. And, starting in 2003, local businesses will be able to market their businesses alongside the Local! Brand at the first annual Celebrate Local! - Biba's live barter and expo on September 8th at the Boulder Theater.

What do we do?

BIBA works to shift more dollars to community-based businesses by providing information to help people make fully informed decisions about where they spend their money and recognize the full value that those businesses provide Boulder County.

BIBA also advocates for independent business owners as their voice in local policy decisions toward encouraging and nurturing an environment for local entrepreneurs. More than 125 local businesses in Boulder County are part of the alliance, including some of its most cherished and respected.

10,000 biannual BIBA Guides are currently distributed annually to Boulder County residents through our member businesses, information kiosks, local lodging sites, and through selected neighborhoods.

The Community Benefit Card program, launched early in 2001, provides cardholders with discounts at over half of our member businesses. Business owners are gaining new customers, and patrons have another incentive to do business locally.

BIBA is a nonprofit organization funded by member businesses and community supporters.