April 2016 – Letter from the President
MetroIBA has indeed obtained a place at the table. This is in no small part to each and every one of you who speaks up when issues affect your businesses and your neighborhoods. Your voices- the voices that create our organization- set the tone for our work and bring us to the table, affirming how essential local businesses are as stakeholders in our communities, our cities, our state, and our country. Along with continued advocacy for independent businesses and promotion of the Buy Local movement, your voices are also what will secure our place at the table for years to come.
Each of you invest in your neighborhoods, your customers, and your employees. As a small business owner I know how rewarding it is and how challenging it can be to provide a quality product, service, or experience, while juggling responsibilities to run an independent business, and to do so while being engaged in the broader community. I also know how crucial it is.
I remember when I was considering starting my practice in 2008, I was in line at a local bookstore, when a man, seeing the title of the book I was holding, told me how impractical it was to start my own business, let alone in my field and how it would likely not be viable for more than a year or two. I thanked him for his input, assuring him that I would find out. And I did. It took time, commitment, opportunity and luck. But the biggest reason I was able to was because of the people close to me, those who supported me along the way and the people I have encountered over the years- clients, colleagues, neighbors, fellow business owners- people next door, down the block, and across the river. Some of us work independently, some within a team, some with a handful of employees, and some within a robust structure. None of us would make it without our personal drive and none of us would make it without each other, whether by direct support or indirectly by creating an environment that allows us and our businesses to thrive.
Just as we’ve benefitted from opportunity within and support from our networks and communities, it’s our responsibility to carry that forward, creating room for entrepreneurs and businesses to emerge, while also continuing to build stronger foundations within our communities for our businesses to flourish.
MetroIBA will continue to work among and partner with those committed to economically strengthening our communities, knowing that local businesses help foster financial stability and are integral to building community wealth and vice versa.
In addition to having a place at the table, we also have a table of our own. We need to make sure our table is inclusive and representative of the Twin Cities local business community. We will do that by not only continuing to grow our membership, but also focus on expanding our reach to more neighborhoods, building numbers within existing and new sectors, broadening the demographics of our members and consciously shaping the culture of our organization. And to do that, we need you.
Take a seat at this dynamic table, continue to speak up on issues that matter to you, create space for others to engage in our work, and keep doing what you do best- build your business. There’s no time like the present, so come to our networking events, join the conversation at our Business Owners Roundtable, tune in to the MNvest Webinar, connect at The Micro Networking Lunch, share your feedback at the St. Paul Earned Sick and Safe Time Listening Session, get engaged with our Education, Public Policy, Membership or Awards Committees and please, take some time to CELEBRATE our vibrant local business community at the first annual MetroIBA Indie Business Awards on Wednesday, May 18th from 6pm-9pm.
Until next time,
Molly Glasgow
Owner, Point Acupressure
President, MetroIBA
Posted in Newsletter
