The National Bicycle Dealers Association has joined with six other organizations to launch Advocates for Independent Business, a coalition of trade associations and other groups dedicated to ensuring that locally owned, independent businesses succeed and thrive.
The NBDA co-founded the coalition with the American Independent Business Alliance, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, Independent Running Retailers Association, American Booksellers Association, Professional Association of Innkeepers International, and Record Store Day.
The coalition will be reaching out to other trade associations in the coming weeks; membership is open to organizations that primarily represent independent, locally owned businesses.
"The idea is that many issues facing small brick-and-mortar businesses are not industry-specific, but instead affect many industries," said Fred Clements, NBDA's executive director. "Our hope is that by working together, we can have a stronger voice than working separately."
AIB has its roots in the Advocates for Independent Retail Summit organized by the American Booksellers Association two years ago. The daylong meeting drew more than 50 people from over 30 trade associations representing a broad range of independent businesses.
