ABA Members Urged to Complete 2015 Independent Business Survey

Bookstores should have received an e-mail from the American Booksellers Association on Wednesday, January 7, with a link to the annual post-holiday survey conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), a national nonprofit research and educational organization, and the Advocates for Independent Business (AIB) coalition.

ABA is encouraging all member stores to take part in the survey, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is completely confidential.

The aims of the survey are to find out how independent businesses are faring; whether people are more aware of and supportive of independent businesses; and what are some of the key challenges and issues impacting independent businesses.

Past surveys have provided unique and important data about the viability of independent businesses and the impact of the localism movement. Last year, more than 2,600 local businesses completed the survey, and its findings were featured in dozens of national and local news stories across the country.

General questions about the survey should be addressed to Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and coordinator of Advocates for Independent Business; ABA members that did not receive a link to the survey should contact Dan Cullen, ABA chief strategy officer.