£ PLEASE WELCOME two new CIBA Protégé Members: John Knox from Grease Lightning Delivery and Amanda Long, from Amanda Photographic. John and Amanda are protégés in the ExperienceXchange Mentoring Program, and each have a 6-month complimentary membership in CIBA.

£ AMIBA (American Independent Business Alliance – our national organization) has issued the following DISCOUNT CARD ALERT: We have been advised that a shop local discount card company is claiming to be working with or affiliated with the Austin IBA and now is targeting other IBA communities as part of their aggressive marketing and expansion. The company may go directly to IBA business members to sell them on their shop local discount card program. Go Local "Your Town Name" is not associated with the Austin IBA (or with CIBA!), and are a national endeavor. While we can't say whether or not they provide a useful service to business owners, we do advise you that this company is not associated with AMIBA or with CIBA, nor have we endorsed them.

£ The HOLIDAY SEASON is coming! Here from Bob Phipps, The Retail Doctor, is Five Things Retailers Should Do To Prepare For the Holidays:
1. Find out your employees’ plans for the holidays. You don’t want a surprise on December 22!
2. Hire 20% more employees so they’ll be trained by Nov. 15. They won’t all stay and it gives you a buffer for your other employees who will get sick or leave.
3. Schedule your own store holiday party for the week prior to Thanksgiving. Be early and show you genuinely appreciate their efforts.
4. Create bag stuffers that list your Facebook Fan page, your website and a way for customers to sign up for your email newsletter. With the sheer volume of customers trying you for the first time, you want to make sure you can market to them when you need them in January and February.
5. Schedule when you’re going to decorate for the holidays and don’t wait for December! Nordstrom’s decorates on Thanksgiving when they are closed. Decorations do indeed spur sales so don’t scrimp, use lights and find holiday music.

£ Don’t forget: November 18 is the CIBA HOLIDAY SOCIAL, 5:30 pm, place TBA. Door prizes, food, and fun! Come connect with other independent business owners!

£ A big THANK YOU for renewing their CIBA business memberships to the following businesses: Alpine Crane, Animal Crackers Pet Supply, Denson Feed & Seed Store, Element Graphics, Innovative Business Promotions, Korvis Automation, Richey’s Market, Second Glance/Annex, and The Rain Shed. And THANK YOU to Keta Tom, for renewing her Associate Membership, as well! Membership dues help CIBA support independent businesses throughout Corvallis.