It's not always easy, but I shop local and skip the big-box stores as much as possible. I haven't bought anything at a Walmart in at least seven years. If I'm going out to eat, I always think about locally owned restaurants first.
Capital Area Independent Business Alliance from iMakeTV.com on Vimeo.
The national and local Chamber of Commerce made it clear that they aren't reliable advocates for locally owned businesses. In the Springfield area, they supported several new Walmarts and proposed a restaurant tax that would hurt locals. They help turn city planning decisions over to those who have a financial interest in sprawl, which usually benefits big-box chains over local businesses.
As much as I appreciate what the Chamber does locally for charitable causes, it's difficult to ignore their extremist, pro-poverty, anti-union, anti-environment political agenda.
I don't know whether the Alliance see themselves as an alternative to the Chamber. My hope is that it becomes a group that progressive community leaders can work with without having to check their values at the door.