IT MAY NOT BE SET TO MUSIC, but the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies is an art form just the same.
In less than 7 years, it has unfolded itself - in an evolving and graceful way - from an idea in a little Philadelphia restaurant into a business network of over 15,000 companies and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Canada. And we can all learn good things from it - particularly anyone involved in managing a smallish business.
Cross-posted from http://www.organicamerican.com More over>
BALLE is all about building the local living economies around food and farming, green building, locally owned independent retail, zero-waste manufacturing, community capital, and renewable energy.
In other words, business with three bottom lines; community, environment, and financial. It is systemic assistance for anyone doing business and wishing to pay attention to all three of those bottom lines.
It began with Philadelphia's White Dog Café, and its owner, Judy Wicks who learned and made connections in her quest for local and sustainably-raised meat, dairy, and produce. She could then see the opportunity to share what she had learned, and the desire to do that has snowballed into something amazing.
In at least 52 regions, the network now partners with businesses and organizations already leading in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green building, independent media, sustainable landscapes, small business development, independent retail, and fair trade.
BALLE offers helpful shared information and creates forums where business owners and nonprofit leaders can come together to learn about the interdependence of all the building blocks that make up a local living economy.
Visionaries, managers, entrepreneurs and small businesses should check all it out, beginning at the BALLE home page.