What a great annual event Picnic in the Park is, and this year was no exception. Music, food, local groups, child fun, athletics… this is part of hometown Concord’s delightful culture. 

We not only love it, but when we find tourists who have somehow been lucky enough to drop in they often tell us this an event that makes their day — if not their entire trip!

Again, the Concord Indies offered our scrumptious strawberry shortcake — made with ingredients from our local Indies, of course!  How often we heard, “This is REAL strawberry shortcake! I can’t believe it!” and “This is the BEST I’ve EVER had!”  That’s the special Indie touch!

You’re the Indies friend, right? Then “like” us on Facebook! We’ll let you know when new things are happening! To find us on Facebook, click on the Facebook icon at the bottom of our web page of go here.

You can also subscribe to this site via RSS Feed and you’ll find out every time we post something new. Click on the RSS icon in your toolbar or at the bottom of our page or go here.

The Concord Indies (Concord Independent Business Alliance) announces its new membership policy and rates for the 2010-2011 season.

Given the state of the economy and the Indies’ fervent wish to support local Independent businesses, the price structure has been adjusted: dues for Indie businesses will be a flat $75 for the year.

“Last year, membership was an all-inclusive deal,” said Indies President Marie Foley of Concord Hand Designs. “Participation in every one of our campaigns was included in the dues, and we never asked for any additional funds from members all year. This year, members can choose the campaigns in which they want to participate, and pay as they go.” Those who participate in all campaigns will in the end pay about the same price as last years’ dues, but it will be spread out over the calendar.

The Indies have also extended until September 1, 2010 all memberships that were due to expire this summer. ”We want every Indie business — retail, manufacturing, agriculture, service, arts — to be able to join as members,” said Ann Eckert, owner of Concord Lamp and Shade and the Indies’ Treasurer. “We call this ‘No Indie Left Behind,’ because our strength as a community depends upon every Indie’s success.”

This years’ dues include participation in the Indies’ first town-wide campaign of the season, which will be connected to Concord’s 375th birthday.  To have your businesses’ name included on the Indies’ marketing materials, dues must be paid by August 15.

Click here to join! Alternately, drop off a check and application at Concord Hand Designs – 33 Main Street, or Concord Lamp and Shade – 21 Walden Street. You can also send the application and check to PO Box 83, Concord, MA 01742.

By the Concord Independent Business Alliance (“Concord Indies”)

Change may indeed be life’s only constant. But sometimes, changes gather together and start forming patterns. Cumulatively, they may signal sweeping change in the fabric of our community.

Take our Milldam shopping district at the moment.  In April, we lost two long-time fixtures of the district when Anderson Photo and Imaging and the Concord Harness Shop closed their doors. These shops represent long threads woven deep into the fabric of our community, now displaced or lost.

Both of these establishments were locally-owned, independent businesses – not surprising considering that currently the Milldam is occupied predominantly by Indies. Furthermore, these business owners were long-time members of the Concord community – not just the Concord business community, but also the greater community. These business owners worked at these locations.  They live in Concord or a few miles away.  They raise their children here, and have friends and family locally.  They showed strong support for local causes, and went far out of their way to be helpful community members.

At our recent Annual Town Meeting, by far the majority of town residents attending were in favor of new bylaws to restrict the number and size of formula businesses that could set up shop in Concord’s business districts. The vote was just short of the two-thirds majority required for passage of these proposed bylaws, but the message was loud and clear: Concord’s residents want to preserve the tapestry of our small-town character.

A vital part of that character is the personal relationships that citizens have with our Indie owners. Downtown Concord hasn’t been just a place for them to make a living; it’s been a place for them to have a life. “I simply could not believe the outpouring I received when I announced my retirement,” said Lynda Anderson, last owner of 60-year-old Anderson Photo and Imaging. “The cards, the emails, the bouquets of flowers… I just didn’t expect such a huge send-off.”

Did the franchises and chains that have come and gone from Concord know such warm embraces and fond farewells when they closed? Did Woolworth’s, Papa Gino’s and Friendly’s corporate owners receive gifts and tear-stained goodbye letters? Were we looking forward to knowing the owners of Citibank when they wanted to open a retail banking center on Walden Street?  How much did these corporate owners seek to become personally woven into our community fabric?

Dr. Thomas Lyson of Cornell University did a comparison between US counties dominated by locally-owned businesses, and those dominated by outside corporations.  Those primarily owned by locally-owned businesses displayed better health, education and social welfare indicators. Their residents were more likely to vote and they also experienced less crime.  These are the very strengths we want to continue to weave through our community.

At our last Town Meeting, owners of commercial property in Concord spoke passionately against the proposed Formula Business Bylaws. They said that they would be sensitive when choosing new tenants. They would select businesses to maintain the right balance, and keep Concord’s business districts strong and vibrant.  They said no Formula Business Bylaws would be needed because as property owners, they would be good stewards of the greater public good.

At this moment, new tenants are being selected for these now-vacant business locations. The same vast majority of Town Meeting voters look forward to the sensitive reweaving of our community’s business and social fabric, with new tenant chosen to preserve Concord’s small-town character.

For more information about the Concord Indies, go to www.ConcordIndies.org or visit Indies President, Marie Foley, at Concord Hand Designs at 33 Main Street.

“Get ya peanuts heah! Get ya peanuts!”

The Concord Indies will be taking part of Concord’s 375th birthday celebration which will be going on in different ways from now through September. So what’s this about peanuts?

First up:  Sunday, May 16 “Family Fun Day” at Emerson Field!  This will be a fundraiser for September’s birthday events. So what about the peanuts, you ask?

Activities include a Flea Market, Carnival Games, Train Rides, Craft and Business Booths, a Prize Raffle, a “50-50″ Raffle, and a Benefit Baseball Game featuring the Concord Police and Fire Departments vs. the Concord-Carlisle Varsity Baseball Team. Gates open at 10 a.m. The Baseball game starts at 2 p.m. Wait, now we’re getting to the peanuts!

What’s a ballgame without proper, regulation refreshments? The Concord Indies will have bags of roasted, in-the-shell, peanuts available for purchase all day, right up to just before the start of the the game.

More info on Concord’s 375th here:  http://www.concord375.org/

Two Concord Indies members, the Harness Shop and Anderson Photo and Imaging, recently closed their shops. They have been long-term, valued members of the Concord community, and they will be sorely missed on the Milldam and throughout the town. We wish Lynda, Frank, Carol, and everyone who worked for them the very best on whatever comes next in their lives.

By Mark R. Cotreau, Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director of the Town of Concord Fire Department

I am pleased to announce that FEMA has opened a new Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Concord at the Concord Armory, 91 Everett St, Days & Hours are:   Monday through Saturday 9 am – 6 pm.  This important resource is open to all residents or business owners with questions, concerns or in need of additional information and will enable them to get one-on-one assistance.  There will also be small business administration reps at the site.  If you have already put an application in to either FEMA or SBA, you can check the status of same at this center.  The center is scheduled to be in operation until May 24th.

By Marie Foley and Debbie Bier, Concord Indies President and Vice President

We’re just back from the incredible “Indie Power 2010: The Recovery Starts at Home” conference held by AMIBA (American Independent Business Alliance) in Tampa, Florida.  Over 60 attended the conference, with representatives of IBAs across the country and into Canada.

Our heads are still whirling with all the ideas, creativity, conversations, presentations, best practices, written materials and people we met!  New Indie organizations, IBAs many years into their success — all together it was truly a learning pow wow! There is no question that this conference will help sustain both our local economy and the Concord Indies into the future.

And the food!! Four meals a day of lovingly prepared and presented, healthy, delicious, all-local foods.  We were wined and dined by local hospitality all through the long weekend. We’ve never been taken care of at a conference as beautifully as we were at the Tampa Quorum — an Indie hotel, might we add! (The photo above was only 1 of 9 local meals we were served.)

Once we are able to come back down to earth, the Concord Indies will have a lot more to say about  future plans and programs. Whatever those will be, be assured they will be super-charged by the many Indie Business Alliances from around the country and beyond.

Supporting your local independent businesses means more than just where you spend your money.  You also have options about where you keep and manage your money – community credit unions and banks! 

At community banks and credit unions, your money is more likely to stay local, more likely to be re-invested in your community.  You are also more likely to have a long-term relationship with the people at the bank.  There are a growing number of people making the move to small banks and credit unions for these reasons and more.

In Stacy Mitchel’s article Banks and Small Business Lending, she states “Although small and mid-sized banks control only 22 percent of bank assets, they account for 54 percent of all small business lending. Meanwhile, the largest 20 banks, which command 57 percent of bank assets, devote only 18 percent of their commercial loan portfolios to small business.”  Her article examines why small banks lend more to small businesses, how banking consolidation has harmed local entrepreneurs, and what can be done to get credit flowing in a recession. Read the complete article here .

Business Lending compared to Bank Assets

At the Move Your Money web site you will find information about the importance of local banking, and even a checklist of steps to follow to go about making the change to a local bank.  

The New Rules Project has launched a Community Banking Initiative , which is building the case for a smaller-scale and more locally rooted financial system. They will be posting reports, articles, and policy models.  Check it out here.

National Public Radio recently did two stories on local banking: Making the Move To Community Banks and More Americans Considering Community Banks.

Wondering about borrowing locally? Check this out for information about Moving Your Borrowing Along With Your Money.

Now, what are you waiting for?

Join us for the fun at the

Indies Winter Meeting & Potluck Dinner
Date: February 25
6 PM start.

Independent business owners, representatives of Concord non-profits, and supportive residents, are invited to join the Concord Indies at their Winter Meeting and Potluck Dinner to be held Thursday, February 25 at 6 PM. At this meeting, the Indies will be reviewing their past year’s accomplishments and discussing their future direction and campaigns. There will also be special presenters who will explain the potential impacts on Concord’s downtown village areas of several warrant articles coming up at Concord’s Annual Town Meeting in April. To register for the meeting and potluck (and find out the Concord location for the event), email us from the link at the bottom of this page or call Debbie at 978 369-8454.