As a local chamber of commerce leader, I’ve had the great opportunity to interact with and support business owners across many industries and sizes.
Over the past decade, I’ve come to understand how small businesses and entrepreneurs embody the innovative grit that powers our economy. And, in Arizona, that statement is more than just a talking point—it’s the reality of our economy. Our state is a small business state.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses were drivers of our state’s economy and critical innovations.
In 2018, the Small Business Administration (SBA) recorded that Arizona had 553,779 small businesses. At that time, these businesses employed 1 million people across our state.
Our state’s small businesses supported 23.1% of Arizona’s $20.9 billion in total exports created thousands of jobs every year. In the City of Phoenix, more than 95% of the city’s businesses employed 50 people or less.
Since March, many businesses have had to shut down, limit customer interactions, furlough staff, or reduce employee pay. Many more have had to fund increases in cleaning procedures and protection to keep their teams and customers safe. In April, Wallethub ranked our state 7th in the nation for the impact COVID-19 was having on small businesses.
While our economy is slowly recovering and businesses are working to fully reopen, small businesses still need our support.
During these challenging times, the Chamber has pivoted to create additional resources and support for businesses. And we will continue to do so by developing programs that help businesses thrive and advocating for business support at the federal and state levels.
By supporting small businesses, we can contribute to a quicker economic rebound. These small businesses were at the heart of Phoenix’s rise from the Great Recession, and they are essential to our future economic prosperity.
This year, I’ll be supporting Small Business Saturday on November 28 by shopping and patronizing my favorite Phoenix businesses, and I encourage you to do the same. By coming together, we can support small businesses that are at the heart of our community. hairy women
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