Office of the Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued the following announcement on Nov. 27.
As Arizonans celebrate Small Business Saturday, we recognize the small business owners and employees who help drive our booming economy, support our communities and expand opportunity for all.
“Arizona’s economy is strong and jobs are ready to be filled,” said Governor Ducey. “Small businesses help grow these employment opportunities — and in Arizona, we will continue to support them, eliminate burdensome regulations and ensure they get to keep more of their hard earned money so they can continue to grow. This Small Business Saturday and every day, I’m grateful to the entrepreneurs, small business owners and employees that help make Arizona the best place to start and build a business.”
Arizona is home to more than 611,000 small businesses which employ more than one million Arizonans, nearly half of the state’s private workforce. In 2021, more than 70 percent of the net increase in jobs can be attributed to small businesses.
BACKGROUND
Governor Ducey recently invested $10 million to help small businesses rehire and retain employees, with a focus on businesses affected by wildfires and extreme weather.
In October, the Governor invested more than $3.5 million toward grants and programs to help Arizona small businesses continue to recover from the pandemic.
In July, the Governor signed legislation that further reduces and streamlines taxes while protecting small businesses from the threat of a 77 percent tax increase. This tax relief will ensure small businesses continue to choose Arizona to start, expand or relocate operations.
In April, Governor Ducey signed legislation protecting businesses from frivolous lawsuits related to COVID-19, ensuring businesses acting in good faith would not be subject to meritless civil claims.
In November of 2020, the Governor invested $7 million to support economic recovery efforts for Arizona’s small businesses and the hospitality sector, industries hard hit by the pandemic.
In August of 2020, Governor Ducey dedicated $10 million towards the Arizona Small Business Rent and Mortgage Relief Grant. The grant program provided assistance to small businesses that paused operations as a result of the pandemic.
In July of 2020, the Governor announced $600,000 to fund the launch of Arizona Small Business Association’s Live Local program, training small businesses to find and navigate resources available during COVID-19, helping them build relationships within their communities, providing mentoring and internship programs, and more.
Original source can be found here.
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