Phoenix debuts small business resource to help COVID recovery

PHOENIX — Small business owners in Phoenix have a new asset to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as the city announced the premiere of a new website of resources and a community platform to share ideas.

Called the “Phoenix Small Business Toolbox,” business owners will have links to dozens of support services offered across city departments, tips for social media and promotions amid the pandemic, human resources support to help with recruiting, training and retaining employees as well as free access to hard data for zip codes to help find new customers and expand.

The toolbox also offers a unique way to connect through a free-to-join community platform where small business owners can post and participate in discussions with other small business owners.

“When we saw this opportunity to create a social media platform to provide more resources for our businesses, we jumped at the chance to bring them PHXbizConnect,” City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a press release. “With this Phoenix-centered social media platform, it’s one more chance for businesses to know there are all kinds of help available for them.”

Small business owners can also access a library of on-demand training courses on the platform that cover a wide range of topics related to business.

More than 90% of businesses in Phoenix have under 100 employees, according to the release, with small businesses creating as many as 80% of the area’s new jobs.

The city said in the release the mission of the new toolbox is to help small businesses move from surviving the COVID-19 pandemic to resurgence.

“Economists are saying that Phoenix is going to experience a rapid recovery from the pandemic economy,” Christine Mackay, director of Phoenix community and economic development said in the release. “We want our small businesses to have a seat when the economic growth train leaves the station.”

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