OPINION — Arizona has long been celebrated as a place where people start things. From the busy streets of Phoenix and Tucson to the rural and tribal communities, small businesses are more than part of the economy, they are what keeps Arizona moving forward.
There are more than 550,000 small businesses in Arizona today. Together, they employ over 1.1 million people, nearly 44% of Arizona’s private-sector workforce. These include construction companies fueling the state’s growth, family-owned restaurants that anchor neighborhoods, wellness shops in Sedona and local retailers serving their respective communities. They create jobs, support families and strengthen the local economies where Arizonans live and work.
Even in a state known for being business friendly, however, a new reality is emerging: The rules that small businesses operate under are becoming more complex, faster moving and more difficult to follow. And when regulation becomes difficult to follow, small businesses, which can’t afford fancy lawyers or hired compliance teams, are hit hardest.
