Every Arizona small business owner knows the challenges of finding affordable healthcare/insurance, navigating licensing processes, moving into and up the supply chain, and — especially if you’re a woman or minority owner – competing for government contracts.

The Governor’s Council on Small Business heard presentations on each of these issues during its first working meeting July 23 in Flagstaff.

“We met for six hours, formed subcommittees to research and articulate ways to alleviate these pressures on small business and committed to present recommendations to the Governor by the end of the year,” according to state Commerce Director Gilbert Jimenez.

The Council also laid out a list of concerns for future consideration, including: workforce ethics and education; how homeland security might impact importing and exporting; how big companies control small business success and the continuing need for venture capital.

Subcommittees have been gathering since July. The Council will meet monthly in varying locations statewide and anticipates four Small Business Town Hall events in Show Low, Tucson, Phoenix and Yuma between late September and the end of February.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration three of every four new jobs in this country are created by small businesses. They also generate most new patents and nearly two-thirds of marketplace innovations.

More than 97 per cent of the state’s employers are small businesses (fewer than 100 employees) that employ close to half of the private workforce. Small business dominates several sectors of Arizona’s economy. For example, in construction 99 per cent of firms are small, while 98.2 per cent of businesses in professional, scientific and technical services are small, as well as 97.7 per cent of the firms engaged in health care and social assistance. Women own 27 per cent of Arizona’s firms while minorities own 13.2 per cent.

Governor Napolitano revived the Small Business Council, which has been idle since 1994, in June. She asked it to focus on:

• Ensuring accessible and affordable health insurance for small businesses

• Creating a common licensing portal that serves as a liaison between businesses and all licensing agencies

• Increasing the number of women and minority business owners

• Improving the network and supply chain between Arizona businesses.

Its members are:

Pam Del Duca, chairman of DELSTAR Group and Michael Ong Hing, mayor of Superior and a small business owner, are council co-chairs. Other members are: Melissa Amado, Tucson; Young Lee, Phoenix; Margaret Anciro, Scottsdale; Barbara Ann Lundstrom Nogales; Marisela Bedoya, Tucson; Stephen Macias, Phoenix; Daniel Benchoff, Flagstaff; Samuel McCline, Glendale; Barbara Bruce, Show Low; Raul Montano, Douglas; Joann Carranza, Tucson; Phil Morris, Sedona; Michael Coles, Phoenix; Julian Nabozny, Phoenix; Luke Holton, Phoenix; Jerry Paulin, Somerton; Royce Jenkins Kyotsmovi, Joseph Rodriguez, Somerton; Tom Johnson, Safford; Chooi Choo Tay, Phoenix; Donna Kerr, Casa Grande; Gloria Thomas, Casa Grande and Isidora Wright Tucson.

This story was written by Jami McFerren, director of Communications for the Arizona Department of Commerce. —