MARICOPA COUNTY BOS- LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA .PPTX

Local First is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive economy by 
strengthening small and locally owned businesses.
Statewide, Local First distributed 
 
FEED PHX: Local First 
contracted with 12 urban 
farms and 45 restaurants to 
produce 80,7060 meals for 
COVID-impacted families 
which saved over 280 jobs.
$54M 
in small business relief aid in 
2021-2022.

95%
of Arizona businesses
 are small businesses 
1/2
More than half of all Arizona 
employees are employed by
a small business 
600,000
In Arizona, nearly 
600,000 companies 
have fewer than 20 
employees*
Since the COVID 
pandemic, Arizona 
businesses with fewer 
than 20 employees 
have grown by 9.88%, 
nearly double the U.S. 
rate of 5.1%. 
9.88%
*U.S. Census data

49% 
57% 
of Hispanic-owned 
businesses were classified 
as at risk or distressed
of Black-owned businesses 
were classified as at risk or 
distressed
The State of Small Businesses
*According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2020

Only 4 percent of Black-owned 
businesses survive the start-up stage, 
even though 20 percent of Black 
Americans start businesses. 
4%
20%
Businesses owned by people of color 
average 32% fewer employees and 
have 47% lower sales averages than 
their white counterparts.
32%
47%
The State of Small Businesses Continued

Support for the most vulnerable businesses
Through our Maricopa County partnership, Local First offered business 
technical assistance in five languages, including topics such as:
●
Operations and Logistics
●
Finances and Financial Literacy
●
Licensing, Contracting, Compliance
●
Marketing

Top Industries Supported
●
Food & Beverage (Restaurant, Catering)
●
Home Services (Landscaping, Cleaning, HVAC)
   
●
Professional Services (Photography, Website Design)
●
Retail (Brick and Mortar, Online)
●
Business Services (Accounting, Printing)

1,719
BIPOC-Owned
Overview of Total Businesses Served in Maricopa County: 
Total businesses receiving direct assistance: 
Total businesses participating in business education workshops: 
Total businesses attending business-focused events: 
Total businesses served in July 2021-2023: 
Woman-Owned
Average ADDITIONAL gross sales after one year: 
1,142
2,367
5,228
1,719
 
51%
65%
92%
Graduates who are 
still in business
$111,500

ROI for Maricopa County (Rounds Consulting)
Arizona lost approximately 20% of it’s small businesses permanently 
due to COVID
●
Therefore, 80% of businesses survived
●
Businesses that worked with Local First had a 92% survival rate
●
Local First increased small business success rates for 
businesses assisted from 80% to 92% over two years
●
This equates to saving 600 small businesses 
(12% of the 5,000 businesses we assisted)

ROI for Maricopa County (Rounds Consulting)
Small Businesses Local First assisted have 3.3 employees on average
●
Conservatively, if 600 surviving businesses have 2 employees 
each, that’s 1200 jobs above the baseline (beyond those that 
may have survived without assistance)
●
Using the multiplier effect, an average of 800 indirect jobs were 
additionally impacted
●
Over two years, 600 businesses and 1200 employees generated 
an estimated $1.12M in tax revenues for the County

ROI for Maricopa County (Rounds Consulting)
This Small Business Assistance program generated a 1:1 return for 
the County within a 2-year period
●
As these businesses continue to grow, their impact compounds 
to drive additional $1M+ in tax revenues to the County annually
●
Over 10 years, this creates a 1:10 ROI or $10 to the County for 
every $1 invested
●
Any additional investments in this program will generate a 
similar ROI for the County

Diaspora Collective
●
Participated in Local First’s 
business education program 
as a start up. 
●
In less than three years, her 
business is on track to reach 
$1.25 million in revenue by 
the end of 2023.
●
Created 12 jobs to date

Cesar Graphics
●
Participated in Spanish-
language executive 
education
●
Grew from 9 employees 
and $900K in revenue to 
14 employees and $1.4M 
in annual revenue in 
under 2 years

Phoenix Coqui
●
Participated in food 
entrepreneurship resources and 
technical assistance
●
Grew from a catering company to a 
food truck, then opened up brick and 
mortar restaurant in June 2022 and 
established their liquor license in 
September 2023 through Local First 
support. 
●
Created 12 jobs to date

Thank you for the opportunity!