Phoenix Small Businesses Manage Pinched Budgets as Post-Pandemic Relief Fades
- Tiffany Gonzalez
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Small business owners spoke out in a recent city council meeting about their ongoing struggles after pandemic-era support ended, with many hoping for future government aid to help them recover.
Business leaders and workforce development service providers highlighted how critical funding has been in helping them stay afloat. With the end of pandemic relief programs, they are now looking at an unsettling future.
The meeting, which focused on the Phoenix Businesses and Workforce Development Board’s Align Investment Steering Committee, included a discussion about potential future funding opportunities.
For several local business owners, the conversation came at a pivotal time as they worked to support their operations with limited financial support.
“We opened six weeks before the pandemic hit,” said Asr Rollin, manager of Straw & Wool. “For our business, we got to take advantage of a lot of the opportunities for our particular area.”
Businesses like Straw & Wool had to expand their stores online during the pandemic to stay open.
“At the end of the day, we survived because of online sales,” Rollin said. "There
were a lot of people who were waiting to get back outside and they wanted to make sure they looked fresh when that time came, which is what our business assisted in. It helped people keep hope.”
One of the loans given during the pandemic was the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
“We received a small loan during the pandemic, and it was very helpful at the time to help us stay open,” Ali Nervis, owner of Grassrootz Bookstore & Juice Bar, said. “But now post-pandemic I don’t have an expectation for government funding after COVID.”
The small business owners of Downtown Phoenix could benefit now from funding such as the Memorandum of Understanding/Infrastructure Funding Agreement (MOU/IFA) to assist with a plethora of business components.
“Funding is a large challenge for me, I am also a registered nurse, I have been one for nine years,” Kiara Adams, owner of Midwest Wings XL, said. “When I started this business, I didn’t start it with any loans. I came out of my pocket for everything.”
Small business owners are currently only able to stay afloat because of the Downtown Phoenix community, finding strength in their local networks.
“From a sales perspective, the community supported us during and after the pandemic,” Rollin said. “The people who were already a part of the Archway Exchange community and the people that came from all around the globe once we were able to be outside, are what have supported us thin and through.”
The funding available for owners in Phoenix is limited and leaves businesses at a substantial risk of falling behind.
“As a business, you can’t really find any government funding to help you unless it’s a natural disaster, other than that there is no state or government funding for businesses,” Adams said.
Government funding like the MOU/IFA could be a way to scale these businesses further, aside from assisting with business aspects like payroll and inventory, funding could provide a new type of opportunity.
“Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity,” Lee Baker,co-owner of Bake Media Events & Productions, said. “Oftentimes companies may not want to go with a small business due to lack of experience or brand recognition. Oftentimes, the small businesses just need an opportunity to showcase their work and expertise.”
As the city continues to navigate the MOU/IFA funding, business owners continue pushing forward with their work, seeking support from their communities, while uncertain about the future of local funding programs.
“Small businesses play a key role in bringing people downtown,” Baker said. “The more small business owners you have downtown, the more people it will bring.”
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