Club Pilates announces it will re-open three of its Valley studios tomorrow, Thursday, August 20, after receiving approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Club Pilates, the nation’s largest premium Pilates franchise, is one of the first boutique gyms to get approval to re-open since being shut down in late June. The local franchise locations include Scottsdale … [More]
New Movement Launches to Help Drive More Local Spending, Reviving Main St. Economies
To help drive more progress in the recovery of all small businesses and their communities across the U.S. and Canada, Alignable.com is launching #MyMoneyStaysLocal today. #MyMoneyStaysLocal is a grassroots movement encouraging business owners and community members alike to spend more money on purchases close to home. The movement was created to raise awareness of how … [More]
Road to Recovery: A Look Sector by Sector
Businesses’ first reaction to COVID-19-related disruption was to retrench and protect — actions that were, essentially, reactive. While that may have been the wisest move in the short-term, it is no way to sustain a business over the long-term. Even businesses that were proactive in their response must adjust to new realities in the economy and the business community going … [More]
Hardening in the Insurance Market
With the recent surge in coronavirus cases across Arizona and other parts of the country, COVID-19 remains a significant challenge for businesses, creating additional uncertainty and potential risks for their people and operations. Though a return to pre-COVID normalcy is unlikely anytime soon, businesses nevertheless must carefully and thoughtfully assess their unique risks as … [More]
Robert Blaney, U.S. Small Business Administration, Arizona District
Much has changed since March of this year. What to wear to work today is probably not the first thought of the morning. Telework has become the norm for many and questions and probable answers about reopening abound. Small-business owners are always well-advised to back up records, store data off-site and develop a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to get their business … [More]
A Vegetable’s Journey
For more than a century, the United States has been a major producer of vegetables and fruits, with total agricultural exports — to Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan and many other countries — valued in 2018 at $140 billion. Domestic sales aren’t as rosy. As COVID-19 shuttered restaurants, hotels and school districts around the country, farmers in Arizona and around the U.S. … [More]

















