Mesa named a top 5 city for post-pandemic small business recovery in the U.S.
MESA, Ariz. - As the country moves past the depths of the COVID-19 ,The City of Mesa is seeing some major growth.
According to the Small Business Recovery Report released by QuickBooks, Mesa, along with Gilbert, was ranked as a top five city in the United States, in teams of making the best recovery on the small business side.
Some of the programs the City of Mesa offered are grants, in the form of a "small business technical assurance assistance" that is serving more than 500 businesses.
In addition, the city focused on marketing, making sure residents knew where and when they could shop, as well as how to do it safely.
"We designed the program to find meaningful assistance and not just hand out checks for giving grants out," said Jaye O'Donnell, Deputy Director of the City of Mesa Economic Development Office. "It was really to make sure they were trained and educated."
Small business owner reacts
"We are doing great. It's our best year," said Amanda Kennedy, who owns the Atomic Age Modern vintage store in Downtown Mesa. "We haven’t had any issues with the sales, and just the city doing all the programs they have done has been amazing for us."
Kennedy says the city has helped her keep her small business afloat. She is now seeing the tide turning.
"People are getting comfortable again and shopping with us," said Kennedy.
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