What Kind of Arizona Are We Building? Why Supporting Local Businesses Matters

Local First Arizona’s Indie Week (June 29 - July 7) is a reminder that every purchase helps shape Arizona's economy, communities and future.

When considering what kind of Arizona we are building, one answer can be found in the people we choose to know, the businesses we choose to support and the communities we choose to help shape.

Arizona’s local businesses do more than fill joyful storefronts and offer comfortable restaurant seats. They shape the identity of our communities, create spaces where people connect and help build a more resilient local economy.

In a state as large and fast-growing as Arizona, that sense of connection matters. Many residents arrive from somewhere else, searching for belonging and community. Local businesses often become the places where those connections begin — the coffee shop where neighbors gather, the restaurant that reflects a neighborhood’s culture, the bookstore, market or boutique that gives a place its distinct character.

Supporting local businesses also has a measurable economic impact. When Arizona’s locally owned businesses hire local services like accounting or graphic design, they recirculate significantly more money back into the local economy compared to national chains. That money circulating in the local economy helps strengthen communities, supports additional jobs and builds long-term resilience. In fact, our local businesses keep three times more money right here at home.

Indie Week is Local First Arizona's annual statewide celebration of locally owned businesses. Held each year during the first week of July, Indie Week encourages Arizonans to intentionally support the local businesses that make their communities vibrant, distinctive and economically strong.

The week is also an opportunity to recognize the realities of entrepreneurship beyond the ribbon-cutting ceremony. While Arizona is often recognized as a startup-friendly state, the long-term success of local businesses depends on ongoing community support, access to resources and the ability to adapt and grow over time.

Through programs including business accelerators, incubator kitchens, sustainability training and access-to-capital initiatives, Local First Arizona works year-round to support entrepreneurs at every stage of that journey. The organization now supports more than 6,000 member businesses statewide while advocating for a more equitable and community-rooted economy.

Indie Week highlights how interconnected Arizona’s economy truly is. Every dollar spent locally contributes to jobs, charitable giving, entrepreneurship and the overall strength of the communities where people live and work. Supporting local businesses is not simply a transaction — it is an investment in the future of Arizona.

As Indie Week approaches, Arizonans are encouraged to explore local restaurants, retailers, service providers and makers in their own communities. Even small shifts in spending habits can create meaningful impact when multiplied across neighborhoods and cities statewide.

Learn more, discover local businesses and participate in Indie Week at Local First Arizona.