KNXV Phoenix (November 2017) – Phoenix’s small business owners are the backbone of our local economy.

So, for Small Business Saturday, which took place on Nov. 25th, Phoenix’s “Small Biz Support Squad” celebrated some of their partnered local businesses. David Cox traveled through town to surprise local owners with balloons and stress-relieving gifts to thank small businesses them for everything they do for our community – create jobs, provide goods and services and keep our local economy chugging through good times and bad.

American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 to honor local business owners in thousands of communities across the country.   In just seven years, the annual event has blossomed into a hyperlocal phenomenon as more than 112 million American shoppers helped local businesses generate more than $15.4 billion on Small Business Saturday in 2016.

Phoenix is a perfect place to celebrate Small Business Saturday as brave entrepreneurs  work tirelessly to build reliable businesses in their community.

Arizona is home to 511,828 small businesses and employs 955,194 workers, according to the S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  Forbes recently ranked Phoenix as the 35^th best place for business and careers, and reported that the city saw 3.3 percent job growth in 2016. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce reports that 9 out of 10 companies project revenues to increase in the coming year, while 98 percent of companies rated the business climate as excellent or good.

Watch both KNXV Phoenix clips below for full story.