Breakfast series features talk on Arizona small businesses

<p>Start your day in an educational way at the Phoenix AM breakfast discussion series where policy issues are discussed on the second Tuesday of each month.</p><separator></separator><p>Next on the agenda is a discussion of “Small Business and the Local Economy” with Joan Koerber-Walker, Arizona Small Business Association chief executive officer.</p><separator></separator><p>Small businesses are a primary force in Arizona where 97.7 percent of companies are considered small businesses. Last year in the United States, businesses with nine to 49 employees created 47 percent of net new jobs. Small and medium-sized businesses are collectively the largest employers in Phoenix.</p><separator></separator><p>Koerber-Walker will talk about small businesses at the Tuesday, Aug. 21, breakfast at Tom’s Restaurant &amp; Tavern, 2 N. Central Ave.</p><separator></separator><p>As the chief executive officer of the Arizona Small Business Association, Koerber-Walker focuses on issues facing Arizona’s business community including workforce development, access to capital, health care, workplace safety and providing the services that small businesses need to expand. She has worked locally and globally with businesses of all kinds and sizes, including Fortune 500 companies and start-ups.</p><separator></separator><p>The Arizona Small Business Association represents 3,000 businesses across Arizona and more than 200,000 employees, making it one of the country’s largest statewide associations focused on the small business community.</p><separator></separator><p>Breakfast at Tom’s Restaurant &amp; Tavern starts at 7 a.m. and the talk begins at 7:30 a.m. Call (602) 496-1383 to register or e-mail <a href="mailto:ASUlectures@asu.edu">ASUlectures@asu.edu</a>.</p&gt;