Secretary Fontes Takes Business Services on the Road, partnering with the Arizona Small Business Development Center on small-business engagement, and community business tours connecting state government directly with Arizona entrepreneurs

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is taking state government directly to communities across Arizona through the Mobile Business Services Outreach Program, expanding access to essential state services while strengthening the office’s partnerships with Arizona’s small-business community, and highlighting the critical work being done by the Arizona Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

This year’s priority on business engagement is part of a broader effort by Secretary Fontes and the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division to meet Arizonans where they are. That work includes bringing state services into communities, partnering with the 10 Small Business Development Centers across the state and community-based, local economic-development organizations, to hear directly from Arizona business owners.

“Small businesses are the backbone of communities across Arizona, and government should be a partner—not a barrier—in helping them operate and grow,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. “We’re taking our services on the road, working alongside our Small Business Development Center partners and meeting directly with business owners so we can better understand what they need from their state government.”

Bringing Government Closer to Arizona’s Small Businesses 

Through Mobile Business Services, Secretary of State staff traveled to communities across the state to provide select business and document services in person.
The program is designed to reduce the distance between Arizona businesses and the state services they rely on. Rather than requiring every business owner to travel to a state office, the Secretary of State’s team can bring those services directly into local communities.

Mobile Business Services events have been held in communities including Yuma, Lake Havasu City, Florence, Kingman, Prescott, Camp Verde, and Show Low, among others.

“Greater Arizona deserves the full attention of state government,” Celina Olivas, Arizona Department of State Outreach Director, said. “We have entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and growing companies in every corner of this state. They deserve access to their government, and we’re committed to making that access more convenient and more personal.”

Building a Statewide Small-Business Network 

The Mobile Business Services program is complemented by the Secretary of State’s growing statewide network of small business and economic-development partners.
The office is continuing to strengthen that partnership with Arizona’s SBDCs, recognizing their role as trusted resources for entrepreneurs and small-business owners in communities throughout the state.

“These organizations are already embedded in the communities they serve,” Fontes said. “They understand the challenges facing local entrepreneurs. By working together, we can make sure business owners know what resources are available and can connect with the right people when they need help.”

The partnership also creates a two-way channel between state government and Arizona’s business community—allowing the Secretary of State’s office to better understand the challenges businesses encounter while navigating state services.

“True economic vitality comes from collective impact and strong public-private partnerships,” said Beth Roszatycki, State Director, AZ SBDC. “By aligning our SBDC Office’s with Secretary Fontes’s office, we are building a proactive bridge between state resources and local entrepreneurs. Whether it’s a rural business on Main Street or an expanding manufacturer, this collaboration creates a channel that ensures business owners across every corner of Arizona have direct access to the guidance and tools they need to scale.”

Secretary Fontes and his team have also taken outreach a step further by visiting businesses directly throughout Arizona.

See videos here: AZSOS/SBDC Highlights - YouTube

Those visits provide an opportunity for the Secretary of State’s office to hear directly from the people using its services every day.

“Every business visit gives us a different perspective,” Fontes said. “You learn something when you sit down with an entrepreneur in their place of business and listen to what is working, what isn’t and what they need from their government. Those conversations help inform how we deliver services.”

The combination of business tours, SBDC partnerships, and Mobile Business Services creates a statewide outreach model that connects the Secretary of State’s office with businesses both inside and outside traditional government offices.

“Meeting business owners directly in their own communities changes the entire dynamic of support,” said Roszatycki, AZ SBDC. “When state leaders and local resource partners step out of traditional offices and onto the shop floors and storefronts of Arizona's entrepreneurs, we can see first-hand what support is needed and deliver smarter solutions and help drive our state’s economy forward.”

A Statewide Commitment to Accessible Government

The Mobile Business Services Outreach Program, combined with the Secretary of State’s partnerships with SBDCs and other economic-development organizations and its direct engagement with Arizona businesses, reflects a broader commitment to accessible and responsive government.

For entrepreneurs, accessibility can mean having a state representative available in their own community. For the Secretary of State’s office, it means listening directly to the people who depend on its services.

“Government works best when it listens,” Fontes said. “We’re not waiting for Arizona’s business owners to come to us. We’re going to their communities, their businesses, and their local small-business organizations. That’s how we build a government that understands the people it serves.”

Learn More 

For information about Mobile Business Services, upcoming events, service requirements and what documents to bring, contact the Arizona Secretary of State’s Business Services Division: azsos.gov/business