Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer & Consultant
Arizona Business Plan Writer: Cash for the Summer Slump
Winter visitors fill Valley patios, golf shops and East Valley rentals through spring, then the summer heat and monsoon season send them home. Dr. Paul’s plan starts your summer reserve in March, so your Arizona business can cover the long, hot stretch that follows.
Summer coming fast? Call or text (321) 948-9588. Dr. Paul answers personally.
Last Updated: 10/31/2026 · Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
City Spotlight
The Question Each Arizona City Puts to Your Plan
A chip-fab subcontractor in North Phoenix and a Tucson cafe living on gem show week face very different math. The plan has to start from the city, not the state average.
| City | What Drives Demand | The Plan Question |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | TSMC fab construction, Deer Valley industrial parks, Cactus League crowds | Can fab work anchor a contractor’s backlog? |
| Tucson | Gem show buyers, Tucson Rodeo visitors, University of Arizona staff | How much of the year can gem shows carry? |
| Scottsdale | Barrett-Jackson bidders, WM Phoenix Open crowds, Scottsdale Airpark offices | Event weeks or steady fleet accounts? |
| Flagstaff | NAU students and staff, W.L. Gore’s medical products work, Grand Canyon visitors | Who buys besides Gore? |
TSMC’s chip campus in North Phoenix pulls trades crews and suppliers up I-17, a long way from the Downtown Phoenix lunch crowd.
“Can a North Phoenix contractor build a plan around fab campus work?”
The Plan FixPrice crew hours to cover TSMC site badging and clean-room rules, and list fab work as its own backlog line. Then line up Deer Valley commercial jobs off Loop 101 for the weeks the fab goes quiet.
The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase spreads dozens of shows across town each late January and February, with La Fiesta de los Vaqueros at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds right behind it.
“How much of a Tucson cafe’s year can the gem shows carry?”
The Plan FixHire seasonal baristas for gem show weeks and lock in a bean roaster who can cover the rush. The rest of the year runs on Fourth Avenue foot traffic, University of Arizona staff and office catering off I-10.
Barrett-Jackson takes over WestWorld of Scottsdale each January, and the WM Phoenix Open fills TPC Scottsdale weeks later.
“Should a Scottsdale detailing shop lean on Barrett-Jackson week?”
The Plan FixBook detailing jobs for Barrett-Jackson consignors in the weeks before the auction, and charge a premium for event-week work. Then build the other months on Scottsdale Airpark fleet accounts and house calls in North Scottsdale and along Shea Boulevard.
Moonshot at NACET coaches Flagstaff startups, and many of them grew out of NAU labs or the W.L. Gore medical products world.
“Who besides Gore would buy from a Flagstaff med-device startup?”
The Plan FixBuild a buyer list that reaches past Gore to hospitals, clinics and research labs across northern Arizona and along I-40. Test that list with Moonshot mentors near the NAU campus, and budget every hire at Flagstaff’s city wage floor, since the city sets a higher one than Arizona does.
Expanding next door? The plan math shifts by state, so compare the pages for New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.
Bank the Busy Season, Then Pick Your Path
Arizona rewards owners who save in spring. Choose the kind of help that gets your summer math right.
Business Consulting
For owners who make good money in February and feel the squeeze in August. Cash timing, staffing levels and what to cut when the visitors leave.
See consulting options →Business Plan Writing
FeaturedDr. Paul writes the winter season, the summer slump and the reserve that bridges them into one plan, with every month projected so an Arizona loan officer can follow it line by line.
Start your plan →Business Plan Templates
Each template comes as a Word document and an Excel workbook built for one industry. On the restaurant template, you can set up snowbird months and monsoon months as separate stretches so neither hides the other.
Browse templates →Small Business Education
Start with the cash reserve guide and the 13-week forecast, then pick up Dr. Paul’s budgeting book from the Fabled Forest series. The guides cost nothing and teach the math behind a summer plan.
Start learning →Funding and Licensing Snapshot
The Desks Where Arizona Plans Land
Each reader wants something slightly different. Write for the one you are sending the plan to.
SBA Arizona District Office
Arizona’s SBA district office sits in Phoenix and covers owners statewide. Banks making SBA 7(a) and 504 loans expect full projections with the application.
Arizona Loan Guarantee Program
The Arizona Commerce Authority backs part of a partner lender’s loan with federal State Small Business Credit Initiative funds. The lender still reads the plan first, so the guarantee follows a strong file, not a weak one.
Tucson Small Business Center
The City of Tucson runs this one-stop center on South Meyer Avenue, with free classes, office hours and a meeting room you can book. Grants and loans come through its partner, Groundswell Capital. Flagstaff founders can look to Moonshot at NACET for startup coaching.
Arizona SBDC Network
Maricopa Community Colleges hosts the network, with no-cost advising for owners across the state. Bring a draft plan and the sessions go further.
Arizona Corporation Commission
LLCs file Articles of Organization with the Commission. If your statutory agent’s address is outside Maricopa and Pima counties, a newspaper notice may also be required, so leave time for it.
City Hall and the Registrar
Licensing rules change from Phoenix to Flagstaff, so ask the city where you open. Contractors also answer to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
From Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest
A Budget Book for Owners Who Earn the Year by April
Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest
Budgeting for Small Businesses
Arizona shops earn most of their year while visitors are here, so a budget built in spring decides how summer goes. The book walks through building a monthly budget, setting money aside for lean months and checking real spending against the plan, with a forest shopkeeper working through each step.
Which month will your till be lightest? Set aside for it while the patio is still full. The heat does not ask whether you are ready.
Doctor Owl, Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business SchoolHow Dr. Paul Helps
How Dr. Paul Plans an Arizona Year Around the Heat
The busy months are easy to forecast. The hard part is proving the business is still standing in September.
- Guarantee requests built for partner lenders. The Arizona Loan Guarantee Program runs through lenders such as Prestamos CDFI, Clearinghouse CDFI and Lendistry CDFI. The lender decides whether to ask for the guarantee, so Dr. Paul builds the file to answer that lender’s questions first.
- A reserve that starts in March. Your forecast sets money aside while winter visitors are still in town, then shows that reserve covering rent, payroll and the loan payment through the hot months.
- Event weeks kept in their lane. Barrett-Jackson, the WM Phoenix Open and the Tucson gem shows each get their own line, so one great week never props up a weak quarter.
- Formation steps on the timeline. Articles of Organization go through the Arizona Corporation Commission. If your statutory agent sits outside Maricopa and Pima counties, the startup timeline also leaves room for the newspaper notice.
- A restaurant template you can split by season. Do-it-yourself owners can set up the restaurant template so the snowbird months and the monsoon months never blur together.
- Free sessions statewide. The Arizona SBDC Network, hosted by Maricopa Community Colleges, offers no-cost advising, and Dr. Paul’s cash reserve guide shows how much to hold for the summer stretch.
The Arizona plan Dr. Paul sees fail most often was written in February. Sales look strong, so the owner forecasts the whole year off them. Dr. Paul builds the summer first, then adds the season on top, because a lender wants to know you can pay in August.
Real work in Arizona: In 2023, Dr. Paul built a bank-ready business plan for a restaurant in Arizona.
Watch
Two Planning Tips Filmed for Phoenix and Tucson Owners
Short, practical and aimed at Arizona owners. Watch one before you open the spreadsheet.
Business Plan Writer’s Tip for PhoenixA short planning tip from Dr. Paul for owners working across the Valley.
Tucson Tip #35: Open Late and Close EarlyHow the hours you keep shape staffing, sales and the forecast, recorded for Tucson owners.
Learn It Yourself
Arizona Lessons for the Long, Hot Stretch
The owners who come through summer in good shape learned the cash math first. These lessons cover it.
FAQ
What Arizona Owners Ask Before the Heat Hits
Will a Prestamos CDFI loan officer accept projections that show a slow July and August?
How much cash should a Scottsdale patio restaurant hold back in March for the summer?
How should a Tempe shop near Arizona State plan for the quiet weeks after graduation?
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer, Consultant & Author | 14+ Years | 1,000+ Clients Served
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA is the founder of Quality Business Plan. He writes business plans and financial projections for owners across the United States and Canada, works remotely with clients in every state, and has written plans behind more than $100M in funded projects. He is the author of the Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School series and has published over 1,000 business videos on YouTube. He has taught as an adjunct college instructor and teaches in Florida public schools.
This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, lending, or financial advice. Program rules, loan sizes and local requirements change, so confirm them with the program or agency before you apply. The Fabled Forest and its characters are fictional.