January 20: Mojave’s bi-weekly Entrepreneurship Workshop kicked off again with Raimone Roberts of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Los Angeles. With approximately two dozen in attendance from all over the Antelope Valley, Raimone challenged residents and small business owners to rethink their vision for 2014. “Where will you be on January 16, 2015?” he asked the audience, and gave them “homework” to rethink what they did last year and challenge themselves in 2014. Highlights of last Wednesday’s meeting were to Set Goals, Dream Big, and Imagine.
1) What is your business, product or service?
2) Get mission critical – what is your mission? Has to be simple, clear and practical.
3) Focus on a better business. Build and strengthen your skill set.
4) Daily Habits – Are they progressing you or hindering you.
5) Relationships – People do not get where they are alone
6) Network – Build relationships, build community

Roberts went into detail on each step of his challenge, and looks forward to seeing what entrepreneurs come back with next week – giving entrepreneurs a direction and goal to focus their energies. There were real estate owners in this week’s meeting, potential investors, Career Services representatives, and small business mentors – all willing and eager to provide financial and inspirational support to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the Antelope Valley.

The Mojave Foundation is dedicated to proving aspiring entrepreneurs with the support and resources necessary to start their own business – right here in Mojave, and the Antelope Valley. Our classes are free and open to the public, and a great way to network and meet other people with possible resources to compliment your business idea. Our next workshop is Wednesday January 29th at 6pm at Anthony’s Grill in Mojave. If you have any questions, call Mike or Susan Fortuna at 661-824-2275, or mojavesusan@gmx.com.

January 3: “I can’t believe it’s been five years” says store owner James Stokes, “things were really rough for those first two and a half years, but we never lost our ‘personal touch’, and building a relationship with the community, and we really built up a loyal customer base here in Mojave”.  Stoken’s, a Mojave landmark, has been recently awarded “Business of the Year” by the Mojave Chamber of Commerce, and ranked number 1 on Yelp, and has seen business steadily expand since emerging from the ashes of the financial crisis in 2009. “It’s amazing what you can achieve with the right people, and passion, and we have a great staff that is passionate about quality and preserving that relationship with our customers. Stokens, located one block east of Sierra highway on Belshaw Street, has become the central meeting place in Mojave for community discussion and social gatherings. Stokes has built up an especially loyal relationship among workers from the airport and renewable energy companies, whom Stokes credits with keeping him afloat during the rough times. “We try to get to know each of our customers who come in the shop, and we ask what they need and what they want to see.”

Local residents held their breath in 2009 when Jame Stokes purchased the old library, an historic Mojave landmark. But Stoken’s was universally acclaimed when he preserved the classic ambiance of the building while serving quality food and paying homage to Mojave’s history. Stoken’s, generally known for its high quality sandwiches and natural ingredients, has become a mainstay of motorists throughout southern California. “We get a lot of the traffic between L.A. and Mammoth,” cites Stokes, “and we want people to learn a little about Mojave while they’re here.” Stokes, a local job creator with five full-time employees, sees opportunity in Mojave. “We want to keep growing, responsibly, with the community – and we think there’s a lot of potential in this town.”

The Mojave Foundation celebrates Stoken’s success, and their entrepreneurial zeal. We appreciate Stoke’s commitment to the community – demonstrating that there is a market for high-quality service and offering to share that success with other aspiring entrepreneurs. We wish James and Leigh and his staff even more success in 2014.

The Mojave Foundation is proud to continue offering these free informational sessions to the public, helping aspiring business owners to draft a business plan, secure financing, select a location, and hire local employees. These workshops have already inspired several businesses to start here in Mojave, and we expect many more in the next several months. This week’s workshop will be led by Raimone Roberts of the Small Business Development Center in Los Angenles. Raimone will cover the basics of writing a financial outline for your business plan, and help entrepreneurs develop their “elevator pitch”, which is designed to help business owners clearly articulate what they do in 30 seconds or less. The next class will be at Anthony’s Grill, right next to Stater Bros., and will start at 6pm on Thursday, November 21st.