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Angel Avalos didn’t know how to start a business, but she knew she wanted to do it.
Avalos, who lives in Gastonia with his wife, Janice Martinez, has worked in restaurants his entire career, and when he moved to Gastonia from California two years ago, Martinez said he felt something was missing. Ta.
“Not only did I miss seeing my friends and family, but I also missed food,” Martinez said. “The food here is a little different than what we’re used to.”
While looking for resources to help start a business, I came across Launch Gaston, a 10-week course designed to help Gaston County’s future business owners create a business concept and get it off the ground. I arrived.
Through this course, Avalos and Martinez started Blue Ocean Delights, a catering business serving Mexican seafood and specialty cocktails.
“It all started on that day, the day we had hoped for,” Avalos said. “When we left the class, we already had a logo, phone number and business cards.”
Obie Bautista, pastor of City Church of Gastonia, said he and senior pastor Dickie Spargo came up with the concept for “Launch Gaston” after the pandemic began in 2020.
“Since 2020, we have realized that in Gaston County and its growing economy, there has always been a gap between underrepresented minorities and their ability to support their families in terms of owning a small business.” said Batista. “They either work for someone else or they don’t know what it takes to actually build a business on their own, and they lack access to information and support to start a business. It is very unlikely that you will be able to set up and provide a business or add another source of income to your household budget.”
Spargo and Batista visited a similar program in Tennessee to see how it works.
“The course itself can be taken by any current business owner, small business owner, micro business owner, or up-and-coming business owner. It means they have at least an idea of what they want to launch in the future. They have ideas and we take them through training where they can validate whether their business idea is viable, whether it is sustainable,” Batista said. “Once we identify these factors, we help them develop a plan to launch their business and ultimately begin to scale it after graduation.”
Launch Gaston started in 2022, and Martinez and Avalos were part of the inaugural class.
“It’s very intense, but you know what? If you’re actually prepared, you can get everything you need on the spot, so it helps a lot,” Avalos said.
Blue Ocean Delights specializes in dishes such as shrimp ceviche and grilled shrimp tacos, and caters to a variety of events.
“Our motto is to eat fresh and live longer,” Avalos said. “Everything is fresh. All the ingredients we use are cut fresh that day. And that’s part of the secret. Freshness gives you better flavor.”
Although the program was started by a City Church pastor, it is open to anyone in Gaston County, not just church members, Batista said. The program, which costs $125 for potential business owners, focuses on “underrepresented minorities” such as women and people of color, and “we’re not excluding anyone,” Batista said. said.
“So, as long as we have space, we’re open to anyone who has a business idea or a current business that they want to build on. You just need it.”
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