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# BUSINESS Entrepreneurs get a helping hand
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/business-entrepreneurs-get-a-helping-hand/
- Published: 2007-04-04T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:22:33.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import

DOWNTOWN One of the oldest and most respected business brokerage firms in the country has come to Santa Monica to focus on a variety of industries, including film and entertainment, as well as selling franchises and promoting individual outlets and boutiques that dot the region’s popular shopping districts.

Referred to as the “entrepreneur’s best friend” by industry observers, Tannenbaum & Aalok, founded in 1946, has opened its west coast office at Fifth Street and Broadway. Representatives are currently working with a restaurant on Montana Avenue, said Sharad Mehta, president and broker of record for Tannenbaum & Aalok.

“We are here to offer people the American dream, which for many is owning their own businesses,” Mehta said. “Santa Monica has always been a town that I love. From the first visit 10 or 12 years ago, it attracted me.

“It’s a fun place to be and also to do business.”

The firm has sold more than 4,500 businesses on behalf of its clients, ranging from local “Main Street” businesses to national manufacturing, service and distribution companies. In addition to serving as the middle man during sales, the firm provides marketing, franchising, and coming soon, mortgage financing for smaller, mom-and-pop stores looking to expand.

Tannenbaum & Aalok’s staff of brokers have experience in fields ranging from law and technology to accounting and entrepreneurship. All of them hold real estate licenses, and their knowledge from across the business spectrum helps make the firm unique in its field, according to Mehta.

California, and Santa Monica in particular, has always been a leader in innovative franchising. That, along with the warm weather and the large number of start-ups attracted Mehta, who is particularly interested in catering to new arrivals to the U.S., who have shown a higher propensity to start their own businesses.

“L.A. has a large immigrant population and they tend to want to go into business for themselves instead of following the standard career ladder,” Mehta said. “We can be a great resource for them, especially if they are looking to franchise, which is often the best option for many people because of the name recognition that comes with a popular brand.”

Santa Monica, a popular brand in and of itself, has already been a plus for the firm. People have started calling the company interested in doing business with them because they see Santa Monica on the firm’s Web Site. A client in Philadelphia is interested in using the firm to open up a night club in L.A. and a man from Venice inquired about helping his son get a business off the ground.

“Santa Monica is just a dynamite address,” Mehta said. “You can make contacts without having to get on the expressway, jog on the beach during your lunch hour and dine at a number of fine restaurants. It’s just unbelievable.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 4, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040407.pdf?ref=smdp.com)