For entrepreneurs, starting a business can feel like an overwhelming endeavor. For William and Christine Starks, their journey wasn’t always easy.“I think the biggest thing that became difficult for us was when the market crashed back in 2007, so things really took a turn,” said Christine Starks.G Starks Realty was started by Williams’ mother in 2000. He took over the business in 2012 after working at UPS for more than two decades.“To navigate in waters I was blind going through, it took a little while for me to figure out my path,” said William Starks.The Starks are helping others learn from their experiences. They are part of a video series called “West Louisville Trailblazers.” It’s an initiative by the Louisville Independent Business Alliance and sponsored by AMPED Russell Tech Business Incubator. Johnetta Roberts says the goal is to highlight small businesses and connect entrepreneurs to resources such as funding, technical assistance, and training.“Sometimes there are people sitting at home. They have been thinking for years to start their own business. Right now, we need that kind of energy,” Roberts said.Roberts said she hopes more business owners’ stories of success will encourage more future black entrepreneurs to reach out for support.“Twenty-four percent of Louisville is Black, but we own less than one percent of the businesses in the city. We need that number to go higher for many reasons, economically primarily,” Roberts said.Starks said it’s important to give the guidance he missed out on to help everyone succeed.
For entrepreneurs, starting a business can feel like an overwhelming endeavor. For William and Christine Starks, their journey wasn’t always easy.
“I think the biggest thing that became difficult for us was when the market crashed back in 2007, so things really took a turn,” said Christine Starks.
G Starks Realty was started by Williams’ mother in 2000. He took over the business in 2012 after working at UPS for more than two decades.
“To navigate in waters I was blind going through, it took a little while for me to figure out my path,” said William Starks.
The Starks are helping others learn from their experiences. They are part of a video series called “West Louisville Trailblazers.” It’s an initiative by the Louisville Independent Business Alliance and sponsored by AMPED Russell Tech Business Incubator. Johnetta Roberts says the goal is to highlight small businesses and connect entrepreneurs to resources such as funding, technical assistance, and training.
“Sometimes there are people sitting at home. They have been thinking for years to start their own business. Right now, we need that kind of energy,” Roberts said.
Roberts said she hopes more business owners’ stories of success will encourage more future black entrepreneurs to reach out for support.
“Twenty-four percent of Louisville is Black, but we own less than one percent of the businesses in the city. We need that number to go higher for many reasons, economically primarily,” Roberts said.
Starks said it’s important to give the guidance he missed out on to help everyone succeed.