LITTLE ROCK, Ark — August is Black Business Month, and Central Arkansas has plenty of aspiring black entrepreneurs out there.
However, many small business owners don't know about the resources available to help them become successful.
There are plenty of Black Americans with big hopes and dreams of opening a business in Arkansas, like Gabrielle Wilkerson.
Wilkerson and her business partner took a leap of faith when they opened their business, Southern Pasta Twist.
"We came up with a four-year plan to get this started," Wilkerson said. "Within four months, we had already received orders."
Like any business owner though, they've experienced some growing pains along the way.
Wilkerson said that her biggest challenge has been money.
"Just to get started in what you would say your Commissary Kitchen is at least $5,000 because you have to pay for your insurance, your deposit [and] your licensing," Wilkerson said.
Plenty of other black businesses have faced similar challenges, and some are unaware of the resources that exist here in Central Arkansas.
Derrick Rainey, the Little Rock Small Business Development Coordinator, explained why small and minority-owned businesses need additional resources sometimes.
"There's a lot of business owners that we come in contact with, [and] they just didn't know that this was available," Rainey said.
He said that buildings in Little Rock like the Willie R. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center on 12th Street have plenty of workshops.
Elsewhere in the city, several programs like the Rock It! Lab and the Venture Center are also helpful resources.
"We want people to know that the city of Little Rock has spaces available for small business owners," Rainey added.
Some simple things he recommended for potential black business owners are: getting your business registered with the Secretary of State, obtaining a Little Rock business license, and creating a separate bank account for your business.
"You don't want to tie in your personal [account] with your business because then your tax situation may be impacted," Rainey said.
While Wilkerson said that she's benefited from the small business development's program, she added that she would like to see it continue to grow.
"If we had more resources from the city, it would definitely help increase this, because there are so many people with different ideas," Wilkerson said.