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Parker Energy Solutions Helping Others Develop
Karl Parker and his
daughter, Natacia Parker, launched Parker Energy Solutions (PES),
a company whose mission is “to help people develop, to grow
profitable businesses and to drive sustainable efforts for
our planet” two and a half years ago.
However, PES is just the
latest in a growing list of family owned businesses that
Parker has started since 2008. Just before he returned to
the Toledo area that year after the death of his father and
brother, Parker had been a plant manager in Ft. Lauderdale
for Owens Corning, committed to diversifying the workforce
but always needing permission from higher-ups to do so.
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“Now I don’t need anyone’s
permission to employ members of my community,” he says.
The biggest challenge in
starting PES was building brand credibility in order to win
business, he notes. Now as he moves into the next phase, the
goal is to “aggressively move into the Columbus market over
the next 90 days – we also plan to encroach upon Cincinnati,
SE Michigan, Central Connecticut, Charlotte, NC and Memphis
in 2015 with our energy, engineering, execution and
education strategy.”
Here’s Parker’s advice: 1)
Understand the revenue cycle; 2) Embrace strategic alliances
to assist with performing and scaling; 3) Put in place the
basics that define your brand (EIN, website, email, fax,
logo, etc); 4) Get comfortable with working long hours; 5)
Establish a relationship with a start-up friendly financial
institution; 6) Pick the best people – not just friends and
family; 7) Ensure you are open to learning and understanding
the language of business and finance; 8) Enroll in an ASSETS
class with Olivia Holden and ) Connect with Erik Johnson at
UT’s Minority Business Development Center. |
