March 22, 2022
Meet Takisha Clark, the First Black Woman to Own a Postal Franchise
After being homeless for over a year, Takisha Clark accepted a position as a receptionist at a nonprofit that helped victims of drug and child abuse. Being in that environment and seeing the trials and tribulations of victims helped reshape her determination to rise above.
Moving up in the organization strengthened Clark, and her entrepreneurial spirit took her from working part-time in credit repair to opening Good Faith Tax Services. She started Capital Postal and Mailbox Service after realigning her vision and going into the postal industry. Her business steadily grows as sales rise in a recently-opened second location in Long Beach, California.
BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke to the entrepreneur about starting a postal business, how she coped through the pandemic, and her plans.
As founder and CEO of Capital Postal & Mailbox Service, you are the first Black woman to own a postal and shipping franchise. What drove you to start the company, and how has business been?
Being the founder & CEO of Capital Postal & Mail Box Service has been a great experience for me. I learned a lot, and it was not easy starting off. But once I put my full focus and dedication in, the business started to grow, and things started getting better. I faced a lot of challenges in the beginning, but consistency and not giving up are what made it all worth it.
What inspired me to start Capital Postal—I always wanted to work in the postal industry, but it was hard to get a job at the post office. So, I decided to start my own independent postal shipping retail store. Unlike the Post Office, we offer a variety of services that everyone needs.
As a Black woman entrepreneur, what were some of the difficulties you encountered starting and maintaining your business?
It was knowing how to hire the right employees. Learning how to put a system in place for my business at the start was a challenge. Once I became knowledgeable of those two things, it became much easier to navigate working on the business instead of in the business.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? How would you encourage others to pursue their dreams?
I always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve had several businesses in the past. I always wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I enjoy being an entrepreneur. It has its ups and downs, but it also can be very rewarding when you put the hard work and dedication in.
I would inspire others by giving back and sharing my story with the world—becoming a mentor and showing people what I know to help them become successful.
How has the pandemic altered your business acumen?
When the pandemic hit, it was like we were afraid to keep our doors open. The anxiety of not contracting the virus from dealing with the public weighed heavily on me. I decided to remodel my store so that my employees and I would lessen the risk of coming in direct contact with customers, so we could work and keep the business open. We are an essential business, so we were one of the few businesses that remained open to serve the community during the pandemic. Business was great during the pandemic, and we saw a significant increase in sales. This has proven to be a pandemic-proof industry.