15 YEAR OLD CEO TRIUMPHS IN THE FACE OF PERSONAL TRAGEDY

Young boy launches business to help support family after the death of his father when he was just ten years old. Wesley Downs was 13 years old when he started selling from a catalog. Two years on he launches his business on line.

The launch of an e-commerce web site this week is one young man's magnificent response to personal tragedy.

15 year old Wesley Downs, the creator and CEO of AGS Wholesale Goods, lost his father Darrell, 42, to a massive stroke in April 1997.

Two months earlier his mother, Sue, had been diagnosed with cancer. She underwent surgery five months later which left her disabled and her treatment continues to this day.

Wesley's response to his personal tragedy was to draw strength his strong faith (he started preaching aged 11 years) and assume the burden of breadwinner for his family.

Wesley took his first steps into the world of commerce in December of 2000 after seeing his mother struggle to make ends meet with their only income, a monthly social security check. Feeling the need to help supplement their income he bought a membership with a supplier to obtain goods at wholesale prices.

Selling from a catalog, sales were few and far between and, in July of 2001, Wesley decided to launch his business on line. He switched from retail to a wholesale model in December of that year in an attempt to boost his still low sales and traffic to his e-store.

With only one sale from this new venture most would have given up, but Wesley Downs felt the need to help his mother as much as ever so he set about seeking help with his site design and promotion, a process which took him six more months of hard work and learning and is still continuing.

Explaining his persistence in the face of such tragic circumstances Wesley says, "My faith has been my sole source of strength. There is an old saying, 'Trials will make you bitter or better', and I believe that, because of my faith, it has made me better. I believe if it wasnt for may faith I would be very bitter at God, people, and the world in general. This is why I felt it necessary to keep God in my business the way I have."

AGS Wholesale Goods is now redesigned, relaunched and ready for business at http://www.ags-wholesale.com