Business Plan

Donna Backues Arts Professional, LLC

04/02/2016

Executive Summary

Mission and/or Vision Statement

Description of business and what sets it apart

Description of products and services

Market Research/Analysis

Managerial Structure and Key Management Profiles

S.W.O.T. Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

Final Statements (Cash Flow and Revenue Projections)

Marketing Plan Summary

Executive Summary
Education: I am the sole owner of Donna Backues Art Professional, LLC. I have a BA in Studio Art &
Graphic Design from South Illinois University Edwardsville, a Master of Fine Arts from The
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and I am currently working toward an MA in Urban Studies with
a concentration in Community Arts.
Visual Arts - Making & Teaching: Like many visual artists I have to be willing to use my skills and
talents in many ways and through different avenues. I have a background in graphic design, illustration
and fine arts and I am skilled in Indonesian style batik. I also have many years teaching in many
challenging contexts. What I love most about my business is having a balance between my solitary work
in the studio and my more extroverted work teaching in schools and in workshops. Teaching is not only a
way for me to serve but I also find a great deal of inspiration from my students.
Community Arts: I am also experienced cross-culturally having lived overseas and having worked in
community & economic development. It was a natural progression for me to begin studies in Community
Arts. I work 15 hours a week as an Indonesian outreach worker for a non-profit that has been serving
Southeast Asians in South Philadelphia for many years. I am able to stay more in touch with the
Indonesian community in this work and I have the hope that I would be able to do more significant
community art as I network within the non-profit world and among the many immigrant community
members in South Philadelphia. So my decision to work for SEAMAAC was strategic as I am thinking

about future possibilities even though the job doesnt pay very much there is much potential to serve
using my art skills.
Making money from my art: Occasionally I sell my paintings in galleries, cafes, special art shows and
to individuals who hear about me and view my website. I also work as an illustrator specializing in pen &
ink drawings for historical signs/books/various media or as large-format printed murals for indoor or
outdoor use. I conduct art workshops and I specialize in batik workshops for groups interested in learning
the history and technique of batik. I am a teaching artist in all 2-dimensional media doing residencies in
schools and after-school programs.
Working as a teaching artist can be challenging and I have often felt exploited by non-profits especially
with regard to how little they pay and how much they make teachers work. For the past several years I
have spent most of my time teaching; however, I often feel like Im doing volunteer work even though I
often receive higher than average pay compared to many teaching artists. Because of this, I am becoming
very choosey about where I teach. I now mostly take teaching jobs that are close to my home. This way,
Im investing in my own community even if the pay is low. It makes it worth the effort in the long run
and I continue to make relationships that will help with promoting other aspects of my business.
Major Focus Sales of Paintings and Illustration Jobs: For this business plan, I would like to focus on
gaining more income from my studio work. I would like to begin looking for galleries that might want to
represent me although I would be choosey as to what kind of gallery. I dont want a gallery that wants me
to crank out the same kind of work for years. I also want to sell my work online attracting collectors,
interior designers and any company who might want to use my work for decorating their products or for
companies who sell prints.
I also want to continue with my illustration jobs using my pen and ink technique. My work lends itself to
places such as historical societies, museums, historical sites, and community murals with historical
themes, etc.
Needs: I need a studio. I have a tiny studio in my house but too often it becomes a guest room and it just
isnt large enough anymore. I need to buy a good camera for taking quality photos of my work I
already own the studio lights.

Mission and/or Vision Statement

Finding meaning in service to community are important to me as an artist. In a world that seems to be
increasingly complicated and fragmented, I want to serve my immediate community (geographically
speaking) and others by creating quality art that is meaningful and at the same time, I want to meet people
and learn their stories.

Description of business and what sets it apart

Why my artwork sets me apart:
My Story: I am an older artist with much experience and having gotten an MFA from The Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts, I have a large network of colleagues in the art world here in Philadelphia. I

have an interesting story to tell and I believe my story is what sets the work apart from the work of many
artists living in Philadelphia.
Versatility: I can work large or small offering many different price levels and I am versatile being able to
move back and forth between the fine art world and the design world. My work still reflects my own
history, where Ive been and where I am currently living but I am able to adapt to the needs of customers
and still retain my own style.
Passion: My interest in history often helps a great deal in my personal interactions with the clients
needing illustration work. Because I ask a lot of questions and I try to meet in person when possible,
clients seem to trust me and I offer to do research for the more historically related projects. It helps that I
did four large historical outdoor murals in South Philadelphia that I can show as samples.
Quality & Integrity: I strive to meet the needs of the client(s) and I am good at communicating with the
client regarding the process and the meeting of deadlines. I find that by going the extra mile in my work,
exceeding expectations and being easy to work with, clients often refer me to other clients.
Location: There are more and more people with money moving into my part of South Philadelphia and
since I have good networks through the civic association who commissioned me to create 5 large window
murals on trendy East Passyunk Avenue, I find that my name is becoming known and people are buying
my work from local fundraisers, local cafes and through word of mouth.
Why my teaching sets me apart:
Experience: I have many years of experience in teaching children, teens and adults both overseas and in
the USA. My teaching in Philadelphia has been mostly disadvantaged areas, and in impoverished schools
but I have also taught in elite schools as an artist in residence. Being able to speak Indonesian helps me
to get teaching opportunities (via grants) for the Indonesian community in Philadelphia and even in other
states. When non-profit organizations see my cross-cultural experience in teaching and the fact that I am
not a novice, it helps me to get jobs.
Good references: I also have a long list of references in Philadelphia having worked for many different
non-profits.
Passion: I like to always have some kind of teaching job going at all times keeping me in touch with
people and keeping my teaching skills sharp. I can teach many things and I love working with teachers
and I find that I keep in touch with them afterwards and I am often asked to return.
Recording my work: I am good at keeping record of my student work and experiences both on Facebook
and on Tumblr.

Description of products and services

Fine Art Works:

Abstract mix media aerial landscapes on paper and on cradled board

Mix-media landscapes made with collaged art papers on cradled board
Semi-abstract, collaged cityscapes on cradled board

Small watercolor paintings on paper

Public murals (indoor and outdoor) painted directly on walls using acrylic paint

Illustration Work:

Pen and Ink drawings of any size that can be hand-colored with watercolors, gouache, colored ink
or color pencil or colorized in Photoshop.

My style lends itself well to historical drawings specifically for museums or other educational
settings. I enjoy the process of working with historians and doing research for projects such as these.
They can be large-format printed for wall paper, canvas murals, vinyl or metal scrims, and anything
else that can be printed. Being able to draw quickly, I can draw accurately which is important when
depicting historical characters. My background in the fine arts as well as in graphic design is an
asset as I often have to combine many images into one scene.
Teaching Services:

Teaching Artist Residencies for all ages in schools and art centers
Teaching Artist Workshops for teaching batik/mix media/pen & ink
illustration/drawing/watercolor for all ages.
Mentoring beginning teachers (interns)

Market Research/Analysis
Philadelphia is full of talented artists, illustrators and teaching artists. I have a great deal of competition
in that regard.
Students come to Philadelphia to go to one of the many prestigious art schools and then they often want to
stay in the city because it is more affordable than living in New York and yet it is still close. However,
the artwork that is sold in galleries or online is often over-priced, unoriginal or really bad (unfortunately
the not so good stuff seems to sell best). I think I want to focus more on trying to sell via my website.
There are plenty of illustrators who use pen & ink. I have noticed that there is a sort of slick,
computerized, stylized look to much of the contemporary illustrations that I see on websites and much of
it looks the same. I get most of my illustration jobs by word of mouth and the fact that I can point to
murals (illustrations) that were installed on East Passyunk Avenue.
I dont have much competition with regard to teaching artists probably because I am older and have more
experience and I am one of the few teaching artists with a tumblr showing my student work. I seem to get
jobs quite easily if I want them.

Managerial Structure and Key Management Profiles

Its just me in the business. Im a sole proprietor. I hire a tax account every year, I go to a great
photographer when need some work done and I go to a local framer when needed. One day I would love
to apprentice someone.

S.W.O.T. Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats)
Strengths

Im a well-trained and experienced artist in many different mediums- primarily

watercolor/acrylic/gouache/pen & ink/charcoal/graphite/color pencil/paper
collage/monotypes/etching/woodcut/lithography/mix-media/batik textiles
I have a background in graphic design, paste-up, pre-press stripping, black & white photography &
illustration. I worked in this field professional for 5 years.
I have been teaching art since I was a college student until now in many different situations and
places both in the USA and overseas. I have had extensive experience teaching children in
disadvantaged communities.
I have experience working with people from all walks of life due to having lived in several places in
the world. This makes me highly adaptable and culturally sensitive.
Im organized and good at all aspects of managing small to midsize projects time management,
costing, working with people, supplies, record keeping & staying on budget.
Im good at mentoring assistants and I enjoy it.
I have a niche with those interested in Indonesia and I speak the language
I have a story to tell about my life in Indonesia that shows in different ways in my artwork.
Im not intimidating and I am flexible working with people
I can work alone in my studio for long hours
My studio is in my house
I have flexible hours
Im never bored
I seem to find jobs pretty easily and I keep my website and other materials up to date.

Weaknesses

I have a tendency to be shy and introverted. I have to push myself.

My studio is small
Having jobs all over Philly sometimes means long trips on public transport carrying supplies
If I have an illustration job, sometimes I am given too little time to finish and I can spend too many
long hours in the studio
I have a hard time setting time aside for fun and relaxation and since I work at my home a lot, the
work/life division isnt so clear
My neck often hurts if I have an illustration job or mural job that takes a long time
Having many different jobs in different places leads to a fragmented way of life

Opportunities

I live in a big city near many other big cities with many art opportunities
I have a wide network of art connections with artists, art organizations & art teachers
I dont need benefits because I have them through my husbands job
I live near people who buy art and need art services

I have two buildings with my murals on them that I can point to or refer to
I have relationships with lots of people in different art organizations
Two universities have hired me to do workshops and one has asked me back
More people know about me and ask for lessons
I could rent a larger studio to hold classes of my own and since I live in a crowded neighborhood with
more and more people with money, I could possibly get plenty of students
Not many people do or teach batik in Philly so not much competition
My flexible job as a part-time outreach worker for SEAMAAC in South Philly helps me network with
nonprofits interested in incorporating art.

Threats

I live in an area that is re-gentrifying and my renting a larger studio near my house in the future will
be expensive with rent going up every year.
Having so many different jobs and income sources means Im always busy and often overworked.
My job as an out-reach worker can get busy at inopportune time with my art jobs. Sometimes they
overlap and I struggle with handling both jobs.
There is a lot of competition for teaching artist jobs and for selling art
Most people dont value the work of an artist and want to exploit me.
Many people think I want to do my art for free all the time.
Many people dont know that doing art and teaching art is challenging and time consuming.
Many places wont pay for prep hours in teaching jobs.
Many teaching jobs are in the late afternoon and evenings
There is a lot of competition for teaching artist grants.

Final Statements (Cash Flow and Revenue

Projections)

Marketing Plan Summary

Online Presence: I want to recreate my website and make it less like a traditional
fine artist website. I want to make it a more comprehensive site reflecting my
business as a whole. In the website, I would tell my story, have a gallery to show
and sell my artwork (different categories such as fine art/illustrations/prints etc.),
advertise workshops in my studio, blog about my art adventures (about
art/travel/community projects/teaching), and anything else that would keep people
coming back to my site.
Social Media: Twitter/Facebook/Facebook Artist Page/Tumblr all linking to my
website
Networking: I will continue working for SEAMAAC for at least another year to
make more relationships with the various nonprofits working in South Philly,
especially since they work closely with art organizations who are targeting the
immigrant population. I will make an effort to go to at least one art event in Philly
once a month especially those that are related to what is happening in my
community. I will continue to apply for the many Call for Artists opportunities that
are within the Philadelphia area. I will sign up for the Philadelphia Open Studio
Tours (POST) in the Fall, I will stay in touch with the EPX Civic Association and the
Passyunk Square civic participating in their fund-raisers by donating art for auction

and selling art. I will open my studio for First Friday events and have groups of
people over.
Email Contact/Mailing List: I will create and maintain a contact list of people
who have purchased my artwork as well as those who are supportive or might be
potential buyers.
Quarterly Newsletter: I will send out newsletters with news of exhibitions,
experiences, awards, classes being offered with a link to my website.