October 3, 2005
Art work | A chat with Jane Caulfield, co-founder of Morningstar Art and Framing.
By Courtney Hill
Founded: March 2005
Employees: One part-time framer
Startup costs: $67,000
Projected revenues, year one: $101,600
Projected revenues, year two: $112,000
Contact: 764-1810
431 Main St., Presque Isle 04769
What does your art and frame shop offer customers?
We do custom framing [and] sell gifts, artwork and stationery from Maine artists and craftspeople. We can restore photos and stretch canvases. We have watercolors, acrylics, brushes, lots of different kinds of paper and ink, and some archival photo boxes and albums.
Who are your typical customers?
They say the framing market is older women, [ages] 25-60, [from] higher income brackets. But I try to find something that will fit the budgets I come in contact with.
What kind of things do you frame?
We do a lot of posters, family photographs, diplomas [and] certificates. Oh, and we do a ton of needlework. That must be what everybody does in the winter.
What gave you the idea to start this business?
I was director of development [at the] Northern Maine Development Commission and I [had] worked at the University of Maine at Presque Isle as director of development. But I wanted to do something that fit my natural inclinations. I majored in art and I wanted to use my own natural talent, to be my own boss. I also wanted to do something for Presque Isle, to add another bright spot downtown.
How did your training in business development help you start this business?
I used to write grants to help start businesses. I've worked on business plans and managed budgets. I also built relationships with local business people. [When the business started], they were curious about what I was doing. It gives visibility that you wouldn't ordinarily have. And the folks at Northern Maine Development Commission were a huge help in getting me financing. They had faith that I could do it, because I was a good employee.
What background do you have in the art and framing business?
I have a bachelor of arts degree from University of Maine at Presque Isle, and my husband [Brian Brissette, co-owner] and I both took a four-day [framing] workshop in Connecticut. That's how we learned.
How did you finance your startup?
I got a small business loan through Northern Maine Development Commission and a local bank, Katahdin Trust Co., and [we provided] our own capital injections of about $26,000.
What have you done to market your services?
We were lucky. The Bangor Daily News sent a reporter early on and they did a really nice piece. The Presque Isle Star Herald has done a story and I purchased an ad. [We also advertise in] the St. John Valley Times, local radio spots and things like that. We've got the brightest windows on Main Street on Route One and a lot of traffic passes by night and day.
How do you compete with online art supply wholesalers?
That's hard. I can't even come close to beating their prices, because they do such huge volumes. But [some] people need something right away and don't want to pay for shipping, [or] need advice. I can give guidance. I think of lot of artists are tactile. They like to feel the paper and see what they are getting.
What are your plans for growth?
The website [which should be launched before Christmas] is a big part of it. A lot of people have left Aroostook County, [and] are living in other places all across the nation. It would be nice to tap into people wanting to own things that remind them of home. We've got nice photographs of the landscape, locally made jewelry, baskets and pottery. We want to be able to help market and ship out [local artists'] works to a larger market, because the incomes here aren't really high.
Is there an infamous print you frame all the time and are getting sick of seeing?
When I read my framing magazines they say that Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" is the number one thing, but I haven't had one of those yet. I've framed probably two of the same thing. Everybody brings in something different. I guess people don't do the usual thing up here.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: One part-time framer
Startup costs: $67,000
Projected revenues, year one: $101,600
Projected revenues, year two: $112,000
Contact: 764-1810
431 Main St., Presque Isle 04769
What does your art and frame shop offer customers?
We do custom framing [and] sell gifts, artwork and stationery from Maine artists and craftspeople. We can restore photos and stretch canvases. We have watercolors, acrylics, brushes, lots of different kinds of paper and ink, and some archival photo boxes and albums.
Who are your typical customers?
They say the framing market is older women, [ages] 25-60, [from] higher income brackets. But I try to find something that will fit the budgets I come in contact with.
What kind of things do you frame?
We do a lot of posters, family photographs, diplomas [and] certificates. Oh, and we do a ton of needlework. That must be what everybody does in the winter.
What gave you the idea to start this business?
I was director of development [at the] Northern Maine Development Commission and I [had] worked at the University of Maine at Presque Isle as director of development. But I wanted to do something that fit my natural inclinations. I majored in art and I wanted to use my own natural talent, to be my own boss. I also wanted to do something for Presque Isle, to add another bright spot downtown.
How did your training in business development help you start this business?
I used to write grants to help start businesses. I've worked on business plans and managed budgets. I also built relationships with local business people. [When the business started], they were curious about what I was doing. It gives visibility that you wouldn't ordinarily have. And the folks at Northern Maine Development Commission were a huge help in getting me financing. They had faith that I could do it, because I was a good employee.
What background do you have in the art and framing business?
I have a bachelor of arts degree from University of Maine at Presque Isle, and my husband [Brian Brissette, co-owner] and I both took a four-day [framing] workshop in Connecticut. That's how we learned.
How did you finance your startup?
I got a small business loan through Northern Maine Development Commission and a local bank, Katahdin Trust Co., and [we provided] our own capital injections of about $26,000.
What have you done to market your services?
We were lucky. The Bangor Daily News sent a reporter early on and they did a really nice piece. The Presque Isle Star Herald has done a story and I purchased an ad. [We also advertise in] the St. John Valley Times, local radio spots and things like that. We've got the brightest windows on Main Street on Route One and a lot of traffic passes by night and day.
How do you compete with online art supply wholesalers?
That's hard. I can't even come close to beating their prices, because they do such huge volumes. But [some] people need something right away and don't want to pay for shipping, [or] need advice. I can give guidance. I think of lot of artists are tactile. They like to feel the paper and see what they are getting.
What are your plans for growth?
The website [which should be launched before Christmas] is a big part of it. A lot of people have left Aroostook County, [and] are living in other places all across the nation. It would be nice to tap into people wanting to own things that remind them of home. We've got nice photographs of the landscape, locally made jewelry, baskets and pottery. We want to be able to help market and ship out [local artists'] works to a larger market, because the incomes here aren't really high.
Is there an infamous print you frame all the time and are getting sick of seeing?
When I read my framing magazines they say that Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" is the number one thing, but I haven't had one of those yet. I've framed probably two of the same thing. Everybody brings in something different. I guess people don't do the usual thing up here.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments