Project: Maya Doss Art Print Club

Images

Description

Project Maya Doss Art Print Club would use the loan for the creation of a Patreon account (a monthly subscription service where people recieve an artwork of mine every month), production of art merchandise, and funding for initial start-up costs. Patreon itself is free, and allows you to create different subscription tiers based on how someone wants to support you. For my art business, I would like to offer a tip jar tier ($3/ month), a print club tier ($8/ month), and a print club + extra support tier ($13/ month). The idea is that once someone subscribes to the print club tier, they will be sent an original artwork from me in the form of a postcard/ mini print. It is supposed to be similar to the idea of a pen pal, only noone has to send me anything back other than their subscription fee.
I currently have an Instagram following of 997, 3 short of 1,000. My goal is to begin posting more promotional, educational, and personal content on specifically my art Instagram account to strengthen the relationship I have with my following. Then, I will soft launch the my Print Club and depending on how many subscribe, produce the required amount of postcard prints and mail them out.
My audience is my followers on my Instagram account, which entirely consists of people who are interested in and support myself and my artwork. Once expanding, I believe I will attract people in their late teens- early 30s who like art. If awarded the money, I would use the loan to aid in the creation of my postcards, medigate unforseen expenses, and to invest in art supplies to create the artworks I would mass produce. After the print shop is launched, I plan to make content on Instagram promoting my business, creating the artworks, and packaging them sharing information about myself as an artist. I would hope by the end of the year to have a self sustaining business model where all I have to do is make the artwork, make content, print the postcards, and mail them to my supporters.

How will this loan be used? Please provide an itemized list of expenses that will be covered.

Postcards: 20 for $21.99 - 2,000 for $199.99
Envelopes: $9.09 per 50 count box
Tissue Paper: $9.99 per 100 count
Personal Brand Stickers: $11.99 per 100-count roll

Postcards are a variable cost because they depend on the number of subscribers per month. Everything else would be an initial start-up cost and only purchased as needed from then on out. Cost not included is that of art supplies because I have everything I need now, but I may need to use some money to replace tools and paint occasionally.

How will your project generate money?

My project will generate money because the subscription cost is $8/ $13 a month, while the most expensive cost for a postcard to be printed from Staples is $1.10. However, the more you order, the cheaper the cost per postcard printed. For example, if after this year my business grew to 2,000 subscribers (which isn't as far-fetched as it may sound), the print cost would go down to $.10 per postcard. The more subscribers I get to my Print Club, the cheaper production will become, and the more profit I will be able to retain.
Example: First month- 20 subscribers at $8/ month = $160. $160 - production cost ($21.99) = 138.01 in profit before taxes.

When do you expect to be able to repay this loan?

I would be able to repay the loan as soon as I began having over 150 subscribers. I believe I could make this happen by this time next year.
With 150 subscribers, I would make $1,200 if everyone were at the $8 tier. The production cost of the postcards would be $67.50. I would have enough to pay back the loan in one chunk, and still have a little money to put back into my own pocket.
If, Heaven forbid, my business didn't grow as quickly as I hoped, I would save back portions of profits each month until I had the total amount to repay in a year.

Do you have experience or support that will help this project succeed? Links to your previous work are helpful here.

I have been a part of the Indiana Art Commission's On Ramp Artistic Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant Program. At their Cohort in Columbus, IN, I learned the ins and outs of the art business, of business strategy, of preparing for the unexpected, and of optimizing the skills we have to make income. I have been operating an independent art business for the past several years, since 2019. I work with local businesses on commission projects, sell art at local markets and events, and have just recently become an Audio Fellow for Pop of Culture on Indiana Public Radio (I only mention this to highlight that I have made my name as an artist around Muncie and surrounding cities). I also crowdfunded the start-up costs for my own original oracle deck that I produced and sold over 150+ copies of during the pandemic to creatively support myself.
*It is not allowing me to upload images, so if you would like to see my artwork that would potentially make it onto a postcard, my Instagram is @mayadossart and my website is www.mayadoss.com