Project Title

Paris Woodhull Illustrations

Description of Project

I started my business on a whim. At the beginning of 2016, I was an intern at a local letterpress and design studio. Hand illustrated maps on wedding invitations was trending and the owner asked me to try my hand at it. I quickly fell in love with illustrative map drawing. I would draw, erase, draw, erase, step back, and then draw and erase again and that’s when I accidentally started my business.

I started practicing with my city. I would go home after my internship and obsessively draw downtown Knoxville, TN. Once I was happy with my illustration, I got a few printed locally, snapped a photo, and posted it on Instagram/Facebook. They caught on like wildfire with the locals of Knoxville, and before I knew it I was a business owner. And that’s what I mean by my business being started on a whim, it happened organically.

When I started my business one year ago, I was in my senior year of studying fine art at the University of Tennessee, up to my ears in work, academics, and building a portfolio of shows. I had to do all that in order to keep my full ride scholarship.

Although my business was going have to be a side gig, it was secretly my new BFF. I was keeping it even if I didn’t have time for it. And I still needed to sleep. I learned to make fast, bad, reversible, and irreversible decisions. I illustrated between classes, before, and after work. I made myself keep moving. Not having enough time or money was a good thing because it kept me motivated to keep working even harder.

Well, was a good thing. Now that I’ve graduated I’ve got to figure out how to grow my business with a job that has no room for disposable income. I’ve been bootstrapping it for a while now. I want to grow my business, but sometimes it takes money to make money. And then that’s when I found out about the Girlboss grant from a friend. This grant can make a considerable difference in helping me grow my business and also provide me with the tools to operate it more efficiently.

To date I have…

Created a brand and a go-to market strategy
Come out with a multitude of new designs
Participated in local craft fairs, created an ecommerce platform, and currently sell my designs in six local and out of state gift stores
Featured in several publications
Spoke on a panel of other “lady bosses”
Analyzed the market and refined my product offering
Increased sales YTD 154% compared to all of 2016
Did some of the not so fun stuff such as figuring out taxes and budgeting

Even though maps are the heart of my business, I’ve made sure to have multiple streams of income within my business. I’ve also created a small line of Feminist apparel, quirky celebrity portraits, and also do custom illustration on the side to pad my income and give me more wiggle room to come out with new designs more frequently.

My feminist apparel was a moment of empowerment for me. After the presidential election, I couldn’t stop crying for two days, like many of my friends. I didn’t know what to do with all the feelings, so I did what artists do. I channeled my terror and desperation into my work. I drew unabashed naked ladies dancing and added the words “Feminist AF” and wore it to the Women’s March. A friend wanted one too. And then another. And so did a lot of other feminists, females and males. Even mothers wanted them for their infants!

Wait a minute, my work could play a small role in social change? It was the highest high I’ve ever experienced. Oh, and did I mention a local printer refused to make them into a poster? Good. I gave my business to a different printer who does care about social change. I was a female business owner, and this was my turning point. I’m the boss lady and my business is going to support me and social change AF.

Here are some words that I live by:

1. Do what you love. In other words, be all in.

2. Don’t get hung up on the little things. Focus on what's important.

3. Make a living. Create a sustainable life with 1 and 2.

How Much $$$ You Need

$14,872

How Will You Use The Funds?

Equipment/Business Planning:

$312 Squarespace

$50 G-Suite

$650 (Est.) Incorporation Licenses & Fees

$2,500 iMac computer--- I’ve been editing all of my large illustrated maps in Photoshop on my 12” laptop. My maps are very detailed and require lots of hours zooming in and out making corrections. I would like to have a 27” display so that I can edit my maps more clearly and work on them more efficiently. Also, I desperately need more storage to back up all of my files.

$360 Xero (online bookkeeping) $30 a month for 12 months

$300 meet with a CPA = $100 per hour x 3 hours used over the course of 3 meetings

Total: $4,172

Inventory:

This will be used over the course of the 12 months as I create new designs. As products sells I will use profits to reinvest and buy more inventory. Even though this seems like a lot of SKU’s, it will only be 5 different products per city.

$500 Plastic + Backing Boards

$3,000 16x20” Poster 15 designs (quantity of 100) x $200 per (printer cost)

$2,250 5” Stickers 15 designs (quantity of 150) x $150 per (printer cost)

$1,500 10x10” Posters 15 designs (sticker design) (quantity of 100) x $150 per (printer cost)

$1,650 5” Patches 15 designs (sticker design) (quantity of 100) x $110 per (printer cost)

$1,000 Postcards 15 designs (sticker design) (quantity of 100) x Approx. $70 per (printer cost)

$800 Feminist AF T-shirts + Totes (quantity of 150-200)

Total: $10,700

Grand Total: $14,872

Description of End Goal

New Designs I would like to come out with:

1. 15 Map designs: Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Atlanta (Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown,) Louisville, Charleston, Savannah, Asheville, Johnson City, Alpharetta, Roswell, Athens, Birmingham.

2. 15 City Sticker/Patch/Prints: Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Atlanta (Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown,) Louisville, Charleston, Savannah, Asheville, Johnson City, Alpharetta, Roswell, Athens, Birmingham.

3. 15 City Postcards: Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Atlanta (Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown,) Louisville, Charleston, Savannah, Asheville, Johnson City, Alpharetta, Roswell, Athens, Birmingham.

4. Feminist AF Line

Business Goals for 12-month Grant:

1. Create multiple new product lines. I will create 5 different products for each city I have listed above: 16x20” Illustrated Map, 10x10” Color Map, 5” Color Sticker, Patches and a Postcard. (The 10x10” Color Map, 5” Stickers, and 5” Patches will be one design created into these three different products.)

2. Restructure business entity, following advice from a CPA.

3. Run the financial side of my business more efficiently utilizing effective tools.

4. Expand to other cities, once I have other city product.

6. Become an Etsy Wholesaler.

7. Revamp all product photos on my website.

8. Drive more sales traffic to my website and redirect sales from Etsy to my website.

Since I’m a serial list-maker and love to plan, I put together a 12-month goal sheet. Listed are the goals I would have for each month.

Month 1:

Review Monthly goals.
Purchase IMac, Xero Bookkeeping, Renew Squarespace/G-Suite.
First Appointment with CPA
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
16x20” Map Designs: Nashville
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Nashville

Month 2:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Nashville stockists.
Create Feminist AF and Stay Human T-shirt and Totes
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Chattanooga
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Chattanooga

Month 3:

Review Monthly goals.
Second Appointment with CPA
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Chattanooga stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Atlanta x 2 Buckhead & Midtown
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Atlanta x 2 Buckhead & Midtown

Month 4:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Atlanta stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Atlanta x1 Downtown & Alpharetta
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Atlanta x1 Downtown & Alpharetta

Month 5:

Review Monthly goals.
Third Appointment with CPA
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Atlanta and Alpharetta stockists.
16x20” Map Designs: Athens & Birmingham
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Athens & Birmingham

Month 6:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Athens & Birmingham stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Savannah
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Savannah

Month 7:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Savannah stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
Finish up any tasks that haven’t been completed.
No new map designs this month---take a breather.

Month 8:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
16x20” Map Designs: Louisville & Johnson City
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Louisville & Johnson City

Month 9:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Louisville & Johnson City stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Roswell
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Roswell

Month 10:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Roswell stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
16x20” Map Designs: Charleston
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Charleston

Month 11:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Charleston stockists.
New designs to printer & sticker/patch company.
Take product photos and list on website.
16x20” Map Designs: Memphis
5” Patch/5” Sticker/10x10” Print Designs: Memphis

Month 12:

Review Monthly goals.
Continue to consistently promote on business on Social Media.
Add new Memphis stockists.
New designs to printer + take product photos and list on website
Finish up any tasks that haven’t been completed.

What Else Should We Know?

I grew up in a neighborhood of artists, politicians, messy kids, ex-cons, cranky neighbors, homeless, activists and community busy bodies. I was 4 months old when my parents moved our family two long blocks from the projects.

My great-great-grandmother was actually the first woman to run for president. Victoria Claflin Woodhull, ran with Fredrick Douglas as her running mate. This was even before women could vote. She was a radical feminist and I feel her spirit running through me everyday.

I owe my business know-how to my boss and mentor of 8 years, Nanci Solomon. She owns a store in downtown Knoxville, Rala, that features local artisans and curated goods. Over the years Nanci has allowed me to try out different products in her store. She has celebrated every success I’ve had, but also critiqued my product/business when it needed guidance. Through working at Rala I have learned many things, but most importantly, that hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle and that if you’re not all in it will never work.

Any money my business makes; I reinvest back into my business. An investment in equipment, business planning tools, and inventory would allow me to come out with multiple designs at once and to grow my business at a much faster pace than has been the current state.

Why pick me for the Girlboss grant? Because my business is a damn good investment and I already have a loyal following. After lots of trial and error with products, I’m a tad more fool-proof than I would have been a year ago. I am a force to be reckoned with and I do not disappoint.

I want to create social change. And I’ll work hard as hell.