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Fairfield artist honored for business plan

Diane Hausmann decided a decade ago to use paint brushes to make a living. She lunged into the professional art world, creating and selling watercolors depicting images of Western life and horses.

By Jo Dee Black
Tribune Staff Writer

Last year, Hausmann, 47, took an additional career step, opening a storefront art studio and framing business in Fairfield.

This month, the business plan she wrote to take that step earned the Spirit of Montana award in the 2003 NxLeveL Business Plan state competition.

Hausmann wrote the plan during NxLeveL classes offered through the Small Business Development Center in Great Falls. The exercise forced her to think about every aspect of her new venture, from accounting to business law.

"It makes you aware of issues so you can handle things when they come up and it’s not so overwhelming," Hausmann said.

Instructor Nancy Snow said Hausmann’s plan stood out because of her savvy in the art industry.

"She had been running her business out of her home for a long time and had a good base on what worked and what didn’t," Snow said.

Class lessons let her build on that knowledge.

"When she decided to buy a building, she needed a good marketing plan to make it work," Snow said.

In addition to her original art and prints, Hausmann paints signs for other businesses and does framing. She said the marketing lessons in the NxLeveL classes helped form her strategy.

"Trying to market artwork is hard, because it is so personal," she said. "With a companion (product) to market, I can push the framing and also have a gallery and a working studio. Right now framing is the mainstay of this business."

Hausmann said she started looking around for a storefront because she outgrew her home-based studio.

"Especially with the signs, if you are painting a four-by-eight-foot sheet of plywood, you need space," she said. "I’ve always wanted a working studio and that is probably the most fun. I come in here and do art all day long. The framing has been so well received and that may be a big part of why it’s so fun."

Along with being a shop owner, Hausmann’s venture cast her in the role of employer, too. She has one part-time worker.

"You learn to delegate some responsibilities to other people in your circle so it’s not so overwhelming," she said. "I have a good bookkeeper, my employee and my husband, Laurence Vincent, who helps make decisions and gives overall support."

That support is appreciated, especially this time of year. Hausmann is showing her work at the Western Heritage Artists show, which opens today at the Holiday Inn.

"My employee not only helped me get customers’ framing done, but also helped frame my work for the show too," Hausmann said.

The leap from a home-based business to a storefront bought a lot more responsibilities, Hausmann said.

"It’s like a herd of cattle, I have to keep the whole thing moving forward and not let anything straggle," she said. "If I don’t, it comes back to haunt me."

Approaching her first anniversary as a business owner, Hausmann said she’s gaining confidence.

"I’m still here, they say the first two years are the critical ones for a new business," she said. "

Black can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (406) 791-6502.

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