<Html> <head> <Title>Business idea cafe bio, Gallery 202</Title> </Head> <H3>Idea Cafe Bio</H3> <Body background="http://www.gallery202online.com/images/whiteall12.gif"> <a href="http://www.artswesterville.com"><img src="http://gallery202online.com/images/newlogo2asm.jpg"></a> <Table Width="800" BORDER=".75" Cellpadding=10> <center> <Table Width="100% BORDER="0" Cellpadding=1> <TR Align="left" VALIGN="top"> <Table Width="800" border="1" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> <TR Align="left" VALIGN="top"> <TD Width ="80%" Height="250" Font size="2" Font face="Times"> <H3>Spotlight on Top Business Owners in Non-profit & Associations </H3> Go to: http://www.businessownersideacafe.com and get connected from their website .. Gallery 202, Partners in Art, Inc. Name: Renee Kropat Location: Westerville, OH Type of Business: Art Gallery and Graphic Design What does your business do? (We do community art programs for all ages and encourage interaction between businesses, patrons and artists. Special programs are geared at the general non-art program, women's art programs, helping local artists promote their work, and sponsoring community websites. When and why did you start the biz? I started an art gallery in 1996 but turned it into a non-profit in Oct, 2003 in hopes that I would actually make more money with grants and sponsorships. How Many People are in your Company? Volunteers, lots and lots of happy volunteers . Where's your office? Piled high with papers, my home office is where I do the required stuff by law. The co-op gallery office is a bit cleaner since the public has to come in, and my little black Honda Element is where the real art business takes place. What's the toughest part of running your biz? We work on a volunteer basis and money is always an issue for us. It's very fun and happy until the day we have to pay the bills. What's the most fun part? People. People make the difference in a day for me. I can be working with a person who says they are not artistic and watch them bloom right before my eyes. It's the blooming adults that are the most fun to watch. Anything you would have done differently? It isn't necessarily anything that I would have done differently because it is important to continue to learn and strive to understand your own market and to make changes. I wish I would play the lottery more, however. What's next on the horizon for your biz? We are now at the stage where we have been applying for small grants and hopefully will be able to apply for that big grant and maybe I'll get a paycheck! Networking is very important and we will be connecting with businesses that normally an artist might not think about - realtors, fellow small merchants in the area, banks, etc. What advice do you have for others? If I had gone into this with a clear business plan and a clear attack, I would have never done this. My advice is to have a good support team - not necessarily in money (but that helps), but also in emotional, physical, spiritual help etc. Don't be afraid to ask for help and don't take it personally if you don't get help. If you believe in your pathway, then go for it. The risk is always worth it. I have a wonderful family, husband etc but I was afraid that once my children were born that I might die (all but physically) at age 35 and not be buried until I was 80. So now I work way over the 40 hours per week with little pay and absolutely love it. How do you use Idea Cafe to help your biz? I stumbled into Idea Cafe by accident one day when I was surfing the net and I wait sometimes impatiently for your updates. It's good to read that others have the same dreams, problems, successes and failures. I look for ways to improve myself and business and I use the advice that I see on the site. School (where, still in school, degree)? Ohio State Univ. and Cols College of Art and Designs - I have a BS in Allied Med, Masters in Industrial Design and a BFA in fine arts (CCAD) Prior jobs or business? I worked as an occuptional therapist for 20 years while I always wanted to be an artist. So one day, I took over an office business (fax,copy, shipping) business from my twin brother and turned it into a gallery. I've never looked back -- only forward. Favorite Food? Down-on-the-farm food What are your pets' names? Oreo and Max Do any of these pets help with your biz? They sit under my desk every night when I work on the computer and follow me whenever I am home. I would like to believe that they are in awe of me that much, but really, they just want treats. Is there any one person or event in your life that led you to go into business for yourself? Having my children made me realize how important it is to be true to yourself so you can be a better parent. Anyone you publicly want to thank? My husband of 23 years, Tony, and my twin brother , Ric Contact Info: Renee Kropat gallery202@hotmail.com Website: http://gallery202online.com </Table>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> var sc_project=460294; var sc_partition=2; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://c3.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=460294&amp;java=0" alt="unique visitor counter" border="0"></a> </noscript>  </TD> </HTML>