Business Writing

Business Plan for an Art Gallery

Henry Art Gallery offers the high-quality artwork, particularly sculpture, of prominent South Florida and Latin American artists. The company was founded in January 2007 by Catherine Henry and for the past seven years has been steadily increasing in sales and offerings.

The company garners about $700,000 in sales each year. Henry Art Gallery is looking to increase sales to become a global leader in quality artwork by implementing a company reorganization and a revitalized marketing plan. To accomplish this Henry Art Gallery will be hiring a General Manager, acquire a gallery assistant and partnering with Siren Publications to provide small business writing (blogs, eBooks etc.) for high impact marketing and to develop a marketing plan for the company.

The newly hired General Manager will oversee day-to-day operations, consult with clientele for acquisitions and art brokering in addition to bookkeeping.  As the first duty of the General Manager, they will hire a Gallery assistant to scout for new talent and to aggressively market the Gallery as an international leader for both figurative and abstract sculpture.

Catherine Henry, the owner and namesake of the gallery, is an artist herself who focuses upon figurative sculpture through the medium of wood implementing the technique of subtractive woodcarving. The owner uses her reputation for the recruitment of world-class artistic cohorts. With the daily operations handled by the General Manger and business writings produced by Maureen Castellon of Siren Publications, Ms. Henry will be able to focus primarily on targeting established and advancing artists to add to the roster of works available to commission works from said artists. Catherine Henry will specialize in this area with the goal to add one commercially viable artist per quarter. Established and newly acquired artists will be featured on the company website, which will be maintained by the Gallery assistant.

The General Manager will host and curate the company website for its evolution to being the premier art gallery, specializing in sculpture on the web with the capacity to conduct e-Commerce. Newly acquired artists will pay a setup fee to be hosted on the site and will also have a commission fee deducted from their transactions from the site. New works by artists on the website will not be charged again for the setup fee as a measure to ensure continued patronage of the website.  Artists will be required to create a hyperlink, if not already available, to be presented on the site and to also cross-reference Henry Art Gallery on their personal site.

Henry Art Gallery has expanded its operations since starting seven years ago in an efficiency located in Kendall, Florida to its current located in the design district of Wynwood, which provides 6,000 square feet for display and three office spaces.  The company has recently renewed its lease with Prime Space Realty for an additional five years. In addition, Henry Art Gallery has acquired a contract with Russian artist Miko Brakisov to be the exclusive purveyor of his much sought after works. This partnership has the potential to bring in a more international audience and $20, 000 in commission.

The company has done little to no advertising as it has relied on positive word of mouth marketing and the strength of Catherine Henry’s reputation in the art world to promote the Gallery’s capabilities. However, in order to ensure future success, the time has come to establish consistent social media and to develop further the company website. The company is seeking $90, 000 in funding to promote the next level of service in offerings and production. This will enable sales to be moved up to $900, 000 within two years and $1.1 million within three years.

Both equity and debt funding will be entertained with terms to be determined by both parties. Funding will be used to hire a General Manager, Gallery assistant and to commission content from Siren Publications in addition to upgrading our website.

1.1    Objectives

1. Hire a General Manager to oversee daily operations and to acquire a competent Gallery assistant.
2. Develop a network of 500 marketable artists during 2015.
3. Revamp website to include e-Commerce and social media outlets by the second month of 2015.
4. Contract content from Siren Publications.
5. Raise an additional $100,000 for the company through website sales by June 2015.

1.2    Mission

Henry Art Gallery offers carefully curated world class art, specializing in sculpture to the world via their website. We provide attentive service to established clientele and prospective buyers equally through means of consulting, acquisition or appraisals. Henry Art Gallery is known for the great value of their pieces and timely customer service.

1.3    Keys to Success

The keys to success for this business rest on Catherine Henry’s reputation as an artist and leveraging that to establish/maintain relationships with dealers, other galleries and particularly artists. High-quality customer service continues to be a touchstone at Henry Art Gallery.

2.0 COMPANY SUMMARY

Started in 2007, Henry Art Gallery has name recognition amongst artists, brokers and other galleries for providing excellent customer service alongside high-quality artwork. Revenue for the past four years has demonstrated a steady growth curve. Revenue streams for the 2010- 2014 have been as follows: 2010-$189, 500; 2011-$215,000; 2012-$235, 000; 2013- $180,890; 2014 -$ 247,514. Gross margins for the same operating period are as follows- 2010-61.8 percent; 2011-59.9 percent 2012-65.2 percent;  2013-50 percent and 2014-59 percent.

The calculations for 2013 illustrate a dip in Henry Art Gallery revenue stream; however, the gross margins show there an increase in gross margins from the year before.  We expect revenue and profitability to increase with additional capital and the new marketing campaign designed by Siren Publications.

2.1 Company Ownership

Henry Art Gallery is a limited liability company incorporated in the state of Florida. Majority ownership is by Catherine Henry with 95% and  5% of a silent partner, Breege Henry.  Breege Henry does not participate in the management of the company.

2.2 Company Location and Facility

Henry Art Gallery is located at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in Miami, FL in a 6,000 square feet building with provides three office spaces, a display area, storage and delivery areas. Henry Art Gallery currently leases the space and does not own the building.

3.0 PRODUCTS and SERVICES

Henry Art Gallery provides high-quality art with an emphasis on sculpture. Henry Art Gallery displays work from over 20 different international artists with Miko Brakisov as the resident artist for the next three months. Henry Art Gallery has the USP of a renowned artist at the helm of the company ensuring artists are paid fairly and clients received high-quality artwork.

Henry Art Gallery contributes greatly to the Miami art scene. Its reputation for excellent customer service is well-deserved as Catherine Henry assists private clientele, corporations and museums with the acquisition or sale of art, particularly sculpture pieces. The company presents each month, a group or solo exhibition and carefully curates a catalog of the sculpture artists in the South Florida area.

3.1 Competitive Comparison

The competition of Henry Art Gallery has been other galleries in the Wynwood Art District. Four other galleries specialize in sculpture. While they are excellent galleries, none are run by a commercially viable artist. The prime competitors are listed below:

Haciendas Sculpture Garden

12525 North Miami Avenue

Miami, FL 33127

Frisk Fine Art Studio

8701 North Miami Avenue

Miami, FL 33127

Blue Bead Gallery

5341 North Miami Avenue

Miami, FL 33127

Rebel Heart Studio

234 North Miami Avenue

Miami, FL 33127

3.2 Sales Literature

The Company is presently cataloging established and new artists not only for the website, but also in paper form to distribute to the 700 members only mailing list. In the future, this catalog will be updated  and available by request only.

4.0 MARKET ANALYSIS SUMMARY

Sculpture is a specialized area of creative mastery that Catherine Henry has dedicated her life to in full. As a viable commercial artist Catherine Henry’s art has been sold all over the world. Her work is a favorite of both collectors and was featured in galleries worldwide before she opened her gallery in Miami. While each artist is unique and valuable in his or her right, Catherine Henry is a prominent artist both creatively and commercially.

4.1 Market Segmentation

Numbers withheld for privacy purposes.

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

Our target market is quite focused. Henry Art Gallery offers high-quality artwork to a network of private clientele, dealers and patrons throughout the world.

4.3 Industry Analysis

Private sales of artworks in America is a $4 billion dollar a year industry consists of 6,300 companies that operate galleries countrywide. This creative industry currently provides jobs to more than 25,000 Americans, generating annual payrolls of in the ballpark figure of $631 million dollars. Industry growth coincides with the parallel growth of the economy. Patrons are upper middle-class and above socioeconomic statuses and Wealthy patrons from South America, particularly Venezuela.  Downturns in the economy do not effect this demographic or their hobby of art collection.

5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary

The primary strategy for Henry Art Gallery is to build upon artist and dealer relationships to target the website offerings. As the Company continues to hold market share in South Florida’s creative collections, product movement will only continue to increase.

5.1 Competitive Edge

As a leading art gallery in South Florida, Henry Art Gallery offers quite a few competitive edges

• In house talent. Henry is a prominent artist in the local and global art community. Her talent and position in the art world make her a trusted source for both artists and dealers.
• Premium Quality. Henry Art Gallery’s strong reputation is built upon premium quality.
• Henry Art Gallery provides customized service for both clients and artists.
• Competitive Pricing. The Company offers competitive rates for the quality and service provided.

5.2 Milestones

Withheld for privacy issues.

6.0 Management Summary

Catherine Henry has twenty years’ experience in the art field and seven years  as a gallery owner. She is capable of consistent expansion while maintain artist/dealer relationships.

6.1 Organizational Structure

Catherine Henry is the president, primary resident artist and director of operations. Breege Henry is a silent partner and only appears during the Wynwood art walks.

6.2 Personnel Plan

The company is evolving towards a well-rounded and competent staff as illustrated in the following table:

Withheld for privacy purposes.

6.3 Management Team

Education: Yale School of Art: Sculpture

Catherine Henry was born in County Mayo Ireland and raised in Miami, FL. She spent her childhood admiring Rodin and Etruscan funerary art. She was accepted early admission to the Yale School of Art. Her work focuses upon figurative sculpture through the medium of wood implementing the technique of subtractive woodcarving.

Henry loves taking discarded tree stumps and turning them into works with highly creative elements.

Selected Exhibitions, Honors, and Awards:

2014 Prix de Arbole Award, National Forestry Group, Bangor, Maine

2011 Solo Exhibit L’Orangerie, Paris, France

2010 Solo Exhibit Rodin Musee, Paris, France

2009 National Academy of Sculptural Art, Miami, Florida Gold Medal Award

2008 National Academy of Sculptural Art, Miami, Florida Gold Medal Award

2008 DeMont Award for Structural Excellence

2007 Solo Exhibit, New York Sculpture Museum, New York, New York

2006 Fritz Gallery, Austin

2005 Museum of Sculpture, Santa Fe

2004 Mary Todd Museum, North Field, Montana

2002 Ridgemont Award for Excellence

 

Public and Private Collections:

The White House, Washington, D.C.

Weisbaden Collection, Weisbaden, Germany

Buckler Museum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Los Angeles Botanical Garden, Los Angeles, California

Lauren Bacall, New York, New York

Hunter W. Thompson, Los Angeles, California

Doven International, Piedmont, Texas

 

Commissions:

Broken Tree Museum Sydney, Australia

Slefloss International Hotel, Slefloss, Iceland

Indigo Pearl, Phuket, Thailand

 

Films:

Siren of the Woods, Zen Films Inc.

 

Bibliography

2013 Chainsaw Magazine, Spring

2011 Art Worthy of Investing, Investing Digest

2009 Tribal Art Digest, Commemorative Edition

2007 Miami New Times, Best of Issue

2005 Santa Fe Digest, March

2003 Outdoor Art, May

2003 Miami Art News, Summer

2001 Polenko Magazine, Winter

2000 Wooden Art, July/August

1998 Art of Trees Digest, January

1996 Top Thirty Sculptures Under Thirty, Sculpture Digest

 

Gallery Representations

Weisbaden Galleries, Weisbaden, Germany

Lavender Gallery, London, England

Diamond Gallery, Bakersfield, California

Gulnar Gallery, Mumbai, India

 

6.4 Management Team Gaps

Catherine Henry and Henry Art Gallery seek to add to the management team by employing a General Manager and a Gallery assistant. The Company seeks to hire personnel with a background in art and finance. Capital funding is required to close the gap and implement change.

7.0 Financial Plan

In order to gain capital seven key factors will be improved immediately:

1. We will target existing customers and market the Gallery website and catalog.
2. Our goal is to elevate the gross margin to 81 percent and the net profit margin to 2.1 percent by the 2015 fiscal year. Gross margin is expected to remain steady for the next five years at 76 percent. Net profit margins are expected to rise to 9.3 percent in the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years.
3. Henry Art Gallery aspires to borrow $90,000 in capital funding.

7.1 Key Assumptions

The success of the Henry Art Gallery financial plan depends on key assumptions shown in the table below. The key assumptions are as follows: There will be no economic downturns and the economy will stay more or less as is. We assume there will be no major weather events such as hurricanes. We assume funding will be acquired and the selection process of a competent General Manager and Assistant will take no longer than three months.

Table of General Assumptions

 

 

 

 

 

E-dapt is a business eBook on SEO and Internet Marketing

E-dapt

The Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution share the same catalyst that changed the world forever: the engine. The 1876 World’s Fair did not herald the Industrial Revolution; it was the fruition of it.  When the ten million people who had visited the exposition when travel was extremely difficult left the grounds, their lives were completely changed. Technology was no longer a flight of fancy; it was a life improving reality. The engine brought about the age of steam technology, telegraphs, railroads and mass production. Society changed both culturally and economically from that point onwards. Businesses had to adapt. Those that fought the rise of the machines eventually had to surrender to the tide of technology or be footnotes in history. Business owners it is time to harness the power of the search engine or lose money!

    The sheer physicality of the Industrial Revolution was daunting to some, but they had to get with the times. Today, we are in the midst of an ongoing Digital Revolution. What started off as a cell phone the size of bricks is now a palm size Smart phone connecting us to the world. All of us know at least two people who do not even get out of bed before they check their phone.  The thought of losing our mobiles bring about an acute sense of panic because our lives would not function as easily without them. Devices may change, but their intent never does. Machinery from 1876 to now should make our lives easier and connected to each other. Businesses can flourish or die on the vine with this rapidly evolving technology.  Marketing has never been more convenient or easier for those willing to adapt to the power of the search engine. 

Luddites, Past and Present

Luddites-those that oppose the advancement of technology

Not everyone was happy about the Industrial Revolution. A group of middle class, self-employed textile artisans christened Luddites  threatened by what they did not know and lacking a long-term vision, destroyed the new machines in secret. They grew afraid the Industrial Revolution would exterminate their way of life and force them into destitution. In many regards, they were correct. With these new machines, their skills became obsolete. Revolutions, in order to be true change, must destroy the old way of life and instill a new order that is distinctly different for better or worse.

    Engine based machines eliminated the need for skilled loom workers and the like. The distrust of machines was widespread and affected all commerce industries. There were agricultural Luddites as well who destroyed threshing machines. People were afraid of this change and rather than embrace it, fought it every step of the way much to their detriment. One option would have been to adapt and become machine operators. Revolutions inherently threaten people. The less informed a person is, the more likely they will react in an emotional way. It is crucial to be informed rather than emotional when dealing with business matters and the internet.

    Technology will almost always replace jobs that no longer serve the needs of the world. There is no going around that. A decade ago, people could not fathom the job of a social media specialist. It would have been laughed off unnecessary and people would resume what was standard for them, namely low tech and low yield.  Now it is a qualification for some jobs. Everyone likes what is safe for him or her. However, safe does not translate into adaptation. Technology was then and continues to be an untamable force. We will always be in the dark about the future, which is why there is comfort is keeping things as is. Hindsight is 20/20 whereas foresight can easily be wrong or misinterpreted. Although technology is a force, history is as well and regardless of personal reservations, we must always move forward.

    Luddites are not outdated, however. Present day Luddites are much sneakier. They are the naysayers of modern technology. These people said social media was a fad as is always said with new technology. Many continue to say these Ludacris things even as you read these words. Internet marketing is deemed not as effective as print or radio despite the numbers to say otherwise. How they disparage social media/internet marketing is almost verbatim what was said when television was introduced to the world. The same naysayers declared that radio was too ingrained into family life for anything else to take over. Once they grew comfortable with radio and movies that brought once a week glamour to suburban life, they shunned the introduction of the television set calling it a talking pine box that no one would stare at for longer than an hour.  Television trumped both movies and radio, but neither medium has disappeared. In fact, in conjunction, they can all help businesses. No technology even goes to waste. Radio and television are still forces today. Technology heralds change and lives do change. The last two hundred years have changed more than any other period thanks to technology.

    Perhaps the best way to think of the history of technology is through a three screen revolution: the television screen, computer screen, and smartphone screen. 

    Television did not gain traction until the 1950s. Radio was the only medium capable of mass communication in the early part of last century. Families sat down in the living room listening to programs letting their imaginations take the helm. Life was more community based with people getting their kicks from community gossip and a regular dose of glamour every Saturday with movie matinees.  Advertisers marketed over this medium without major success because it was the best option available at the time. Potential clients could not see the product and were harder to convince of its value.

    Television raced on to the scene with much resistance. Radio pioneers and personalities believed television was a fad. People felt safe with the radio and preferred it. As the medium grew from a few stations to the fastest growing new invention at that time, it became a force to be reckoning with for marketers. Sellers had to scramble to appeal to the visual medium. In fact, in the early days of black and white television actors had to wear green facial makeup and black lipstick to  appear normal on screen. There were a few kinks despite it surpassing radio almost immediately. Then came national events, which could be televised for the first time. When people felt they were right there with the action, television trumped radio forever. Television opened the world up for small communities by showing a larger life outside their sheltered homes. Life changed, especially with the youth. Kids raced home to watch programs and Saturday morning cartoons became an epic part of childhood. When grandparents tried to entice their grandkids into listening to the radio, they were met with protests of “that’s boring”.

    Much like television, the young before the rest of the world caught up easily adapted the internet. The internet started as military backed research project despite Al Gore claiming he invented the internet. It took a while to reach civilians. Once it did in the 1990s, it exploded. People were able to connect and the world became a smaller place with web surfers who were also curious. Information was everywhere. Television had allowed everyone to have a unified visual, but the internet in many ways celebrated the individual. Interests and hobbies suddenly found millions with the same likes. Global niches began forming. Advertisers had a new medium, but were clumsy in their approach to it. Some ads popped up every few seconds and tried too hard to be like television commercials. Just as it was when transitioning from radio to television, the gaffes proved powerful learning lessons and the ads toned down while improving in quality. The focus now is on content rather than flash.

    Simultaneously improving in quality were cellphones. No longer huge bricks from the 80s second wave cellphones had the added capacity to text, but little more. By 2006 new devices such as Blackberries enabled one to talk, text, and check their email all on a singular device. This was revolutionary at the time. Soon the device was ubiquitous as having a phone was no longer a status symbol, it was a modern necessity. Our lives went from wanting a cellphone and dial up to needing it for almost everything.  Internet and cellphones evolved simultaneously until the two eventually blended into the smartphone of 2007. The same teenagers that flocked to the internet embraced the new systems of communications as adults. It was a near seamless transition for those already familiar with technology, but majorities of marketers hesitated and still do to invest.

    History repeats itself for those who are not willing to evolve. The early adapters of new mediums reap the rewards and push humankind forward. All technology is a new way to communicate. Anything new meets with resistance throughout the ages, but the early adapters always flourish. Now you can join in as well with a bit more knowledge. Those that feel they cannot join in are wrong. Anyone can join at any time and still reap the benefits.  For example, modern humans spend more time engrossed in their mobile devices than reading print, but print publications still get 25 times more marketing money than mobile. At this point in the evolution of technology and communication, this is simply asinine. There is no good argument for not investing in the internet and the old stance of “this is just how it always has been done” no longer rings true. The cost of doing business should not make you the dunce or the Miss Havisham of radio. The argument can be made that if it such a force, then why doesn’t everything related to social media and the internet take off. The answer is simple: not everything works and not everyone has talent. My Space has had different incarnations and some could say it didn’t pan out. Still, it can be seen as a predecessor to Facebook, which is used in every country on an hourly basis. Without Facebook, how could we stalk exes or let everyone know what we are eating three times a day? Different programs may not work out, but the force of change is still in motion. The revolution will not only be televised, but viewers have the capacity to make comments about it and have others respond. The market is there, all you have to do is take a calculated risk to make it work for you. I promise your competitors are already doing so.

The XYZ Museum is a non-profit institution located in a multicultural metropolis, specializing in local history and housed in one building.

Funded by the state through various grants and private donations, XYZ has a mix of resources and donors whom it answers to. The majority of the donors are wealthier Anglo-Saxons, which challenges the selection of exhibits as there must be a balance struck between what the public wants to see and what donors will fund. The marketing department keeps a close watch on their ever-changing dynamics of the demographics, which has received a surge in immigrants from South America. XYZ must monitor current social trends in order to identify potential ideas for exhibits/tours. As XYZ’s county continues to have one of the highest increases in population in the nation, it is a challenge to decipher what would drive up memberships and new numbers for visitations.

The organization must design and implement a number of new offerings to remain on the public radar, in addition to maintaining the funding from donors. Programs and exhibits featured at the Museum fail to draw substantial numbers as compared to other local museums. XYZ needs to appeal to multi-socioeconomic patrons using attractions that are more diverse. Presentation and format of marketing also needs to be overhauled. Said institution is in danger of losing credibility and funding.

Considering the multicultural city from which it derives its history, only a multilayered approach can work. Instead of targeting the wealthy potential patrons, the institution needs to consider wider spectrum of possible markets. School children, college students, history buffs, and interested citizens all need to be welcome. The key element of Reformation is in serving the community’s interests.

A review of membership lists can certain those interested in the institution. Using the new substations, a marketing plan can be formulated for the top three perspective patron categories. Questions to consider include how potential patron receives information (Internet, paper, or word-of-mouth) or which local culture could be featured as an exhibit. Identifying interested groups and thereafter providing a contextually intriguing premise could draw large crowds. An example of this would be the recent selection of Port Royale, Jamaica with its historical reputation as the wickedest city in the on earth in the 1800s. The Jamaican community turned on full force on opening night. In the know citizens discussed the showcase; media outlets reviewed the museum’s offering while simultaneously advertising the institution. Great interest amongst the Caribbean assembly made it part of their social programs. Membership spiked during this time and advertising needs were met through reviews.

This interest yielded higher visibility within cultural circles and increased interest in future productions. Intellectually diversified information could lead to greater stimuli almost guaranteeing the elusive college-age sector of the population. There are over 12 substantial universities in XYZ’s county. The museums profile needs to be raised as a serious multicultural conduit to local history targeted patrons need be analyzed when planning future events.

The best approach in such a divided internal community is turning the task oriented focus into a process-centered environment. XYZ must be able to see the big picture. New leadership should be placed at the institution with a particular push made towards raising the Education department’s profile given the considerable number of higher learning institutions and an overwhelming numbers of schools that could utilize a new curriculum. The current President would benefit from hiring a new Education department head, preferably a principal with a background in business

If someone from neighboring communities could be hired to serve as the new head of the Education department, they may bring their old education contacts to cement the reputation of XYZ as a partner in education. The Museum will not be able to gain academic credibility with its inattention to the academic community as displayed through use of a non-FCAT friendly curriculum. In addition to a principal/teacher as a department head, a conglomerate of primary, secondary, and college-level professors needs to be formed. A panel of educational professional should be formed to advise departments of the underlying educational opportunities. This revamping will also serve to build audiences for events. A teacher is more likely to use this avenue in their lesson plans if it caters to their interests and academic needs. The museum is missing a substantial portion of core devotees through outdated practices and curriculum, which needs to be reformulated or revamped to modernize and attract patrons. Students are resources in terms of future memberships.

The annual fundraiser of the Art Festival is an outdoor craft show that once was popular before eBay and the like. Vendors clamored for spaces and collectors stocked up on their Christmas shopping once upon a time. Now, the event is seen as archaic as the internet has revolutionized the craft business. Time has come to revitialize fundraising. Many museums struggled before the 2008 economic collapse as by nature, they do not deal with social causes that promote a sense of urgency with fundraising. XYZ primarily relies on non-donor donations through their website and keeping large donors happy with offerings more to the patrician leanings. Government subsidiaries are not an abundant as before;new fundraising ideas must be devised. Two ideas:

1.   Hold a pioneer dinner in which foods would be served from when XYZ’s city was established. To entertain guests between courses a quilting match, spelling bee, a pie baking contest (then to be offered as dessert) and finally courting games to be performed by volunteers. By showcasing the past activities of the region many will be interested and community involvement would pique the interest of all ages. This will draw citizens who may not know the history of the city.

2.   Another creative avenue XYZ could offer to organize affinity groups museums which raise and donate fundswithin their professional network. Groups could include teachers, lawyers and doctors. XYZ could in return host networking events on-premise and give certain privileges to members such as specialized tours and events which focus on their professions. One offering could be Pioneer medicines or stage a mock trial based on the judicial system of yesteryear.

In addition, exhibits should give special consideration to the minority groups of the city. The African-American community has verbalized their dislike for the lack of intelligent portrayals in the permanent gallery. The problem has been the museum does not seem to capture the interest of minority majorities of the city that can be helpful by giving them a voice and home base. If the African-American community can be recognized through a new piece of sculpture, the community may be more eager to frequent and feel pride in their heritage besides numerous photographs of Bahamian African slaves gracing the wall which infers that the only role African-Americas played in XYZ’s county‘s history was servant.

The visitors lured in by the Port Royale exhibit downstairs in the main gallery were clearly irritated by the lack of constancy in the upstairs division. If a major group feels underrepresented, one must imagine how other minorities must feel in not being properly represented. The African-American section needs to be retold with dignity. Input from the members of the community or a formation of future educational panel should be taken into consideration. However, the bottom-line is that XYZ’s multicultural communities need addressing. There are groups within groups within the city limits of Jamaicans, Haitians, Bahamian, Ecuadorians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Americans alongside those who identify with the African Diaspora. If the citizens can be represented in the organization, their historical existence would be authenticated. It could be a win-win situation for the African-American community and the Museum. These shifting demographics need to be monitored periodically to make sure that strategy shared vision systems and the rest are in alignment with the internal external realities. XYZ’s city is seen as a predominantly Caribbean/South American Ellis Island. The Port of Miami and Miami international Airport are the modern underground railroads to the Americans suffering from dismal circumstances, political or otherwise. The populace community a majority of Hispanics are as woefully underrepresented as the African-American community; they are only depicted in a gigantic photograph as floating refugees in the gallery. This does not have to be the case. A temporary exhibit XYZ presented a few seasons called Santeria and Ritmos, Santeria is a secret religion with drums used to induce a hypnotic state during rituals. Faithful came from all over the city, Fort Lauderdale and the Keys to the opening night and its subsequent run. Group stressed in all white pilgrimaged to the museum. However, the museum was not prepared as there was a lack of Spanish-speaking receptionists. This potential for a sky high membership was lost because said entity had not anticipated the surge of followers and those merely seeking to satisfy curiosity. Many disciples of the secret religion do not list it as their religion when asked. If the personality of the community had been understood by the museum, a Spanish-speaking helper would’ve been available in addition to being adequately prepared for the potential members. This was another wasted opportunity to connect with the community.

A significant portion of the problem is a lack of interest in serving the minority community. Fundraisers and membership drives are targeted towards a local, expansive, and popular botanical garden’s members who are wealthy Anglo-Saxons living their community and happy to remain so. The physical difference between the botanical garden crowd and the urban sources is that the garden is located in an upscale neighborhood with a tranquil setting whereas the museum is housed on the cultural Plaza, which is home to numerous vagrants engaging in unsavory activities. While they may be potential donors, they cannot be the only members of the community recognized. A more productive marketing approach should be introduced. It should be the museum’s process for evaluating the masses for its offering.

Marketing has been misdirected for the past few years. Numerous opportunities have been missed as a result of the lack of creativity and population considerations. Ads in the paper, radio spots, and mail blasts are excellent staples; however, within the past year XYZ has included more social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The museum should look for more native advertising opportunities such as September 19 is National Speak Like a Pirate Day, which was celebrated XYZ by doing nothing. Black Caesar was infamous African runaway slave that later turned into a notorious pirate in the region. The legends surrounding this historical figure are quite comical including his predilection for red haired white women that he demanded from each ship. Pirates play a role in developing the sponge and establishing Key West. This aspect is often overlooked by patrons and virtually unknown by school age children. A day celebrating pirates could be steered into other art oddities and aspect of sailor life, such as superstitions that included no women on board.

Events could be centered on this day using preferred promotional materials in the classroom or a ball with patrons dressing as pirates using the popular movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean as inspiration.

In summation, XYZ has a wealth of untapped patronage in the surrounding communities. Many seek to be represented in local history. While it is crucial to keep donors happy and streams of funding active, it is also important to cater exhibits to local tastes, which may drive up membership. Marketing efforts should be ramped to include majority minorities in the city. Future exhibits could include SOS Venezuela and the history behind the Goombay Festival. XYZ is a great institution dedicated to keep the tales and items in the past still relevant. With changes in marketing and exhibit offerings, the museum could finally reach its potential, drive up membership, make more connections to the community, network professional and stay relevant. This would be a win-win situation for the institution and its inhabitants.