EnTrends

Kelly now licenses her graphics to
several companies. Her designs are
featured on notepads, calendars, mouse
pads, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and ball
caps. A company that specializes in
cross-stitch patterns has even adapted
her designs. She is currently working on
a 2002 calendar, due out in June.

Kelly learned that, unlike in the U.S., a
black cat is a sign of good luck in
Ireland. Therefore, in the next year, she
hopes to establish a line of greeting
cards in Ireland. She will be traveling
there this summer in search of contacts
to start the greeting card line. She will
also use the trip as an exploratory study
of places to bring other artists for
landscape design, a fine art talent that
Kelly has as well.

Kelly says that some of the challenges
she has faced as an entrepreneur are
managing her time, controlling her
business, and not allowing it to control
her. At one time, Kelly had as many as
thirty sales reps selling her work. Now,
she has streamlined the business with
only a few sales people and
subcontractors.

Currently, Kelly works out of her office
in Niles, Illinois. Her work can be
viewed at a gallery in Oak Park. She
also utilizes a section of storefront
window space through a non-profit
organization called Expression
Graphics. One can purchase Kelly's
designs from her Internet site,
www.katsbykelly.com.

Kelly says that almost 70% of her sales
come from repeat customers. A
majority of the situations depicted in her
drawings come from stories that her
customers have told her. Other
situations are inspired by occurrences
with her cat. Contrary to popular belief,
Kelly says she only owns one cat.

Kathy Kelly has been drawing cats in
everyday situations for years. Kelly's
first drawing of a cat emerged back in
seventh grade when she drew a comical
portrait of a cat from behind. She
continued to draw the cat as her
signature design in her friends'
yearbooks over the next couple of
years.

The core academic requirements of high
school did not allow Kelly to take many
art classes. Therefore, she designed
sets for school plays as a creative
outlet. Once in college, she began
drawing her cartoons again. She had a
friend color and matte them, and then
Kelly would sell them for a little extra
money.

When asked what her professional
success has made possible, Kelly

says that she is the most proud of her
house. The size is just right for her
and it reminds her of a cottage in
Wisconsin. She decorates it with art
pieces by a variety of artists. Kelly
also enjoys the ability to travel
whenever she wants. She likes being
able to take her nephews skiing in
Vail when she chooses.

Kelly also appreciates being able to
choose her own work hours. She
says that some days she may work
eighteen hours, and others only two.
She says, "I can work part-time and
get paid full-time." However, Kelly
says that being an entrepreneur is not
for everyone. "You have to be willing
to take a chance when you don't
know what's going to happen next."

Kelly says that the women in her
family have played an integral part in
inspiring her to become an
entrepreneur. Although they did not
run businesses themselves, they did
come to America, from Ireland, by
themselves. Kelly's grandmother was
the first of five girls to venture to the
U.S. without any notion of what her
fate would be.

When asked what advice she would
give to an aspiring entrepreneur,
Kelly said, "Never say never. You
do not know when the tide will
change. I do not like when people
say 'should have.' If you try your best
and fall on your nose, at least you will
have tried."

Kelly received her bachelor's degree in
Art Education from Southern Illinois
University and then a Masters in Art
Management. She went on to teach at
the high school level. After ten years of
teaching, she decided to take a year of
absence without pay, a risk that would
soon pay off. She wanted to start a
business based on her designs, so she
went to Dallas, Texas and put her
drawings in a gift show. She has never
looked back.