Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicola Ballard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nicola, appreciate you joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

Rudeboyz Artworks is a woman-owned business co-run with the owner’s husband, focused on serving underserved Black and Brown communities. The company specializes in creating airbrushed memorial items, such as portrait clothing, to help clients grieve or celebrate the lives of loved ones. These custom pieces, which can take up to four hours to complete, become cherished heirlooms. In addition to memorial work, Rudeboyz Artworks hosts art events, including summer camps for kids and arts and crafts activities for adults, to foster ongoing relationships with customers. Located in an economically disadvantaged area, the company keeps its prices affordable to ensure accessibility to the local community.

Nicola, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Nicola Ballard, the founder of Rudeboyz Artworks, is a visual and literary artist who spent over 20 years in marketing before starting her business. In 2008, she met her husband, artist Qean Ballard, and they married in 2011. Qean, a self-taught airbrush artist, began his professional career in 2010, learning through YouTube and experimentation. In 2015, the Ballards won a grant for a free storefront lease in Buffalo, NY, through the Queen City Pop Up contest, which helped them transition from a home-based business to a brick-and-mortar location. They maintained a warm, family atmosphere in their storefront and later expanded to a second location on Buffalo’s west side.

In 2016, Nicola was diagnosed with cancer, but despite her illness, the couple continued their work. They eventually closed their storefront in 2017 and moved their operation back home. In 2018, they briefly rented another space, but it was cut short after six months. Despite these challenges, they began offering after-school programs and T-shirt tutorials at Buffalo Public Schools, helping to launch several new T-shirt businesses.

The pandemic in 2020 led to school closures, and the business struggled. Amid a family emergency, the Ballards relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they had originally met. They continued their work from home until finding a small storefront in 2022, which they outgrew by 2023, expanding to their current location. Despite many setbacks, Rudeboyz Artworks continues to serve the underserved communities, offering memorial art and art-related events.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Starting a business with your own money and no credit is not advisable, but the passion we have for people and our love for art allowed us to persevere. We struggled through physical illness, losing a parent, raising two teen-aged children all while trying to build a business with skills and no money. This is what we do for a living, encouraging other to follow their passions.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The initial money outside of the grant we recieved for the first three months of rent, Qean Ballard worked a construction job for the very first time, a job he worked in the dead cold of Buffalo, New York sometimes in below freezing weather. This job helped to support products we need for him to paint, while Nicola Ballard worked the storefront and made hand-crafted items to sell in the store. Qean would work an 8-12 hour day in construction and come to the store to paint up to 5 hours aday.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.RudeboyzArtworks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudeboyzartworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rudeboyzartworks
• Linkedin: ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamedleyballard/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rudeboyzartworks
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rudeboyz-artworks-shreveport-2
• Other: tiktok-https://www.tiktok.com/@rudeboyzartwrks

Image Credits

photos by Nicola Ballard