Staff Photo by Angela Lewis/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Rick Baldwin, right, and Brent Hooper talk about business at Noogabooga art studio.* Name: Noogabooga Scenic Art Studio
* Location: 2418 East 14th St.
* Products/services: The company constructs fully-realized 3D environments, signs and locations with silly or fun designs. From backgrounds and characters for a Sunday School play to props or murals for a business, owner Rick Baldwin uses his background in theater set design to bring an area to life.
* Age: Six years old
* Startup investment: $30,000, a cost that primarily stemmed from the purchase of an automated foam-cutting machine.
* Annual sales: About $250,000
* Target market: Baldwin primarily works with churches to make three-dimensional backgrounds and props, but has been looking to expand to businesses and community centers. While he has customers as far away as Alaska, he's decided to begin marketing more to local customers.
* Biggest hurdle: Keeping the business side of the company organized
* Biggest reward: "Just doing what we do, working for ourselves, and doing fun stuff," Baldwin said.
* Challenges in the future: With the wide variety of work performed by Baldwin and his partner, Brent Hooper, it's going to be difficult to distill the company down to a profitable niche, Baldwin said.
* Lesson learned: Baldwin has focused most of their energies on the creative side of the business, somewhat neglecting the financial side, he said. However, he is looking to hire a business and marketing guru to help keep the company profitable and market the studio to customers.
* Five-year goal: Double staff, double business, perform more local work
-- Compiled by staff writer Ellis Smith, esmith@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6315. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ellisthered.