Wood’s Art Gallery

Address: 3453 County Road 72, Auburn

At a glance: The business specializes in Christian-themed playing cards, horse-themed artwork and assorted jewelry. Co-owners Tom and Carol Woodfin travel to various festivals and horse competitions to set up booths, where they display and sell products.

Tom Woodfin was inspired to design the playing cards by his father, a widower who played solitaire so much that he’d eventually rub the numbers off the cards. Woodfin, who bought his father replacement decks every six months, thought putting Bible verses on the cards would be a nice way to reach shut-ins and others. The first deck he created in 1995 includes verses related to the value of each card. For example, each deuce includes a verse with the number two included. The same for each king, queen and so on. The couple sells the cards in several Christian bookstores nationwide.

Employees: The Woodfins and two part-time workers

Annual revenue: $100,000 to $200,000

When was the company founded: 1989 in Oklahoma, moved to Indiana in June 2000

Biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months: Launching a deck of healing-themed playing cards. Tom Woodfin spent about 1 1/2 years compiling lists of Bible verses that deal with healing. He chose the most appropriate ones to reproduce on playing cards that he says make great gifts for people living in nursing homes or facing surgery.

“A lot of people believe in divine healing,” he said. Woodfin also has created decks devoted to praise-related and prosperity-related Bible verses.

What was your biggest mistake so far in operating this business: Choosing the type size for the playing cards. Some seniors have trouble reading the relatively small print, Woodfin said. He can increase the type size on future orders, but it will likely be awhile before he’ll replenish the stock. Woodfin orders the cards in lots of 20,000 or more to get the best price.

What are the key challenges facing your business or industry: The number of independent Christian bookstores has decreased, and Christian wholesalers are reluctant to increase inventory right now. Even though some retailers are interested in selling the playing cards, they’ve decided to wait for the economy to pick up before buying them, Woodfin said.

What is your strategy for staying ahead of your competition: The gallery portion of the business keeps prices competitive and offers a quick turnaround on projects, including framing needed for funeral viewings.

What resources have you found most helpful in running a business: Recommendations from satisfied customers and fliers with pictures of products.

What are your growth projections for the next five years: About 15 percent to 20 percent growth in the next few years; the Woodfins are looking at retirement in five years

What is one thing about your business that people might not be aware of: Woodfin offers steep discounts on playing cards to church youth groups that want to sell them as a fundraiser. The cards typically sell for $4.95 a pack, but youth groups can buy them for as little as $1.25 each and sell them for $5. Also, the healing cards are available in Lutheran Hospital’s gift shop.

If you weren’t running this business, what would you be doing: Probably running a trucking company, which was Woodfin’s job before he quit to run a Christian bookstore in Oklahoma.