Black Ink Press is an Indigenous publishing house operating as a business entity within the Congress Community Development and Education Unit Ltd (CCDEU) in Townsville. It had achieved extraordinary outcomes in engaging with Indigenous authors and illustrators, particularly in rural and remote communities, to provide opportunities for developing their creative skills and their ability to tell stories addressing key social issues and problems of community. However, the business was struggling financially and the CCDEU wanted the excellent social and community work to continue, but within a business model that was financially and operationally sustainable.
Balfour Consulting prepared a comprehensive business plan that reviewed the organisational structure, set organisational and financial goals to be achieved over the next five years, developed a set of key organisational strategies and associated KPIs, analysed commercial and non-commercial income and revenue sources, analysed current and projected financial outcomes, identified and analysed operational issues relating to the effective implementation of policies and procedures and provided understanding of current and projected human resource needs. This process included development of a Brand Strategy to guide marketing and communications activities and an Operational Plan to oversee the implementation of the business plan strategies.
Black Ink Press has a detailed business plan to help it achieve the very challenging goal of financial and operational sustainability while providing effective engagement and support to Indigenous individuals and communities across northern Queensland and elsewhere in Australia.