Lovelace and the love of business analysis

Colorado Springs Business Journal, Mar 11, 2005 by Stephanie Cline

Learning for the sake of learning never hurt anyone. Just ask Donna Lovelace, owner of Art of Business Analysis in Colorado Springs. I'm the proverbial student, Lovelace said.

She holds bachelor's degrees in French and business/management information systems from the University of Houston and an MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. After earning her French degree, Lovelace didn't know which direction her future would take. After all, what good is a French degree?

Well, learning French did pay off. Lovelace was able to take her talent for communication to the corporate world and to the small business sector. Knowing how to communicate effectively worked to her advantage when she traveled alone through Europe at the age of 20. When it all boils down to it, people are people no matter where they are.

Before moving to Colorado Springs, Lovelace worked part time with Air France and then full time with a recruiting firm. She decided she wanted to work in a more competitive field. So from there, Lovelace found herself as an employee at Conoco, a contractor for Penzoil and a systems analyst for Exxon. You can learn any skill, she said. I'm proof. I've been to school three times.

MCI transferred Lovelace moved to Colorado Springs in 1994. She worked in product management for MCI and pursued her MBA in technology management. Lovelace, like thousands of fellow MCI employees, was laid off. While vacationing in Florida after the layoff she decided she wanted to start her own business.

Art of Business Analysis opened in May of 2003 and Lovelace has worked with small businesspeople ever since. The corporate lifestyle was no longer desirable to her, she said. She grew tired of the strategy du jour from executives; the folks who she said only had their best interests in mind.

Today, Lovelace coaches small business owners about how to generate revenue and beat the small business odds. She works with folks on a custom consulting basis and offers assistance in such areas as market research and competitive analysis. Lovelace and her two part-time contractors (both former business analysts for MCI) help small business owners reach their target customers and develop sales forecasts.

If we don't start helping small businesses our economy is going to be in serious trouble, she said. I work with the owners. I work to find what will make the most money for them.

When she's not helping small businesspeople, Lovelace hikes, rollerblades and works in her garden. I love to be outside, she said.

Lovelace's quest for knowledge has led her down many varied career paths. She has worked in sales, in the restaurant business, for oil companies and as a headhunter.

Through the years, she has gained the kind of experience needed to advise others and she has certainly learned a valuable lesson. No matter what you do, it must be interesting.