Conservators in Private Practice
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Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP)
Welcome to the Conservators in Private Practice Specialty Group page on the AIC wiki site. The mission of CIPP is to:
- Improve and support the business practices of members
- Disseminate business and professional information
- Encourage business education, study and research by and for its members
Conservators train in various technical specialties but business practices transcend specializations and so CIPP content on the wiki should be of interest to members of all the other AIC specialty groups and we invite content and suggestions from colleagues throughout AIC. Our content is found on the Business Practices for Conservators page.
Visit Conservators in Private Practice Home Page on the AIC website for more information.
CIPP Introduction[edit | edit source]
- Overview of CIPP's mission and objectives
- Characteristics of private practice within the conservation field
- Links to CIPP member-exclusive resources
- CIPP’s characteristics (across SG, skills required are not just conservation but running small business)
- Current leadership
AIC's CIPP specialty group advocates for and supports conservation professionals that work in or own private businesses. Conservators in private practice serve a wide range of clients including private collectors, corporations, museums, universities, institutions, and governmental agencies. CIPP provides a forum for private cosnervators to exchange information, suggestions, and tips on running private practice conservation businesses.
History of CIPP[edit | edit source]
| Year | CIPP Event | Chair | Program Chair | Assistant Program Chair | Secretary-Treasurer | AIC Annual Meeting | Number of CIPP Members | Awards and Tributes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Kansas City, MO (1st) | ||||||||
| 1974 | Cooperstown, NY (2nd) | ||||||||
| 1975 | Mexico City, Mexico (3rd) | ||||||||
| 1976 | Dearborn, MI (4th) | ||||||||
| 1977 | Boston, MA (5th) | ||||||||
| 1978 | Fort Worth, TX (6th) | ||||||||
| 1979 | Toronto, CA (7th) | ||||||||
| 1980 (8/79-5/80) | San Francisco, CA (8th) | ||||||||
| 1981 (6/80-5/81) | Philadelphia, PA (9th) | ||||||||
| 1982 (6/81-5/82) | Milwaukee, WI (10th) | ||||||||
| 1983 (6/82-5/83) | Baltimore, MD (11th) | ||||||||
| 1984 (6/83-5/84) | Los Angeles, CA (12th) | ||||||||
| 1985 (6/84-5/85) | Washington, DC (13th) | ||||||||
| 1986 (6/85-5/86) | CIPP is formed | José Orraca | Chicago, IL (14th) | ||||||
| 1987 (6/86-5/87) | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (15th) | ||||||||
| 1988 (6/87-5/88) | New Orleans, LA (16th) | ||||||||
| 1989 (6/88-5/89) | Cincinnati, OH (17th) | ||||||||
| 1990 (6/89-5/90) | Richmond, VA (18th) | ||||||||
| 1991 (6/90-5/91) | Albuquerque, NM (19th) | ||||||||
| 1992 (6/91-5/92) | Buffalo, NY (20th) | ||||||||
| 1993 (6/92-5/93) | Denver, CO (21st) | ||||||||
| 1994 (6/93-5/94) | Nasvhille, TN (22nd) | ||||||||
| 1995 (6/94-5/95) | St. Paul, MN (23rd) | ||||||||
| 1996 (6/95-5/96) | 10th anniversary | Norfolk, VA (24th) | |||||||
| 1997 (6/96-5/97) | San Diego, CA (25th) | ||||||||
| 1998 (6/97-5/98) | Arlington, VA/ Washington, DC (26th) | ||||||||
| 1999 (6/98-5/99) | Dallas, TX (27th) | ||||||||
| 2000 (6/99-5/00) | Philadelpia, PA (28th) | ||||||||
| 2001 (6/00-5/01) | Dallas, TX (29th) | ||||||||
| 2002 (6/01-5/02) | Miami, FL (30th) | ||||||||
| 2003 (6/02-5/03) | Arlington, VA/ Washington, DC (31st) | ||||||||
| 2004 (6/03-5/04) | Portland, OR (32nd) | ||||||||
| 2005 (6/04-5/05) | Minneapolis, MN (33rd) | ||||||||
| 2006 (6/05-5/06) | 20th anniversary | Providence, RI (34th) | |||||||
| 2007 (6/06-5/07) | Richmond, VA (35th) | ||||||||
| 2008 (6/07-5/08) | Denver, CO (36th) | ||||||||
| 2009 (6/08-5/09) | Los Angeles, CA (37th) | ||||||||
| 2010 (6/09-5/10) | Milwaukee, WI (38th) | ||||||||
| 2011 (6/10-5/11) | Philadelphia, PA (39th) | ||||||||
| 2012 (6/11-5/12) | Albuquerque, NM (40th) | ||||||||
| 2013 (6/12-5/13) | Indianapolis, IN (41st) | ||||||||
| 2014 (6/13-5/14) | San Francisco, CA (42nd) | ||||||||
| 2015 (6/14-5/15) | Miami, FL (43rd) | ||||||||
| 2016 (6/15-5/16) | 20th anniversary | Montreal, Canada (44th) | |||||||
| 2017 (6/16-5/17) | Chicago, IL (45th) | ||||||||
| 2018 (6/17-5/18) | Houston, TX (46th) | ||||||||
| 2019 (6/18-5/19) | Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT (47th) | ||||||||
| 2020 (6/19-6/20) | Virtual Meeting (48th) (pandemic) | ||||||||
| 2021 (7/20-5/21) | Virtual Meeting (49th)
(pandemic) |
||||||||
| 2022 (6/21-5/22) | Los Angeles, CA (50th) | ||||||||
| 2023 (6/22-5/23) | Jacksonville, FL (51th) | ||||||||
| 2024
(6/23-5/24) |
Salt Lake City, UT (52th) | ||||||||
| 2025 (6/24-5/25) | Jennifer Bullock | Johanna Pinney | Eric Thomas | Emily Min-Mander | Montreal, Canada (53th) | ||||
| 2026 (6/25-5/26) | 30th anniversary | Minneapolis , MN (54th) | |||||||
| 2027 (6/25-5/26) |
Contributing to CIPP Wiki[edit | edit source]
- How to contribute: formatting tips, AIC Wiki Style Guide, copyright disclaimer
- Areas needing content and volunteers.
Establishing a Private Practice[edit | edit source]
Business Structures[edit | edit source]
- Overview of sole proprietorship, LLC, and corporation models
- Pros/cons and tax/legal implications
- Supportive resources (nonprofits that support establishing of companies such as the Civil Advocacy Group, SCORE, Small Business Bureaus, etc)
Business Planning[edit | edit source]
- Developing business plans
- Identifying advisors (accountant, attorney, insurance agent)
Licensing and Legal Requirements[edit | edit source]
- Local and federal compliance.
- Professional liability and ethics.
Operational and Administrative Considerations[edit | edit source]
- Insurance types (general liability, professional liability, fine art insurance; ink to paywalled templates)
- Contracts and Agreements (link to paywalled templates, clauses, and considerations).
- Client Management - intake procedures, communication strategies, managing expectations.
- Software options (financing, outreach, website)
Setting Up a Practice[edit | edit source]
Studio/Lab Setup[edit | edit source]
- Considerations for space, environmental lighting and security considerations,
- Space and equipment layout planning
- Health and safety compliance
- Insurance (link to page above)
Onsite Toolkit & Mobile Setup[edit | edit source]
- Tools and materials for field work
- Transportation, storage, and environmental options onsite
Documentation Setup[edit | edit source]
- Condition report models and tools
- Photo documentation setup and requirements
- Long-term digital asset management and storage
Financial and Wellbeing Management[edit | edit source]
Accounting and Budgeting[edit | edit source]
Bookkeeping systems, invoicing, tax planning.
Healthcare, Maternity Leave, Childcare and Planning for Retirement[edit | edit source]
Pricing Conservation Services[edit | edit source]
Market research, hourly vs. project-based fees.
Grant Writing and Funding[edit | edit source]
Sources of funding, CAP program, proposal writing tips
Certifications and Professional Development[edit | edit source]
Certifications, Memberships and Accreditations[edit | edit source]
PA, Fellow, Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR), CAP, Women Owned Business Certification and others
Continued Education[edit | edit source]
Workshops, conferences, online courses
Mentorship and Networking[edit | edit source]
Opportunities on networking and mentoring through CIPP, AIC and other agencies
Public Engagement[edit | edit source]
Outreach through talks, exhibitions, collaborations
Ethical Aspects of CIPP[edit | edit source]
- Addressing common challenges in private practice
- Ethical dilemmas
- Business continuity planning
CIPP Resources and Tools[edit | edit source]
- Contract Template - Go to Conservators in Private Practice/ Contract Template
- Guides for Selecting Practice Insurance - Go to Conservators in Private Practice/ Insurance Guides
