How to Start a Pottery Business

Part 1 - How to start a Pottery business - Background

Many potters dream of turning their talents into a full-time business venture; of ditching the suit and corporate world to spend their days in the studio creating pieces that will bring joy to others for years to come. Such a business leaves the soul fulfilled and offers the opportunity to interact with other artists within the community.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Pottery business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a pottery business?

Before making any investments, there are a few items to consider. Will your studio include a wheel throw, or will you build by hand? Do you plan on glazing your pottery in-house, or will you take it elsewhere for glazing and firing? How much space will your kiln take up? If electric, do you have an adequate power supply to handle the equipment?

Depending upon your needs, you’ll either set up shop in your home or garage, or rent or purchase studio space. While investing in a space away from home will affect your overhead expenses, many enjoy keeping their home and work separate. It’s all about personal preference.

Once you’ve determined your workspace, there’s a number of items and equipment you’ll need:

• Clay

• Hand tools

• Carving and decorating tools

• Glaze and colorants

• Wheel: ranges from $950 and $1800

• Work table

• Storage and display shelves, including a place to store damp pieces

• Kiln: manual or computerized, ranging from $2,000 to over $10,000

• Pug mill: costs anywhere from $2,300 – $8,400

• Business cards

You’ll also want to set some cash aside to cover art festival and traveling expenses. These shows are a great way to start building a name for yourself.

What are the ongoing expenses for a pottery business?

Fortunately, there is very little overhead in this industry. If you decide to open a public studio, you’ll have the standard expenses of rent, electric, and insurance. Otherwise, your budget will primarily be spent on materials, website management (if you choose to have one), and entry fees for events. Since you pay for materials up-front, your money is tied up until you’re able to recoup the money through sales.

Who is the target market?

Many consumers settle for cheaper pottery items that are mass produced. Those who purchase handmade pieces appreciate the time and skill that goes into each creation and are willing to pay a little extra for their one-of-a-kind piece. These are the individuals you’ll target when determining where to display your work and which festivals/shows you should attend.

How does a pottery business make money?

Pottery business owners earn their living off each piece they sell. Many choose to sell primarily to individual customers, while others have found success selling wholesale. Whichever route you take, pay close attention to your pricing model. Prices should include cost of materials, as well as an hourly wage to ensure maximized profit.

How much can you charge customers?

Prices vary from piece to piece. Carefully consider all the factors that went into creating your work, including materials used and time spent. Never sell yourself short when creating your price list. A coffee mug might sell for $20, while a work designed for display may yield thousands of dollars.

How much profit can a pottery business make?

Novice potters report annual earnings of just under $20,000, while master potters make an average of $47,500 annually. Most businesses take anywhere from 2-5 years to really get going.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Some pottery entrepreneurs have reported higher earnings by integrating the following into their business plan:

• Teaching pottery classes

• Selling wine and snacks to alongside pottery classes

• Inviting groups to paint/glaze your unfinished work and take home as a souvenir

• Experience will offer valuable insight into streamlining some of your processes, which increases your turnaround time

• Creating molds, which will allow both you and your apprentice to generate more pieces

• Simplifying some of your more detailed pieces and test them to see how they sell. If they’re popular, you can reduce the number of complicated items, increasing your turnaround time.

• Crafting products that appeal to several markets. Diversification is critical to every successful business.

• Collaborating with other artists in your community – this is a great way to grow as an artist and businessman and serves as a powerful networking strategy.

• Soliciting galleries, bars, hotels, restaurants, and real estate agents. While cold-calling is uncomfortable for most of us, you might be surprised at how many are willing to display your work on consignment or invest for design purposes.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a pottery business?

Running a successful pottery business is more than a full-time job. Your days will be spent in the studio forming, glazing and firing your creations and making molds. You’ll also spend a great deal of time putting your creative ideas down on paper and preparing for future projects.

There’s still the question of how you will sell your work. For many artists, this proves to be the greater challenge. Pottery business owners dedicate hours to networking in the community and seeking out new avenues to have their pottery displayed and sold. Their weekends are often spent traveling and setting up exhibits at art festivals. Those who decide to sell their work on a website spend a portion of their day managing orders, taking pictures of new items, and adding new pottery pieces to the site.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful pottery business?

To run a profitable pottery business, one must possess more than artistic talent. You must possess the ability to balance your artistic abilities with an entrepreneurial spirit, ensuring your art makes it out of the studio and into a client’s home. Skills such as product development, marketing, accounting and sales should be mastered to ensure long-term success.

Even if you’re business-minded, consider taking some courses on accounting, marketing, and economics. Most classes can be taken at your local adult education center, online, or at a community college. Additionally, the Journal of the American Ceramic Society has a wealth of information that could provide insight into what marketing strategies work best for others in the industry.

As previously mentioned, there’s more that goes into building a successful pottery business than just your art. Time management skills are important for ensuring you devote the proper amount of time and attention to each aspect of your business.

Historically, potters spent several years apprenticing with a “master potter,” who taught them the skills needed to open their own studio. This time-honored tradition is still used today and is an important way to pass on skills from generation to generation.

What is the growth potential for a pottery business?

Through hard work and dedication, pottery business owners have the potential to become very successful. Due to the nature of their work, many choose to keep their business small and local, working alone or with one assistant. There are a number of world-renowned ceramic artists, however, whose pieces are sold and showcased in museums and galleries all over the world.

How and when to build a team

Many potters enjoy hand-crafting their work, and customers are drawn to them because they’re one-of-a-kind. As a result, many choose to keep things simple and not take on a staff. As you get busier, it might prove beneficial to take on an intern or apprentice. They can help with the glazing and firing part of the process, allowing you to produce more pieces.

If accounting isn’t your forte, hiring an accountant to manage your finances would be a smart business decision. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind of knowing your finances are being managed properly.

Part 2 - Is a Pottery business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Pottery business in 90 days