Start a Ceramics Business

What you will be doing. Crafts are a good way to make money doing something that you are good at and like to do. Pottery used to be localized to fairs and small town festivals. People would create their art while onlookers watched. Pottery has mainstreamed with the invention of places where you can pay a charge and create your own unique piece to take home.

If you like making pottery bowls, vases, plates, and other such items, you can make money at it. The more unique your pieces, the better they will sell. Pottery can be functional or used as a conversation piece. How you specialize in your business is up to you. If you create functional items, be sure that they can withstand harsh detergents, hot and cold foods and drinks, and constant wear and tear. Reliable products are purchased again and again.

How to start. If you are a potter, you already have the equipment needed to get started. What you want to look into is what is selling right now. You can experiment with your designs. Adding new glazes and shapes to everyday items are unique. Taking classes to learn how to create other ceramic creations can expand your business inventory when the time is right.
A digital camera will enhance your website by providing pictures of your artwork. If you want to appeal to the potters themselves, carrying a line of supplies will increase your start up costs depending on the price of the items.

Start up costs. For the serious potter, what will be needed are time and extra supplies to create an inventory to sell. If you don’t have a website already, consider building one. A website is seen by people all over the world. Budget in for the cost of a domain name and website hosting.

Skills needed. Potters should be artistic. The business depends on being able to offer new and unique designs for ceramic artwork. This business requires marketing skills on the part of the business owner to get their name and product out to the public. Use every opportunity at your disposal to talk about your business venture. Networking with other potters locally and on the web will provide tips and helpful information to enhance your knowledge of the business.

Marketing. Purchase a space at craft shows, flea markets, fairs, bazaars, and other venues. Teaching classes to future potters gives you a chance to show how you do what you do and bring business to your website and the product. Offer to hold a few free classes for craft stores in exchange for carrying samples from your line on a trial basis. Once the product takes off, offer to conduct pottery classes at a discounted rate.

With all the assembly line produced products around, people are looking for unique artwork to display. Your pottery can find its way into specialty stores and boutiques as well as craft and home stores.

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More Small Business Owners Are Winning the War Against the Recession

It's interesting when you start looking for something how easy it is to find. As soon as I started looking for small business success stories, I heard about others who were doing the same thing. One of those people is Andrew Ballenthin over at the Community Marketing blog.

Andrew's been on a quest to gather success stories from small business owners and he's had a good bit of luck. Check out these stories below and find a nugget of wisdom you can apply in your business.

• The Personal Touch Makes All The Difference If You Want To Grow
  Before I started my business, I was undaunted by the task before me and the task of reaching out. The very first list of things you need to do in order to push ahead and be successful, is to recognize any and all potential withholds there are and may be, and creatively expel them. Knowing your audience is essential yes, but understanding your audience will allow you sustained success on a higher level.
• Great Graphic Work Brightens Business Outlook
  Advertising is always the first business to feel a downturn but also is always the first to feel the upswing. I can tell you first hand that this is absolutely true! My graphic design/advertising business has really picked up the last few months when all other companies are really hurting and cutting back. I believe everyone else is feeling the ripples of what has been happening for the last seven or so years.
• From Analog to HD: How Aberdeen Captioning Made The Leap
  During 2008, a year of recession, our firm, Aberdeen Captioning, grew 28%. Is it luck? No, I don't believe in luck. Is it hard work? Partly. Is it a blessing? No doubt. Our time had come. It was September of 2007 when we had decided to really go for it. We had a plan in place and took yet another leap of faith.

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About Pet Business

What Better Way to Earn a Living Than Sharing Your Love of Pets? Browse our Directory of Pet Business Opportunities to Find the Right Choice for You.

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, pets outnumber people in the US and 1 in 3 households include a dog or cat. Nearly half of all households own more than one pet.*

Not Only Are There Plenty of Pets, Their Owners Love
to Spend Money on Them Too

Pet owners definitely spend money on their pets.... in 2006 they spent more than $38 billion in the U.S. alone.* And they're not just buying necessities like food and veterinary care. With pet owners pampering their pets by buying everything from designer collars and pet attire to faux fur coats and fragrances, pets are stepping out in style. Canine toothbrushes, self-cleaning litter boxes, and disposable cleaning cloths help keep pets groomed better than ever. To top it all off, more and more speciality items like computerized identification tags and fashionable pet carriers are continually added to the market.

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Freelance Writer Business

You may write articles for magazines, advertising copy for brochures, technical manuals and other literary products on weekends. If you are a new bride, you can write articles for wedding and women magazines about the process of preparing for a wedding. If your day job is a computer programmer, you can write articles on the programs that you are using. Some writing projects will pay you by the hour - about $20 to $75 depending on your writing and marketing skills. Most, however, will pay you by the number of words (if articles, op-eds, short stories) or by a percentage of the selling price (if book). There are a number of resources out there listing potential markets for various kinds of writing, be it poetry, screenplays, articles, books, or web. Start with "Writers Market" published yearly to get a list of all publishers and literary agents, and their writing requirements.

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