Jonathan Pennington on sun 27 jan 02
Well, Judy and I are just about to start offering a small amount of
pottery for sale. I've got commissions coming in from friends and
friends of friends (about a year earlier than I expected), so we've
decided to take the plunge. We can essentially do this because we are
comfortable now, and there's no sign of us not being so in the future.
So I'm starting to look for business plans and such. I know there is
some information in the archives, I'll look there too but this
business is sort of unique. Being that I am actually a geologist who
does most of his work in geoscience and environmental education (most
recent grant work currently going on is project oceanica
http://oceanica.cofc.edu , It's kindof bare, as we're just starting
the main workload).
My plan was to use the profits from pottery to build my teaching
projects, instead of constantly relying on grants and external
funding. Tabula Rasa Pottery (get it?) is planned to be an exercise
is blending craft with education, so I need to look into business
plans (maybe ideas from the non-profit sector) that will help me track
expenses and income from the studio- and connect that with expenses
from classes, workshops and other geoscience projects.
This idea is probably craziness, I realize that. Everybody I talk to
about it with gives me vocally that "that's a good idea" line while
there eyes are saying "Damn, never a straight jacket when I need one."
I have to try though, it sounds so cool to me, and to make it succeed,
I think I need a plan. Any ideas? Am I crazy to ask if anyone here has
done something similiar?
-J
--
Jonathan Pennington | jwpennin@bellsouth.net
"There are no pots, there is only clay." -original
"It's hard to take life too seriously
when you realize yours is a joke." -also original
Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild on mon 28 jan 02
Hi Jonathan,
I've written a number of business plans for venture funded
companies, which I realize is a bit different from what
you are launching.
However, I think the real value was the understanding I
gained of my business by going through the thought process.
When someone asked me a question about my business, I had
an answer because I'd thought about it. I *knew* why the
numbers were there.
If you are starting a business, my advice would be to get
a book on writing a business plan, and then write it...
even if nobody but you will ever look at it.
Regards,
Bob
>Well, Judy and I are just about to start offering a small amount of
>pottery for sale. I've got commissions coming in from friends and
>friends of friends (about a year earlier than I expected), so we've
>decided to take the plunge. We can essentially do this because we are
>comfortable now, and there's no sign of us not being so in the future.
>So I'm starting to look for business plans and such. I know there is
>some information in the archives, I'll look there too but this
>business is sort of unique. Being that I am actually a geologist who
>does most of his work in geoscience and environmental education (most
>recent grant work currently going on is project oceanica
>http://oceanica.cofc.edu , It's kindof bare, as we're just starting
>the main workload).
>
>My plan was to use the profits from pottery to build my teaching
>projects, instead of constantly relying on grants and external
>funding. Tabula Rasa Pottery (get it?) is planned to be an exercise
>is blending craft with education, so I need to look into business
>plans (maybe ideas from the non-profit sector) that will help me track
>expenses and income from the studio- and connect that with expenses
>from classes, workshops and other geoscience projects.
>
>This idea is probably craziness, I realize that. Everybody I talk to
>about it with gives me vocally that "that's a good idea" line while
>there eyes are saying "Damn, never a straight jacket when I need one."
>I have to try though, it sounds so cool to me, and to make it succeed,
>I think I need a plan. Any ideas? Am I crazy to ask if anyone here has
>done something similiar?
>
>-J
>--
>Jonathan Pennington | jwpennin@bellsouth.net
> "There are no pots, there is only clay." -original
> "It's hard to take life too seriously
> when you realize yours is a joke." -also original
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bob Nicholson
Webmaster, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild
http://www.ovcag.org/
kathleene berger on tue 29 jan 02
Jonathan
Itīs not so much about the kind of business youīre starting, itīs about getting all your questions out of your head and on paper with answers to them.
I done several different kinds of business plans and whether you find a course on writing one or you buy a book, itīs important to do it. I think more people fail at running a business because they donīt know what going in or out of their bank accounts then anything else.
Kat
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