Hank Murrow on thu 24 nov 05
On Nov 24, 2005, at 1:29 PM, clennell wrote:
> We are a cottage industry and are allowed a space of 500 Square
> feet(workshop 250, showroom 250 and we can use 25% of our home.
Geez Tony, that IS restrictive. Here in Eugene, I have a 625 Square
foot studio and a 300 square foot showroom, plus a kiln shed and
storage area of 300 square feet. Plus a lot of storage in the attic. We
don't use any part of the living area for business.
> The trend around here is for folks to buy ship containers that are
> loaded on train cars. Many are used for workshops in this area. Since
> they are portable they are not
> included in the bylaws. Think about our visit to the Artstream!
> Portable
> gallery= no bylaws! Talk to farmers they know the ropes and use them.
> Many
> also use greenhouses.
You guys ARE creative! My brother just bought one of those and put
everything he wanted to move from CT to New Mexico in it, and the truck
carrying the container passed him in Oklahoma on its way to his ranch.
He uses the container as a shop now.
Cheers, Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
primalmommy on thu 24 nov 05
Tony, I've thought about adding on a gallery, but my neighborhood is
zoned residential, and to change zoning to commercial around here
requires an act of god. Also probably liability insurance, wheelchair
ramps, public restrooms, and a parking lot. I'm fresh out of parking
lots.
Jeff and I have been driving around the past few days, though, looking
at commercial properties for sale or lease. Rates are high but there are
a lot of them standing empty, with my local economy in sorry shape.
It strikes me as a waste of resources and poor financial acumen when a)
I have a waiting list for guild classes every session, and b) the
majority of folks are signing up over and over just for once a week
access to a wheel/clay/space -- meanwhile in my own studio, I have an
empty (freezing) pug mill, a rarely used full sized slab roller, a nice
vented kiln, an extruder and three electric wheels plus a kick. Even if
I could manage to straddle and throw on two at once, there are still a
few sitting empty.
But I have a small space, no public bathroom, no running water in
winter. I get private wheel students in summer, I fire people's work for
a fee, and a couple of ladies paid to come throw once a week over the
summer, but I have to truck people into the house to use the bathroom,
and have no phone out there.
I have kind of rested on my laurels, managing financially by pinching
pennies and avoiding debt, unwilling to take risks in this part of my
life where homeschooling 3 kids is at the center of our purpose. I have
fit in a bit of pottery sales and teaching around the edges, and it has
grown as the kids have become more independent.
But recent events have put us in kind of a crisis (Tony knows about this
-- Jeff's job managing the research station, after a decade of excellent
work reviews and growing job duties, will be cut to 3/4 time after the
holidays, with a corresponding cut in benefits. The University is in
financial trouble and cuts are widespread.) But a friend reminded me
that the Chinese word for crisis is a compound of two words -- "danger
opportunity". So now I am trying to gear up for "leap, and the net will
appear".
In the coming days I will be looking to clayart friends who have some
experience with retail, commercial space, renting studio space,
marketing. Right now I am just figuring out what the questions are.
And I am thankful, on this thanksgiving, to have clayart as a
resource... for my family in town, with whom we're off to share a
turkey... for the supervisor who leaked the job cut news to my hubby
BEFORE we did any Christmas spending, and gave me time to schedule
ebverybody's physicals and dental work before the first of the year when
bennies get thin.
Thankful that I do not live in Pakistan or New Orleans or Fallujah.
Thankful that the internet exists,and connects me to friends and bright
minds and potters around the globe. Thankful for the little knee-high
snowman-bird with the stick beak Molly left outside my front door,
before ringing the bell and running away.
Happy peaceful thanksgiving to all who celebrate...
yours
Kelly in Ohio
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steve graber on thu 24 nov 05
kelly, any chance of getting under the wing of an established business & sublease their extra square footage?
a spring manufacturer around here always had extra space that he'd lease to a dog food company to use for warehousing. possibly rather then buy-lease-set up a complete stand alone building there might be enough square footage available in another established business? they have an established group of people with fast word of mouth capabilities.
the thought of a semi-public pottery studio has been one i've toyed with for years. i taught a city adult ed class for 9 years & used it to try to understand what the reliable weekly turnout might be if i did it myself. i recently started taking a karate class - get my fat belly reduced some. the karate class gave me the idea that partnering with a business group such as karate would be a way to work off THEIR clientele as well as build my own (similar ideals).
i'm still not in a position to start my own studio but while reading your letter thought that maybe your city - county - even fire department or churches might have cheap rent available for you & extra room somewhere. some cities promote adult ed classes not as money makers but as overall moral boosters for their towns. some firehouses hold onto extra land just in case of future growth needs.
even gas stations strike me as a great pottery studio. easy clean up! good parking!
keep plugging away.
see ya
steve
primalmommy wrote:
Tony, I've thought about adding on a gallery, but my neighborhood is
zoned residential, and to change zoning to commercial around here
requires an act of god. Also probably liability insurance, wheelchair
ramps, public restrooms, and a parking lot. I'm fresh out of parking
lots.
Jeff and I have been driving around the past few days, though, looking
at commercial properties for sale or lease. Rates are high but there are
a lot of them standing empty, with my local economy in sorry shape.
It strikes me as a waste of resources and poor financial acumen when a)
I have a waiting list for guild classes every session, and b) the
majority of folks are signing up over and over just for once a week
access to a wheel/clay/space -- meanwhile in my own studio, I have an
empty (freezing) pug mill, a rarely used full sized slab roller, a nice
vented kiln, an extruder and three electric wheels plus a kick. Even if
I could manage to straddle and throw on two at once, there are still a
few sitting empty.
But I have a small space, no public bathroom, no running water in
winter. I get private wheel students in summer, I fire people's work for
a fee, and a couple of ladies paid to come throw once a week over the
summer, but I have to truck people into the house to use the bathroom,
and have no phone out there.
I have kind of rested on my laurels, managing financially by pinching
pennies and avoiding debt, unwilling to take risks in this part of my
life where homeschooling 3 kids is at the center of our purpose. I have
fit in a bit of pottery sales and teaching around the edges, and it has
grown as the kids have become more independent.
But recent events have put us in kind of a crisis (Tony knows about this
-- Jeff's job managing the research station, after a decade of excellent
work reviews and growing job duties, will be cut to 3/4 time after the
holidays, with a corresponding cut in benefits. The University is in
financial trouble and cuts are widespread.) But a friend reminded me
that the Chinese word for crisis is a compound of two words -- "danger
opportunity". So now I am trying to gear up for "leap, and the net will
appear".
In the coming days I will be looking to clayart friends who have some
experience with retail, commercial space, renting studio space,
marketing. Right now I am just figuring out what the questions are.
And I am thankful, on this thanksgiving, to have clayart as a
resource... for my family in town, with whom we're off to share a
turkey... for the supervisor who leaked the job cut news to my hubby
BEFORE we did any Christmas spending, and gave me time to schedule
ebverybody's physicals and dental work before the first of the year when
bennies get thin.
Thankful that I do not live in Pakistan or New Orleans or Fallujah.
Thankful that the internet exists,and connects me to friends and bright
minds and potters around the globe. Thankful for the little knee-high
snowman-bird with the stick beak Molly left outside my front door,
before ringing the bell and running away.
Happy peaceful thanksgiving to all who celebrate...
yours
Kelly in Ohio
_______________________________________________________________
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Hank Murrow on thu 24 nov 05
On Nov 24, 2005, at 9:54 AM, primalmommy wrote:
> Tony, I've thought about adding on a gallery, but my neighborhood is
> zoned residential, and to change zoning to commercial around here
> requires an act of god. Also probably liability insurance, wheelchair
> ramps, public restrooms, and a parking lot. I'm fresh out of parking
> lots.
Dear Kelly;
I converted a Solarium built in the early 70s into a showroom when it
was apparent that we could grow pots easier than keeping up with the
hydroponics. We are in an R-1 neighborhood, which is the most
restrictive zoning, here in Eugene. My Homeowners' Policy from AllState
covers liability, fire, and theft for $300/year. The City allows home
businesses providing they do not employ more than two persons. Events
are allowed anytime, provided the neighbors are not inconvenienced. We
invite all nearby as a matter of being good neighbors. They like the
bubbly, but until recently, did not purchase much.
The space is 14' x 20' and has two large armoires and two large display
units that work wonders for my pottery, plus shelving along the glass
front, and the seconds and orphans go on the middle ten foot table in
the studio which is contiguous with the solarium. You can't believe how
much traffic comes through, year-round, and the average purchase has
increased to around $120. It is open on sale days, with treats and
bubbly freely offered, and by appointment otherwise. Occasionally we
find an envelope at the kitchen door with price stickers and $$ inside
to let us know what was purchased. gross in a good year have topped
$30K. Nice addition to the other venues for my ware. Prices (except for
seconds) are the same as the White Lotus Gallery here in town.
Cheers, Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
clennell on thu 24 nov 05
Sour Cherry Pottery
> Tony, I've thought about adding on a gallery, but my neighborhood is
> zoned residential, and to change zoning to commercial around here
> requires an act of god. Also probably liability insurance, wheelchair
> ramps, public restrooms, and a parking lot. I'm fresh out of parking
> lots.
Kelly: Sheila and I are not zoned commericial. We can't afford to be. We
would be taxed as an industry at 3 times our current taxes which are over
$3000. We are a cottage industry and are allowed a space of 500 Square
feet(workshop 250, showroom 250 and we can use 25% of our home. We too do
not provide bathrooms. We send folks to the coffee shop down the road. Don't
want strangers in our house. The small studio is driving me nuts, but would
be absolutely perfect for Sheila with the functional scale of her work. It
is hard on me, especially when winter comes along. I can't use the outdoors.
It would not work for teaching and therefore we have not had woodfiring
workshops here. We've wanted to but can't handle it with bathroom, septic
system and limited space. We have made use of garden sheds for packing
materials and a glaze materials and mixing shed for me. The trend around
here is for folks to buy ship containers that are loaded on train cars. Many
are used for workshops in this area. Since they are portable they are not
included in the bylaws. Think about our visit to the Artstream! Portable
gallery= no bylaws! Talk to farmers they know the ropes and use them. Many
also use greenhouses.
My neighbours theory (please read my next and last CT article on my
neighbours junkyard) is it's easier to say I'm sorry, than ask permission.
Mels got it right again. give your neighbours jam, wine, pots, friendship.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
We're all thinkin' for you.
Tony
those who said no one buys pots in Toledo also said no one buys shino.
Laughing all the way to the bank.
Tony and Sheila Clennell
Sour Cherry Pottery
4545 King Street
Beamsville, Ontario
CANADA L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com/current_news/news_letter.html
Michael Wendt on fri 25 nov 05
Kelly,
Before you open a store somewhere other than your studio, let me relate my
tale of woe:
By the mid 80s, my Mount Saint Helens Ash glazed work was selling so well, I
had several people working with me to try to keep up with the wholesale. I
had the "bright" idea that I would open my own store at a busy intersection
here in Lewiston and make all that commission for myself.
I contacted the vacant storefront's owner, struck a deal for $500/month rent
and started setting it up.
In this city, you need a second business license for a second location. Oh,
you also have to pay water, garbage, sewer, electricity, phone, a second
insurance policy... etc.
Then I found out that I couldn't be in two places at once so I had to hire a
full time clerk to watch the store, read her romance novels while she
ignored the customers, never dust except when she saw me coming and steal
money out of the till.
Then the building owner decided after I had painted the place, cleaned it
and installed all new lighting at my own expense that it was a lot nicer now
and deserved more rent and a long term lease (10 years with penalties for
early withdrawal).
More traffic did mean much higher sales, ... so much so that I wound up
spending weekends and evenings at work rather than with my family.
Vacations? Too much to do, can't now, sorry.
Finally, I was saved when the highway department closed the busy
intersection for over a year so there was no access to the shop and I had to
close and move back to my old "all in one" location. Given enough money and
time, I could have made it there but it became a grind doing it and I know I
would have hated it after a while.
Bottom line: I grossed the most that year that I had ever taken in but it
all went out as overhead and I was ready to quit.
Once I was back at the Clearwater avenue location, I took the lessons to
heart.
1.) Do the math first, before you act. Find out every conceivable cost and
add them up.
2.) Use your current knowledge of you ability to produce to figure how much
work you will need just to cover all expenses.
3.) See if it can be done by one person in an 8-10 hour work day 5 days a
week.
4.) Allow for losses, poor sales, changes in the market acceptance of what
you do (Mt. St Helens Ash, so what? is the reaction now),... etc.
5.) Figure in the commute. We live in the house next door to the studio, so
a customer can come early or late and get what they want. I can man the
store myself and make pots at the same time plus people love to see it being
made and understand why it costs more. We make converts to handmade pottery
one at a time this way.
Since this is already too long, I will stop now, but if you want more ideas
and details on how we made it for 32 years in a small market like Lewiston,
Idaho, feel free to contact me off list,
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
USA
wendtpot@lewiston.com
www.wendtpottery.com
Bonnie Staffel on sun 27 nov 05
Primalmommy, one of the things I learned from having my own shop, it
owns you. You need to be dedicated to the business, and still try to
make your pots so that the shop is not empty. You also need a partner
to help with the load of doing things like keeping the books, shipping,
talking to customers, not daring to become ill. I guess these are some
of the negatives, however I loved my gallery and loved meeting the
people who came to it. I did find that I had to hire people to help
with the workings of the pottery. That was the part I hated the most.
Found that I was becoming a boss rather than an artist. I hired
apprentices and paid them to learn. This was way back in the 60's,
70's. Since our shop was out in the country, these apprentices had to
find housing they could afford too. During their learning period I
could see what I designed had to be small to fit their growth as a
potter. Just as I would get them trained where they would be an asset
to my business, they would quit, thinking they knew it all and open
their own place. One of my best apprentices stayed two years and since
she lived in my town, we discussed how she could start her own business
and not be a clone of my style. I guess I could write a book on what
employees problems are.
We were able to buy the country property back in the 60's for a very low
price and my husband was able to do all the remodeling and making the
buildings work for our studio and shop. He also kept the books. For
some reason it worked as I was able to go on photographic junkets with
the camera club and with my buddy, also was able to travel to San
Francisco on a vacation as well as to the Orient for three weeks. We
lived a frugal life personally and didn't put the money earned on our
backs. Most of it went back into the business. When I let my last
apprentice go, I told my husband that we could make it without them and
increase the income by our own hands. So I made higher end pots and
sculptures.
We found that we put more money into fire and liability insurance than
we paid for the property. When the insurance company started making
demands of changes to our studio, we felt we could do without the fire
insurance. However, the following year when they told us that my
husband's blacksmithing shop had to be removed from the property or they
would not give us liability insurance. That was when we decided the
events were telling us to close. The tail was wagging the dog.
The opportunity to work at the Campbell Folk School came up and solved
the problem. My studio was my security and it really was hard to give
it up. One never knows where the fork in the road will lead. I have
always felt that when an opportunity arrived, we would study the
ramifications, and then decide whether to follow that path. I sure did
have a lot of opportunities for which I will always be grateful. But
when I came back to this area after being away for ten years, I guess I
had established my reputation to the point that I almost picked up where
I left off. My old customers found me and allowed me to work at my own
pace.
My advice then is that when faced with such a life changing decision,
talk to others who have gone down that road, look at the prospects of
being able to make a living from that change, and work through the
difficulties that arise. If the move isn't in the cards, then you will
know you explored the idea and put it aside. Sometimes you have to have
patience to wait until the time is right.
Warm regards,
Bonnie Staffel
>Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 09:54:03 -0800
From: primalmommy
Subject: Danger Opportunity
Tony, I've thought about adding on a gallery, but my neighborhood is
zoned residential, and to change zoning to commercial around here
requires an act of god. Also probably liability insurance, wheelchair
ramps, public restrooms, and a parking lot. I'm fresh out of parking
lots.
Jeff and I have been driving around the past few days, though, looking
at commercial properties for sale or lease. Rates are high but there are
a lot of them standing empty, with my local economy in sorry shape.
It strikes me as a waste of resources and poor financial acumen when a)
I have a waiting list for guild classes every session, and b) the
majority of folks are signing up over and over just for once a week
access to a wheel/clay/space -- meanwhile in my own studio, I have an
empty (freezing) pug mill, a rarely used full sized slab roller, a nice
vented kiln, an extruder and three electric wheels plus a kick. Even if
I could manage to straddle and throw on two at once, there are still a
few sitting empty.
But I have a small space, no public bathroom, no running water in
winter. I get private wheel students in summer, I fire people's work for
a fee, and a couple of ladies paid to come throw once a week over the
summer, but I have to truck people into the house to use the bathroom,
and have no phone out there.
I have kind of rested on my laurels, managing financially by pinching
pennies and avoiding debt, unwilling to take risks in this part of my
life where homeschooling 3 kids is at the center of our purpose. I have
fit in a bit of pottery sales and teaching around the edges, and it has
grown as the kids have become more independent.
But recent events have put us in kind of a crisis (Tony knows about this
-- Jeff's job managing the research station, after a decade of excellent
work reviews and growing job duties, will be cut to 3/4 time after the
holidays, with a corresponding cut in benefits. The University is in
financial trouble and cuts are widespread.) But a friend reminded me
that the Chinese word for crisis is a compound of two words -- "danger
opportunity". So now I am trying to gear up for "leap, and the net will
appear".
In the coming days I will be looking to clayart friends who have some
experience with retail, commercial space, renting studio space,
marketing. Right now I am just figuring out what the questions are.
And I am thankful, on this thanksgiving, to have clayart as a
resource... for my family in town, with whom we're off to share a
turkey... for the supervisor who leaked the job cut news to my hubby
BEFORE we did any Christmas spending, and gave me time to schedule
everybody's physicals and dental work before the first of the year when
bennies get thin.
Thankful that I do not live in Pakistan or New Orleans or Fallujah.
Thankful that the internet exists, and connects me to friends and bright
minds and potters around the globe. Thankful for the little knee-high
snowman-bird with the stick beak Molly left outside my front door,
before ringing the bell and running away.
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
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