"Is your cell phone turned on?"

I am sure most of you have seen the news about the German alternate skater who had his chance at moving up to actually compete in an Olympic event, but missed the call, literally. It seems as though he turned off his cell phone, and could not be reached in time.

Sports and the Olympics can teach us many principles that we can apply to our own businesses, yes even ceramic businesses. This example is very resonate of some of the issues that exist with ceramic shops that are not producing results. The business has become unreachable.

Sadly in my journeys I have often come into a town and found a little ceramic shop. Its' hours proudly posted on the door, but no one was there. If there is a neighboring business I will go in and ask them if they know where the owner is, or if they have a number to reach them. The response is usually the same. "They come and go, no pattern really, and have no idea how to get a hold of them." It's one thing when an emergency comes up and you have to leave your shop. But post a current sign in the window indicating when you will return. Are you in a real business? Or are you just in a pastime?

Here are some painful examples that hurt the overall ceramic industry:

• NEGLECTED or FORGOTTEN WEB Pages - We receive countless e-mails each week asking "Do you know what happened to . . .?" They searched the web for ceramics, pulled up a site, had great stuff on it, stuff they wanted to buy, but the e-mails were defunct, or no response at all. As an industry we need to rid the Internet of dead sites. Collectively it becomes our front page, we need it to be fresh.


• YELLOW PAGE LISTINGS, that are disconnected - Ma Bell is not the only one who puts out a phone book, in case you hadn't noticed. But there are many times when a listing is made, and then the business shuts down, but they leave your ad as a courtesy, year after year. In part it's a scheme to bill you for a service not used. You need to look, and if you have shut your business down, or know of someone who has, make sure the listings are gone in the next publishing.


• STOREFRONTS that become STORAGE ROOMS - In the last 20 years there have been a lot of traditional shops who have passed onto the original owner's children. The people owned the brick and mortar and it's full of stuff. But the kids don't know the first thing about running a ceramic business. It doesn't produce the revenue they thought it would. They've tried to sell it, but to no avail. So it sits there looking like a ceramic shop, but acting more like a historic tourist attraction that's only open on fifth Tuesday's from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, unless Oprah has an interesting guest. Hours are posted, but no ones home.

Simply read the postings in the CAG facebook group, "I would love to paint ceramics, but where can I find bisque or greenware?" Shops that are proactive are doing very well right now. Someone is trying to call you to buy something from you, "Is your cell phone turned on?"

Check out the upcoming issue of BLUEPRINT - The Business Journal of the Ceramic Artist Guild for more ideas on how you can get the call. (release date March 10, 2010)

Money - Naughty or Nice?

Sorry it has been 2 weeks since we last posted to the BLOG. We got really busy on some other projects here, and it got neglected, no excuses, just matter of fact.

So if this is a ceramic BLOG why is it about money? Because it is money that drives a part of the industry, but it is also money that dives a part of the industry into blind numbness.

The ceramic industry is what is known as a "Cottage Industry" made up mostly of small business people, most of them not even registered or licensed to do business, because at their level they don't need to be. Some people desire to draw a living out of their ceramic pursuits (I guess they never heard of the league of starving artists). Some want to grow and expand a business with employees and inventory and such. Most simply hope to make enough to cover the cost of their own addiction (that addiction being ceramics). And a few simply do it because it is their passion, and really don't care to make money out of it.

For the CAG it is all about passion of the art of ceramics. We are NOT a charity or a not-for-profit corporation. We are not a bunch of people thinking they should do something, but never acting on their thoughts. WE ARE a group or a league of people who share a passion for art. Everyone is a volunteer here. We want the most people to get the most out of ceramics, and so we are determined to do what we do for FREE. No gimmicks, no hidden agendas, no tricks, just a simple love for ceramics.

We are not saying that you should not endeavor to make a profit. Or if you do you are not showing your passion. this is our path, and it is different than yours. i had the fortunate opportunity when i was a young man as a manager in a major retail firm (FRED MEYER) to work directly with at times the owner and founder of the company, Mr Fred G Meyer himself. I will never forget one day sitting in the corporate office with a group of other managers and execs with Mr. Meyer. he reminded us all that profit was not a dirty word. in fact any intelligent consumer would not expect you to run your business without making a profit, it would be nonsense. But he also said "Do not take advantage of your customers, they allow you to stay in business."

One of the many purposes of the CAG is to help give you insight to building a sustainable business in ceramics that will last for years to come. We are sustainable through your support of what we do. We wish you well. And if someone says to you the CAG can't offer their services for FREE. Say "Oh, really? OK I'll take my chances and you wait and see." They wont listen to you anyway, and in the meantime your business and desire will surely grow!

FINAL NOTE: Did you see what the man did with his business in Portland, Oregon . . . he gave it away. Love those kind of stories.

Football and Lladro - PASS IT ON!

So today is SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! No other TV event captures the American audience on a grander scale than this battle of the turf. I've always thought it was funny how some stores will run special ads for "Super Bowl Widows", when surveys tell us an equal to higher percentage of women watch the game as do men. So have a great time today experiencing the game and the party that goes with it. Be safe and use good judgement in driving!

On a ceramic note, isn't this a delightful Lladro piece? The design seems so gentle, yet as it expands towards you it seems to say I'm grown up now and ready for the game. Lladro choice of somewhat muted colors has always lended itself to their sculpture. Unfortunately being able to paint this ceramic would mean you had found an illegal piece of bisque as it is copyrighted, and there are no ceramic hobbyist molds available. But there is a lot to be learned when we study artistic style, and then apply that style to pieces we get get. Wouldn't it be fun for Lladro to come teach a seminar for ceramicists.

When an artist goes from rags to riches to rags again. . .

What a beautiful contemporary headquarters this company called ENESCO has. So a few questions to you as ceramicists. . .

1. Do you know what ENESCO does?

2. Do you know what artists ENESCO has represented?

3. Do you understand the concept rags to riches to rags again?

OK, enough quizzing. As a artist/craftsman your greatest dream might be to have your designs in stores across the globe. A very noble aspiration. In toady's marketplace it is almost impossible for you to be able to pull something that off on your own. Unless of course you just won the POWERBALL lottery for like 100 million dollars. But let's say your Sam Butcher in 1989 a company comes along and spins your humble world of artistic rendering into a multi-million dollar industry, literally overnight. In case you don't know Sam Butcher is the artist responsible for Precious Moments.

In our upcoming issue of BLUEPRINT Volume2 Issue 2 March 15th, 2010. We will be talking with the marketing people at ENESCO and have some special interviews with some of the past artists who went from Saturday market vendors, to world wide celebrities with the aid of ENESCO. But what happened next? Join us and learn how this "tidal wave" process of fame can help or hinder the long term relationships developed by the artist/crafter.