"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)