These boots were made for walking . . .

If you were to go to mapquest.com and pull up a 50 mile diameter map, with your shop being the very center point. From that point attache a string equal to 25 miles in scale on the map. Now draw a circle. Inside of this circle is all places within a 25 mile distance, any direction from your shop.

Now go buy yourself a pretty pair of turquoise boots and start walking. OK, so you don't have to buy new boots (though that would be fun) and you can drive instead of walk, though walking is healthier. Begin looking for other shops that offer ceramics. You will need to look around as many are in backrooms and basements with no outside signing to speak of. Most do not have phone numbers in the local phone books or signs on the street advertising their shop. But none the less, they are out there.

Mount your map on a piece of cardboard. Now create a legend (that's cartography lingo for guide). You might use red pins for other ceramic shops, blue pins for other ceramic teachers, yellow pins for places that sell brushes you can use on ceramics, green pins for places that sell paints you can use on ceramics, and so on. Resources are not always where you think they might be. Knowing what is available local is always a good thing.

When you venture out take a stack of business cards ( you can find them free on the Internet almost anytime) and some flyer's or brochures about your business. As you visit them collect their business card and make note of what they offer that you can use in your business. If its something you don't stock, and don't plan too, tell them you will be referring your customers to them when they need "such and such" as you do not carry it. This whole action of visiting and sharing will go a long way in developing relationships. Your competition is not your enemy, they are part of why you stay in business.

So step out, and make the first move.