As we bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past and set our sights on the future!

If you’re a proud owner of a ceramic business, the dawn of the new year presents an exciting opportunity for growth, creativity, and success. In the spirit of fresh beginnings, we’ve curated a list of 10 New Year’s resolutions tailor-made for your ceramic venture. Whether you’re a seasoned artisan or just starting out, these resolutions are designed to inspire, motivate, and guide you towards a year of prosperity and artistic fulfillment.

Let’s make 2024 a year of breakthroughs for your ceramic business!

1. Enhance Your Online Presence

More than ever, customers are first coming across our work online, rather than in person, and it’s important to make a strong impression. This year, why not make it a goal to improve your online presence by doing some of the following:

Optimize Your Website

Update your portfolio with high quality images and clear descriptions, and be sure you include a compelling artist statement in your “About” section. Make contact information easily accessible, and be sure to add an option to sign up for your mailing list. You can also share news, projects, and insights through a blog or news section on your website. Overall, your goal is to keep your content fresh to maintain audience engagement.

Strategically Use Social Media

We all know how crucial social media has become for ceramic artists as a platform to showcase our work, but many of us don’t use it to its full potential. For 2024, make these platforms work for you by pre-planning content, working towards a unified brand, and increasing engagement with your followers. 

SEO Optimization

Having a website is only helpful if the right people can find it, so this year, make it a goal to incorporate relevant keywords into your website content and social media posts for improved visibility on search engines. 

If you’re excited to enhance your web presence this year but are not sure where to start, sign up for our Pottery Business Conference. We interviewed a number of artists who happily shared how they use websites and social media to improve their visibility — and their sales!

2. Implement E-commerce Solutions

As part of your enhanced online presence, consider setting up an online store to broaden your customer base and make it easier for clients to purchase your creations. More and more ceramic artists are finding success with this approach, and 2024 is the year for you to join them! Here are a few tips to get you started:

Select a User-Friendly E-commerce Platform

Choose an e-commerce platform that aligns with your needs and technical proficiency. Popular options include Shopify, Etsy, or Squarespace, which offer user-friendly interfaces and customizable features.

Create Engaging Product Listings

Invest time in creating visually appealing product listings. Use high quality images that showcase your ceramics from multiple angles, and provide detailed product descriptions, including dimensions, materials, and any unique features. Customers love a story, so use the description space as a way of increasing connection.

Establish Clear Shipping Policies

Shipping can often be a source of stress for us ceramic artists, but it doesn’t have to be! As you set up your shop, calculate the weight of your products and set shipping prices based on these. This will avoid you unexpectedly paying out of pocket later. Also, be sure to clearly communicate your shipping policies, including estimated delivery times and shipping costs, and consider offering multiple shipping options, such as standard and expedited, to provide flexibility for customers.

Provide Excellent Customer Support

Probably one of the most important considerations in cultivating long-term customer relationships is customer service. Be sure to provide accessible and responsive customer support, clearly display contact information, and promptly address customer inquiries or concerns.

Setting up an online shop can feel a bit daunting at first, but if you set aside some dedicated time to the task, you will be sure to reap the rewards!

3. Set Financial Goals

This is one we often overlook as ceramic artists. Pricing our work is often a struggle, but if you really want to set yourself up for success, it’s helpful to think in terms of annual income. How much do you need to earn from your ceramic business to have the lifestyle you want? By working backwards from the goal, it can be easier to see what you need to pay yourself and charge for the work. Take some time this January to define clear financial objectives for the year. Consider the following to help you get started:

Define Revenue Targets

What do you need to live comfortably for the next year, particularly given the cost of living rise? Be sure to be realistic here about your living expenses, and give yourself a buffer for the unexpected.

Effective Expense Management

Take a careful examination of costs associated with your materials, tools, and overhead. Don’t forget to include things like your packaging materials, website, and subscription fees. Are there any areas you can cut back on? Are there areas, such as materials, where costs have gone up?

Review Your Current Prices

Once you know your needed annual income and your expenses, have a look at your current pricing structure to see if it’s supportive of your goals. Have you been increasing your prices in accordance with the cost of living increases, or are they in need of a boost? 

By setting and monitoring these financial goals, you can not only achieve a better understanding of your business’s financial dynamics but also make strategic adjustments to enhance profitability and ensure your artistic endeavors continue to flourish.

4. Invest in Professional Development

Staying engaged and excited in our craft is an important part of our business, and is key for artistic growth. To help with this, make it a goal this year to participate in at least one personal development course or event. 

Attending workshops, courses, and conferences provides valuable opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals, discover the latest industry trends, and acquire new techniques. Workshops offer hands-on experience, allowing you to refine your skills in a practical setting, while courses provide a more structured and in-depth exploration of specific aspects of ceramics. Conferences, on the other hand, offer a broader perspective, exposing artists to a variety of styles, innovations, and the chance to network with fellow creatives. 

If you’re not sure where to start, have a look at our extensive online course offerings! We have something for every maker, where you’re a thrower, a sculptor, or a burgeoning glaze aficionado. And if you are looking for a more in-depth experience, sign up for our mailing list to be notified of our next Ceramics Congress, where you can immerse yourself in 3 days of non-stop ceramic education!

By actively engaging in continuous learning, you not only refine your artistic skills but also stay competitive in a rapidly evolving artistic landscape, ensuring your work remains fresh, innovative, and in tune with contemporary trends.

5. Collect Customer Feedback

Collecting customer feedback is an invaluable practice if you’re striving to refine and grow your business, so be sure to add this to your 2024 resolutions! Actively seeking input from customers provides valuable insights into their preferences, allowing you to tailor your production to meet market demands. While you don’t want to completely sacrifice your artistic vision to satisfy the masses, having insight into your customers’ preferences can tell you which of your works evokes what response, giving you more information to work with, and showing you areas that you can lean into.

Engaging with customer feedback is equally important. It helps foster a sense of connection with customers, building a loyal and supportive fan base. Showing your customers the appreciation they deserve through active engagement is an excellent way to create long-term business relationships.

Whether through surveys, reviews, website/ad analytics, or direct communication, understanding customer feedback helps identify strengths to capitalize on and areas for improvement. By incorporating customer feedback into your creative process, you can ensure that your work resonates with your audience, creating a more satisfying and mutually beneficial artistic experience.

6. Collaborate with Local Businesses

If you are looking for new ways to get your work out into the world, while also enhancing your sense of connection to your community, then this goal is for you! Collaborating with local businesses is a great strategy for you to expand your reach and strengthen community ties. By forging partnerships with local shops, cafes, or galleries, you can gain exposure to a broader audience that may not be reached through online platforms alone. These physical spaces provide a tangible and curated environment for showcasing and selling ceramic pieces, allowing potential customers to experience the artistry firsthand. 

Additionally, local collaborations foster a sense of community support, creating a symbiotic relationship where you contribute to the local cultural scene and, in turn, the community becomes a patron of your work. This localized approach not only boosts sales opportunities but can also establish you as an integral part of the community’s artistic fabric.

7. Develop a Marketing Plan

While it can seem a bit daunting at first, this goal is a vital one if you want to grow your business this year. The good news is that if you also plan on adopting our first goal of improving your online presence, you are already well on your way to developing your marketing plan! To flush it out a bit further, consider the following:

Create a Content Calendar

Create a content calendar to maintain a consistent and engaging presence on social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Plan posts that showcase your creative process, highlight finished pieces, and share relevant insights about your work. 

Build Your Mailing List

This was one of the most emphasized strategies in our online Pottery Business Conference, as it gives you access to your most dedicated supporters. If you haven’t set up a mailing list yet, do so, and if you have, make it a goal to increase your subscribers this year by promoting your list in a variety of ways. And of course, be sure to make active use of your list by sending out content-rich newsletters to your contacts throughout the year.

Participation in Local Events

Identify, research, and participate in local art fairs, markets, or gallery exhibitions. These events provide an opportunity for face-to-face interactions with potential customers, allowing them to experience your ceramics in person. Consider organizing pop-up events or workshops to attract a local audience.

8. Network with Fellow Artists

The life of a ceramic artist can sometimes be rather isolating, and it certainly is a bit different than the average 9-5 job! To help you navigate this career and lifestyle, nothing is more valuable than connecting with others in the same situation as yourself.

Building a strong community of artists can provide you with support when you are faced with technical issues or equipment malfunctions, can help keep you stay motivated when times are tough, and can also provide you with honest feedback about your new artistic endeavors. It also gives you the opportunity to pass your experiences and knowledge to those less experienced than yourself, and can also lead to valuable opportunities, such as group exhibitions, shared conference expeditions, and fundraising events for causes that are important to you. 

If your local community is sparse on opportunities for creative connections, don’t hesitate to turn to online platforms to get your started. Many artists have built lasting connections with other artists by engaging with their social media platforms, reaching out through email, or joining ceramics-centered groups on Facebook or Reddit. And of course, you are welcome to join our online ceramics community, where you can post your ceramics questions, share your achievements, and connect with artists from around the world!

So, whether you are already part of a thriving arts community, or you need new connections, make it a 2024 resolution to expand your network and strengthen existing bonds! 

9. Diversify Your Product Range

Why not aim to start off the new year with something fresh and exciting by adding new designs to your existing product range — or by starting a new range all together! Diversifying your product line not only attracts a broader audience but also keeps your creative process dynamic and exciting. Here are some points to help you get started:

Identify Emerging Trends

Stay informed about current trends in the ceramics and art markets. This could involve researching popular colors, patterns, or forms that resonate with a broader audience. Incorporate elements of these trends into your new creations to align with consumer preferences.

Study Customer Feedback

Analyze feedback from existing customers to understand what aspects of your current work are well-received. Use this information to guide the development of new products that build upon your strengths and address any potential areas for improvement.

Collaborate with Other Artists

Partner with artists from different disciplines to introduce interdisciplinary elements into your work. Collaborative projects can lead to innovative and unique creations that appeal to a diverse audience. For example, collaborating with a textile artist could result in a line of ceramics with integrated fabric elements.

By staying attuned to market trends and collaborating with others, you can introduce fresh perspectives and expand the appeal of your ceramic creations.

10. Focus on Sustainability

The continuing climate crisis remains in sharp focus in 2024, and as participants in an environmentally impactful practice, it’s become an important goal for many of us to reduce our climate footprint as much as we can. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to make your ceramic business greener this year, and we put together a couple of suggestions to help you out.

Research and Select Eco-Friendly Materials

Explore and identify sustainable materials suitable for ceramics, such as recycled clay or environment-friendly glazes. Consider the life cycle of the materials, their environmental impact, and whether they can be sourced locally to reduce your carbon footprint.

Collaborate with Suppliers

Establish partnerships with suppliers who share your commitment to sustainability. Communicate your preference for eco-friendly materials and inquire about sustainable sourcing options.

Increase the Efficiency of Your Kilns

How you pack and fire your kiln has a big impact on how much energy you use. To reduce your energy consumption, pack your kilns tightly as possible and avoid firing when they are less than half full. Packing tighter can be made easier if you batch fire similarly sized or shaped items, as this avoids the empty pockets that occur when everything is different heights. 

Also consider making changes to your maximum firing temperature. The hotter you fire, the longer the kiln needs to run, and the more energy it uses. If your practice permits it, consider reducing the temperature, or even switching to a lower-firing clay body such as earthenware.

Waste Reduction

Implement practices to minimize waste in your production, such as reusing clay scraps or recycling water used in the production process. Explore ways to repurpose or recycle imperfect pieces rather than discarding them.

Environmentally-Friendly Packaging

Opt for minimalist and eco-friendly packaging designs that use recyclable or biodegradable materials. And while it can be a challenge for us ceramicists shipping highly fragile items, consider reducing excess packaging to minimize environmental impact and clearly communicate your commitment to sustainability to customers. Include information on your packaging about the eco-friendly choices you’ve made and encourage customers to recycle or reuse the packaging materials. This not only promotes transparency but also raises awareness about sustainable practices.

Transparent Communication

Clearly communicate your commitment to sustainability on your website, social media, and product labeling. Share information about the steps you’re taking to reduce your environmental impact, fostering trust and loyalty among customers who prioritize eco-friendly products.

By taking these action items, you not only align your ceramics business with the growing demand for sustainable products but also contribute to environmental conservation and attract customers who value eco-conscious choices.

Wrapping Up…

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, filled with anticipation and aspirations, the possibilities for your ceramic business are boundless. The resolutions we’ve outlined are not just aspirations but actionable steps to propel your venture to new heights. Each resolution is a promise to yourself, a pledge to hone your skills and expand your horizons. If you plan on putting one or more of these resolutions into practice for 2024, let us know in the comments below, and of course be sure to share if you have a resolution for your business or ceramics practice that we haven’t included!

Here’s to a year of boundless creativity, business triumphs, and the fulfillment of your artistic aspirations. Cheers to making 2024 the year of YOUR ceramics!