The journey of opening my pottery studio Maison Clay: location
Starting a new business is a daunting and scary affair, especially when you are new to a big city like New York. It is one thing to have a passion project but a totally different animal when you need to make a living from your business. This is the journey of opening Maison Clay.
Finding the right address for the studio was the first challenge. One has to start with your allocated budget and then take into account transport links, demographics and suitability (many lofts and studios have wooden floors which isn’t ideal for a kiln for obvious reasons). The search can take weeks and in my case, month! I am happy to say that I found the perfect studio.
The studio has to be accessible to students and members at all hours. Most students and members have day jobs and they can only visit outside their workday hours. The safety of students and members are paramount and electronic access codes and security cameras go a long way to create a safe environment.
The size of the studio dictates to what you can offer to students and members. Too small a place limits the facilities on offer and can quickly become crowded. Too big a studio can never be a problem in my opinion but it comes with a price tag. You have to take into consideration the number of pottery wheels, storage, shelving, running water and a kiln. This leads me to the last two and equally important aspects of opening a studio; access to water and a sufficient power source.
A pottery studio needs access to running water with a decent size sink. A clean studio is important not only for convenience’s sake but a must for your health. A dusty environment is very unhealthy and can lead to some nasty long-term respiratory illnesses. The sink must be big enough to wash one’s pottery wheel basin after use.
A kiln is power hungry and cannot be just plugged into a wall socket. This can be an expensive process if you need an electrician to install suitable cables and wiring to power the kiln at its required amps and volts. Discussing this with your landlord is important and must be a condition of your lease. In many cases the charges can be negotiated with the electrician and as it is an upgrade to the building discussions should be had with the landlord on who is responsible for the installation.
Finding the right location and perfect studio for your pottery business can be challenging and frustrating but also very rewarding. It all depends on your attitude and determination. It should be enjoyable and rewarding. Never give up!