Sovereignty Module: Sell the Ware

Complete Pottery Business and Markets: From Studio to Sustainable Livelihood

Selling pottery transforms a passion into a livelihood. This campaign covers market selection, booth design, online sales, wholesale accounts, and building a pottery brand.

Chapter 1: Sales Channels

Chapter 2: Craft Fair Strategy

Chapter 3: Pricing Strategy

Chapter 4: Online Sales

Chapter 5: Building a Brand

Reference Card

1. Know your customer (different customers buy at different price points and through different channels; understanding who buys your work and why helps you make and market effectively). 2. Craft fairs build relationships (face-to-face selling creates connections that online sales cannot; customers who meet the potter become loyal repeat buyers and enthusiastic referrers). 3. Photography sells pottery (online buyers cannot hold your work; professional photographs that show form, glaze quality, and scale are essential for online sales). 4. Price consistently across channels (if a mug is $25 at a craft fair, it should be $25 online; inconsistent pricing confuses customers and undermines trust). 5. The potter's mark is your brand (your stamp on the bottom of every piece is a promise of quality; over time, customers seek out your mark; it is the most important branding element). 6. Wholesale provides steady income (selling to shops at 50% of retail provides predictable income that smooths the feast-or-famine cycle of retail sales). 7. Tell your story (customers buy handmade pottery partly because of the human connection; sharing your process, your inspiration, and your journey creates emotional value beyond the physical object). 8. A pottery business sustains the craft (earning a living from pottery allows full-time dedication to the craft; a sustainable business means more time at the wheel, better skills, and better work for customers).