On Track-Same As Last Year

[Mark C.]

Last year I had my best year in sales in Ceramics-this year looks at least the same at this point .

I noticed that today as I shut off my 21st  fire  for the year in the 35 cubic car kiln. In my log I was at this same firing number about 2 days apart from last year. I'm at 22 fires for my small 12 cubic footer gas kiln which is two fires more than last year at this time.

Seems that this year is about the same maybe a bit more work coming out of the studio. I plan on cutting out a few shows in 2017 as part of my planned slow down. The only hiccup is local sales are stronger than ever for me now. 

Its been a plan to cut  traveling shows and I have done that in the past 5 years right on schedule ..

Seems amazing hat its the same amount of fires within two days and 1 year.

Mark

[JohnnyK]

Congrats to you for another successful year! Are you slowing down just your travel or are you trying to slow down your business? It seems to me that while your production is about the same as last year and your local sales have improved, you should be focusing more on the local aspect of your business. Less travels next year may mean more time out at the beach fishing. :-)

JohnnyK

[Mark C.]

I'm slowing the business in the long run-the traveling shows are hardest on my comprised wrist than local stuff.

Moving the boxes (setup/take down and driving) is the worst on the wrist.

I Have saturated my local market for decades-that said I did recently start with in a local New organic market  with mugs and sponge holders .

We shall see how this turns out. Its in a town I had no other work in.

After my PRC on my right wrist 4 years ago my right wrist is slowly becoming less happy. If I keep this up It may be a full fusion in my future so I need to slow it down before that happens.

I would like to get it down to 6 tons a year not the 10 thats happening now.

 

Well I know its x-mas  time again as e-mail orders are starting  to pick up. My shipping cut off is the 3rd week in Nov.