First Employee

[31Arts]

I have been thinking about hiring someone for casting production of mugs, plates, etc. I simply do not know the most effective way to go about this. Adds? Networking through friends? Events? Is it more effective to buy ready made bisque plates, mugs, etc. Glaze and resell?  My main objective is to expand, and create another source of income. 

I am currently in the process of testing some molds , and exploring the process of making some molds. Ideally I would like to temporarily partner up with someone who is interested in pottery production. Then split up and head separate ways. 

 I have pushed myself to work longer hours and it clearly affects my productivity. So, i have hit a wall. I have hired people for small jobs, but never a part time, or full time employee. 

Thoughts? Suggestions?

I am a full time  self employed artist with a pretty basic and growing knowledge of business.  I specialize in making small gong fu teapots. Website link is for reference, not advertising. (www.tsutsumiteapots.com) My main market is online. 99% of my work is sold via Instagram.

 I look forward to increasing my knowledge and becoming a part of this community.

Thank you 

Art

[Mark C.]

My thought as I used to long ago have slip casting business on the side was this person does not need many skills if you are going to train them. If you need a skilled casting person that will raise the bar very high.

Anyone can be thought mold making and casting/pouring.No special skill needed.We hired from a group of friends but an ad would work and then you interview them for the best pick. Finding good people is hard

I'm on a hiring committee(all board members) just now finding a Fair director to run our local show-3 of us worked up our questions and will talk story with applicants next week.

The skill part is picking the right person

[Stephen]

When I try to look up TSUTSUMI.I get it as a surname and literally gift giving, I am curious what the backstory is? Are you throwing these now? Is demand out pacing what you can throw, trim and glaze? 

[Gabby]

On 10/22/2018 at 8:27 AM, Stephen said:

When I try to look up TSUTSUMI.I get it as a surname and literally gift giving, I am curious what the backstory is? Are you throwing these now? Is demand out pacing what you can throw, trim and glaze? 

Look up tsutsumiyaki. http://www.jtco.or.jp/en/japanese-crafts/?act=detail&id=255&p=4&c=31

[DirtRoads]

Be extremely cautious about running an ad.  My brother and I have had well over 2000 employees over different businesses and have NEVER run an ad.    In some states, ads can bring up legal issues and bring in totally undesirables.   I would have to say don't do it.   I think just ask around is better.

You will make a lower percentage of the selling price with an employee.   Be sure you gauge production ratios starting day one.     They have to produce a certain amount or you will not make more money or could actually lose money.   I had an employee tell me that if they were producing $300 a day (in glazing), I was still making plenty of money.   They figured that at  paying them $10/hour for 8 hours , I was clearing $220.  What a dumb @%&*.  Needless to say, I got rid of them as quick as I found a "good " reason.  Just say you were paying that for production as well and I figure in materials & electric costs at 25% ($75), the numbers would fall out as 80 + 80 + 75 would equal to a miserable gross margin of $65.    You still have to sell it.    $8.25 in cc fees.   You're got store or booth costs as well.   Plus I did all the loading/unloading & getting to sales area.  NO.  I am not doing all this work to make less than $50 and some slug making $80 just to glaze the product.    Know your production numbers up front.  Remember that you will be the one picking up the work or paying someone else to slide the product to the final sale.

I've found this ^ to be the biggest issue in pottery production employees.   I've had some that would literally put out 3 to 4X more than others.   That said, I have some GREAT employees right now.   They are top notch and feel they are well compensated.  I never had to worry about this in my mall stores .. they just needed to look good, show up, be nice to customers and not steal. 

I've never had much success hiring people that "needed" a job.  Hiring full time employees that were unemployed has never worked for me.  Especially right now with unemployment being at a low, anyone that is capable of holding a job, has one.  Part times have been one of my most successful hires.    I had a school teacher that worked for me for 15 years in another business ... it was a great deal for me, and suited them well too.   I would start with a part time.   Someone that wants a 2nd job or someone that doesn't "have to work" but wants a little extra money and something to do.  (college students, bank tellers, school teachers, retirees and people that don't have to work) Giving employees flexibility of working hours, time off, etc.  goes a long way in attracting and keeping  good hires.

In all the employees I've had, I've only lost one that I really didn't want to see go.   It was really early in my retail career and I just didn't have a benefit package to offer.   I've had some turn over but I'm usually glad to see them leave (hate to say that). 

Hiring someone that wants to make their own "stuff" has NEVER worked for me.  100% of them have used my time and resources to do it.   Always resulting in the quickest termination I can justify.  I couldn't see  this situation working for me " temporarily partner up with someone who is interested in pottery production. Then split up and head separate ways. "   I did have someone that made mugs for me, which I purchased at a set price.  This worked great but they moved 1000 miles away to go back to school.

Another thing, anyone I have hired that I didn't really know or do a back ground check on,  has RARELY worked out.   I have one person working for me now that I have know for like literally 50 years (and I'm 61 lol).  I didn't do a back ground check but of course, I knew their personal back ground and community reputation.    Three years ago, I hired someone on impulse, that seemed polished and had good community relations.  Didn't check them out, but IF I had, I would NOT have hired and let them go quickly.  You would not believe how many back ground checks have NOT been favorable.   Either you know the person really well, or check.

Some states have really strict laws on hiring.  Mississippi is "Hire at Will"  (and "Fire at Whim" might be added to that).   At one time I hired in Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee and made sure I reviewed laws in those states.  So review the laws in your state.

[Stephen]

Maybe check local colleges for art students.

[Hulk]

nor age

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I will certainly agree that fully understanding the labour code in your area is important as a business owner. Not everyone is a good fit for every job, and knowing when and how to end a working relationship legally protects both you and your employee. Setting out clear expectations for employees and offering training to get them to that point is part and parcel of being a boss. 

[Stephen]

whoops forgot us old potters, yeah ya can't not hire us either

[liambesaw]

Since it hasn't been said, your local clay artists guild is a good place to advertise a job, could be a young ceramics student that needs money and experience

[hitchmss]

I had a young guy work for me for 2 years before he crawled up into a ball and said pottery was too difficult. His loss.... I found him through local clay group's facebook page. Its difficult to find someone who is willing to work doing menial repetitive work if they arent at least somewhat passionate about it, even more so if you want to pay "decent" wages, like $10-15/hr. Sure, I had a line of people who were willing to work for $25/hr, but Id be out of business with wages like that. I paid my guy, who was 18, fresh out of highschool, never a job in his life, and only 1 year of highschool ceramics experience $10/hr. He mostly set his hours, vacationed as much as he wanted, had use of the studio, and a very relaxed work atmosphere. He never took charge with his own pottery side hustle, and could have had something good if he did, but alas.

If you find someone with skills, and would rather avoid paying unemployment, social security, medicare..... hire them as a sub contractor. As long as you let them set the hours in which they work, and you dont have to train them, then you could classify them as a sub contractor and 1099 them. Using your equipment to complete the tasks (i.e. your molds) will obfuscate the issue a little bit, but an experienced CPA should be able to clarify that.

IMO there's too great a cost to teach a total newbie, and even more so, one that doesnt have any interest in ceramics, what to do in my shop, and not break stuff. I have a part time girl now who sands pots maybe 20 hrs a week and that works great for me. Ive also had employees in the past who thought it was acceptable to get high while on the clock....immediate dismissal. It aint easy finding good help

[liambesaw]

I'd love to be an employee and learn from a master potter.  But I'm 35 with a family so going back to 10 dollars an hour and no insurance just isn't a possibility.  Maybe some day when I'm good I can transition myself into a side career, but I really feel like I missed out on a career that I could have really been interested in.  That and learning from full time potter and being paid to do so.

[Gabby]

I think the key to keeping an employee who is doing menial, repetitive work at minimum wage is to offer some opportunities now and then to do something on the job that isn't menial and repetitive. There is high turnover in jobs that deaden the spirit.

 

[shawnhar]

16 hours ago, liambesaw said:

I'd love to be an employee and learn from a master potter.  But I'm 35 with a family so going back to 10 dollars an hour and no insurance just isn't a possibility.  Maybe some day when I'm good I can transition myself into a side career, but I really feel like I missed out on a career that I could have really been interested in.  That and learning from full time potter and being paid to do so.

Try 47! -  I started doing what I love WAY too late. There are 2 opportunities here locally to throw for $10/hr but both of them are over an hour one way and that just wouldn't work for me. I did negotiate a deal with a local potter to supply greenware mugs for $5 each and he supplies the clay, cause he hates making mugs. I plan to invest in an extruder for handles and hope to clear $25/hr making mugs for him, that's a pretty solid side gig.

[liambesaw]

29 minutes ago, shawnhar said:

Try 47! -  I started doing what I love WAY too late. There are 2 opportunities here locally to throw for $10/hr but both of them are over an hour one way and that just wouldn't work for me. I did negotiate a deal with a local potter to supply greenware mugs for $5 each and he supplies the clay, cause he hates making mugs. I plan to invest in an extruder for handles and hope to clear $25/hr making mugs for him, that's a pretty solid side gig.

That is a decent side gig, I bet you could get up to $50 an hour as long as he can absorb that many mugs haha

[Stephen]

22 hours ago, shawnhar said:

Try 47! -  I started doing what I love WAY too late. There are 2 opportunities here locally to throw for $10/hr but both of them are over an hour one way and that just wouldn't work for me. I did negotiate a deal with a local potter to supply greenware mugs for $5 each and he supplies the clay, cause he hates making mugs. I plan to invest in an extruder for handles and hope to clear $25/hr making mugs for him, that's a pretty solid side gig.

I am currently working toward 20 minute mugs all told but that includes glaze time as well and I am not there yet, its more like 30 minutes. I can now throw in 6-7 minutes but when I calculate everything else from clay weigh out, session cleanup, trimming (pretty light several minute trim), stamping, handling, waxing, glazing and finish work. I get that you are stopping before glazing but I would time everything for first few batches to make sure you don't need to up that a couple, three dollars to make it work. Even at 7-8 bucks that is a decent deal for him if he is reselling for $20 so he might totally understand. 

[hitchmss]

On 12/19/2018 at 5:19 PM, liambesaw said:

I'd love to be an employee and learn from a master potter.  But I'm 35 with a family so going back to 10 dollars an hour and no insurance just isn't a possibility.  Maybe some day when I'm good I can transition myself into a side career, but I really feel like I missed out on a career that I could have really been interested in.  That and learning from full time potter and being paid to do so.

When I got out of school I looked high and low, anywhere in the county, for a potter who would EMPLOY me, not just "intern" me. Couldnt find a single one! I didnt need to be paid much; would have been happy with min wage.  Had loads who were willing to "trade for space", but if you're working 40 hours a week, getting into the studio to crank out your own pots, with little or no money to buy materials/booth fees/food/rent/etc just wouldnt cut it. Im a HUGE fan of the apprentice program and believe in paying my employees. I want them to get the mud in their veins and make a career of it; have something I could never find when I needed it.

I hope to get the space and finances to allow me to take on 1-3 full time apprentices/interns/employees in the future. Ive even thought that I would pay them a whole week per month of wages with the intent that they spend that whole week working on THEIR work. This way they can still pay their bills, but also make pots; its difficult to do both separately. Housing and studio access come free, so maybe the wages will be minimum, but I wish I could have found something like this when I was young.