The Design Trust x London Potters – ‘Making It Work’ – 5 professional development workshops for new & established ceramicists & other makers
‘making it work’ – 5 professional development workshops for new & established ceramicists & other makers – a partnership between london potters & the design trust
The Design Trust is proud to announce a new partnership with membership organisation London Potters to host a series of 5 short but in-depth online professional development workshops for ceramicists & other designer makers at any stage of their career throughout spring 2024.
From creative business planning and setting goals for the year, to fundamental marketing for makers, branding & websites to getting more online sales and creating a more profitable ceramic business … we will cover it all!
You can join us for one or more sessions, or get a discounted ‘package’ price if you sign up to all 5 sessions at once.
Each session will be hosted by Patricia van den Akker, the Director of The Design Trust, an award winning creative business adviser, trainer and coach who has worked with 1,000s of creatives in the last 25 years. She has been teaching the professional development programme for the Ceramics department at Central St. Martins for the last 7 years, and used to be Studio Manager for Studio Levien, a well-known ceramic design agencey.
This professional development programme is created especially for London Potters members who will get a discount when they use their discount code. Any other ceramicist creating or designing functional products or art is welcome to join and the course is also suitable for other craftspeople and designer makers too.
All 5 sessions will be recorded and you will have access to the session(s) or course programme until 1 October 2024. If you sign up to the entire package then you will get access to a private course hub, where you can ask us any business or marketing questions too.
PLEASE NOTE: Although this programme has started already you can still book the full programme as you can watch the recordings in the course hub whenever you like till 1 October 2024.
Sign up for the Making It Work full programme now for the best price, or sign up for individual sessions!
the key facts:
- 5 individual short online workshops, each 2 – 2.5hours long which can be booked individually or as a series (for an extra discount)
- Outcomes: Improve your ceramic or craft/designer-maker business & marketing skills, incl. goal setting, marketing, website, social media, email marketing, costing & pricing.
- Especially created for: London Potters members and other ceramic artists or designer-makers and other crafts people
- Tutor: Patricia van den Akker, Director of The Design Trust
- Time commitment: Each online session is 2 – 2.5hours long. To make the most of the training you will need to take action! We recommend between 4 – 20 hours depending on what you want to do.
- All sessions will be recorded and you will have access to individual sessions or the private course hub until 1 October 2024.
Want to get more organised, boost your marketing skills & improve your website? make your ceramic or craft business more profitable?
Do you find it difficult to promote your ceramic products or art or know how to charge professionally for your hard work?
Would you like to get more online sales, do better at craft fairs, and get better commissions?
Does your website need an update or do you want to learn how to write better product descriptions and titles to get found online?
We created this MAKING IT WORK online programme especially for makers, artists & designers working in ceramics, but it’s open for any designer maker or craftsperson!
You can just join one short 2-hour online workshop, or book the whole package (you will save $£$). We highly recommend that you book all 3 marketing & sales sessions to make the most of them as they are really connected.
Can’t make it live? No problem at all! All sessions will be recorded and you will have access to them until 1 October 2024.
making it work – 5 short business development sessions for ceramicists & other craftspeople. 9 february – 15 april 2024
workshop 1: ‘create a business plan for 2024’. fri 9 february 10am – 12noon (UK time)
Do you find it difficult to juggle all the different parts of your business? Are you not really sure what to focus on when it comes to marketing or making your business more profitable? Do you never have time to work on the important tasks in your business? Do you want to get back in control of your business by focusing more on the important goals and creating project plans that will make your life and business easier to run?
In this first online morning workshop you will create your own visual business plan for 2024, setting juicy goals for yourself, your creative practice & production, marketing & finance (incl. a financial forecast). It’s the perfect start to the new year!
Patricia will advise you on which specific actions will improve your finances and marketing and how to make the most of the quiet and busy times in your seasonal ceramic or craft business.
You will finish this session by looking into time management and how to minimise overwhelm and procrastination.
This is a very practical and interactive online workshop. Throughout this online workshop you will be working on creating a one-page visual business plan for 2024 with specific goals incl. finance, marketing and looking at your creative work, identifying strategic projects to focus on to move your business forward, and specific business, marketing and organisational actions to do in 2024.
workshop 2: ‘marketing fundamentals for ceramicists’. sat 24 february 10am – 12.30pm (UK time)
Would you like to do more marketing in your business but aren’t really sure what works or what to do? Do you really know who your ideal clients are? Do you want to get more online sales, event sales, better commissions, and orders from galleries or interior designers? Of course you do!
In this practical but strategic marketing workshop, we will dive into the fundamentals of marketing. This is a great session for both emerging and established ceramicists and other designer makers, who want to improve their marketing skills and knowledge, and get more confident and creative with their marketing.
Even if you have been in business for a while it’s always good to return to the fundamentals some time!
We will start this online workshop with an introduction to marketing: What is marketing? What are the marketing myths? What stops you from marketing yourself better? (You are not the only creative who finds this difficult …!)
We then move on to what do you create & sell specifically as a ceramicist or designer maker (incl. functional ceramics, design or art, but we will also look briefly at commissions, licensing or workshops) and connect that with who are your ideal clients? How can you identify specific client groups and get to know your ideal clients better? Patricia will share some really great creative exercises and questions to help you get to know your ideal clients at a deeper psychological level.
“People only buy from people they know, like & trust”. This is our marketing mantra, central to all our own marketing strategies and activities, but also what our marketing teaching is based on. Before you can get any sales, orders or commissions you will need to build your profile, credibility & trust. But how exactly will you do that? Patricia will give you loads of ideas and actions for you to do after this practical marketing workshop!
In the final part of this marketing workshop, you will start to create your own mini-marketing plan for the next 6 – 12 months. You will identify a specific marketing/sales goal for your professional ceramic practice or craft business, with specific marketing projects to work on to make you feel more professional and confident (What’s missing right now?), and we will focus on specific marketing/sales channels too (e.g. online, events).
Best of all … Patricia will share exactly what marketing activities to focus on if you want to a) get more online sales, b) sales at selling events such as Ceramic Art London or PotFest, c) orders from wholesale & trade (incl. galleries & licensing), d) commissions & higher end sales, and e) workshop bookings! This will be super helpful so that you can focus on those marketing activities that actually work! Yes, there is a lot more to marketing than doing social media …
Throughout this intensive Saturday morning workshop, you will be working on your own mini-marketing plan to promote yourself and your work to the right people in the right way for the next few months. This session will focus especially on what ceramicists can create & sell and who your ideal clients are for these types of products or services. Patricia will share really practical homework exercises and creative examples so that you can make the most of your new marketing knowledge and implement it in your own business afterwards.
workshop 3: ‘create a brand & A better website to stand out’. fri 15 march 10am – 12.30pm (UK time)
Is your website as good as it could be? Does it clearly show what you are *really* selling and make you stand out from the competition? Is it easy to navigate and buy from you online? Are your images showing your work at its best and doing the hard work of selling for you? Do you have a professional brand (no need to pay loads!) that makes you stand out and attract your ideal clients?
Having a professional website and recognisable brand is essential if you want to run a small successful ceramic or craft business. It will help you to stand out and attract your ideal clients (and frankly put the wrong ones off!), educate your audience about what you do and what you can do for them. Your website is the best and most creative (!) place to get to know you and your work, and of course it’s the best place to get sales, retail orders, and commissions.
This online workshop is especially aimed at ceramicists and other craftspeople who want to rebrand or improve their existing website or Etsy shop. It’s NOT suitable for ceramicists or makers who do not have a website or who only have a social media presence.
This will be a very visual workshop with loads of craft/ceramic examples to inspire you & with very specific advice on improving your creative brand and website. We highly recommend that you sign up to all 3 marketing & sales workshops.
We will start this workshop with some great creative exercises to identify your brand values AKA what do you want to be known for? Patricia will then show you how to turn your unique brand values into a more consistent brand (on a shoe string budget!), incl. your website design, photography & film, social media, packaging, display at events etc.
We will then focus on improving your website to get more online sales with better design and images, by creating better collections, improving navigation and categories, and building your profile, credibility and trust online with a better home page, about me pages, blogs and videos.
Throughout this workshop you will create your own action plan to improve your brand and existing website. We recommend that you spend between 7 – 21 hours after this session to implement these improvements.
workshop 4: ‘Get more online sales’. Mon 25 March 10am – 12.30pm (UK time)
Do you want to get more sales, wholesale orders, commissions or workshop bookings from your website or Etsy shop?
Once you have improved your website (we highly recommend you join the previous workshop) then it’s time to start driving traffic to your updated & rebranded website, and turn those new extra visitors into buyers!
We will start this session with what sells especially well online and what doesn’t. You will get homework to check your own online best sellers and find out more about your visitor numbers and your conversion rate.
We will then look at the 4 main ways to drive traffic to your website:
- SEO and keywords to help your site get found: Including how to identify the right keywords and use them in your website. Learn how to write better product titles and descriptions using them.
- Email marketing: Why this is such a powerful tool for small creative businesses. How to get more signups and write beautiful & timely emails.
- Social media: How to make it work better, with inspiring creative examples.
- Traditional marketing: Including local and event marketing
We will finish this in-depth session with a quick introduction on how to turn visitors into buyers and what stops people buying from your website.
Throughout this workshop you will create your own action plan to get more online sales. We recommend that you reserve some time to make these changes happen from April – June to make the most of this workshop.
Please note: This workshop is aimed at ceramicists and other crafts people who have got a website or Etsy shop. It’s not suitable if you do not have a website yet.
workshop 5: ‘Making money – How to create a profitable ceramic or craft business’. Mon 15 April 10am – 12.30pm (UK TIME)
Do you find it hard to make a living from your ceramic or craft practice? Do you put in a lot of effort but don’t really generate enough money to pay yourself? Functional ceramics are indeed one of the hardest craft areas to price!
In this final workshop, we will focus on costing and pricing and making your ceramic or craft business profitable. This is a very practical but strategic and thought-provoking workshop!
We will start with costing & pricing. Patricia will explain how to calculate the cost price, wholesale & retail price of your products, and your daily rate as a ceramicist or maker. Patricia will share the most common pricing strategies for ceramicists and other craftspeople, with specific tips for pricing your products, workshops, commissions and licensing better.
We will then move on to making your business viable and profitable, and what to do if your numbers don’t stack up. Patricia will share her specialist expertise to change your prices or price points (without losing any clients!). Functional ceramics are hard to price, aren’t they?!
During this session you will start to work on creating a financial forecast for the next 2 years to make your craft business viable and ultimately profitable, with a specific financial goal, different income streams and price points.
And of course we will be working on how to become more comfortable & confident around charging what you are worth!
This workshop is for both new and mature ceramic and other craft businesses who want to make more money from their products, commissions, workshops and skills, and get insights into the financial side of their business.
can’t make it for these live online workshops ?
Too busy right now? Got another job? Live in a different time zone?
No problem at all!
You will have access to the recordings & downloadable presentations of each of the 5 workshops until 1 October 2024. You can watch the training video recordings whenever you like, as often as you like.
If you book for an individual session then you will get access to the recording and presentation within 1 day of the live session.
If you book for the entire course package then you will get access to a private course hub with all recordings and presentations in one place. You will also be able to ask us any questions at any time and get feedback on your actions and homework.
who is ‘making it work’ for?
We have created this practical but strategic programme especially for members of London Potters. However, it is suitable for other ceramicists, craftspeople, designer makers, Etsy sellers, and artists too.
You can be a new or more established maker, although we expect that most will have been in business between 2 – 10 years. We expect you to have a website, Etsy shop or something similar, especially if you want to join the 3 marketing & sales workshops. All sessions are online so you can join us from anywhere in the UK or abroad. These sessions are not suitable for pre-startups.
You are busy or feeling a little stuck or at a cross roads. You love what you do, but you need to work on your business and marketing skills to make it work even better.
You want to make more from your creative skills and get more sales, commissions or other work. You want to take charge of your business, improve your marketing skills and update your website and positioning too! You know that you need to work on getting more people to visit your website, to buy from you or commission you. You want to charge better for what you do, and boost your confidence around money and marketing, without selling your soul.
You want specialist training from somebody who really understands crafts businesses, and who will inspire you to make changes and take action.
YES! This is an intensive and action-orientated programme … throughout each session you will be creating your own action plans that you can implement afterwards. You will get the most out of the individual sessions or the whole package if you make time in your diary to make it happen!
if you never were taught basic business & marketing skills at art school … then this is the programme for you!
make your craft business work for you!
Kickstart the new year with better business & marketing skills … and boost your confidence too
MEET YOUR TUTOR
Patricia van den Akker
Director
Patricia van den Akker is the Director of The Design Trust. She has been a creative business adviser, trainer, and coach for more than 20 years and has worked with 1,000s of creative businesses at all stages of their career. She lives and works in North London with her 2 daughters and husband.
For the last 7 years Patricia has been running the Professional Development Programme for the final year Ceramic students at Central St Martins at the University of London. She was also the Studio Manager of ceramic design company Studio Levien for 3 years so knows both about ceramics from the perspective of a designer maker, a designer and an artist.
She wrote The Design Doctor column as a ‘business agony aunt’ for 5 years for the Crafts Council’s Crafts Magazine. She regularly teaches at art schools, and works closely with many of the main craft fairs and trade shows.
Patricia is known for her practical and honest approach to creative professional development training. She will inspire you with loads of ideas, but also help you to get focused on those actions or decisions that you need to make.
FAQ
How does this online course work?
All our online workshops take place on Zoom so you can join from anywhere in the world. From the comfort of your own home or studio!
You can choose to sign up for one session, several or for the whole package (at a discounted rate).
These are live online sessions, and we recommend that you join us live as they are very action orientated, and you will be able to ask Patricia questions too.
Our training is very interactive as you will be creating your own action plans and working on your own ceramic or craft business throughout these sessions. Join us from a quiet space where you can work and think.
Each session will be recorded and you will get access to the recording and the presentation till 1 October 2024. You can do this at your pace, and watch any of the sessions as often as you like.
Money is a little tight … any discounts or payment plans?
This course was especially created for members of London Potters. If you are a member then please see the membership page there for the coupon code to get the discount.
Business Club members from The Design Trust also get a 20% discount on our online courses. See the Business Club homepage for details on the coupon code.
You can also pay in 3 monthly instalments by choosing PayPal Later as your payment option.
How much time will this Making it Happen course take?
Each of the 5 sessions are between 2 – 2.5hours, so they are short but intensive workshops.
The Design Trust courses are very action-orientated and results-driven. During each session you will be creating your own action plan to implement afterwards. You will get the most out of them not by just coming to the training … but doing something with your new knowledge + inspiration!
Depending on the kind of changes you want to make you will need to make time in your diary … anything from half a day to maybe one day/week for the next quarter! It really is up to you. But the more you put in, the more you will get from your training!
Is this course only for ceramicists?
This professional development course was created in partnership with London Potters, and is highy focused on specific advice for creatives, designers, makers and artists working in ceramics or with clay.
For example costing & pricing for functional ceramics is particularly hard, so we will dive deeper into that. We will look at the different career paths for ceramicists (designer, maker, artist) and different market channels (online, events) and differnt income streams (products, art, commissions, workshops, licensing) too.
However this programme is very accessible for any other ceramicist, designer maker, crafts person, handmade maker, visual artist too.
What if I am not very tech-savvy?
We use Zoom for our live online workshops, which is now a very common communication tool that most people are familiar with.
If you sign up to an individual session you will get access to the recording and presentation via a password-protected page after the live session has finished.
If you sign up for the entire programme we will give you access to our private course hub where you will find all the 5 recordings and presentations, and you can also ask us any questions there or get more feedback on your homework.
We are always here to help with any questions. You’ll need basic computer literacy in order to navigate it.
I can’t make these workshops live. Is that a problem?
We recommend that you join our online workshops live, so that you can ask Patricia any questions, and you will be more engaged to work at the same time as other creatives.
However, all sessions are recorded and you will get access till 1 October 2024.
How long will I have access to this course?
Till 1 October 2024.
Can I share this course with a friend?
Sorry, you can’t.
When you purchase this course you get a license for your own use only.
If you work in a partnership then you can share it with your business partner or any employees, but please do not share with others who have not paid for this course.
The Design Trust is a small creative business and this course is based on our 25 years+ experience. It’s full of our proprietary knowledge and copyrighted strategies.
Please do not share it with others. If we find out that you have shared with others then we will remove you immediately from the course and might refuse you in the future for other courses or memberships as well.
If you are interested in purchasing this course for a larger group, or want us to run something similar then get in touch with us at [email protected] to find out more.
Can I get a refund if it’s not for me or if I run out of time?
You can cancel in writing to [email protected] till 48hours prior to any of the sessions starting for a full refund.
Once the session has started you can’t get a refund.
Remember that if you are unable to attend the live sessions then you can catch up with any recordings till 1 October 2024.
I have another question!
If you have got any questions about this or any of our other online courses then please email us on [email protected]