The Kiln-Funder Pre-Order - What, Why & How?
2nd June Edit: You guys smashed my target in the first night! Thank you so much ❤️ The pre-order is now closed and I’ll make and send your pieces ASAP.
WHAT IS THE KILN-FUNDER PRE-ORDER?
On Thursday 1st June at 8pm, I am launching an exclusive selection of my designs to pre-order. This will include limited edition items, brand new designs, and the limited comeback of some favourites.
The purpose of the pre-order is to raise £5,500 of funding to purchase and install a larger kiln in my studio.
I’ll be previewing the pieces that will be included in the Kiln-Funder on my Instagram in the run up to 1st June.
WHY are you doing it?
Thanks to you, my incredible followers and customers, my business has grown very quickly. I set up my home studio in 2020 and that year sold around 150 pots. In 2022, I sold well over 1,200 items!
Whilst I have been making as much as space allowed, my shop updates were selling out in minutes and have left many of you disappointed, which I hate to do. In order to increase the amount and variety I can produce, expanding into a rented studio has been on the cards for a long time, and I have finally taken the leap of finding a suitable space and committing to the extra overhead costs.
The next step to making more is kiln capacity. I was really lucky to find a secondhand kiln (good ones are very rare!) in early 2020, which led to me setting up my home studio and kickstarted this journey. That little kiln holds 20 mugs at a time and I have worked it so hard - last year it did around 100 firings! Every pot goes through 2 firings, so a small kiln really puts a ceiling on the amount I can make.
A larger kiln is a big investment that will help to exponentially increase the amount I can make. As with every step so far, your support can help make it happen.
F*ck Boris mugs are back for one last time for the Kiln-Funder
Groovy Rainbow planters are available first in the Kiln-Funder.
how will it work?
The Kiln-Funder Pre-Order will run in my online shop at www.emmapuddickpottery.com. This is so I have a streamlined way to track the orders and dispatch them when they are ready, using my existing infrastructure. I have looked at services such as Kickstarter and Crowdfunder, but frankly it would make things more complicated and they charge fees. As I am operating this as a pre-sale and not asking for ‘pledges’, my online shop seems a natural home.
When the Kiln-Funder goes live on Thursday 1st June, you can select a product and pay as you would normally. I will then be making your orders from scratch, and my big ask for this occasion is you allow me approximately 4 - 5 months to deliver. My aim is to fulfil all orders as quickly as I can, but I want to manage your expectations in case of any hiccups.
There are a couple of reasons for the longer delivery time:
1) I won’t be ordering a kiln until I have raised the funds, and they have a delivery time of around 8 weeks. I can’t fire all the pre-orders until I have the kiln installed.
2) The income from this pre-order will be entirely spent on the kiln and installation. I will be making the pre-orders alongside making for normal shop updates as well - the income from my normal shop updates will cover studio overheads and pay me a small salary.
“Not Dead Yet” and “I Will Survive” planters are some of my rarest pieces, as I could only fire 6 at a time in my little kiln. What better way to fund a bigger one than by bringing them back?
Why aren’t you Getting the money another way?
Grants: There aren’t a lot of suitable grants out there. Competition is high for the ones that there are, and the application/decision making process takes months.
Savings: The profits in ceramics are quite slim. The income from each shop update keeps my business ticking over across a few months. I’d say I’m pretty good with money, but saving this much would take some time and slow the growth of my business.
Loan: Having just taken on the overheads of studio rent, the added risk of monthly loan repayments is pretty scary. Every shop update I hope that you still want to buy my pots, so I am much more comfortable knowing I have sold enough pieces to afford the outlay before I commit to the purchase.
The ‘Never Tory’ mug is brand new for the Kiln-Funder.
Anything i’ve missed?
If there’s anything you’d like to know, please leave a question in the comments or drop me an email. I’ll compile some FAQs if any questions come up a lot.
