Ceramics ideas for beginners

I've previously written about a startup idea named Gagori, which was also originally designed as a billion dollar project. It focused on using Japanese and Italian designers working with Indian potters and ceramicists to create high-end dinner sets, vases, platters, pots, etc.

Once again, there is a comparable opportunity with some of the same ideas, but without the need to scale at exponential pace. You could build a set of e-commerce businesses that specifically focus on high-end ceramics.

There are many types of ceramics designers, techniques, and unique artisanal flavors that appeal to different taste buds. On our recent trip to Sicily, we bought a beautiful 12-person dinner set in a small medieval town called Erice. We also work with a local potter, Joy Imai, here in Menlo Park, who is of Japanese origin, and her work is of an entirely different flavor. We often commission work to her. She is the potter in residence at Allied Arts Guild.

You may choose to focus on a style that appeals, first and foremost, to you, and develop it from there.

The numbers are interesting as well. If you are doing vases and decorative platters, and operate at a $500 per order price point, you need 2000 customers to make $1 million in revenue.

If you are doing dinner sets, say, at $2000 per order price point, or higher, you need a maximum of 500 customers to hit $1 million.

Once again, you have to make multiple positioning choices - style, category, pricing, merchandising, sourcing / manufacturing, customer acquisition, logistics, etc.

If you choose to focus on dinner sets, for example, you may need to provide wedding registry functionality as an option on your website.

As for sourcing, you may choose to work with a set of potters whose design sensitivity fits your taste. Or, you can also work with artisans who have technical expertise and are willing to work with your designs.