Bisque N Beads

Bisque N Beads Hickory, North Carolina

In a city located an hour south of the picturesque Blue Ridge Parkway and in the midst of an area rich in the history of furniture making, the people of Hickory, North Carolina have one more reason to celebrate their unique home...the opportunity to create their own works of art at Bisque N Beads.

Since October 2002, Betty Mahoney has been igniting the creative fire of people in the foothills of North Carolina. Originally Bisque N Beads was operated as two separate companies – one for pottery and one for beading. Her friendship with the owner of the bead store prompted Betty’s first entry into the business side of the do-it-yourself industry as a part-time employee. Betty eventually purchased both businesses and merged them into one business with the primary focus being to provide the community with a hands-on working studio where people can relax and create. This philosophy, while simple, is one that is to be admired. Betty and her staff recognize the basic goal of their business and build on that foundation.

The balance of pottery painting and beading opportunities in the studio works well not only for their customers but for the bottom line as well. When pottery painting customers seem to be taking a break from time in the studio, beading seems to take a leap and vice versa. Additionally, Bisque N Beads offers glass fusing, clay hand building, Precious Metal Clay and Paint Me.

Betty cites the interaction with people in her community as her favorite thing about being in this business. When asked about her secret to success I received an emphatic “customer service!” The entire team at Bisque N Beads understands that they are in the customer service business and they also realize the importance of that fact. While marketing is vital to running any business, Betty believes that the marketing alone is not the key. Instead, Betty notes that it is the marketing events (classes, programs, and promotions) coupled with their customer service efforts that make the difference. The staff knows that the relationship with their customers and ensuring that customers are enjoying the experience of being in the studio are essential to the success of the business. Quite often customers are so pleased with their experiences in the studio that they go there just to be with the studio staff.

Event nights have been a great success in the studio. Knowing that food is a great motivator, the women attending Ladies Night Out get dinner while they paint. Sign me up! One of their newest programs, Kids Night Out, has been great for both the studio and nearby restaurants. Parents can get special deals from the restaurants after taking their kids to Bisque N Beads for a night of creativity.

Each month a local coffee shop hosts a Bisque N Beads painting event. Betty provides the paints, supplies and mugs for each event and the coffee shop staff guides the customers through the process. After the pieces are fired at the studio, they are returned to the coffee shop for distribution to their customers. Adding a coupon or promotional piece for the studio inside each mug is the trick to keeping your name in front of the customer. In addition, she has the coffee shop employees promoting her business. The coffee shop gives those with their own painted mugs a 50% discount on coffee when they bring their mug to the shop. How fun is that?

Pottery-to-Go Kits, a program inspired by a colleague in the industry, provide Betty’s customers with the opportunity to readily take pottery home, to a school or other off-site function. Betty packs fishing tackle boxes with 2 oz bottles of Duncan Concepts, brushes and other supplies for projects-to-go. This is just another way that the team at Bisque N Beads provides excellent service and flexibility to their customers.

When asked about advice or tips she would share with fellow studio owners Betty noted that the paint-your-own pottery industry, specifically CCSA members, is well-known for being a group of business owners that are willing and even excited to share with their colleagues. This is certainly not the standard for other industries. Several years ago at a CCSA convention, Betty met Liz Tilson from of Clay Café in Lubbock, TX who shared her tips for marketing to schools and pre-schools. Getting involved with the schools, teachers and parents has afforded Betty many contacts and has helped expand her market in a way that no other tactic has done. The relationships and information shared between studio owners continually helps businesses in our industry grow and thrive.

To learn more about Betty and Bisque N Beads, please visit www.bisqueandbeads.com. You’re sure to be inspired.

Hot Pots Pottery

Hot Pots Pottery
Alliance & North Canton, OH

Hot Pots Pottery is run by a crazy man. At least that’s what Troy Myers calls himself. Troy’s two Ohio studios located in Alliance and North Canton are well-known for their fun-loving, inspiring atmosphere and customer service that is second to none. Yesterday marked their 8th anniversary so in honor of such an excellent achievement, I thought it I would share a bit about this cool company with you.


Troy’s background is retail, specifically the grocery industry. His work in a variety of positions in that industry, from bag boy and to produce manager and meat cutter to front manager, has afforded him the opportunity to develop and hone his customer service skills. He is a pro when it comes to this area of business!

When brainstorming ideas of something new and cool to do, Troy decided Alliance needed a paint-your-own pottery studio. Troy feels that being new to the industry without prior experience in ceramics gave the Hot Pots team an advantage. They didn’t know the rules when it came to pottery and what it could do so they pushed the limits! The fact that they had no preconceived notion of how to work with the product allowed them to really be creative as they did their research and training. Eight years later, with Troy at the helm, Hot Pots is a successful studio that offers pottery painting, glass fusing, mosaics and Paint Me.

Troy is emphatic that good customer service leads to success. With customers as the focus at Hot Pots, each employee undergoes intense training. They are taught to think ahead of the customer and to anticipate questions that may arise. When he interviews potential employees Troy is sure to let the candidates know that they are in the people business first then pottery. Consistent comments about how helpful attitude of Troy and his team drive home the fact that customer service is key.

Hot Pots customers are lucky! Upon entering the studio they are met with the feeling that there is nothing in the studio that they can’t do. In other words, customers understand by the relaxed atmosphere and helpful team that they can do anything that the studio offers. How inspiring! Every product line that they carry is available for creation all of the time. You don’t need a class to do something new like glass - the Hot Pots team is ready to walk their customers through anything at anytime. They keep it simple, fun and have few rules. “That’s why we like Bisque Imports” said Troy, “You’re fun!”

Troy’s adventurous spirit has given Hot Pots a reputation for doing truly unique and sometimes crazy events. If you can dream it, Troy has probably tried it the studio. Ever considered having a fog machine in your studio? Well, Hot Pots did and as a result, each summer the studio becomes Club Hot Pots – with a fab theme, laser lights, dancing and a fog machine the place rocks! Plus, with two party zones the studio is known for as the place to host a party.

Speaking of fun, each year Hot Pots hosts a contest called Travel Pals. Customers take Mighty Tots on vacation and bring photos of their bisque enjoying their days off to the studio. Local celebrities, including the mayor, award prizes for their favorite photos! The studio gets great publicity and another feather in their cap that says “we are fun!” To quote Dudley Moore in the movie Arthur (one of my favorites) “Isn’t fun the best thing to have?”

While Troy cites the Toucan Scrubalot (#565) as his favorite bisque shape, he admits he has a weak spot for all new BI shapes. Offering a variety of shapes is the studio’s forte so when Troy sees something new he orders plenty. His customers love the new items and how fresh the studio keeps their shelves.

When asked what marketing advice or other tips he would share with fellow studio owners Troy suggests social media and thinking out of the box. Hot Pots urges people to visit their website via small print ads, Facebook and Twitter. Last winter they ran a contest to see how their customers could incorporate the name Hot Pots into snow. From sculptures made with flip flops to large snow sculptures their customers embraced the idea and had a great time getting involved with one of their favorite businesses. The key is keeping your customers engaged!

Hot Pots is a pottery powerhouse. They have the coolest products, coolest events and the most loyal employees. The only time anyone leaves a job at Hot Pots is to go away to college. The employees enjoy each other and spend time together outside of the studio. So the saying should go, “the studio that plays together, stays together”! Their amiable relationship and excellent training allows them to work together effectively as a team and provide the most fun experience for their customers.
Fun is their motto.

To learn more about Hot Pots Pottery visit their website www.hotpotspottery.com. Have fun!

Liston Studios

Nancy Liston - Liston Studios
Hailey, Idaho

Nancy Liston is a surface designer — she can and will paint most anything. Since emerging into the art world in 1980, Nancy has transitioned from designing textiles for clients such as Neiman Marcus, Woolrich and May Company to finishing ceramic shapes with color and design. She did everything from shearing the sheep and dying the wool to spinning, weaving and decorating the material. Talk about a renaissance woman!

Her endeavors in the ceramic industry have produced a business that not only allows her to make a living, but gives her the pleasure of doing what she loves in a beautiful setting. Originally from Las Vegas, Nancy married a rancher and settled in Idaho after having gone out to see the world. A self-taught artist with no formal training, Nancy has developed a product that is sold through specialty retailers, art shows and other such avenues.

Nancy has a unique style and proficiency for creating things that other artists, particularly those in her area, will not attempt to create. Many artists adhere to the standard of making something they love and then try to sell it. While Nancy is an artist, she wants to make what people want to buy. Her “bread and butter” products are the artistic and whimsical paintings she creates on ceramics whose designs are inspired by the world around her and reflect the natural beauty and unique character of the region in which she lives and works. She tells herself a story for each piece that she creates — even the most whimsical pieces connect Nancy to her art.

In addition, she creates and sells masterpieces and custom designs that display her extraordinary artistic abilities for her own pleasure and self-expression. This facet of Nancy’s business affords her the distinction of being sought out for commission work for many prominent collectors and customers such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. It also provides an opportunity to share her time and talent with various organizations by painting unique items such as cellos for use in fundraising efforts.

Nancy embodies the key elements required to operate and flourish as a successful artist – business and creativity. She understands the business savvy and marketing skills required to promote her work and she can design and create what people want to buy. She actively promotes herself which is an anomaly in the art world, but is essential in business.

A Bisque Imports customer since 2001, Nancy has found her ideal place for supplies. “Bisque Imports is my ‘go to’ company for all my ceramic finishing needs! No other company compares to this group with product availability, great prices and a customer service team who will make anything work. Anything. I especially like the fact DJ will make special designs just for my studio!!”

Some of her best selling shapes include Bisque Imports’ Extra Large Rim Oval (#320), Rim Rectangle Platter (#279), Rim Square Collection (#270 – #277) and the 3-Section Dish (#519) which BI created just for her. She also enjoys the Speranza Esimo Pitcher (#971) and Sorriso Platter (#967).

Nancy’s forte is color. In addition to using Duncan Pure Brilliance clear glaze, Nancy mixes Duncan Concepts colors to create her own palette which are not seen in traditional pottery. She is often told that the colors she uses are happy and that they make her customers happy. Whimsical designs and happy colors make for a truly successful product!

When asked what marketing tips or other advice she would share with fellow business owners, Nancy said she believes that direct marketing/sales are the lifeline to success. Good presentation skills are vital. She suggests that if this is not your strong suit, it is wise to hire someone who can be your advocate. Nancy offers a great option for retailers that carry her unique product line – a guaranteed sale. If her products don’t sell in 90 days, she will take it back. She offers, “The key to selling your product is having your customers commit to the product.” If they are behind it, they will sell it.

To learn more about Nancy’s artwork, please visit her website, www.listonstudios.com. You’re sure to see a whimsical feast for the eyes!