Pottery studios are havens for artistic expression and creativity, offering individuals the opportunity to express themselves while creating beautiful and functional objects. While fostering the artistic process, pottery studios also face the challenge of managing and billing kiln firing fees. This can be time intensive for both potters and studio owners alike. In this article, we will delve into the various ways pottery studios can calculate and collect kiln firing fees, ensuring a sustainable revenue stream while maintaining a thriving artistic community.
Kiln Firing Fee Cost Calculator
Ways to Calculate Firing Fees
1. By Volume
Charging by volume has become the de facto standard for many pottery studios because it makes a lot of sense. Your kiln is limited by space (or volume) so it makes perfect sense that something that takes up more room in the Kiln should probably cost more. With this calculation you ask potters to measure the length, width, and height of the piece. You then multiply each of those numbers and find the total cubic inches the piece takes up. You then then multiply by how many cents per cubic inch your studio will charge. Many studios start with something like 4-6 cents per cubic inch.
2. By Weight
Another easy way to calculate firing fees is to have the potter weigh the item and then multiply by the pound (such as $5 per pound). This has the advantage of being easy, so many studios opt for it because it makes things simple for their members. The disadvantage is that weight doesn't always equate to volume, so you may have a number of light pieces, but they actually end up taking up a larger amount of kiln space. It also tends to be a disadvantage to new potters, who often find that their pieces can end up weighing more than they would like.
3. Flat Fees
Many ceramics studios may not offer per piece firing at all, they may offer a whole, half or quarter kiln rate where they charge a flat fee for each of these amounts. This may be more common for studios who don't fire quite as often, or only offer firing services without studio space. This is nice and simple for billing purposes, but it does offer some disadvantages for potters. The main one is that it requires potters to save up enough pieces to fill up a whole or half kiln, which means they may not be able to actually see their finished work for weeks or even months. It may also be inefficient, as you may have extra space on each fire that could be used if the kilns were shared between users.
4. 1x1 Foot Square
Some studios have opted for a system like this: $15 for as many pieces as you can fit on a shelf, or on a 1x1 foot square. This keeps billing somewhat simple, while giving the potter some flexibility in choosing how large or small the pieces can be within that defined space, or how they can fit together. Of course, if the potter is making large flat items, then this may get expensive quickly and may not feel fair.
5. Base Cost With Additions
We're not exactly sure what to call this one, but many studios seem to use a more ad hoc system like this. They may say that the base cost for firing a piece is $8, but add an additional $5 if the piece is taller than 8 inches, or $10 if it is taller than 12 inches. This is the most flexible for the studio, but can be very confusing to members, who may not really sure how much their piece will end up costing in the end. Sometimes that last inch in the end can be costly.
Ways to Manage and Collect Firing Fee's
1. The Classic Clipboard On the Wall
We've heard about this method more often than we'd like to admit. Many studios just a clipboard or printed sheets that include the Potter's name, piece description, and measurements. A studio worker will later take the filled sheet(s) and manually do the calculations and use some kind of billing system to charge member's credit cards, or wait for them to come pick up their work and run the credit card through the register at that time. It works, but it can be a lot of studio worker time spent to do this on a weekly or monthly basis and mistakes can easily happen with sloppy handwriting and confusing measurements.
3. An Ecommerce Form
Some studios have started to use e-commerce providers on the internet that may allow their members to fill in a form with their name, email, and a credit card to pay for their firing fees. It works, but this means the potter has to fill in the form, and re-type their credit card each time they finish some work. This added friction can be frustrating to members and is disconnected from the pottery process.
4. Kiln Fire App
Our app, Kiln Fire is designed to make pottery studios and their members' lives easier. It gives a frictionless experience for managing kiln firing fees. Members can scan a QR code or visit a link on their mobile device to start using the web app for their firing fees. They can fill in a short description of their work, snap a photo using their phone camera, and enter the dimensions. The app only asks for their credit card once, and then keeps it on file for future pieces. It can be set to collect piece submissions and bill for them on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. It allows members to add glaze notes to each piece for their future reference. In addition, it helps with the communication process by sending emails when a new receipt is created, when a credit card fails, or when a staff member marks a piece with a firing issue.
5. Included in Membership
Some studios choose to not bill separately for firing fees and just include it into their class prices or membership fees. This can go smoothly, but always brings up questions if "how much is allowed?" when a particular potter is especially prolific in creating work. Many studios still have rules about how much each member can fire and some kind of overage charges if they need to fire additional pieces, so it often doesn't fully solve the problem.
Managing kiln firing fees is an essential aspect of sustaining a pottery studio's operations while supporting an artistic community. By calculating their kiln firing prices by volume, weight, or flat fees, pottery studios can generate revenue while accommodating the needs of potters at different levels. And by managing the fees through a clipboard, e-commerce form, Kiln Fire app, or including them in memberships they can keep track of pieces to be fired for members. It is crucial to establish a fee structure and communicate it clearly to members to ensure a smooth and transparent payment process. With a well thought through approach to kiln firing fees, pottery studios can thrive and continue to foster creativity and artistic expression.
