Website Update and Upcoming Events

Wow what a year so far, and its only in the second month. Ceramic Notions Inc. is in the process of developing a new look for the website and online store. We will list our catalog and update our calendar more often. We are also including a customer sign in to check receipt numbers to show if your project is fired and ready for pickup. Stay tuned and check back often.

We are going through an explosion of growth. We are expanding to a mobile outlet that is taking us into the communtiy to serve with our pottery and ceramics. We are booking more social events and parties and visiting assisted living communities. We contiue to offer the best service, at the lowest price.

Check out our new Parents Night Out Deal! Drop off your child for 4 hours of painting, pizza, and entertainment for $25.00 all inclusive. Call for more information 678-373-3687.

God is Good All the Time God is Good!

BJ

Gear up for the holiday season with ceramics

Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen;

In less than thirty days I will be back from Iraq, and back to serve you at Ceramic Notions. I like to take this time to thank all of our customers for supporting us during this period of my absence. I would further like to request your continued support by ordering a 16 inch tall ceramic Christmas Tree. For every order, 25% of profits will be donated to Soldier's Angels who provide an array of support for soldiers and their families. To find out more of what they do visit http://www.soldiersangels.org/

The holiday season and gift buying days are approaching fast. I would like you to consider the option of a homemade ceramic gift verses buying cheap imports. If you prefer you can make a ceramic gift yourself or have something custom made. A true gift from heart is something purposely made with that special someone in mind. With our country in economic stress now is the time to band together as a community, and for you to support your local small business in order send a message to the large corporations that want you to buy imported gifts as they send more jobs overseas. Now is the time for small businesses to serve their community on the front line. What better way to get back to the basics where the majority of products where created in the home and traded among neighbors than to support your local craftsman. This is the tradition of the small business and especially craft businesses such as Ceramic Notions.

Furthermore, I realize the stress level of the common working family is rising. As financial matters impact us all Ceramic Notions would like to express that we are here to serve you. The ceramic process is therapeutic and our social environment helps to relieve the tension. Sometimes you just need someone to listen so you can hear yourself think out loud without someone trying to solve your problems. We all need someone to pray with, encourage us and bare our burdens with us. As members of Christ we are call to love our neighbors in this manner. Ceramic Notions' studio is a great place to experience this. If you want to create a project and simply focus your entire thoughts on it, great. We are here to serve. Come in, make a mess, and we will do the clean up. If you want to talk we are here to listen too. I urge all of you to test your creative ability with ceramics. We can show you the basics and help guide you along the way. This holiday season create a gift for your love ones, while taking care of your health. You might even have fun doing it! Until we meet again I leave you with this thought..."A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

-CEO, Ceramic Notions Inc.

Update from a far Aug 30, 2008

Hello all, I must apologize for not keeping up with posting. As part of the Army Reserves I have been deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I am due back in the states in November.

To update everyone on the studio, well where do I begin! For starts, we are still operating and have a small loyal customer base. We are not without our challenges though. Having been removed so far from the company and transitioning my duties to my family members I recognize several mistakes I have made. I have rushed to open the door underfunded and with low cash flow. As you know, this is detrimental to young companies. I fell into the trap with my own blindness. The second mistake I have made is not emphasizing marketing. I have not executed an advertising campaign and now must do so with a small budget. I have several projects in the works yet I am stalled due to lack of resources. I have attempted to secure funding from the SBA without success and find my debt to income ratio high and personal credit too low to be able to secure traditional financing to further growth. Even though we accept credit card sales we do not average enough for a merchant loan. We are a small family business and do not rate for a large quick return for angel or venture capital. Does anyone else have any other suggestions I could try? I fear if I do not raise capital within the next two months that when I return I will not be able to sustain and keep the doors open. Any support or guidance would be appreciated. Enough for the drama.

We have recently received 100 molds and another pouring table. This will add to our 2400 molds in current stock. We are launching new project bundles with paint brushes, pallets, water cups, tip sheets, free gifts and a parent partnership lesson for kids. We are also excited to be offering our catalog online in the fist quarter of 2009 for ordering an planning your event. We will also have a few other gold nuggets on the site so stay tuned to ceramicnotions.com for the upcoming changes.

Are you ready for the holiday season? We have a large array of Christmas and Halloween products to include 6 inch to 36 inch Christmas Trees, large Jack-O-lanterns and several ornate candy dishes. Just contact us to find out more!

Founder and CEO
RJR

Update

I can not believe how time flies! Summer is over and school is back in session. The studio is up and operating. With a loan from Prosper.com community we have been able to open our doors and conduct business. Things are building slowly which can be a blessing and a curse. With things slow we are able to evaluate our situation and maintain a high level of quality for our service and products. However, cashflow and working capital is a problem we are facing. Which are the two biggest reasons businesses fail. I am confident that as we approach the fall and winter seasons we will be in a better position at the first of the year. I shall be better at updating this blog now that I am in a more routine schedule. Private investors wanted.

Founder
RJR

Update Feb. 16, 2007

I am currently in negotiations for retail space. I am using family and credit cards to finance my business. I am attempting to establish business credit. I have applied for a D&B number and received my EIN. I am planning to convert my business to a LLC and I am starting to order my opening inventory and space build out construction material. Anyone who wishes to invest or contribute to my company, please contact me I would love to consider private investors for equity or loans.

Jan 27, 2007 Update

Todate I have started establishing business credit. I have contacted a SCORE mentor, applied for a DUNS number, applied for a Capital One Mastercard. I have been turned down by BB&T small business loan center. I started negotiations with a landlord for retail space, however my financials are not perfect and therefore I am unable to proceed.

There is so much information on web but it is difficult to see what will help and what will not. I had a company call me to offer to build my business credit for $999.00 in three installments. Even D&B wants $547.00 to help me manage my business credit. I did find one company Businessfinace.com that is offering a coach and will help build my business credit for $247.00; but how do I know this is not a scam? I am also looking into companies that offer merchant loans on credit card transactions. Any thoughts anyone?

Intro

Welcome to Ceramic Notions a studio and handcrafted gift shop where a visit to an old country home ambiance is created which will incite memories of your childhood farm house, or The Andy Griffith Show. Ceramic Notions was inspired by my parents and my grandparents home where the house always smelled of fresh bake cookies and pies, where the front porch morning coffee always ended at night on the back porch with neighbors, co-workers, and church brothers and sisters socializing and smoking pipes.

Ceramic Notions is currently held as a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Robert J. Riffle with the support of friends and family. Located in Lawrenceville, Georgia we have stimulated interest in our manufactured, hand-painted ceramic housewares, gift and collectibles. We have tested our products in the market place and found 20% of our customers requested a studio to return back to a craft they once enjoyed or a family member once participated in.

We are seeking a capital infusion of $100, 000.00 for first year operating cost and startup. We believe we can sustain an average monthly revenue of $10,000.00. Because we manufacture our products in house; we are ready to accept our first customer within one month from funding. We have chosen Gwinnett County, located in the Metro Atlanta Area in Georgia because the demographics meet our target market with the income levels of the residents able to create our market share of the craft industry and for us to achieve our goals.

Our market and sale strategy compliment each other. We will launch an advertising campaign to include radio, news paper, local flyers, signage, and location to inform and invite the community to our studio country home. We will aggressively seek a variety of hand crafted projects for consignment contracts from individuals as well as form client contracts with local commercial business that also compliment our products. Such companies will include florist shops, and pet stores, day cares, and senior homes.

Together with our finished product, our "Front Porch" studio, our social corner "Back Porch", consignment contracts, commercial contracts, and Internet sales we will maximize our revenue streams and capitalize our profits.