Creek Road Pottery LLC

Pottery Cost Analysis App

Pottery Cost Analysis App

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Pottery Cost Analysis App – Complete User Guide

This app was created to help potters understand the true costs behind every piece of work and run profitable pottery businesses. Each section focuses on one part of the complete pottery workflow, from initial pricing to kiln planning to international shipping.

Quick Start

  • 2-minute pricing: Get wholesale and retail prices for any piece quickly
  • Form presets: Choose from 100+ pottery forms with clay weights and glaze amounts
  • Smart defaults: Sensible starting values for clay, energy, and labor costs
  • Confidence scoring: Visual feedback on estimate reliability
  • Easy navigation: Direct links to detailed tabs for customization

Per Unit Analysis

  • Unified form management: One database for clay weights, glaze amounts, timing data, and kiln info
  • Form presets: Choose from extensive library or create custom forms
  • Clay costing: Bag prices, yield calculations, and shrink rate helpers
  • Advanced shrink tools: Wet-to-fired calculations, lid remake helper with gallery height
  • Glaze integration: Connect to recipe tab or manual glaze costing
  • Project materials: Add one-time costs (handles, corks, special glazes)
  • Shows complete per-piece cost breakdown

Glaze Recipe Calculator

  • Material catalog: Searchable database of 50+ common ceramic materials
  • Recipe calculator: Percentage-based glaze formulas with cost tracking
  • Batch scaling: Convert between grams, ounces, and pounds
  • Per-piece costing: Exact glaze cost for any quantity per piece
  • Cost analysis: See material costs, batch totals, and per-gram pricing

Energy Cost Analysis

  • Multiple fuel types: Electric, propane, natural gas, and wood firing
  • Real usage data: Based on actual potter energy consumption
  • Firing cost breakdown: Bisque, glaze, and third firings
  • Kiln efficiency: Calculate cost per piece for different firing methods
  • Fuel comparison: Compare energy costs across different kiln types

Production Planning

  • Order timeline: Realistic delivery estimates with hands-on time and kiln schedules
  • Form integration: Uses unified form database with timing data
  • Kiln scheduling: Accounts for drying, firing, and cooling times
  • Cost estimation: Labor and material costs for complete orders
  • Direct integration: “Use in cost calculator” button applies data to pricing tabs

Kiln Load Planner

  • Visual kiln loading: Plan shelf-by-shelf with capacity tracking
  • Bisque vs glaze modes: Different packing rules and guidance
  • Dynamic shelves: Add/remove shelves for any kiln size (wood, electric, gas)
  • Cost optimization: Real energy cost per piece for actual mixed loads
  • Efficiency feedback: Visual utilization and packing optimization
  • Load summary: Total pieces, energy costs, and firing time estimates

Labor and Overhead

  • Time tracking: Hours per piece with realistic labor rates
  • Overhead allocation: Monthly expenses divided by production volume
  • Cost per piece: Accurate labor and overhead calculations

Professional Pricing

  • Professional margins: 2x2x2 rule or custom wholesale margins
  • Market pricing: Wholesale, retail, and distributor price points
  • Profit analysis: Clear cost vs. selling price breakdowns

Save and Load Settings

  • Complete backup: Download all settings, forms, and recipes as JSON
  • Easy restore: Upload saved settings to restore your complete setup
  • Form management: Export/import unified forms database as CSV
  • Backward compatibility: Automatically migrates old saved files

Shipping and Tariffs

  • Domestic shipping: U.S. zones, dimensional weight, insurance calculations
  • International selling: Customs values, tariffs, VAT, and brokerage fees
  • Pottery-specific: Fragile item considerations and real shipping costs
  • Landed cost: Complete cost to deliver pottery internationally

Business Reports

  • Quick summary: All costs and pricing in one view
  • Cost breakdown: Material, energy, labor, and overhead details
  • Pricing overview: Wholesale, retail, and distributor prices
  • Export ready: Complete cost analysis for record-keeping

Key Features

Unified Form System: One database stores clay weights, glaze amounts, timing data, and kiln info. Enter once, use everywhere.

Real-Time Integration: Production Planning connects to Cost Calculator. Kiln Load Planner calculates actual energy costs.

Complete Business Tool: From raw clay costs to international shipping – everything needed to run a profitable pottery business.

Data Persistence: Save and restore complete setups. Never lose your custom forms, recipes, or cost data.

Potter-Focused: Built by potters, for potters. Every feature addresses real studio workflows and business needs.

About the Creator

This comprehensive pottery business tool was created with gratitude for the pottery community, generosity in sharing knowledge, and empathy for the challenges of running a creative business.

Your privacy is protected – all data stays in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere else.

Perfect for professional potters, studio artists, ceramic teachers, and anyone who wants to turn their pottery passion into profit.

Created by Alford Wayman
Artist and Owner
Creek Road Pottery LLC

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