Owners: Friends Leanne Norby of Mill Creek, 38, and Sheridan Haroian, 35, of Lynnwood opened Kids ‘N’ Clay, an airy, brightly-colored 1,800-square-foot pottery studio in Lynnwood last June. Norby and Haroian, both mothers of two boys, wanted a kid-centered business. They researched different types of franchises for a year before deciding on Kids ‘N’ Clay, based in California. The franchise cost about $130,000, and the owners expect to begin turning a profit in the next several months.
What: A pottery studio for kids ages 3 to 18. Kids can sign up for a series of classes or drop in. The studio offers summer camps and special programs for schools and day care centers. They bring art classes to schools too. Prices vary. A monthly memberships cost $90 for wet clay classes.
Throwing and pinching: The studio features eight electric pottery wheels for throwing wet clay and several tables for hand-building creations such as pinch pots, and a glazing area. A separate room is devoted for painting fired bisque ceramics. In the back, pottery is fired in three kilns. Instructors teach skills, but kids are free to create whatever they wish. Embellished masks are a favorite project.
Birthday bonanza: In the summer, the camp sessions were a hit but when school started, business waned and birthday parties now make up about half of their business, the owners said. The studio offers two-hour paint-your-own-ceramic parties or wet clay parties, which includes instruction on the wheel and the hand-building table. The cost: $250 for 10 guests.
Employees: Six part-time employees, all with a background in art.
Left brain, right brain: Norby and Haroian said they never would have attempted this business alone. The two bring different skill sets: Norby is a former graphic designer and an artist, while Haroian has worked in accounting. Both job share, splitting hours in the studio and swapping weekends. Still, they both put in 40 hours a week or more, and they said supportive husbands at home have helped.
Challenges: The biggest is getting their business noticed by parents. They’ve purchased print ads in parenting magazines and are building a list of customers’ e-mails so they can send newsletters. They also set up a tent at fairs, and allow kids to work with the clay and later bring it into the studio for firing for free.
Quotable: “This is as much about learning techniques as it is about exposing kids to an experience,” said Norby. “We provide the space for kids to get dirty.”
Contact: 19125 33rd Ave. W, Lynnwood; 425-673-2529; www.kidsnclay.com/lynnwood.
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