This course focused on design and process for landscape in fused glass as Roger Thomas shares his techniques and philosophy of his Glass Paintings. Roger is known to students of glass for his varied and unusual glass fusing techniques with which he creates his art. During this class, students completed four landscape samples, as Roger discussed and demonstrated how he creates color, depth and translucency in his work.

Click here to see all of our classes.

Each week on the Ed Hoy’s International Facebook page we invite Fans to submit photos of their recent glass creations. We select one winner each week and feature that winner’s work and photo as our Facebook Cover Photo for the weekend! We also share the winners via Twitter and Pinterest.

While we only have room to select one winner each week, we wanted to share with you all of the beautiful glass entries we have received so far!

Be sure to “Like” our page and participate every Friday!

Being an entrepreneur is scary. There are huge risks, seemingly endless hours and a whole lot of uncertainty. However, owning your own glass business can also be incredibly rewarding and profitable if you’re willing to tough it out and face your fears head on.

Successful glass business owners consciously work at pushing past their fears and taking the calculated risks that can springboard them to where they want to be.

Check out this great advice from marketing leader, Seth Godin:

Every day, we make a thousand little compromises, avoid opportunities, actions and people–all so that we can stay away from the emotion of fear.

Note that I didn’t say, “so we can stay away from what we fear.” No, that’s something else entirely. Right now, most of us are avoiding the things that might merely trigger the emotion itself. That’s how distasteful it is to us.

The alternative? To dance with it. To seek out the interactions that will trigger the resistance and might make us uncomfortable.

Are we trying to avoid the unsafe? Or merely the feeling of being unsafe? Increasingly, these are completely different things.

Due to ‘enhanced security’ a recent bike event in New York City forbade the 30,000 riders from carrying hydration packs. No practical reason, just the desire to avoid fear.

The upcoming exam doesn’t get studied for, not because studying is risky, but because studying reminds us that there’s a test coming up.

We loudly keep track of all the failures of commission around us, but never mention the countless failures of omission, all the mistakes that were made by not being bold. To track those, to remind ourselves of the projects not launched or the investments not made is to encounter our fear of forward motion. (So much easier to count typos than it is to mention the paragraphs never written.)

There’s no other reason for not having a will, a health proxy, an insurance policy or an up to date checkup. Apparently, while it’s not risky to plan for our demise, it generates fear, which we associate with risk, and so we avoid it.

It’s simple: the fear that used to protect us is now our worst enemy.

Easier to avoid the fear than it is to benefit from living with it. I’ve heard the quote a thousand times but never really thought it through…

Hence the opportunity. If you do things that are safe but feel risky, you gain a significant advantage in the marketplace.

As a glass business owner you are not alone. At any point if you are feeling scared or need to bounce ideas off someone, we are here for you. Ed Hoy’s International understands your challenges and opportunities. We are here to help.

Glass customers don’t buy from a business simply because they have a great product or beautiful artwork. Customers will buy from you if they know you, like you, and trust you. One of the best ways to facilitate this with your customers is to actively engage in activities that build relationships with them. These can be face-to-face or through marketing tactics like social media.

Check out this thoughtful article from retail marketing geniuses, Kizer & Bender:

1. Become a 1%-er. Vow to be just one percent better each day and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish! That little one percent more will help you look at your store with fresh eyes, seeing opportunity where you’ve never seen it before. Your customers will notice – and so will your competition. Being a 1%-er requires focus and commitment.

2. Keep Your Eye On the Big Picture. Always keep one eye on the BIG picture – long range goals for you store. You need short term goals as well, but understand that to keep the future bright, you have to make future plans. Part of this planning involves keeping track of retail trends, keeping notebooks of things you’d like to do, floor moves you’d like to make, lines you’d like to sell, etc. When vendors visit your store, spend quality time with them, taking full advantage of his or her knowledge.

If you don’t have time to set goals or work on the big picture ask your team for help. When you turn over some of the day-to-day tasks to your associates, you’ll find extra time in your day. Don’t be afraid to delegate! Remember this African proverb: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The same goes for the goals you set. You can easily accomplish your goals by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable, easy-to-do steps. Plan your work, and then work your plan.

2. Know that the Customer’s Definition is the Only One that Counts. Every retailer has an opinion of their customer service and it’s usually better than what their customers think. But when it comes to service, the customer’s definition is the only one that counts.

Don’t assume you know what your customers are thinking. If they’re not happy they probably won’t tell you, they’ll just quietly go someplace to buy what you sell. If you don’t know how your guests define great service then you’re going to have to ask.

One day a month, station yourself near the front door and conduct Exit Interviews. Introduce yourself and ask customers if they found everything they were looking for. Ask about their in-store experience and their interaction with store associates. Ask if there are any classes or events they’d like to attend or product they wish you carried.

When a customer tells you something good, write it down! Use their positive quotes in social media posts, ads, bag stuffers, in-store signing, and on your website. A customer testimonial is instant credibility because it’s 10 – 20 times more believable than what you have to say about yourself.

…Visit the Kizer & Bender blog to continue reading this article.

Here’s to opening the windows and letting some fresh air in!

Not only is Spring sending us some refreshing weather, but within the art glass industry many fresh new products have hit our warehouse!

This edition of educate. lead. inspire. is loaded with new supplies, new glass and even new techniques for your business. And while this is exciting for future business, we hope you will also enjoy a peek into the history of a great glass craftsman – John Curran. We had the pleasure of visiting his studio and are happy to inspire you with his skills and stories.

On March 29th, our dear founder, Ed Hoy, passed away. We dedicate this issue to him and his relentless love of the art glass industry.

View Ed Hoy’s quarterly online.

Download the quarterly pdf file.

Continued Success,

Maria Moran
Director of Business Development

educate. lead. inspire.

As glass artists we need to start thinking about marketing in terms of building our assets. Consider shifting your mindset away from the quick sale or easy transaction and towards a more long-term, strategic focus.

Buying a work of art is truly a personal experience for the customer. The experience they have with your brand as an artist should be much different than the experience they have with their local butcher.

Check out this article from marketing genius Seth Godin about the importance of building assets in your glass business.

Where are your assets?

Do work and get paid once. Build an asset and get paid for as long as it lasts.

A retailer or a restaurant owner might work 18 hours a day–but the landlord makes just as much money from that effort, often more. The cheeseburger gets paid for once, but the rent bill comes every month.

Real estate is an obvious and simple form of asset. In 1928, my great grandfather traded his real estate assets for the sure thing of the stock market. The biggest difference between the rental houses he owned and the worthless stocks he bought was that the houses paid rent every month, while the stocks offered merely the promise of a later payoff.

Some of the assets you can build, not just buy:

Your brand. A brand isn’t a logo. It’s a promise and an expectation. When you overdeliver, you earn trust, trust that can bring you repeat business, access to new opportunities and the privilege of being able to count on your customers coming back. (Yes, it does hurt to ask).

Permission. The privilege of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to the people who want to get them. People who would miss you if you were gone.

Expertise. You might lose your job, but they can’t take away what you’ve learned. If all you’ve just done is what you’ve done before, you might get paid, but you didn’t earn an asset.

CONTINUE READING ON SETH’S BLOG

What assets surrounding your glass business and marketing are you working on building?

We are opening up our warehouse and letting qualified glass businesses come shop! This year, instead of limiting you to one day, we are offering our customers a week-long shopping extravaganza!

Each day offers exclusive glass deals and door prizes.

You must be present to receive these special savings and deals.

Visit our website to register today!

<Click photo to enlarge>

Our friends Kizer & Bender offer a simple tactic that can help you cement your customer relationships in your glass business. In today’s hyper-competitive business world, keeping customers close is critical to your success. Make no mistake, your competitors are utilizing strategies and tactics every day to romance their customers and steal yours away. Click here to learn more about this technique!

Contests are a great way for glass artists to engage with their audience and boost awareness for their work, all while instilling an atmosphere of fun! The best contests are often the most simple and straightforward. We recently saw a simple, yet genius contest idea from glass artist Helen Kemp that we had to share!

In her eblast to customers and prospects, glass artist Helen Kemp enticed prospective customers to look through her work displayed on Etsy by asking them to count how many “hearts” could be found in her Etsy shop! Participants were forced to look through all of her beautiful creations in order to count the hearts. She instructed participants to email her with the correct number and from the correct entries she would draw one to win a beautiful Disc Bead Necklace.

What a fabulous idea! Helen is using resources she already has (a great Etsy shop and an email list) to maximize her visibility and awareness! The more eyeballs you have on your work, the higher your sales will be.

How could you apply the same principle or some variation of it to your glass business? The possibilities are endless.

The age old saying that “the customer is always right” is even more spot-on than ever before. While you may not always agree with or like what the customer has to say, you have to treat them like they are always right and try your best to please them.

So why is this more true now than ever before?

Consumers have never had more power than they do right now. Social media and the digital world in which we live acts as a megaphone for consumers. The playing field has been leveled and all consumers have instant outlets to voice their opinions – both good and bad – at any time they wish.

Give a customer a stellar experience, they will turn around and rave about you to their friends and family – online. Give a customer a negative experience, and watch out. Many consumers find that sharing their negative experience about a business online as gratifying and a means to get what they want.

Consumers are greatly influenced by the people they know. They like and value the opinions of their peers far more than anything else.

90% of consumers trust peer recommendations. Only 14% of consumers trust advertisements.

So what can you do to make sure people are raving, not complaining, about you online?

Build Raving Fans: Do whatever you can to make your customers happy. Go above and beyond, always. While your customers don’t expect you to be perfect, they do expect you to deliver on what you promise and then some.

Be Active Online: People are going to talk about your business – both good things and bad things. Isn’t it better to be a part of the conversation than left in the dark? If you haven’t already done so, set your business up on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Yelp, and Foursquare. Also setup free Google Alerts so you can get an email every time someone posts your name or business name.

Take Negative Conversations Offline: Negative experiences will happen. It’s a part of life. If someone makes a comment about a negative experience they had with your business online, encourage them to call you, email you, or talk to you in person to minimize the negative exposure.

Be Transparent: If you are in the wrong, admit it. Be honest. Transparency and authenticity go a long way online and in business.

(Photo Credit: Inc Magazine)