Handblown glassware studio

Restaurants, bars and cafés wanting distinctive tableware, independent gift and home shops, wholesalers, and design-minded households.

Wholesale sales of repeat sets to shops and venues, plus higher-priced retail sales at craft markets and online. Consistent, repeatable pieces matter more than one-offs.

• Glassblowing technique and consistency
• Product design for everyday use
• Costing and pricing handmade goods
• Pitching to shops and venues

• Zoning, fire code and building permits for a furnace and gas or propane supply; check with your municipality and provincial technical safety authority
• Ventilation, heat, eye protection and burn safety, plus workplace insurance (WCB/WSIB) if you hire
• Furnaces use a lot of energy, so check running costs against your prices
• Check Health Canada rules on lead and cadmium in glassware used for food and drink, especially for decorated pieces
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $15,000 to $75,000, depending on whether you rent time at a shared hot shop or buy your own furnace and equipment. Furnaces use a lot of energy, so check running costs against your prices.

Check zoning, fire code and building permits for a furnace and gas or propane supply with your municipality and provincial technical safety authority. Also check Health Canada rules on lead and cadmium in glassware for food and drink, plus liability insurance.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many pieces you make and which customers you supply. The estimate assumes at least about 20 hours a week at the studio.