Small pottery classes from a home studio

Adults looking for a creative hobby, friends booking a group session, and parents paying for children's classes or holiday workshops.

Fee per person per session or for a block of weeks, with clay, glazes and firing often included or charged as extras.

• Confident hand-building and glazing
• Patient, clear teaching
• Organising bookings and class plans

• Check with your council whether you need planning permission to run classes from home
• Check your landlord, mortgage lender and home insurance allow business use
• Public liability insurance, plus cover for your kiln and equipment
• Kiln safety: ventilation, fire risk and electrical load, so get a qualified electrician to check
• If you teach under-18s, check what safeguarding and DBS arrangements are appropriate
• Clay dust is a health risk, so use wet cleaning methods rather than sweeping

Startup costs are estimated at typically around £1,500 to £6,000, depending on your kiln, tools, clay and how much conversion your space needs. Remember to budget for public liability insurance and cover for your kiln and equipment.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £400 to £2,000, depending on how many classes you run, group sizes and whether you add one-off sessions or holiday workshops. These figures are estimates, not guaranteed income.

Check with your council whether you need planning permission, and check that your landlord, mortgage lender and home insurance allow business use. Also check kiln safety, including ventilation, fire risk and electrical load, with a qualified electrician.