Julian Erickson-Watson’s love for pottery began during his senior year of college when he decided to enroll in a pottery class. Not knowing what would come of it, he chose to follow this passion to see where it would lead him. Eventually, Julian relocated to Maine, where he discovered the rich pottery community in Portland. Julian set out to put down roots by opening his very own pottery teaching studio. That’s when he turned to the SBDC!
Julian knew there was a market to pursue his dream but needed help navigating the legal, financial, and tax aspects of opening a business. He turned to long-time SBDC Business advisor Peter Harriman for assistance. Together, Peter and Julian worked on financial projections to ensure the feasibility of the business, eventually leading Julian to explore funding options through a private investor. As a non-traditional form of financing, Peter was there to help explain the different ways that private investments work. Leveraging a private investor was a good option for Julian’s business model and has allowed Julian flexibility in opening his business. They continued working together over the next 6 months to bring all the pieces of Julian’s business plans together.
Julian commented, “You don’t know what you don’t know, and SBDC’s advisors can not only answer your questions, but can help you with things you didn’t even know you needed to think about.”
In February of 2024, Julian officially opened his business, Handful Studios, on Forest Ave in Portland. He hopes to continue growing the pottery community in Maine and eventually add memberships, workshops, and masterclasses to his offerings.
To learn more about their current services and class schedule visit their website and Instagram pages.
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