Dublin City Enterprise News Talks To: Roger Bennett
To mark 2011 Year of Craft, we chat to one of the craftspeople involved in ‘Designer Dublin’ in June, Roger Bennett, a Woodturner based in Dublin 6 West.
Roger has been woodturning since 1992 and he has been featured in many exhibitions and craft shows With an obvious passion for design, Roger believes that being flexible and creative has allowed him to stay competitive in these tough economic times.
About Roger Bennett....
Roger was a teacher of English and French. In 1992 – during what was intended to be a one-year sabbatical - he discovered Woodturning. Since 1995, he has been a full-time Woodturner, designing and making a distinctive range of vessels, wall-pieces and jewellery which are coloured and inlaid with silver.
How did your craft business get up and running?
I am mostly self-taught. I began with a series of excellent evening classes, then bought basic equipment and set up my own studio. Once I was reasonably proficient, I began to try selling my work. The Blackrock Market was a marvellous first outlet: every week I could try out new pieces and fine-tune my pricing, and get instant feed-back. That gave me the confidence to take the next step and approach shops and galleries.
Did you get any assistance or advice in the beginning from family, friends and state support agencies?
I could never have started without the encouragement and practical help of my family, especially my wife – after all I was giving up a secure job in a wonderful school.
The Crafts Council of Ireland played a vital role in my transition. In 1994-5 I was a participant in Kilkenny on the CCOI’s Craft and Design Business Development Course. There were nine of us on the course, all with ambitions to set up in business. We each had our own studio space; we were paid a basic living allowance; we were mentored by established makers/business people (my mentor was the furniture-maker Clive Nunn); we had regular sessions on topics such as book-keeping, accountancy, marketing; we exhibited at Showcase Ireland.
I owe a lot to the Dublin City Enterprise Board. I have always found the staff to be very supportive, and exceptionally approachable. They have helped me greatly with overseas sales, in particular with export grants. And right now they are very proactive in developing an exciting new Dublin craft initiative, to mark 2011 as the 'Year of Craft'.
What valuable lessons about running a business have you learned along the way?
In running a crafts business, it is very important to have a range of outlets and different types of sales pathways.
It is vital to try to foster good personal relationships with shops and galleries and with customers.
Regular brainstorming is essential – it is very easy to get into a rut, especially if you are working on your own.
Upside/Downside to being the boss?
I love being my own boss! I am passionate about what I do and make, and I enjoy the freedom and autonomy. If I were still a teacher I would probably be counting down the years to retirement, whereas now I want to keep working until my body wears out.
The down side is that it can be difficult to switch off – I regularly find myself working until very late at night.
...in 5 years’ time?
My work is constantly evolving, and I have a lot of ideas and designs which I hope to bring to fruition in the next few years. In particular, I intend to develop my jewellery range in new directions.
I hope that I can raise my profile further, especially overseas, and thereby increase my sales. I have recently returned from exhibiting at a major craft fair in Boston; I have a solo show in a fine art gallery in Edinburgh in May; the Ulster Museum has just purchased one of my pieces for their collection.
Do you have any advice you can give to someone wanting to start a business for the first time?
Get as much advice as you can, listen to everybody – especially customers or potential customers!
What businessperson or business in Ireland do you admire, and why?
There are a number of craftspeople whose work I admire greatly, and whose businesses are well established – people such as Woodturners Glenn Lucas and Liam Flynn, Silversmiths Kevin O’Dwyer and Séamus Gill, Jeweller Geraldine Murphy...
...and the last word?
I believe that craftspeople are surprisingly well placed to withstand an economic downturn.
Our businesses are generally small, which means that our overheads are relatively low, and we are very flexible. And in the aftermath of the boom years, more and more people are coming to appreciate the major contribution which the creative sector makes to society: socially, spiritually, and not least commercially.
Our thanks to Roger for taking part in our interview. For more information about his work, please visit: www.rogerbennettwoodturner.com , or call (01) 4922224 or e-mail: parkbenn@gmail.com .
During the month of June, Dublin City Enterprise Board is organising ‘Designer Dublin’ as part of the Year of Craft 2011, a celebration of craft. There will be exhibitions and interactive talks with experienced and successful designers. Further information on www.designerdublin.ie