I have gotten some great feedback on the website and the annual report, and I thank you for taking the time to send me emails with your thoughts. We want to make this website user friendly and continue to add new information that everyone can use.

The CCSA Today Summer Edition should mail on or before May 4th and this is a great issue. We have some incredible volunteers that work on the magazine and for this edition we had some guest writers, as well. So start checking your mail for the magazine around May 11th or later.

If you have not signed up for the Midwest or International Regional it is NOT too late. Both of these events are going to be one to remember. The suppliers have gone all out with projects and donated items for the goody bags. You will leave these events with great projects that you can implement in your studio immediately and business classes to help you grow your business. It is a great time to talk with other studio owners one-on-one and share ideas.

This newsletter is packed full of information so please make sure you read all the articles so you are up to date with all the changes and activity within the CCSA. 

Dena Pearlman

Executive Director

CCSAONLINE.COM has a new look.  That's right, we have completely revamped our website.  Allof the great information from our old site  is still there, sobe sure to check out the technical, marketing and studio operations tabs - you never know what little gem you may have forgotten about. There are some great new aspects to the website as well - an online store, online convention sign-up and a new studio locator, just to name a few.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to take you through the entire site in the small amount of space available here, but let's hit the highlights.

So, you're on the new site - what do you do first?  Start by going to the Membership tab, then select Manage My Membership to edit your profile.  The data provided in the My Profile section is where the Studio Locator will draw its information.  You will want to upload a picture (size: 160px²) that represents your company because this will be displayed when a customer searches the studio locator.  Next, select Edit Profile - if you haven't already, go ahead and edit your password.  Look through all the details make sure everything is correct. Anything you don't want displayed can be hidden by clicking on the "Private" check box to the left of the line you want to hide - just don't click the very top box on the "Hide Profile from Search Results" or your studio will not show up on the locator.  One of the benefits of the new site is that YOU have complete control of the information that is displayed for your company on the studio locator.  For more detailed information regarding the studio locator and profile items, as well as information on the Chat Forum Profile, check out this topic in the new chat forum:  http://www.ccsaonline.com/index.php?option=com_ccboard&view=postlist&forum=36&topic=55&Itemid=

Another benefit of the new site is the ability to perform various online orders and registrations any time of the day or night.  Visit the Online Store tab to order cd's, dvd's, custom marketing materials, etc. Renew your membership on the My Profile page. And, best of all, sign up for regionals and convention through the Convention/Events tab.  When you sign up for convention you are not just placing your order to attend convention, you are now going to be able to select the pre-con and convention classes you will attend.  Gone are the days of standing in line at convention to get tickets to attend a class.

The new Chat forum is now more fully integrated with the website and the link for it can be found in the Community tab.  The format is similar but does have some differences from what you are used to.  You will notice there are many new Forums to help better organize the posts that are created - already 50 new threads have been created.  Some features of the new chatter:

• Board Index - this will take you to the main chat page
• Latest Posts - clicking here will bring up the most recent 25 posts that have been created.  This is different from old chatter's New Posts which brought up all the threads that changed since you last logged in.  To ensure you don't miss a new thread/post, it is best if you went through the various forums.
• Forum Profile - this is where you can enter your location and add a custom signature that will appear below all your posts. 
• My Posts - just like it says, here you'll find all the posts you have made on chat.
• Pending Posts - this is not used and is simply a default setting with the program.  Our organization does not require posts to receive approval before being submitted. 

The entering of Topics & Posts isn't too different from old chatter, but there are a few things I'd like to point out.  Replying to a post can either be done as a Quick Reply (a box found after the last post in that thread) which does not give you any formatting capabilities. You can also click on the Post Reply button, which gives you full formatting options as well as being able to attach a file and post a comment about that file.  Another option you have is to Subscribe &/or Favorite the Topic. 

If you're wondering what happened to the old Chatter & Gallery, they haven't gone far.  We are working as quickly as possible to get those items archived so you will be able to search that wealth of knowledge. Be sure to keep your old Chatter login & password information.

Finally, a couple quick notes about the Manage My Membership area.  The My Community sub-tab is where you can find the new Gallery - New Photos.  Select the View All Photos to see the albums that have been created by users.  The My Profile tab will show you your connections (similar to your friends list on Facebook), allow you to create Circles (similar to Google+) and is where you can edit your Contact Preferences to control which emails you receive.  The Connections tab is where you can search for members either through Browse Dictionary or Advanced Search allowing you to add members to your connections (i.e. friends list).  My Features tab is where you create your albums and upload your pictures.  And the Inbox tab is where you send and receive private messages.

We hope you enjoy the new website and spend some time getting used to it.  We are hoping to run a webinar in the near future to go over the site in more depth and answer your questions.  In the meantime, if you have any problems or questions, please check the new chat to see if your question has been asked & answered. If you don't see it there, post it and we will get you the answer as quickly as possible.

Thanks, and happy chatting!

Do you have a passion for the Paint Your Own Pottery industry?

Do you have time to commit to an organization
that helps PYOP studios succeed?

Do you play well with others who may not have the same views as you?

Are you full of wonderful ideas that are waiting to burst and come to life?

Can you be a positive role model for other studios to learn from?

Are you invested in the future of our industry and organization?

If you answered YES to any of these questions and qualify according to our CCSA Bylaws, then WE WANT YOU!

You couldn't go to convention?  Now you can purchase the Technique and Business Class handouts on CD.  The disc will include information on everything from our professional HR speaker to painting techniques! 

Cost: $60 plus $5 shipping. 

These aprons are great for any studio.                 

They have adjustable neck straps and will look

great on your staff.

Order Online Today!

You know what they are, it's when someone tells you something and you wonder why you hadn't thought of it earlier.  These video clips will be informal but informative.  Our goal is to send an Ah-Ha Moment with each month-end newsletter.  If you have an idea for an Ah-Ha Moment and would like to contribute, or if you'd like to request a topic for a video, please contact Dena Pearlman at  dena@ccsaonline.com.  We will try to keep these 2 minutes and under because we know your time is limited throughout the day.  This is just another way for the CCSA to help make your life as a studio owner easier.               

Kiln room storage

Special thanks to Katie Yallaly and her staff @ Doing Dishes 

in Jacksonville, FL for this AH-HA Moment!