Start & Run a Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio Book

Introduction xvii
1 Is This Business Right for You? 1
1. You Must Have Motivation 2
2. You Must Have Thick Skin 3
3. The Importance of Connections in the Industry 3
4. Be Prepared Financially 4
5. Have a Support System 4
2 Finding a Good Location 5
1. Research the Market 6
2. Things to Consider When Choosing a Location 6
2.1 Proximity to the competition 7
2.2 Consider your clientele 7
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vi Start & run a tattoo & body piercing studio
2.3 Availability of parking and transportation 7
2.4 Zoning regulations 7
2.5 Health and safety regulations 8
3. Negotiating a Commercial Lease 8
4. Pros and Cons of Buying an Established Tattoo and Piercing Studio 9
3 Develop a Business Plan 13
1. Reasons to Create a Business Plan 13
2. What Goes into a Business Plan 14
2.1 Executive summary 14
2.2 Mission and vision statements 15
2.3 History and background 15
2.4 Description of your business 16
2.5 Company values 16
2.6 Operations and employees 16
2.7 Market research 17
2.8 Sales and marketing strategy 18
2.9 Financial Plan 18
2.10 Forecasts and projections 25
3. Revisit Your Business Plan 25
4 Setting up Your Business Structure and Finances 27
1. Setting up Your Business Structure 27
1.1 Sole proprietorship 28
1.2 Partnership 28
1.3 US limited liability company (LLC) 30
1.4 US C corporation 31
1.5 Incorporation in Canada 31
2. How to Finance Your Studio 32
2.1 Loans from financial institutions 32
2.2 Personal lenders 33
3.3 Investors 34
Contents vii
5 Creating the Business 35
1. Choosing Your Business Name 35
1.1 Filing a fictitious business name 36
2. Seller’s Permit 37
3. Employer Identification Number or Business Number 37
4. Taxes 38
5. Open a Business Bank Account 38
6. Insurance 38
6.1 Body art and liability insurance 38
6.2 Property and contents insurance 39
6.3 Disability insurance 39
7. Licenses and Certification 39
7.1 Business license 39
7.2 Artist certification 40
6 General Laws, Regulations, and Health Regulations for
Tattoo Studios 41
1. Studio Regulations 42
2. Artist Regulations 42
3. Regulations for Serving Clients 43
4. Other Rules 43
5. Health Inspections and Regulations 44
5.1 Health permit 44
5.2 Spore testing 45
7 Setting up Your Studio 47
1. Renovations 47
2. Signage 48
3. Payment Methods 49
3.1 Credit and debit card machines 50
3.2 Payments to suppliers 50
viii Start & run a tattoo & body piercing studio
4. Equipment and Supplies 50
4.1 Medical equipment 51
4.2 Tattoo equipment 51
4.3 Piercing equipment 51
4.4 Sterilization equipment 51
4.5 Calculating your equipment budget 51
4.6 Pigments and inks 52
4.7 Bandages 53
4.8 Office equipment, furniture, and supplies 53
5. Jewelry 54
6. Temperature and Lighting 54
8 Marketing and A dvertising 55
1. Pricing Your Products and Services 55
2. Branding Your Business 56
3. Business Cards and Flyers 56
4. Creating a Buzz Online 57
4.1 Social media 57
4.2 Blogging 57
4.3 Website 58
5. Ways to Advertise Your Studio 60
5.1 Advertising through community and charity events 60
5.2 Co-advertise with other businesses 61
5.3 Client referrals and word-of-mouth advertising 61
5.4 Advertising in newspapers and magazines 61
5.5 Speaking engagements 62
5.6 Newsletters 63
6. Attend Tattoo Conventions 63
7. Promotional Merchandise 64
8. Recognition of Your Artists’ Work 64
9 Hiring Tattoo Artists 65
1. Hiring and Interviewing Tattoo Artists 65
1.1 Where to find great artists 66
Contents ix
1.2 Interviewing artists 66
1.3 References and background checks 68
2. Training Tattoo Apprentices 68
3. Artist and Apprentice Contracts 69
3.1 Covenants of the studio 69
3.2 Covenants of the artist 69
3.3 Covenants of the trainer 69
3.4 Covenants of the apprentice 70
3.5 General provisions 70
3.6 Signing the contract 70
4. How to Pay Your Artists 70
5. When an Artist Leaves 77
10 Hiring Body Piercers 79
1. Hiring and Interviewing Body Piercers 79
1.1 How to find great piercers 79
1.2 Interviewing piercers 80
1.3 References and background checks for piercers 81
2. Training Piercing Apprentices 81
3. Body Piercer and Apprentice Contracts 82
3.1 Covenants of the studio 82
3.2 Covenants of the piercer 83
3.3 Covenants of the piercing trainer 83
3.4 Covenants of the piercing apprentice 83
3.5 General provisions 84
3.6 Signing the contract 84
4. How to Pay Your Piercers 84
5. Dermal Anchoring, Surface Piercings, Stretching, and Suspension Piercings 84
5.1 Dermal anchoring 88
5.2 Surface piercings 88
5.3 Stretching 88
5.4 Suspension piercings 89
x Start & run a tattoo & body piercing studio
11 Dealing with Employees 91
1. Hiring a Front-Desk Employee 91
2. Aspire to Keep Your Staff Happy 92
3. Dealing with Staff Problems 93
3.1 Harassment 94
3.2 Employee accountability 94
3.3 Employee theft 94
3.4 Firing employees 95
12 Studio Policies 97
1. Age Restrictions for Tattooing and Piercing 97
2. Employee Policies 98
3. Dealing with the Theft of Artwork 99
4. Consultations 99
5. Touch-ups and Follow-ups 100
6. Fixing Another Tattoo Artist’s Work 101
7. Portfolios 101
8. Restrictions 101
9. Dealing with Last-Minute Cancellations 102
10. Creating Aftercare Instructions for Clients 102
11. How to Schedule Appointments 103
12. Set up a Cleaning Schedule 103
13. Cleaning and Decontamination of Workstations and Tools 107
13 Dealing with Clients 109
1. Providing Quality Customer Service 109
2. Clients Who Are Unhappy with the Work 110
3. What to Do If a Client Arrives Intoxicated and Violent or Abusive 111
4. Liability Waiver Forms 112
14 Final Considerations 117
1. Things to Consider before Expanding Your Business 117
1.1 Moving to a new location 118
2. Succession Planning 118
3. Trying New Things — Keeping up with Industry Changes 119
Contents xi
Samples
1 Cost Analysis for Advertising and Promotions 19
2 Income Statement 21
3 Cash-Flow Projection 23
4 Balance Sheet 24
5 Start-up Costs 26
6 Tattoo Artist Employment Agreement 71
7 Tattoo Artist Apprenticeship Agreement 74
8 Body Piercer Apprenticeship Agreement 85
9 Tattoo Aftercare Instructions 104
10 Piercing Aftercare Instructions 105
11 Consent to Application of Tattoo Waiver/Release Form 113
12 Consent to Body Piercing Procedure Waiver/Release Form 115
Worksheet
1 Questions to Ask before Buying an Established Studio 10