Image courtesy Tattooing 101
The tattooing industry is an exciting one to get into, combining art, fashion, and technical skill.
At their most basic level, tattoo businesses are just like other shops or studios. You need a properly zoned location, you need to register your business, and you need to do both online and offline marketing to bring in customers.
However, there are a few extra considerations that are specific to the tattooing industry that you’ll want to keep in mind.
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1. There are Health Considerations Most Other Businesses Don’t Have
Tattoos are considered an “open wound.” Because the tattoo artist is breaking the skin, avoiding anything that could cause the spread of bloodborne pathogens is imperative. All tattoo artists need to go through OSHA-standard Bloodborne Pathogens Training and understand how to properly sterilize equipment using medical-grade cleaners like Madacide and Cavicide.
This is why renovated dentist offices are actually one of the best options for a tattoo studio. Most of them have individual stations with sinks, which is an important part of the health inspection in most states. Additionally, tattoo studios require a back room for the supplies and an autoclave, which is a space all dental offices will have.
To ensure you’re following all health regulations, your local health department will send a representative to ensure you have access to hot water, a spill kit, proper client waivers, and enough single-use items like needles and tattoo machine grips at each artist station.
2. You Have to Be Picky About Hiring
An important part of your studio is hiring skilled tattoo artists.
Because tattooing is both an art and a technical process that requires a deep knowledge of safety, you’ll need artists who are great at both.
When you’re looking at potential tattoo artists there’s a few important things to check out.
Strong Art Skills
For the most part, tattoo artists draw all their own tattoos. This means they need to have strong drawing skills and the ability to make their art flow with the body’s anatomy. You want to see designs that make good use of color, contrast, and multiple line weights for easy readability.
Technical Tattooing Skills
Zoom into images in a potential artists’ portfolio. Make sure their linework is straight, bold, and consistent. If you see dark ink around the lines (like the ink is spreading beneath the skin), that is a blowout, which means the artist tattoos too deep in the skin.
Additionally, make sure their shading (areas of black ink) blends out to skin tone evenly and that any areas of solid color are fully saturated and not “patchy.”
Depending on your area, tattoo artists might be required to go through a tattoo apprenticeship or tattoo course to ensure they’re tattooing correctly.
Cleanliness
Even more important than the artwork is safety. A bad tattoo is bad for business. An infection can destroy a tattoo studio.
When you’re looking at an artist’s portfolio, make sure that the background of their tattoo is showing safe practices. For example, a tattoo should be on display against a clean background like a wall or a tattoo bed that is completely wrapped with Saran wrap. If the tattoo artist is touching the tattoo, they should always be wearing gloves.
If you see trash in the background of a photo, any materials that can’t be sanitized (like a blanket or fabric furniture), or you can see someone is clearly tattooing in their home, there’s a strong chance that the artist does not fully understand safe tattooing practices.
3. Payment Works Differently
Outside of paying someone to work the front desk (an hourly job), payment in tattoo studios works differently than most businesses.
Tattoo artists are technically freelancers and they pay you “rent” for their chair and space in the studio. The standard split for tattoo artists is 60/40. This means that they pay the studio 40% of their income and keep 60%. It’s recommended that you provide things like paper towels, gloves, and Saran wrap. However, your artists will bring most of their own materials like machines, inks, and needles. This applies as well to “guest artists” that you might bring in while other artists are away.
Tattoo artists will sometimes take on “apprentices.” Apprentices often work for free for a time to “earn” their education from the mentor. When they start tattooing, their split is 40/60 until they get licensed and moved up to that 60/40 split.
Most Tattoo Studios Open Their Doors With a Flash Day
The easiest way to get new tattoo customers is to host a flash day. This means that your artists will be tattooing lots of small tattoos (flash tattoos) for a very discounted price for a day or two. This draws people in, gets them familiar with your artists, and makes them more likely to come back for custom pieces.
Because the lines can get long, it’s recommended to have drinks and snacks (or even a full meal) around. People should not take any food or beverages back to the actual tattooing area (including artists).
Tattooing Holiday Flash Days
Tattoos studios often throw flash days for a boost in revenue and clients, especially around “tattooing holidays.” Friday the 13th and Halloween are considered major holidays in tattooing, and themed “flash tattoos” are very popular on those days.
4. Studio Locations
When you’re looking for a studio location, it’s important to put it in a place where your clientele will be. For example, universities and army bases have lots of clients.
Walkability, parking, and proximity to places where clients will see your studio like restaurants, bars, etc. is extremely helpful.
Final Thoughts
Tattoo studios are dynamic places that have thee potential to bring in massive amounts of revenue. With proper safety precautions and talented artists that draw in customers, you’ll see your tattoo studio grow in popularity quickly.
