Top Tips For Starting a Tattoo Business
The number of people looking for tattoos is on the rise. Body art is a way for your customers to express themselves and tell others about who they are and what they value.
Because of this, there’s never been a better time to get into the tattoo business. People’s need to design their bodies has never been higher.
Starting a tattoo business, though, can seem like a bit of an uphill struggle. There are so many things you have to consider.
In this post, we share some of our top tips for starting a tattoo business and how you can make a success of it.
Get Trained
You might be good at drawing and art but the first thing you need to do is get trained up! There are number of ways to do this including specialist tattoo training schools and now even online learning. What ever method of learning you prefer there are plenty of options available to you and it is simply a case of getting on google and finding the training method that suits you best.
Seek Out Great Artists
At the core of every tattoo business is a team of great artists. Ideally, you want people who are able to interpret your client’s desires and translate them into reality.
Many tattoo studios start with the basics and follow template tattoos. This approach is great if you’re still finding your feet or if you have novice artists. However, if you want to fly, you’ll need to find or develop the best artists you can. You want people who can work freestyle. That way you can create a better brand image and bring in more customers.
Automate Your Consent Form Process
If you are looking to run your own tattoo studio, you’ll also need to get written permission from clients before you start applying ink. This documentation is important because it supports you in the event of a claim against you. With a tattoo consent form or piercing consent form, nobody can accuse you of applying the tattoo without their permission.
But there’s a problem here: dealing with paper forms is a massive hassle and takes a lot of time. Furthermore, they are a security liability and can get lost.
Automating your consent forms gets around this issue. You just get people to complete the form and sign electronically on any device and once submitted the form is automatically stored in the cloud. It’s that simple
Create a Website
When setting up a tattoo business, you’ll want to create a website with a memorable name and then list your services. Most prospective clients interested in you will go to your website first before they buy from you.
Thus, your site is an opportunity. Be sure to include photographs and examples of your work alongside each service that you outline. Displaying your portfolio shows your audience that you can carry out the type of work that they want.
Invest In Your Equipment
Tattoo equipment can be a little costly. It can be a shock to the system when you find out that a good set of tools could set you back thousands of dollars. But when this happens, it is critical that you see it as an investment.
You could spend less on shoddy equipment. But when you buy commercial-quality items, you’re getting something that is going to last (and provide the kind of utility your customers want). Thus, having the top equipment can help build your brand.
Market Your Business On Social Media
Getting people to flock to your new tattoo studio can be difficult. There might be thousands of people who want your services. But unless you can communicate with them, they won’t know you exist.
Marketing your business on social media is probably the best way to let people know about what you’re doing. You probably already have friends on the platform – so you can start with them. And then you can leverage your contacts to recommend your services and forward their connections to you.
Remember to use lots of photos when marketing on social media. Show off the kind of work you’ve done for your clients in the past so people know what to expect. Share your work on other sites, like Instagram, to tap into a wider audience.
Gain Reviews
Lastly, try gaining reviews for your tattoo business. Google and other search engines take review scores and numbers seriously when deciding where you should rank in page results. The more reviews you have, the more visible you’ll be.
So those are our top tips when thinking about setting up a Tattoo Business – there is obviously lots of other things to consider but you have to start somewhere 🙂