new shop starting

im starting a new shop soon. i wanted sum advice from more experienced owners, like how much money you used to start up your shop, or how much profit yall made in the first year. etc. thanx guys.

reserach your area everyone is different. expect losses for first cpl years get solid artist in your shop take a small buiss course if ya can cost can start at 10 grnd and thats not including ANY advertising cost.lots and lots to understand and consider. this is not a open the doors and here i am kind of buiss.1 and i mean 1 bad tattoo or review or complaint can shut your ass down faster than a bunny can fuck. good luck

well when you say losses for the first couple years... how do you mean? are you saying that the owner of the shop actually loses money? as in he has to constantly invest month to month to keep the shop running? or that you dont make enough profit to repay the start up cash for the first couple years? and also y is it goin to take a couple years to turn profit? i understand that reputation is everything but when well advertised, doesnt that counteract it?

First off about 75% of ANY new business will "survive" their first year. And he said don't "...expect..." to make a profit in the first couple of years. The key word is expect, it is possible to profit in the first few years, but it is more than 80% likely that you won't profit in the first year, if you survive at all.. That could mean a few things: 1. You make enough to pay your bills, and pay yourself back for the money you invested in your shop(supplies, advertising, remodeling), but no extra money is going in the bank...so you're still not profiting. 2. You only make enough to keep the business running(paying your bills), and cost of start up materials(autoclave, ink, needles, etc... well all your fuckn supplies), and any remodeling, or advertising money will still not be put back in your pocket. 3. You are shelling cash out of your personal savings, or pulling new loans to keep the fuckin lights on, and the phones working! 4. You are among the 25% that close. With that said Advertising is the key to any business, but if you know anything about this business the best advertising is called word mouth advertising. A business is either a service, or product...this is a service we provide, and reputation is the most important! A bad rep spreads faster than herpes. People tell everyone who fucked their tattoo up, but when it great work they don't say shit till someone asks! With that said, don't let this discourage your dream, but it's good to know the temperature of the water before you dive in the water! GOOD LUCK!!!

what business experience do you have? have you been to business school at all? do you have a business plan? do you know about tax laws etc?

RC, I don't see how this is any of your concern, but seeing how you jumped in the conversation I will answer your question. Yes. I do have a degree, two in fact: b.a.in Business Finance, and b.a. in Mass Communication with an emphasis on Advertising. I also have a minor in economics, and an aa. in Art. I have first hand experience in owning a business. I do not own a tattoo shop because it's better to pay than own in my personal opinion. My first business did fail after two years. The statistics given in my last post are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 1998-2002. If you check all there statistics regarding Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, LLP, and LLC, you will notice this statistic to be consistent since the early 80's. In regard to tax information I gave none...if you have a question regarding small business taxes I would advise you to seek the advice of a tax attorney or a c.p.a. If you were trying to be a punk...and trying to sound smart I ask your qualifications. If you were going to let him/her know about creating general ledger accounts, and teaching him/her to depreciate their supplies, and inform them about tax write offs by all means do so. But I expect you are a tax attorney, or a c.p.a, and living in texas. This is not school, and I am not here to teach for free but if you're qualified and willing by all means do so! I was just giving adivice and some statistics.