Opening A Tatoo Shop

Hello...I was just wondering if there was any Tattoo shop owners out there...I am currently considering opening a shop...I have a few aquaintances that are artists or piercers that are willing to work in my shop...Although I am not an artist nor never claim to be one...But I am a small business owner and have owned and sold a few succesfull compaines....My question is...Is a tattoo shop if marketed and placed in a smart location...really all that profitable for the owner...I have spent hundreds of hours in the Chair being worked on over the years and I have always thought how cool it would be to own a shop....and thats why I am considering this venture.....I currently own an interior Metal fabrication business and intend having them do all the buildout for the interior we will really make it look unique. Well I guess thats about it Any help-information would be very much appreciated.....Thanks

well i once worked for a shop owner whom didnt know a rats ass about tattooing good guy untuil i quit then it was name calling hell for me but thats my story i feel that you are going to get a barage of opions on this matter and topic me personally i wont work for a shop owner if they are not tattoo artist themselves unless the said owner is a investor partner or something along those linesit sounds like youve got a good background of buiss and finances and such as far as being profitabile for you thats in my opion depending on a couple of things 1 customer relations i go that extra 28 miles for just one client i have sat and consulted with just 1 client over a tattoo for hours and make sure it is what where they want i also do follow ups on said clients to assure proper healing of tattoo and care (CUSTOMER RELATIONS) 2 are your artist good (not being a ass here ) but if the artist are not good then why even open but lets say for arguments sake that they are then thats a step in the good direction and a good start for you ive managed 2 shops before and know some of the ins and outs i think that if you treat the clients with respect dont laugh at them or get pissed when you here the same question for the umtinthe time that day and show the client that you are giving them the best art and concern that you can then i see your shop doing fine but remember this is a feast or famine type of buiss there will be days that the phone dosent even ring and then there are days that you cant stay still so i hope this helps if ya have any other questions that i may answer for ya just e mail me best of luck don

first of all,not to be a dick but unless you are a tattoo artist ther is no need to open a shop. just because you have tattoo's does'nt mean you know the first thing about running a shop.so stop watching "inked" and "miami ink" because thats not how real shops are portrayed, it's not all big lights and blow jobs .if you really want to be a part of the tattoo 'scene" and hopefully not exploit it, (by exploitation i mean any idiot with a good amount of money thinkin "hey i like tattoo's, i'll just open a shop and make a hole lot of cash like the douche bags on "inked". and i won't know good art from bad art exept for the tattoo's i've already got on me).then support your local artist and give hi m the respect and buiseness he deserves,because all wee need is a couple thousand more idiots that think they can make it big by opening up a shop.(bec ause on tv those guys in las vegas are making a killing doing tatoo's,but so would every other idiot if they opened a shop in las vegas).so basically don't be a fuckin idiot and leave the tattoo buisness to those who respectfully know how to run it THE ARTISTS.

and by the way i'm not the best at grammer and i do understand a grammatical mistake here and there ( because lord knows i make enough of them) but the proper spelling is: T-A-T-T-O-O not tatoo so again don't be a fucking idiot.

Im in a funny position here, I am a non-tattoo artist who is opening a studio. We could go on forever... ha. The answer to the question "Is owning a tattoo studio profitable?" is maybe. It is a lot easier to be profitable if the owner is an artist. Basically the act of tattooing is profitable, the owning of a studio may or may not be depending on a zillion factors. The philosophy is thus: You should find out what you love being good at and dont stop. Find a way to make that profitable. But focus on what you love doing. To successfully own a tattoo studio I think you need to have an owner(s) who have made learning about tattooing one of their main passions and take the responsibility extremely seriously (by far most easily found in a tattoo artist obviously(but not all)), and have a handle on the business/artist relations end to make the studio run smoothly. In tattooing its easy to make mistakes and hard to fix em. Every tattoo that comes out of your studio will represent what you, as an owner, did to someone else permanently (through the hands of a few artists). Owning a tattoo studio is not like any other business, you are responsible for what goes on the publics skin for the rest of your their lives. On their deathbeds they will be looking at tattoos that came from your studio. Having lots of tattoos and loving them immensely is much different that the weight of being responsible with the publics skin. You better be improving yourself every day if you expect your artists to. Unless that love drives you on an unending quest to do your part to improve the art of tattooing, its not enough to make the headaches worth it, honestly. That said, one of the best ways to learn about the industry and its artists is to get tattooed by the best people you can. If you own a tattoo studio and arnt an artist, I would hope you would have lots of high quality tattoos from respected artists on you. (Having high quality tattoos from the respected artists doesnt qualify you either, but in theory you could equate getting heavily tattooed by cool artists at the top of their game as, er, college or something. Its how the best artists learn... It should happen naturally. (IE: dont go out and blow lots of money getting tattooed because you want to open a studio). Am I talking in circles yet?. In short, you better be into owning a studio for the art and love of tattooing and because you want to do your part to improve the quality of the tattooing culture, not because of money or coolness. The fact that your asking these kinda questions on a message-board makes me to believe your not ready at all... gabe TattooNOW / Off the Map Tattoo

Gabe, the difference between you opening up a shop and a typical non-tattoo artist opening a shop is the fact that most of the non-artist owners do it under the guise of promoting tattoos and the tattoo scene but the all mighty $$$ is the real reason. You've had a website dedicated to the trade for years, you know more about tattoos than most tattoo artists that I've met, and there is no crime in you opening up a shop.

I definitely get that. I wouldn't really even say anything except, well, there are no absolutes. And its my message-board, so its weird letting people bash "my kind" here even if Im an exception. theres no doubt that there are many many qualities that owning a tattoo studio require, and the majority of the time you need to be a tattoo artist to have em. nothing about life is absolute is all...

It always amazes me that people who have spent hours getting tattooed think it earns them the right to tattoo or open a tattoo shop.I have over 12 years of tattooing under my belt and have worked in a number of different shops for tattooers and non-tattooers and I am not ready to open a shop.I have delt with dozens of wannnabes about tattooing or going in as partners and such the like because they have gotten lots of tattoos from me and think I owe them something for the hours and money they spent with me,well the only thing I owe them are good tattoos.What do you have to offer the tattoo community besides good business sense?Is it good business to turn down tattoos because you think someone is not ready for a tattoo either phsyically or mentally?Do you think it is okay to tattoo or pierce minors?Do you know anything about steralization,or cross contamination,or sterile procedures?What about turning down tatttoos for moral or ethical reasons?What about equipment and supplies,inks,machines,and your basic shop supplies?Are you going to cut corners on quality to keep the profit margin up?And I could go on and on but I won't,all I am trying to say is opening a shop is a huge responsibility unlike any other business and inevitably you will do what you want regaurdless of my opion,but if you intend on going through with it please take some time and think about not only the artistic side but the medical side also.Being a good artist means nothing if you are a dirty bastard who doesen't give a shit about his and his clients health and well being.One more thing to think about is tattoooers are notorius for coming and going,shop to shop,state to state,and so forth so make sure you are well connected or you could be left with a shop and noone to work it for you,I have seen it happen..

im doing resurch on how much math is involved w/ tattoos in my math class i was j/w if any body knew

Im trying to imagine a person that opens a tattoo studio strictly for the love of tattooing ....i can only picture a kid that comes from money ..has money ....and is not concerned with feeding himself or a family on a daily basis. Tattoo shops ARE a business.....you open it to make money. Anyone who says they open a studio just because they love tattoos soooo much .....is ...either the above mentioned rich kid ..or a lair. Let me also say that i love tattoos and tattooing ..I have all my life, growing up the son of a tattoo artist, then becoming one myself ......i have opened and sold three shops ....all of which i opened to make money. But you said you own a metal fabricating shop?........you probably dont have a background in that either right? So you are ok with not knowing shit about the tatoo industry .....just hire a good tattoo artist to manage the place and pay him 90% ...it will be your way of giving back to the industry.

I opened a studio for the love of it and I aint no rich kid. Im sure the money will be rolling in any day now, then I can pay everyone back, and then life will be golden, but till then I struggle with the bills like everyone else for the sheer love of it. For me, opening businesses and working hard has more to do with accomplishment than money, though its obviously the fuel that makes everything run and therefore is pretty important.... that is, I dont work for money, I work for the love of work and the money will follow(I hope!).

I wasnt directing my comments to you personally Gabe. I too enjoyed opening and designing all three shops very much ............as a matter of fact i sold my first one just because i wanted to try out some new design ideas. You do get a great deal of satisfaction from creating something. But i still did it as a way to earn a living when it comes right down to it .

Gabe: amen brother! Also, I agree with tildeath. Certainly most of us aren't English majors. But at least learn to spell TATTOO. I can see the neon sign now: "Jim Bob's Tatoo" (in old english) "highest quality work!" (in shelly allegro script). I'm going to buy some CHPS. You know the ones in the white bag, with black writing. -Kandyman Joe

if you want to open a tattoo shop open one...there is always a risk with opening anything. i dont tattoo and i won 3 shops in arizona. what these other people are saying dont listen, yes i like the money and who cares, doesnt everyone????i sitll play a big role in running these shops and the guys that work for me are my friends so they dont care that i am not an artist, and who does? they will make money because of you, so all you haters that dont think non artists should own a shop shit up. you are making this industry look terrible

if you want to open a tattoo shop open one...there is always a risk with opening anything. i dont tattoo and i won 3 shops in arizona. what these other people are saying dont listen, yes i like the money and who cares, doesnt everyone????i sitll play a big role in running these shops and the guys that work for me are my friends so they dont care that i am not an artist, and who does? they will make money because of you, so all you haters that dont think non artists should own a shop shit up. you are making this industry look terrible

Hey dude...put your money where your mouth is!... Lets see some pics of the work done in those shops you"won" This oughtta be good.....what kind of shop owner "loses his shop anyway?....must not have been much to begin with. So come on with it Mr Shop Owner...wheres your web site?....wheres the pics?...T

Taz, don't you know? Trolls don't show their asses during the daytime....

... And it seems that they don't show their asses at night either....

Just another moron who knows they can be anyone they want and say they own anything they want on the internet!

Not defending the idiot here, there are plenty of other things wrong about what was said...but... I'm guessing the troll is dyslexic and it meant to type "own" not "won"......(...Caribou tip-toes quietly towards the door shielding his head from thrown objects...)

OWN>>>WON>>>>We will still never see any work

In total agreement.

yea im lieing i dont own anything, you guys are ridiculous. your basically saying tattoos are for tattoo artists, what a bunch of dorks. im done with you guys, come check my places out in arizona then. they are called in the flesh, one is on apache road in tempe, another in phoenix and yet ANOTHER in yuma....thanks, you wouldnt be able to touch my artists.

yea im lieing i dont own anything, you guys are ridiculous. your basically saying tattoos are for tattoo artists, what a bunch of dorks. im done with you guys, come check my places out in arizona then. they are called in the flesh, one is on apache road in tempe, another in phoenix and yet ANOTHER in yuma....thanks, you wouldnt be able to touch my artists.

Lets see da pics pardner!!!Website? Itried but can't find you on google or anywhere on the net.. WHERE ARE YOU?....YOO HOO!!!

if i could put pictures on this message board i would, and if you can i dont know how so let me know pardner

In response to Polly Pissy Pants here, and just so EVERYONE can look for themselves.... went to a little site known as TATTOO-SPOT.COM to check out how legit our entrepreneur says he is. Now in all fairness, The "In the Flesh" shop in Tempe on Apache Road exsists. It gives the Name, address, phone # if anyone is "interested." But the other two in Phoenix and Yuma are no shows. Think I am full of shit? Check the site out yourself.... http://www.tattoo-spot.com/Arizona/index.cfm I'm just curious why he knew the street location of only ONE of his shops and why he didn't give the names of the other two? Buehler, Buehler, anyone?

Well pardner...you can get a free site at photobucket.com or at myspace.com...So ya don't have a website?...I am not trying to bust your balls man...I would really be interested in seeing work from your shop...seriously ...you have to understand that we get a lot of people who make a lot of claims on this forum and rew back them up....you can even e-mail me some pics man...my addy is right over my post and its not a fake...so again lets see some pics and maybe the addresses and phone numbers of the other two shops...hell someone may be lookin for work in your area!!...and we recommend shops to potential clients every day...TAz

ALLLLLLLLLLLL righty folks.... I just talked with THE owner of "In the Flesh" studios in Tempe, Ar. The guy I talked to, who's name is Josh Richey, is THE ONE AND ONLY OWNER of this shop. He was kind enough to give me some info on HIS shop. He is a super cool guy and he DOES have a website with his work on it.... and I hope he does mind me posting the address; WWW.JOSHRICHEY.COM It's just about completely up and running and it will be of PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THOSE OF YOU THINKING THAT TATTOO SCHOOLS ARE THE WAY TO GO BECAUSE HERE IS A GUY THAT WENT THERE AND SAID FUCK THAT SHIT AND GOT AN APPRENTICESHIP! JOSH, MAD PROPS TO YOU BROTHER FOR DOIN' SHIT THE RIGHT WAY AND BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!!!!!! MAKE US PROUD!!!! AS FOR MR. [email removed] GO FUCK YOURSELF DOUCHEBAG!

In the Flesh Tattooing in Tempe Az Is not now nor has it EVER been owned by any "J. Schall"...We have just spoken to the REAL owner a guy named Josh Richey...www.joshrichey.com...and he has never heard of you man so what the fuck do ya think you are doing?...you don't have to be a tattoo artist or own a shop to post your opinion on this forum...you would have been welcome without the pretense man...I just ask...WHY? A lot of people believe evrything they read on the internet and then there are some who actually check things out and guess what PARDNER?...we DID check you out....and we found out (surprise surprise!) that.you are full of shit. It just makes no sense to lie to us...I know we will probably never hear from your sorry ass again ...well, unless you use another fictitious name and come up with another big fake ass story...I just want ya to know that it wasn't necessary to make this shit up about owning three shops and all the other crap.We may not have agreed with your opinion but we would have respected your right to post it! I feel sorry for ya buddy...you must have some real problems and a sad life indeed to feel you have to con people like this....TAz

I don't know why Mr. J. Schalls feels like he has to con anyone? By the looks of it he lives in a pretty nice neighborhood. Mesa Country Club to the North, Riverview Golf Course to the NW, Tri City Mall just off of West Main and N Dobson Rd. Hell there's even Banner Medical Hospital and Mesa General sitting caddywompus to each other.... Sounds like someones silver spoon got lodged if you ask me.... Care for a laxative Mr. Schalls?

Hats off to JWERK!!!!..TattooNOWs very own Myth buster...Thanks from all of us for busting that dude out...I will never understand why anyone would feel the need to fib about owning a shop especially since it is so easy to get found out, but..ah well ...that people for ya!!... Thanks again Jwerk!!

I have a friend who is an artist but has never worked in a shop. He has no idea how to manage or run a busness and asked if I would open a shop where he could rent a chair. iI have been considering this and doing alot of research on the subject, state law, and health codes for example. Reading this blog i wonder weather the critics believe i should help my friend out, or not because im not an artist?And yes i would like to make a profit off of my investment but im not expecting to get rich.

REd One...I dunno man its kind of a two edged sword...what ever ya do just BE CAREFUL!...Get every little thing in writing and NOTARIZED...use a lawyer....you will be glad you did! I'm kind of on the fence about this subject ...there are guys like Gabe who aren't artists and own shops who put their whole life into it and then there are the guys who want to get rich quick (and usually go belly up in no time at all... I think that if your only reasons for opening a tattoo studio are to help a buddy and make some change...you may want to rethink the whole thing...for one if he is any good why does he NEED help opening?...Are you ready to put the capitol into a shop that it takes to make a SUCCESSFUL shop?...adverting alone can eat you up for that first year! And having only ONE tattoo artist on board is probably professional suicide...what if you put all the money up and get going and your only artist braks his hand?...Or gets very sick?...Ya gotta be prepared for eventualities my friend ...if it CAN go wrong ...it WILL go wrong ...so be prepared... I won't nay say anyone who really loves the art of tattoo opening a studio if they are prepared to really put blood sweat and tears into it but if its just a hobby ...forget it!! Hope I have helped!...TAz

If you are his friend, I would suggest that you persuade your buddy to get some experience working in a shop before you even consider going the other route. He should be the one learning how the business works, not you. Doesn't make sense to put a square peg in a round hole, you know?.....J

thanks for the input im shure ill have more questions

No problem. Just be cool if someone writes something you don't want to see. Remember that in this industry if you haven't paid your dues and done your research, then you will be met with some resistance. Ask Gabe; the man has been there and done that....J

I'd just to take this moment to tell my fellow tattoo artists that your great. Reading through this whole blog has made me laugh. Everyone banning together against that douchbag. In the mean time posting some very good points. Props to you all! (except to the moron who wanted to lie about his shops)

Thank you tattookat and thanks for posting!, TAz

YOU GUYS ARE TERRIBLE, YOU PROBABLY GIVE THE WORST TATS.......WE LOVE FLASH

I'm sure ya do Poohface...not every one can have creative genes...ya gotta have sheep to have a herd!!...BAAA!!!!BAAAAAA!!