Tattoo Shop

what is the price range of opening a tattoo shop? i am really thinking about doing this. i think it would be awesome it is something i want to do and something i think i would be good at doing. i cant do tattoos but i can do the piercings.

Make a list of everything you need to buy, Autoclave, flash, fixtures, supplies, research the prices for all of these things plus rent, licencing, spore testing, etc. add it all up and figure you won't be making much money for the first 6 months. Then you'll know how much it'll cost...In just doing this exercise you will better appreciate what you are proposing rather than if someone were to just give you a dollar amount. Also, don't expect to milk your tattoo artist like a cow, If you have any chance of getting a quality pro tattoo artist to work in your shop you will have to make the deal pretty sweet. even sweeter if you expect to be apprenticed as well... Good luck, hope you have deep pockets and the right attitude.

Your minimum will be around $10,000 to open a shop and then it will be barely covered. You will need to find a reputible staff and be prepared to lose $5000.00 per month for 6-9 months. It is a hard road but it can be done.

first concern i have is the word THINK you dont do tattoos but you THINK ITS COOL get a grip yes 10 grand to start this wont even cover you cost for advertising and such its going to run close to 10 gs just for your shop supplies im not saying dont do it but find a reputabile artist talk to them see what all it will take this is nothing you should just jump into because you think you can or you think its cool what you will be doing is forever permanent and make damm sure its done right best of luck

I'll say don't do it. I believe that EVERY shop owner should also be an artist. There are a lot of situations and technicalities about this business that only an artist could fully be prepared to deal with.

can i get some with my mother in it and than my baby name is brianna and my name the names are brittany me,sardar.

Hey everyone! If you think opening a tattoo shop is "A cool thing to do" have a look at our good buddies over there at InkSkratchers or whatever they're called. They've gained a great rep so far huh?! Please, for a good of the industry, do you research first, try to get established as a tattooist (a decent one! or at least an artist of some sort) give it a while and see how you feel about it. Earn your respect.

Ok, I fully understand the non-tattoo-artist owner who doesnt respect the artists or the art problem, but this is my messageboard and I now officially own and operate a studio. So when you say that EVERY studio should be owned by an artist your telling ME that I am doing something wrong or disrespectful to the art/industry. Your more than welcome to bash us non-tattoo artist owners all you want, but, well, you are bashing me on my own forum. Try to open your mind a tiny bit to the possibility that some people can love and understand all the subtlies of tattooing without picking up a machine.

I think the difference with you, Gabe, is that you've done the research and been involved for some time. You didnt open your shop 'because it was the cool thing to do'. You had something more to offer the industry than some of these dreamers that are coming out these days. A good number of these guys have no idea what tattooing is really about and are opening their studios for popularity or the novelty of it. I know! I work for one unfortunately!!! You cant compare yourself to someone who does it for the coolness factor. Trust me bro, i'm not trying to get into it with the owner of the site. TattooNow has a lot of great stuff to offer everyone. But there are lots of us who truthfully dont agree with idiots who dont have the first clue about tattooing or piercing owning their own shops. I'm not talking about the person who started this set but the skratchers know who they are. Everyone else have to come behind them and fix their mistakes later. I'm just saying do it the right way or bring something good to the table. Peace?

hey dazednconfused.. if you dont already know you will probably fail..

Gabe, I have found your debates over the subject of non-artist tattoo shop ownership very insightful and an hoping to get an opinion from both sides of the fence on my situation. I am an artist, but not of tattoos. So, I appreciate art on all levels and have a great respect for those that have enough talent and courage to permanently display their work on the skin of others. My son has been a tattoo artist for several years and has quickly become very good at it. He appears to be admired and respected by many others in the industry. He recently moved near me (was living out of state) and the only spot he could find to work at is a very clean, nice looking shop that has a bad reputation because the artists there are not that great. He is concerned about his reputation and is looking around for another spot. In the meantime, I just found out that the shop that he is working at is for sale and I am considering buying it and having him manage it. Here are my questions. Do you think that I could trust a mature 20 year old to take on such a huge responsibility, help to find quality artists and research all the ins and outs of owning a shop? Do you think that $35,000.00 to purchase an existing business that shows a lot of potential and is in a hot college town and is owned by a non-tattoo artist that does not have the time to devote to running it (his partner bailed out) is a good buy? The sale includes chairs, tables, 4 booths, piercing and sterilization room, flash art work in a 1600 sq ft. building. Am I crazy for considering this? I am a smart business woman but have no idea what goes into running a shop. Any opinions either way on this topic will be of great help!

Hi Susan...I am not Gabe but I am gonna give you my input....If you want to finance this shop for your son by all means go for ...just a few suggestions...Insist that he enroll in business management courses...they help immensely...have an agreement drawn up by an ATTORNEY and have it signed and notarized...I have seen families DESTROYED when the business went belly up ( actually even when the biz did great!)...If ya have it on paper the arguments stop.I also suggest that he get in touch with the SCORE organization ( Service Corps of Retired Executives) These people have decades of business experience and share it for FREE...just look em up in GOOGLE. As far as the investment...without seeing the building etc I can only say that it SOUNDS fairly cheap. Just remember to add in the most important cost of all and that is ADVERTISING...I have seen it time after time...A really good shop opens up in a good location with great artists and fromt people and it goes bankrupt in a year or less because they didn't think advertising was important...AND IT IS!!! Budget as much money for advertising as possible ( a hint: talk to Gabe here on TattooNOW about a website...the internet is an amazing tool and the Tattoonow site is without doubt the best ...check out their website development and look at the sites they do for some of the best tattoo artists in the WORLD!!!) Good luck Susan if we can answer any more questions just yell! and thanks for your post...TAz, Painted Angel Studios

Taz, Thanks much for the sound advice. There is a manager there that is doing a decent job. Maybe I could keep him on and have my son complete some courses while he is getting some more experience under his belt before turning the place over to him. You are right about advertising. The current owner is not doing any at all. I will check into SCORE and the website. I really appreaciate your help.

no prob...yes you should consider keeping the existing manager if he is doing well...at least until your son acquires smoe business accumen...thanks again for posting!...TAz

hey, I missed this thread for a bit I would have agreed with MarioJ. I only object to the absolute nature of the statement. To lady thinking about opening a studio: Its very difficult being a non-tattoo artist owner, you are obviously completely reliant on the artists you employ to make the business run. When they walk, you dont have a steady cliental to rely on to keep the studio open. You need to work extra extra to make it worth it for an artist to work with you (nevermind a few!). I am lucky that our hard work attracts some amazing talent, you need to have a good plan to get artists and keep them happy. My first hire disappeared 3 weeks before the studio even opened! What will you do if your son walks? Do you think that I could trust a mature 20 year old to take on such a huge responsibility, help to find quality artists and research all the ins and outs of owning a shop? Well, probably, maybe, yes, no... Er, that is I think my friends who owned studios back in the day were 20 somethings. The ship wasnt nearly as tight as the folks who own studios now, but really it depends on your son's talents for tattooing as well as his talents for business. You need to have a lot to offer talented artists, be prepared to work hard. Do you think that $35,000.00 to purchase an existing business that shows a lot of potential and is in a hot college town and is owned by a non-tattoo artist that does not have the time to devote to running it (his partner bailed out) is a good buy? Ha. I cant wait for the day when I could afford a 35k business! If i had the dough and it would truely relieve the headaches of starting a new studio then I would consider it. Its really up to the studio, its rep, its artists, and a zillion other factors... Would I trust a 20 year old with 35k? Not without a real real solid plan and very clearly defined goals and responsibilities. The sale includes chairs, tables, 4 booths, piercing and sterilization room, flash art work in a 1600 sq ft. building. Am I crazy for considering this? Absolutely. I am a smart business woman but have no idea what goes into running a shop. Then you will have a hard time being the balance to your sons check. thats a big sum to invest when you aren't an expert in the business and therefore dont really have control. Any opinions either way on this topic will be of great help! With hard smart work anything is possible.

Gabe, Thanks much for the honest and thorough response. Looks like I need to put much more thought and planning into this before making any decisions.

I hope we helped and be sure to let us know how things are going and if we can be of ant further help just let us know!! Good Luck!!! TAz

No problemo. Just to clarify, when I answered the crazy question I meant in general. I think anyone is probably a bit crazy to open a tattoo studio. As far as the question you might have been asking, 4 booths, a piercing booth, and 1600 sq feet sounds like a good sized place. A third bigger than our place! Is there a place where we can see yer sons work? Maybe shoot me an email or something?

I may be late in replying to this, but heres my input, yes a shop can be opened for between 10k-20k, but there are a couple factors that should be concidered, first do you own a building? if not you will have to keep enough capital on hand to keep the rent paid for at least 6 months while you try to establish a reputation, and lets also mention all the other mothly bills that will need to be paid for that 6 month period while you show no profit(gas, water/sewer, electric, insurance, trash, and biological waste disposal), you will need to advertise, that will be a costly factor for the first few months. Of course you will need to be sure you have enough consumable stock on hand to get you through these rough months, by consumable stock I mean, Pigments, Needles, Medical and after-care supplies. and you must also figure in what it will cost you to remodel the building you are in(rarely will you find a store front that is set up the way you need it for a true studio) and it depends on how cheap you go, you can buy crappy equipment, and try to save cash, but in the long run, trying to get by cheap will cause you nothing but grief a more realistic dollar figure would be closer to 50 grand from a fresh start and keep in mind running a shop is not at all glamorous, it can often be a very dark and cruel business. alot of communities will not like you being there, and may try and run you off. and then as the new shop in town, you may be stepping on another artists toes by opening too close to them. and it requires alot of dedication, and even more work, as the business owner you will be responsable for all the book keeping, paying your talent(if your not the artist) keeping all your tax info straight, keeping your inventory full, making sure everything business related is done, and if you are hiring talent, dont forget thier taxes too, and heres where it gets tricky, for every good conciensious tattoo artist you find, you will go through about 10 that are drug addicts or social deviates. and of course dealing with every whack-ass that walks through the door. running a shop is a really big hassle at the beginning, but if you work hard enough, and are determined enough, and if you put out a good product you might succeede. Remember, its a gamble no matter how you start

I was searching around google for non artist tattoo shop owners and I found your messages. I am the owner of a cutting edge retail shop in a relatively small town outside of Chicago. I am working with a guy who has been tattooing for 15 years and knows what he's doing. I am moving my store to another location and doing buildout for a body art service within the retail portion of the store in compliance with all the health codes. The artist and I are in negotiation now as to how to run it. I dont pretend to know about tattooing, but I am trusting in his abilities. He basically wants his own shop at my expense. It will benefit my retail business, as well as his, from the crossover market standpoint. Here's the question...Originally, he wanted a 70/30 cut...70% going to him, 30 to me. I know this is beneath what most shop owners get, but I wanted to compromise and give him as much control over the running of his area as possible...kind of a managerial position. He would have control over pricing, all his equipment, etc, as well as his own entrance for after hour appointments. . Now, he seems to be having issues with this, even though he is the one who suggested it. He now wants to pay about 1000 a month which would include all utilities and do something akin to a sublease whereby it would basically be his shop but housed within my space. He agreed that if he took on another artist (we plan on building two stations), then we can figure out an agreement whereby either I get a percentage of that artist's fees OR the artist can add on to the monthly rent. He also does piercings and told me that we can work out a deal whereby I would get a portion of the piercing fee. I told him I can deal with that and that it would take the pressure off me, but I'm not sure if this would be to my disadvantage financially in the long run. I asked him what an average monthly income for him would be and he stated 2800 in a good month and less than 1000 in a bad month. I have a feeling he's giving me a low number, based on what other tattoo shop owners have told me, but if his numbers are accurate, then he would have problems paying the rent plus his expenses. I have confidence in his abilities and knowledge, but I'm trying to protect myself here as well. I also dont want to be unfair to him. I want to be fair to both of us in order to make this work for both of us. As far as these other individuals condemning non artist shop owners... I understand their issues and I would agree to an extent. I respect ALL art and artists and their abilities. Thats why I'd rather give the control to someone who knows what theyre doing and let them leave the retail end to me. I think this combination can benefit us both if done the right way. Please give me your thoughts on this.

Relying on one tattoo artist to run your tattoo business is the equivalent of putting a gun to your businesses head and getting ready for them to pull the trigger someday at their leisure. I have already lost THREE artists (in 6 months) and I run one of the most popular tattoo websites, bring through some of the nations top talent, and am a nice fair guy to boot. After watching it happen again and again I vowed to never open a tattoo studio and rely on one artist, cause if they walk Id be screwed. Well, against my own advice I opened a studio with one full time artist and they indeed did walk after 4-5 months. Then their replacement walked. Im blessed to have lots of talented guests artists come through weekly so things are working out great (GREAT!), but the stress of not tattooing and owning a studio space without an artist is pretty great. Second, tattooing and retail are completely different beasts. Tattooing is a permanent art that will be with the client for the rest of their lives. It is about as far from normal retail as you can get, indeed, I feel that mixing the two is bad for the client and the artists. Tattoos are not shoes and the "sales process" in both is vastly different. I feel that tattooing should happen in an environment free of distractions, and selling loads of merch alongside tattoos equates tattoos to merchandise in the mind of the public which is a bad thing for good tattoos. Lastly, if you have to ask these questions on a public tattoo forum, that is a big clue to me that you have more work to do before opening. Navigating the tattoo waters is very tricky and takes a lot of homework and knowledge. In short, entering any business without extensive knowledge of said business is not a very good idea, and doubly, nay triply so in the tattoo world.

My friend you are setting yourself up for a fall. If you do not have contacts in the tattoo world what are ya gonna do if your artist gets a better offer?....That dude is gone...you are left with an empty shop and a bunch of pissed off customers with half finished tattoos that are gonna come after YOUR wallet because YOU are the owner! You need to really think this thing through!!!...TAz

Thanks for your advice about this. Although the artist I am working with is educating me on all aspects of the tattooing industry, including health code issues ( I have the code book), the way artists can rip off an owner...the way an owner can rip off an artist, I DO want to protect myself. This is why his suggestion to do a sublease appealed to me. It would protect both of us. I cant boot him and he cant boot me. The fact that we would be the first tattoo art establishment within the county we are in, I thought would be a plus. There are a lot of scratchers around here..some of them tattooing cops, because the city council hasnt allowed it. We plan on taking it through litigation through a zoning attorney because what theyre doing is basically illegal...but thats another story. The response we are getting from the public on combining the two is extremely positive. There is a market for it here, and, as I said, the body art service would be housed within the space, but still separate from the main body of the retail end. Maybe I'll just stick with body piercing. There are a number of establishments that combine retail with body piercing. But I have heard that there ARE establishments, mostly on the west coast that are combining retail with tattooing and other forms of body art.

Just a sidenote...the artist I am working with TRIED to start his own tattoo studio last year in the downtown area of our city. He was shot down by the city council. They cited a zoning issue as the problem, but the real issue was that they didnt want it in "their downtown". The guy has run a shop before in a different area and is looking to do one here because its an open market right now. I was the one who approached him regarding this issue and we've been working together ever since. He does regular apprenticeships and is hoping to get his apprentices in the shop. I'm not sure if this sheds any light on the issue, but I definitely will take all youve said into consideration.

I just opened a tattoo shop a month ago. Basically, double the amount of what u expect it to be. My shop is 200 sq. ft. located inside a salon. We spent $20,000 renovating it ...pretty much $50,000!!! and don't expect to get business in the beginning. Look for an excellent artist who'll be 100% commited!!!! (which is hard to find) and figre out what you need like equipment and shit... www.infinityinktatoo.com PAYCE!

Chickie you sound like a very astute businesswoman. I wish you the best of luck in this. However...I too have tried to fight the local governments when they didn't want a tattoo studio and the "trouble" it would bring and it was VERY costly! Thousands in legal fees alone and then when we finally got the shop open the city and county would do "surprise" inspections and give us costly citations about just stupid things (our white paint wasn't white enough....our front sign was a half inch too long etc etc) they made it so expensive that we had to give up. This is something to consider. Let us know how it goes!!...TAz

Ah yes...the city council...Dave, the artist Im working with already went that route with them, when he tried to start his tatt shop in the downtown area. Thats why we've hired a zoning attorney from another county to deal with the issue. We know where their heads are at and their pre-litigation mindset is basically what's termed arbitrary and capricious...which means they can't stop a business from coming in just because "they don't want it". They cite a zoning issue as the cause, but rejecting a conditional use permit when the business will not be a threat to public safety is not legal, yet they willingly close their eyes to the illegal scratchers who are tattooing in apartment buildings along the main street of our downtown area. Even the cops get their tatts from these guys. As a business owner for 5 years Ive had to deal with the mindset of these rube-like morons. In a few weeks we're holding a major music event outside of this county called "Tattapalooza"...2 days, 1 night, 20 bucks gets you in for 16 bands, beer, food, half pipe demos, and tattooing. We hope to raise about 20 grand net with this thing. As far as "the community" not wanting it...so far we've met with VERY positive feedback from the general public. We have over 500 individuals sign our petition ranging in ages from 18 - 67, both male and female. We know theres a need for this type of service along with a retail establishment that caters to an 18-35 year old demographic. I know we have a fight on our hands, but we're ready. I am grateful for the feedback you all have offered and I will take it into consideration and continue to message this board when I have questions. You've been a valuable source of information into the mindset of the tattooing subculture, both from a personal and business standpoint.

Just a sidenote...My artist has already worked with the health department in developing a test for licensing of tattooists. The head of the department is very much for this, but can't do anything without the city council's approval. In addition, my landlord is very much for this. He's a chiropractor in town and holds a lot of sway with the asswipes who run this town. So,we DO have a few trump cards in our hands. We are expecting those surprise inspections, visits from the cops, etc..etc.. Right now Dave and I figured the lease option would be best as he would have total control over the running of the shop area. I wouldnt be making as much money, but I wouldnt have the headaches of learning how to run a shop. He has taught me alot already and in the event he decides to leave after his lease is finished, I have hopes that I will have enough knowledge to be able to take on a few artists myself.

This is cool.... I think, Ive been through an apprenticeship but didn't stay with the tattoo shop that apprenticed me, im also thinking about starting a tattoo shop. what would be the best way about doing this ... (from a poor kids point of view?)

TATTOO PARLOR FOR LEASE I just purchased a piece of property in Wareham,MA to establish a Marine business. It was a well established tattoo and body piercieng business, the owner moved to Tennessee. There are two buildings, one I plan to use and the other would be perfect for someone to move in and use as a tattoo parlor.I have people stopping by everyday looking for tattoo's and piercings. The shop is complete with two working lounge type electric chairs.If interested email me at [email removed]

retired and would like to open tattoo palor in palm beach florida area

learn all about tattooing to open palor

Hey guys, I came across this thread because I am looking to open a tattoo shop down in Costa Rica. I understand the argument of not opening a shop with only one artist if you are not an artist yourself. I can't help but ask what your argument against this is if you are opening a shop with an artist as your partner. The laws in Costa Rica are quite a bit different so thankfully i don't have to fret about getting approval or meeting health codes. I am from the states and my artist is from CR so I can't help but think that with tourism exploding in CR the way it has that the two of us together will make a dynamite team. Cost of materials is considerably lower here and we have the guns and pigments already since he does tattooing on the side of his regular job. Other than going to an attorney and drawing up a partnership contract, what would you recommend?? I don't think I need to worry about my artist walking since he will be a partner but I am pretty new to business owning. I am curious as to what your downfalls were, things you didn't anticipate. I can read about it all day but until you actually do it you can't know. any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I just have one simple question with regard to owning a tattoo shop. How can one ensure that the artist who works for their shop is not lowballing the prices on their work and screwing the owner on their cut? I guess what I am asking is how do you set things up so that there is less of a chance that your artist doesn't lie or cheat on his work prices?

you cant really, so you better hire artists you trust!

I am aspiring to be an owner of a shop myself. So if I am not an artist does that mean if I am better off financially than the artists I know I shouldnt give them oppurtunity? I cant tattoo in the slightest, but I still have real close friends who happen to be VERY prominent artists in the area I live. So, instead of having them do work out of house, why not invest in THEM, and give myself another business oppurtunity as well? If Anyone can unjustify that I will stop cold in my tracks. otherwise you are just whining due to someone else trying to make something good happen.....o yea there is a worf for that, hater!!!

I am aspiring to be an owner of a shop myself. So if I am not an artist does that mean if I am better off financially than the artists I know I shouldnt give them oppurtunity? I cant tattoo in the slightest, but I still have real close friends who happen to be VERY prominent artists in the area I live. So, instead of having them do work out of house, why not invest in THEM, and give myself another business oppurtunity as well? If Anyone can unjustify that I will stop cold in my tracks. otherwise you are just whining due to someone else trying to make something good happen.....o yea there is a word for that, hater!!!

It takes years and years .....and years to ever JUST gain a status worthy of paying back the money one can put into a shop or for that matter , most self operating bizzness. If anyone thinks of tattoing as an easy way to not put money into their own passion in order to prove it truly IS their passion...then they watch too much T.V. I spent my entire lifes (family is not happy about it) retirement money to open my own shop. Even worse, I did it a few months before the economy crashed. It has been a struggle. Yet still open. Thing is ...whether the economy is good or down the whole, life is tough or good to you....it all depends on how you can handle everything thrown at you - after you deal with also spending a lot of money. Oh yeah...keeping up with SOOOOO much 'hidden' details of owning a shop that somedays just makes ya wanna scream. Hehehe. Good luck to all those with the right mindset and heart to take this on. Sorry to those walking away with their tails between their legs........ sniklE

It would be much easier if you where an artist, I'm not going to tell you where we get our supplies lol but we can get enough to cover a 3000-4000 BASIS in under 700 dollars. The hard part is to get the county to accept. Supplies are the cheapest thing. Building rent (or own if you got some money) is the hard part. As far as advertising, word of mouth isn't just enough BUT it is a great way. Do a great tat, and their friends will come. Step at a time. I would get an apprenticeship first and see what a shop is like and what goes into it.

man 0 man 0-shevitzzz!!! why would ya wanna open up ? theres really no untapped area in the states , and too many tattooers in an out of the game ,ive been tattooing for 22 years and have a chain of sucessful shops here in so.cal.with some top award winning artist , the main shop is gonna hit 22 years this feb . and the others have been operating since "90", "96" and my newest one just for a few months (but a great location) which for the guy asking how much to open .....try $35,000, ++++++so if ya wanna move to calif. and buy a sucessful chain buy mine ! im lookin to move to costa rica , or uraguy, argentina...etc.. im only asking a paltry $200,000 for all four . (or any of you rich kids who cant tattoo but wanna be cool and own a shop!!!) most of the artist stick around for 4-5 years a few of them have been working for 14-15 years...catch me on my email @ [email removed]

Thank you Gabe for the open-minded reminder. I am a photographer and my fiancé is a tattoo artist. My knowledge of the tattoo industry comes from him. I have knowledge of the business world and I am looking at opening a tattoo studio for him and possibly his friends. They are well-established artists and it is time from them to have a place of their own. The financing it the part that is keeping me from jumping in with both feet. I have cash on hand but not 10 gs. What kind of advice can you give me? Thank you for the information.

I have to say people who want to open a shop for fun,or to make money without being an artist,big mistake.I myself believe the amount of tattoos a person has,or does not have should have no bearing on opening a shop.For me,I am working with 2 of my closest friends,all 3 of us have numerous tattoos,and we have them for special reasons,not because we saw a cool pic,and decided to get it.We are also not tattoo artists,but we are in the beginning stages of opening a shop. I myself am in the process of taking some art classes,and am talking to an artist who I will be an apprentince for.Before we go and jump in with both feet,I want to learn as much about the business as possible.I believe it will help.

i havent read any replies i wont do that in this forum read through whole thread but....bill gates didnt write windows or knew how to he bought it for $50,000 and he is one of the richest men in the world... i'd say 10 grand to open but have another 25,000 in the bank and good luck