How to Manage a Tattoo Shop – From Utilities to Software

From rent and utility bills to appointment and booking software fees, it might be overwhelming to manage a tattoo shop or studio, especially if you are doing it solo.

But in our guide, we are aiming to shed some light on things you must definitely consider when you manage a tattoo shop in the modern world, from expenses to customers’ expectations.

Our guide is designed more as general recommendations, if you are just starting out in the industry or at the middle of the road – but feel you need a hand or new ideas! So let’s take a look at recommendations.

Make customers feel less intimidated about their first tattoo

Even if you have been operating your tattoo shop for quite some time, some important things may still slip your attention. And making your customers safe about their first (or even second!) tattoo is one of them.

An increasing number of shops and studios are embracing inclusivity, catering to diverse needs. Tattoo establishments have a reputation of intimidating newcomers, and are now striving to create environments where individuals can feel comfortable and secure. This is the way to attract more people.

How can you do this? Start from the first steps people learn about you – including all the information about safety on the internet or in a brick-and-mortar way, too.

Manage your expenses effectively

Business is about money, right? And how to save money is one of the big questions. There are multiple financial literacy courses you can enroll at any moment – and learn to save money.

Why not open your mind to something new? The brain is plastic!

Here is a list of tattoo shop expenses you should always keep in mind and keep records about:

1. Tattoo shop rent and utilities.
2. Furniture and office equipment.
3. Tattoo equipment and supplies.
4. Hygiene and cleaning supplies.
5. Autoclaves for sterilization.
6. Point-of-sale (POS) software.
7. Salaries for tattoo artists and other employees.
8. Appointment scheduling software cost.
9. Marketing costs.

Create a conceptualized portfolio

Give your customers an in-depth look at the tattoo styles that you offer, and advertise your artists and their achievements. Give customers a feeling that they are going to come to unique, authentic artists. Tell them about things they will admire!

Create and feature your portfolio on your personal brand website to give people an idea of your styles.

Provide streamlined scheduling experiences with booking software

When you are planning our customer experiences in your tattoo shop, scheduling appointments with clients plays a key role in creating the first impression.

Why might this be super important for you and your clients?

• Availability scheduling with fully automatic tools and minimum human errors.
• Saved time on managing bookings and workflows.
• Integrated online payments – modern customers love contactless and cashless payment solutions.
• Better transparency across all your booking, client, and artist management processes.
• Better marketing opportunities via tools and apps.
• Better communication, including via SMS and WhatsApp.

Particularly, with solutions like BookingPress, you can create a mobile-friendly and powerful booking form that will help your customers self-schedule an appointment with a tattoo artist, as well as optionally choose the length of the sessions, an artist, tattoo styles, etc. All automatic!

Here are more guides for you on the topic:

• The latest trends in appointment scheduling software (2023)
• Best WordPress appointment plugins with SMS integration
• 5 tips to deal with cancelled appointments and reduce no-shows

Give artists more time and less management burden

The artistic process may be overwhelming, even more so the client management workflow.

The less of this burden your artists have, the more they are productive and happy in their everyday creations.

Booking software solutions for tattoo shops and other services businesses normally give easy management tools to staff members, helping check bookings, optimize payments, and even connect bookings to their personal calendars.

Offer appointment & consultation scheduling in your shop

You can earn extra money and reputation by simply consulting customers! No matter if they are looking for it before getting a tattoo in your salon or just want to understand how it works in general, what risks exist, and other questions.

If you use appointment scheduling software, you can easily create ‘consultation’ services and sell them along with the normal tattoo appointments.

Register on platforms your target customers use to find local tattoo shops

If you feel your tattoo shop needs more eyeballs, keep searching for platforms that can provide you with them. Make sure your brand is presented on all popular websites – and most importantly, it stands out from the others!

Some examples include:

• Social media.
• Yelp Business Page.
• Google Business Account.

Communicate your policies and procedures

To avoid any compleх disputes in your tattoo shop, your customers must be aware of all your policies in advance.

This won’t just help you create a more professional image of your brand but will also help you better deal with customers and tattoo shop management processes.

1. Consult a lawyer or dedicated services online.

2. Create a dedicated page on your website.

3. Make sure this information is visible and clear for your customers (and make sure that they accept it).

Introduce training programs and ongoing education to your staff

Extra training programs and continuing education are of high importance for all participants of the business life in a tattoo shop – from managers to artists and other employees.

It won’t just help your staff get the new skills and knowledge, and better serve customers, but can also help you feature your expertise with various diplomas and certificates you can showcase on your website and right in the studio.

Conclusion: How to manage a tattoo shop in a modern world

In the ever-changing market and internet environment, it’s easy to get tired and stop pivoting, but this is surely the way to destroy your business.

As an artistic business, your task is even harder – to keep your creativity high and still take care of the business management side of things. Here are the key things we can highlight that will help you in tackling this task:

• Embrace more automation (booking and financial software).
• Invest in marketing.
• Invest in training and education.