5 Simple Steps to Manage and Grow Your Tattoo Business

 

Many of the guild's membership are small business owners or freelancers. Whenever T.A.G. staff or members comes across pertinent information that might be useful to the guild we like to share it.

The following was stripped out of a great article by Colleen Debaise published in the Wall Street Journal on January 10, 2010 entitled “For Many Entrepreneurs, Running the Show is Stressful”. While the article is not directly related to the tattooing trade, it's certainly gives some solid business advice for those running their own shop and even those who are freelancing. Here is the Cliff Notes version of the article:

 

5 Simple Steps to Manage and Grow Your Tattooing Business

 

  • Take a look at how the business has been performing— what's worked, what hasn't— and to come up with a plan for the year ahead.

     

  • Every year create a business plan and outline goals for the coming year.  Do this even if your business is running fine and is steadily plotting along. This will stave off feelings of directionless, inefficiency and feeling overwhelmed— all of which contribute to stress

     

  • If you need more clients, target specific areas where you think you can drum up business.

     

  • Come up with a marketing plan.

     

  • Develop a budget by figuring out how much you need to set aside for quarterly tax payments, capital expenditures, your retirement plan, employee salaries and other areas.

 

All of this advance planning will allow you to spend less time putting out fires and more time meeting the business goals you've outlined. As a result, you will feel more in control and less vulnerable to stress.