9 Tips to Grow Your Tattoo Business Year Round

When running a business, there are always opportunities to grow your customer base and increase revenue, whether your month is busy, slow, or somewhere in between. While the tattoo industry has certain trends, each business is unique. That’s why we’re giving you ways to promote and grow your business in all four seasons.

Summer

• Invite a Guest Artist to Your Shop If there’s a popular tattoo artist near you, book them to come and tattoo clients in your shop. This is a great way to connect with the artist and increase your shop’s visibility. Make sure you and the guest artist spread the news on social media to make sure you get the best traction possible.

• Offer Your Services at Parties and Weddings A party host’s goal is to create a fun and memorable experience for their guests. There’s no better memento than a tattoo! Having a tattoo artist at parties and weddings is becoming more and more popular. Many artists offer simple linework that can be perfect for someone’s first or 50th tattoo. The key is to be quick and offer art that takes thirty minutes or less, so you have time to run through the whole party. The best part is you can build a rapport with potential clients, and if they wanted something more intricate, like a large tattoo, they could book with you later. This would even be a good opportunity to offer a discount to potential clients if they book an appointment with you at the event.

Fall

• Go to Networking and Community Events Use websites like Facebook and Eventbrite to find events in your area to connect with tattoo artists, piercers, and other business owners. There are also many things you can learn at a networking event, especially if there’s a workshop. And unless the event is specifically for tattoo artists and piercers, you may be the only person from your industry, meaning you’ll stand out and be memorable. Before you arrive, make sure to have your website and social pages in order and some business cards on hand; you may meet your next customer. Entrepreneurs and executives like tattoos too. Also, consider being a part of your local community’s events as a sponsor or a booth renter. If you can bring your services to a wedding party, you can bring them to the public. Again, your booth would be one-of-a-kind and the talk of the event. If people pass by and aren’t ready to commit to a tattoo, offer them a coupon they can use at your shop later.

• Focus More on Piercings and Other Services With the colder weather, everyone has their skin covered anyway so it’s not like they can show off their tattoos, but they can show off a new stud in their nose. Promote some of your coolest piercings to your current tattoo clients or offer a discount for someone to get a new tattoo and piercing in one visit. You can also extend your services to tattoo removals, lash extensions, waxing, or hire a cosmetic tattooist. Remember, this is your business, so the opportunities are limitless.

Winter

• Review Your Business Strategies The end of the year is a good time for reflection. You and your team can sit down, talk about what worked, what needs improvement, and begin brainstorming for the upcoming months. Did you run too many promotions or not enough? Did you always have enough products in stock? How’s your appointment booking software? Do you need to bring in a new staff member? These are all good questions to ask to prepare for the next chapter of your business.

• Upsell Products It’s common for a tattoo business to receive a surge in appointments once people get their tax returns. Make the most of your influx of customers by telling your staff to sell more products. Products are a great way to boost revenue because their profits don’t need a large exchange of time; all you need are a few sales tactics. A popular one is to hand clients the suggested product, tell them all about it to generate curiosity and create a sense of ownership, then take it back from them. By taking the product back your client will feel like they want it back and are likely to make a purchase.

Spring

• Offer Classes If you’ve been in the body art industry for a while, you have enough knowledge to teach your skills to aspiring tattoo artists and piercers. You can show off your unique techniques and even meet your next staff member. Classes are a great way to gain more revenue because you’re in full control of the price and if you already have a shop, it’ll take little to no extra cost to get this new stream of income started.

• Perfect Your Craft It doesn’t matter how skilled of a tattoo artist you are; you can never be too good at what you do. During lull times in your day, you can learn new techniques, expand on your signature style, or even learn how to tattoo on different skin tones to widen your client base. The sweat equity you put in your downtime will lead to large payoffs in the future.

Every day is a day to grow as a tattoo artist and a business owner. DaySmart Body Art is also here to offer you year-round support to help manage your clientele and grow your business with simple solutions. Don’t worry, committing to us isn’t like committing to a new tattoo. Book a free trial first to see if we’re right for you.