Are you about starting a body piercing studio? If YES, here is a complete sample body piercing studio business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a body piercing studio. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample body piercing studio marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for body piercing studios. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
Why Start a Body Piercing Studio?
If you are in love with body art and want to start a business in the niche, you can easily open a body piercing studio. The right time to start such business is now because the body piercing and tattoo industry is presently at its growing stage.
A body piercing studio can be a fun, profitable and interesting business for someone who is skilled in the trade. With the right location, top-notch service and good marketing skills, you can serve varieties of customers.
Opening a body piercing studio may not require huge capital, but it needs solid planning and attention to detail in order to keep your business profitable. If you are diligent enough and if you have good business strategies, you can build the business from just one outlet to numerous outlets across the united states from the sale of franchise.
Opening a body piercing studio might not be entirely easy, but one thing that is certain is that it has the ability to generate steady profits if well positioned and properly managed.
So, if you are considering opening a body piercing studio business, all you need is some capital to purchase or lease/rent a suitable facility, the required equipment and working tools. You would also need capital to pay your employees at least for the first 3 months, and also to pay your utility bills.
Below is a sample body piercing studio business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no difficulty.
A Sample Body Piercing Studio Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
Players in the Body Piercing industry are known to provide body piercing services, which involve puncturing the skin in order to display ornamental jewelry.
The major activities in this industry revolves around navel piercing, cartilage, rook, nostril, eyebrow, daith, lip, tragus, and earlobe piercings: and facial piercing and we are not ruling out the fact that most players in this industry also provide tattoo services by injecting ink under the skin and permanently altering the coloration of the skin.
In the United States, different states have their rules and regulations as it relates to running a body piercing studio. For example, according to the health departments in the State of Oregon and Hawaii, body piercing and tattoo artists are required to take and pass a test ascertaining their knowledge of health and safety precautions, as well as the current state regulations.
In Oregon, operating a body piercing and tattoo shop without a current license or in an unlicensed facility is considered a felony. Between 2002 and 2006 was when body piercing and tattooing was legalized in New York City, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Oklahoma.
So also in the state of Tennessee, the local health department can/will do a hands on inspection of body piercing and tattoo studios every 4 months. The location of the body piercing and tattoo studio will be graded based on the areas being inspected.
If the studio passes an inspection, the health department will sign off on a passing scorecard and the studio will be required to show their score publicly. If the studio fails an inspection, they will be given the opportunity to correct the mistakes (if minor) or be fined (major health risks) and can also be kicked out of business on the spot.
The Body Piercing and Tattoo industry is currently in the growth stage of its life cycle. Statistics has it that the industry in the United States of America is worth $722 million, with an estimated growth rate of 9.8 percent.
There are about 35,399 registered and licensed body piercing and tattoo studios in the United States and they are responsible for employing about 54,712 people. It is import to start that no body piercing and tattoo studio can boast of having a lion market share in the industry.
According to report published by Pew Research Center, 36 percent of Americans aged 18-25 have at least one body piercing and tattoo. This goes to show that more than one third of America’s young adults have body piercing and tattoos!
Little wonder the body piercing and tattoo industry is the sixth fastest-growing retail business in America, as determined by the U.S. News & World Report. This has obviously translated to online interest as well, as there are more than 147 million body piercing and tattoo related searches each month on Google.
A close study of the body piercing business shows that the business exhibits low barriers to entry. The industry is highly fragmented as there are smaller body piercing studios that cater to a market niche of consumers.
The body piercing business will continue to blossom because people would always want to join the trend, so it is safe to say that the industry is growing steadily despite its competitive nature.
Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own body piercing business could be that the business is easy to set up and the capital is indeed affordable; you can actually start your own body piercing studios business from the comfort of your house. All you need to do is to create a space somewhere in your house.
Over and above, the body piercing and tattoo industry is very open to any aspiring entrepreneur who has acquired the required training, skills and perhaps professional certifications to start his or her own business.
2. Executive Summary
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is a licensed body piercing & tattoo studio. We have been able to secure a standard studio facility in a central district in Downtown Atlanta – Georgia. We are a body piercing studio that is set to compete in the highly competitive and fragmented industry because we intend opening our outlets in key cities across the United States.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. will offer services like providing body piercings, customized tattoos, predesigning tattoos, maintaining aftercare tattoo services, administering permanent makeup tattoos, and laser tattoo-removal services et al.
Our business goal is to become one of the leading body piercing studios in the United States and we will make sure that we do all we can to compete favorably with leaders in the industry.
Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of certified, creative and highly experienced body piercing artists in and around Atlanta – Georgia. We will make sure that we take our workforce through the required training that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with leading body piercing studios in the United States.
At Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc., our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is founded by Oscar Vincent, a renowned body piercing artist and tattooist par excellence. He has Tattoo & Piercing Safety Certificate and Tattoo and body piercing studio certification with over 10 years of hands of experience in the industry.
3. Our Products and Services
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the body piercing & tattoo artists industry.
We want to compete favorably in the United States which is why we have but in place a competent team that will ensure that every body piercing, tattoo design or related services rendered meets and even surpass our customers’ expectations.
We will work hard to ensure that Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is not just accepted in Atlanta – Georgia but also in other cities in the United States of America where we intend opening our studios. Our services are listed below;
- Providing body piercings
- Designing customized tattoos
- Predesigning tattoos
- Aftercare tattoo services
- Administering permanent makeup tattoos
- Laser tattoo-removal service
- Other related consulting and advisory services
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to build a body piercing and tattoo studio that will be a common name in Atlanta – Georgia.
- Our mission is to provide professional body piercing and tattoo services and other related services to individuals. We want to build a body piercing studio that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the industry.
Our Business Structure
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is a body piercing studio that has plans of starting small in Atlanta – Georgia, but hopes to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading body piercing and tattoo studio in the industry both in the United States and on a global stage.
We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the kind of business we want to own. This is exactly why we want to hire the best hands in the industry.
At Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc., we will ensure that we hire qualified, hardworking and creative people to help us build a prosperous business. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
- Manager/Owner
- Studio Supervisor
- Sales and Marketing Executive
- Accountant
- Body Piercing and Tattoo Artists (Tattooist)
- Client Service Executive
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer – CEO:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives.
- In charge of providing direction for the business
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Accountable for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance and calling for repairs.
- Carries out induction of new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
- Evaluates the success of the organization
Studio Supervisor:
- Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
- Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
- Makes certain that the body piercing and tattooists perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitates communication between management and the workforce
- Ensures that the organization works in line with international best practices.
Sales and Marketing Manager
- Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
- Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
- Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
- Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding sales
- Creates new markets cum businesses for the organization
- Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets
Accountant/Cashier:
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports.
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Accountable for administering payrolls
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the organization
- Serves as internal auditor for the organization
Licensed Body Piercing & Tattooist (Tattoo Artists)
- Pricks skin of patron, using needled electric tool, that inserts indelible nontoxic pigment into skin to form decorative or ornamental design
- Sterilizes needles in steam-heated cabinet
- Mixes nontoxic colored pigments according to formula
- Adjusts and repairs needled electric tool, using hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers
- Draws original designs on paper, trace designs onto acetate sheet, and cut out design to form pattern or stencil, using stylus and knife
- Responsible for maintaining a safe and clean work environment, including donning gloves when making contact with skin, sterilizing single-use tattoo equipment and ensuring that all work surfaces are properly disinfected to avoid the spread of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis, HIV and other communicable infectious diseases.
Client Service Executive
- Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s services
- Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries.
6. SWOT Analysis
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. engaged the services of a professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured body piercing studio business that can favorably compete in the highly competitive body piercing and tattoo artists industry in the United States.
Part of what the business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc.;
- Strength:
Our strength lies in the power of our workforce. We have a team of certified, creative and experienced body piercing artists. We can also boast of surpassing health inspection expectations and our manager can boast of having Tattoo & Piercing Safety Certificate and Tattoo and body piercing studio certification.
- Weakness:
Having extra finance to open chains of body piercing studios and hiring some of the finest body piercing artists and tattooists might be what will count as a weakness for our organization.
- Opportunities:
The fact that it is the standard for baby girls to pierce their earlobes and adults, both male and female to request for navel piercing, cartilage, rook, nostril, eyebrow, daith, lip, tragus, and earlobe piercings and other facial piercing means that the industry is full of opportunities and of we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.
- Threat:
The presence of well – established body piercing and tattoo studios is one of the major threats that we are going to be confronted with. We have been able to put in place strategies that will help us win a fair share of the available market in Atlanta – Georgia.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
The Body Piercing & Tattoo Artists industry has exhibited growth over the last five years, partially due to popular culture which includes tattoo-related reality television programs, which have made tattoos less culturally offensive. In addition, individuals have continued to demand customized tattoos with intricate designs, rather than predesigned tattoos.
Going forward, the body piercing and tattoo industry will continue to grow, as the US population will likely become increasingly tattooed. On the other hand, new public health initiatives and regulations may add to operational costs for the industry and stand as barriers for entrepreneurs who may want to launch their own body piercing and tattoo studio.
So also, cultural and religious taboos surrounding tattoos have increasingly faded, leading to strong growth in demand for tattoos.
Lastly, it is now becoming trendy to find body piercing artists and tattoo studios step up their designs to 3D and also leveraging on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube et al to display their body piercing skills.
8. Our Target Market
Please note that we did our due diligence prior to establishing our body piercing and tattoo studio downtown Atlanta – Georgia; we conducted a market survey and feasibility studies and we are certain that there are loads of young people that would need our services.
In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various groups of people who we know will need our services. Below is a list of the people that we will specifically market our services to;
- Celebrities/Stars
- Sports Men and Women
- Power Bikers and Cyclists
- Students
- Tourists
Our Competitive Advantage
Surviving in the business world as a body piercing studio requires more than your creativity, but also how to network with key people that matters. We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the industry means that you are not only expected to deliver highly creative tattoo designs, but you must be able to meet set targets.
Our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of certified, creative and highly trained body piercing artists, a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the industry.
Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected workforce, our designs and services will be guided by best practices in the industry. Another strength that counts for us in the location of our studio; it is located in one of the busiest areas in Atlanta – Georgia.
Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the body piercing & tattoo industry and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. will generate income by offering the following services;
- Providing body piercings
- Designing customized tattoos
- Predesigning tattoos
- Maintaining aftercare tattoo services
- Administering permanent makeup tattoos
- Laser tattoo-removal service
- Other related consulting and advisory services
10. Sales Forecast
We are well positioned to take on the available market in the body piercing and tattoo industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough profits from our first six months of operation and grow our body piercing studio to enviable heights.
Below is the sales projection for Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. It is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of body piercing and tattooing services that we offer.
- First Fiscal Year: $120,000
- Second Fiscal Year: $250,000
- Third Fiscal Year: $500,000
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
We are mindful of the fact that there is stiff competition in the body piercing and tattoo industry, hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.
Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc.
Our corporate goal is to grow Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. to become one of the top 10 tattoo studios in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Atlanta – Georgia but also in other cities in the United States of America where we intend opening our studios.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Advertise our business in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations.
- List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms to promote our business
- Engage direct marketing approach
- Encourage word of mouth marketing from satisfied clients
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk into the hearts of our target market. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc.;
- Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community based events/programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
- Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Atlanta – Georgia
- Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
- List our body piercing studio in local directories / yellow pages
- Advertise our body piercing and tattoo studio in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
- Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are branded with our company logo.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
At Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. we will keep the prices of our services below the average market rate by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is all inclusive because we are aware that different customers prefer different payment options but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. will make available to her clients;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment with cash
- Payment via credit cards/Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via mobile money transfer
- Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for services rendered without any stress on their part.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
From all statistics and facts available to us, we have been able to come up with an estimate of what we intend spending to establish our body piercing and tattoo studio in Atlanta – Georgia;
- Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
- The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
- Acquiring a facility for our body piercing and tattoo studio for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $100,000.
- The amount required to purchase the needed tattoo kits and supplies and receipt issuing machines, Sound System (For playing music), Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines), CCTV Cameras and Flat Screen TVs – $45,000
- Amount required to purchase the needed software applications to run our business – $3,500
- Launching an official Website will cost – $500
- Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
- Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) U.S. dollars to successfully set up a medium scale but standard body piercing studio in the United States of America. N.B: We have been able to secure the following tattoo related tools and equipment;
Tattoo Parts
- Power supply: Main power unit that runs your tattoo machine
- Foot switch
- Spring clip cord
- Feeler gauge
Medical Supplies and Sterilization Equipment
- Surface disinfectant sterilization
- Tattoo antiseptic aftercare
- Tattoo Topical antiseptic ointment and cleanser
- Machine cover bag and headrest cover sleeve
- Waste disposal container
- Tattoo autoclave (stericlave): Decontaminates the tattoo equipment by exposing it to steam at high pressure
- Rubbing alcohol and alcohol prep pads
- Disinfecting cleaning wipes
- Tattoo arm sleeve cover barrier or latex gloves
- Tubes and tips cleaning brush set
- Autoclave bag: Stores tattoo equipment including needles after the sterilization process
- Ultrasonic cleaner and solution: Cleans residue coming from the tattoo tools e.g. tubes and tattoo needle
- Tattoo machine rack: Holds machines when they are not in use
- Germicidal solution: Maintains the sterilization of tattoo equipment
- Needle trays
- 16: Spray bottles: One containing a mixture of 1/4 soap and 3/4 water, and a second holding isopropyl alcohol
- Glass jar: Carries sterile ink caps
- Stainless steel trays with sealing tops: One for liner and needle bars, another for shader needles and a third for shader and liner tubes
- Green soap: For prep and clean up only!
- Vaseline
- Disposable razors
- Bandages, handi wrap and hospital tape: Used to cover the tattoo
- Tongue depressors
- Stainless steel hospital scissors: Should be sharp!
Tattoo shop furniture and supplies
- Rolling artists chair
- Tattoo work table: Glass top or linoleum table that should hold all your equipment and supplies
- Customer chair
- Adjustable light source: Should be free standing
- Basic weight-lifting bench: This is used by customers getting tattoos on their backs and legs
- Paper towels
Needle supplies
- Needle bars
- Needles: Round liners and magnum/flat shaders
- Needle jig and needle bar jig
- Soldering gun and stainless solder: Fuses the needles together and attaches the needles to the bars
- Round and flat tubes
- Sharps containers: To dispose of the needles
- Rubber nipples
- Tweezers
- Grips: Prevents finger cramps
- Rubber bands
Art and stencil supplies
- Colored inks: Black ink included
- Ink caps
- 4Oz Ink bottles
- Cup holder
- Flash sheets containing tattoo designs
- Watercolors and pencils: Colors the flash sheets
- Thermal copier: Transfers a copy of the tattoo design onto the skin
Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is a business that will be owned and managed by Oscar Vincent. He is the sole financier of the business which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources.
These are the areas we intend generating our startup capital;
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
- Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
- Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).
N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $70,000 and soft loan from family members $30,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and document have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.
One of our major goals of starting Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.
We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our body piercing and tattoo designs and services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.
Oscar Vincent® Body Piercing & Tattoo Studio, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.
We know that if these are put in place, we will be able to hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry, and they will help us build the business.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Securing a standard office facility for our body piercing and tattoo studio: Completed
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of Logo for the business: Completed
- Purchase of repair and servicing tools and equipment: Completed
- Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of the needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: In Progress