Fishboy
08-04-2009, 08:13 PM
So, the summer is winding down here. The kids go back to school this week and the beach will be empty except for weekends. While I definitely didn't strike it rich this summer, my little business venture did turn a small profit after setup costs etc. Here is a list of things that I learned that may help other newbies...
1) Price your tats to meet your demographic. Mine range from $2 to $20, which makes them accessible to everyone at my beach. My demographic ranges from kids from the projects to tourists with money to burn. Remember that it is better to sell 30 tats at $3 ($90) than 10 tats at $5 ($50).
2) Keep it simple. This applies to everything from your displays to your price lists. If you work alone like I do it slows you down having to pause halfway through each tat to explain your price list.
3) Make sure that people can tell what your business is from a distance. A brightly colored banner (yellow or orange on blue background for example) with decent sized letters goes a long way.
4) Don't barter. When I first started out I let people haggle over the price a little. One day I kept track and found I lost out on $50 that day. Word also gets around and people come to expect a "special" price. My tats are priced more than fair. I now simply says "El precio es el precio..." and I have yet to have someone walk away.
5) Approach very small children slowly and make it a game for them. I learned early on that the blast of air against their skin can set them to crying. Good luck getting them to sit still after that.
6) Clean your guns daily. Proper maintenance goes a long way towards a smoothly running booth.
7) Keep your booth as tidy as possible. It looks more professional and makes it easier to find what you need when you need it.
8) Simple chit chat is a good way to distract your customer and make them feel more comfortable. Especially when you are placing a tat on a breast or bikini line.
9) Don't put up with swearing or lewd behavior in your booth. This of course depends on your demographic, but I've found that my business is mostly family oriented and that parents really appreciate it when I request that people not swear in my booth (it's gotten me many tips and repeat customers). Be polite about it though, I just say " Please tone down your language for the kids." or something along those lines.
10) Get to know your neighbors. This is a big plus for security reasons.
These are just some of the things that have worked for me.
1) Price your tats to meet your demographic. Mine range from $2 to $20, which makes them accessible to everyone at my beach. My demographic ranges from kids from the projects to tourists with money to burn. Remember that it is better to sell 30 tats at $3 ($90) than 10 tats at $5 ($50).
2) Keep it simple. This applies to everything from your displays to your price lists. If you work alone like I do it slows you down having to pause halfway through each tat to explain your price list.
3) Make sure that people can tell what your business is from a distance. A brightly colored banner (yellow or orange on blue background for example) with decent sized letters goes a long way.
4) Don't barter. When I first started out I let people haggle over the price a little. One day I kept track and found I lost out on $50 that day. Word also gets around and people come to expect a "special" price. My tats are priced more than fair. I now simply says "El precio es el precio..." and I have yet to have someone walk away.
5) Approach very small children slowly and make it a game for them. I learned early on that the blast of air against their skin can set them to crying. Good luck getting them to sit still after that.
6) Clean your guns daily. Proper maintenance goes a long way towards a smoothly running booth.
7) Keep your booth as tidy as possible. It looks more professional and makes it easier to find what you need when you need it.
8) Simple chit chat is a good way to distract your customer and make them feel more comfortable. Especially when you are placing a tat on a breast or bikini line.
9) Don't put up with swearing or lewd behavior in your booth. This of course depends on your demographic, but I've found that my business is mostly family oriented and that parents really appreciate it when I request that people not swear in my booth (it's gotten me many tips and repeat customers). Be polite about it though, I just say " Please tone down your language for the kids." or something along those lines.
10) Get to know your neighbors. This is a big plus for security reasons.
These are just some of the things that have worked for me.