Your Own Small Tattoo and Piercing Studio

Individuals booking tattoos and piercings, plus visiting artists paying chair rent or a booth fee.

Your own tattoo and piercing fees, a share of or rent from other artists, deposits, aftercare products and jewellery sales.

• Tattooing or piercing experience
• Strict hygiene and sterilization routines
• Basic business management and bookkeeping
• Customer service and brand building

• Premises usually need a public health inspection and may need a licence or permit, so check before signing a lease
• Home-based studios are often not allowed for tattooing, so check your local rules
• Commercial general liability insurance, plus WCB/WSIB coverage if you hire employees (rules vary by province)
• Safe disposal of sharps and biomedical waste, and keeping sterilization records
• Age limits and consent rules for minors, which vary by province
• Rent and fit-out costs come before the first booking, and quieter months can be tight

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $25,000 to $80,000, depending on premises, fit-out, sterilization equipment and supplies. Rent and fit-out costs come before the first booking, and quieter months can be tight.

Things to check: premises usually need a public health inspection and may need a licence or permit, so check before signing a lease. Home-based studios are often not allowed, so check local rules. Also check sharps disposal and age and consent rules.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on how many artists work there, your pricing and any chair rent from guest artists. Quieter months can be tight, so plan a cash buffer.