The Business of Tattooing - You’re Not Just a Tattoo Artist — You’re a Business Owner.

Memphis Mori

Jun 18, 2025

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how to manage the business part of being a tattoo artist

Being good at tattooing is one thing.
Running a sustainable, profitable, life-supporting business is another.

If you’re living appointment to appointment, burning out, forgetting your taxes, and wondering why you're still struggling financially; It’s not because you’re not talented.
It’s because no one ever taught you how to actually build your business.

Let’s change that.

Here’s how to go from winging it to owning it — step by step.

1. Schedule Your Life Like It’s Part of the Business (Because It Is)
If you don’t control your time, your business will.

Recommended Tools:

Google Calendar (free) → Block time for drawing, admin, tattooing, breaks
Square Appointments ($0–$29/month) → Clients book when you say they can, not whenever they feel like it

Tips:

Schedule "drawing days" into your week — not just client appointments
Block time for admin tasks (emails, taxes, cleaning) every day
Protect at least 2 "off" days per week (non-negotiable)

Pro Move:
Use different calendar colors for Tattoo Time, Content Time, and Personal Time.

2. Content Creation is Part of the Job — Systematize It
Posting to Instagram and TikTok isn’t optional anymore if you want to stay busy.
But it shouldn’t feel like a full-time job either.

Recommended Tools:

Later (starts free; $18/month for upgrades) → Schedule IG/TikTok posts automatically
Canva Pro ($15/month) → Create templates for stories, posts, carousels fast
InShot (free or $15/year) → Quick editing app for reels, process videos

Tips:

Batch create your content 1 day per week
Take progress shots during every tattoo
Post consistently (3–5x a week) — even if it's simple studio updates

3. Automate Your Money Management (Because Money ≠ Evil)
If you’re still mixing tattoo money into your personal bank account, it’s time to level up.

Recommended Tools:

Wave Accounting (free) → Track income/expenses, send invoices
QuickBooks Self-Employed ($20/month) → Mileage tracking, quarterly tax estimates, invoicing

Tips:

Set up a separate checking account just for tattoo business money
Pay yourself a “salary” weekly from your tattoo business account
Track everything: supplies, travel, booth rent, marketing — it’s all deductible

4. Pay Your Taxes (And Yourself)
Freelancers and artists get crushed by taxes when they don’t plan ahead.

How to Not Get Screwed:

Save 20–30% of every dollar you earn for taxes
Pay quarterly estimated taxes if you’re earning over $1,000 profit/year
Use apps like QuickBooks or Keeper Tax to track deductions automatically

Pro Tip:
Hiring a bookkeeper once a year (even for $150–$300) can save you thousands in mistakes.

5. Set Up Future You for Success (Retirement Isn’t Just for “Real Jobs”)
Tattooing is physical. Your hands, your back, and your sanity won’t last forever if you don’t plan.

Recommended Tools:

Fidelity Roth IRA (free to set up) → Easy, tax-free retirement investing
Betterment (1% fee) → Automated investing, including retirement and emergency funds

Starter Plan:

Open a Fidelity Roth IRA
Set up auto-deposits — even $50 a week matters

Your tattoos are masterpieces — your future deserves a little craftsmanship too

6. Protect Your Mental Health Like Your Career Depends On It (Because It Does)
Being burnt out doesn’t make you a better artist. It makes you miserable.

Recommended Apps:

Finch (cute self-care tracker)
Sanvello (mental health support, therapy access)
Daylio (mood + habit tracker)

Weekly Mental Health Rituals:

One no-tattoo day — no clients, no exceptions
Check in with yourself — anxiety, fatigue, overwhelm = business problems too
Community care — tattooing is isolating; stay connected to your people

7. Your Tools = Your Business Reputation
Tattoo clients notice when your station’s organized.
They notice when your needles are premium, your aftercare clean, your work consistent.

Choosing cheap supplies doesn’t just risk your art — it risks your brand.

When your tools are reliable, your business is reliable. Period.

8. Use Affiliate Marketing

You’re already recommending your favorite tools to clients, apprentices, and even random artists in your DMs.

Why not get paid for the influence you're already giving?

Affiliate marketing isn't "selling out" — it’s using your platform smartly to support your community and yourself.

Here’s how it works:

Share the products you actually use and love
Give your audience a discount code
Earn a commission when they buy

It’s ethical. It’s transparent. It’s just smart business.

The best part?
You don’t have to be a "social media influencer" to make it work.
You just have to be a real artist with real trust.

JOIN THE INSIDERS

The Electrum Insiders Program: Built for Artists (Not Algorithms)

When you join Electrum Insiders, you get:

✅ A personalized 20% off code to share with your audience
✅ 10% cash commission OR 15% store credit on every sale made with your code
✅ Exclusive access to new product launches
✅ Missions and bonuses to help you earn even more
✅ Real support — no weird strings, no fake promises

Whether you want to make a little extra cash for booth rent or build a whole passive income stream,
Insiders was built to help artists — not exploit them.

Think of it like this:
You already trust Electrum’s products — Fire Cartridges, Cleanse, Dermor, Ink — because they’re made for tattooers by tattooers.
Now you can build your business bigger, louder, and smarter... just by sharing what you love.

JOIN THE INSIDERS

✨ The Bottom Line: Act Like a Business. Get Paid Like One.
You don’t need to grind yourself into the ground to be “successful.”
You don’t need to suffer to be "legit."

You need to treat your tattoo career like what it is:
A serious, sustainable, badass business.

Schedule smart.
Create smart.
Spend smart.
Protect your energy.
Invest in your future.