The Business Side of Tattooing: What They Don’t Teach You in Art School
Tattooing is a craft. A calling. An art form with deep cultural roots and creative power. But if you want to make a living — a good one — you also have to master the business side of tattooing. And let’s be honest: most artists aren’t taught this part. Here’s what art school or your apprenticeship maybe didn’t cover, and how you can take control of your tattoo business in 2025.
1. You're Not Just an Artist—You're a Business
Whether you’re renting a booth or running a private studio, you’re a small business owner. That means:
Managing income and expenses
Setting fair, sustainable pricing
Paying taxes and tracking deductions
Dealing with contracts, clients, and cancellations
Solution: Use systems like Quickbooks + Xero to track income and simplify business management.
2. Time = Money (Even in Art)
Every hour you spend chasing DMs, organizing your calendar, or no-showing by a client is time not spent tattooing or creating.
What to fix:
Automate scheduling and client intake
Set up boundaries (no time wasted in pointless DMs)
Track how your hours are spent weekly
Tools like LYVAR let artists run a clean, automated workflow so your time is respected.
3. You Need Repeat Clients to Survive
First-timers are great. But loyal, returning clients are your real foundation.
How to build loyalty:
Communicate professionally - being repsonsive, friendly, consistent and professional is key
Track and remember client details (styles, preferences, special needs)
Offer value and consistency
With client notes, follow-ups, and a centralized inbox, LYVAR makes retention easy.
4. Brand Matters More Than Followers
You don’t need 100K followers. You need 100 people who trust you, value your work, and refer others.
Your brand includes:
Your visual style and tone
Your booking experience
Your professionalism and clarity
Running your tattoo practice like a brand means thinking about how every touchpoint feels — from your IG grid to your email responses.
5. Admin Will Eat Your Life If You Let It
Paper forms, manual bookings, back-and-forth DMs, “Can you remind me?” texts... It adds up.
Your solution: A single system to run your business.
Online booking
Digital consent forms
Automated reminders and rebook prompts
Client records
That’s exactly why LYVAR exists—to help tattoo artists own their business without losing their soul.
Final Thought
Nobody teaches you how to run a business when you start tattooing. But the truth is: your art deserves structure, your time deserves protection, and your career deserves to thrive.
LYVAR is the system that helps make it possible—built for tattoo artists, with love for the craft.
Want to build a sustainable tattoo business without losing your edge? Help us build LYVAR and take back your time.