Owning a piece of the rat race: When is it time to start your own business (1st part)

It's no secret that large corporations are not the most compassionate organizations. You need only graze the front page of any social media website to see hundreds of people complaining justifiably about their treatment by management. There are a lot of valid complaints about the corporate world. Whether it's the union-busting, abysmal maternity leave, flagrant safety violations, or just the soul-crushing actions of a mega-corporation that withers away your life in 8 hours chunks for an insulting wage, corporate America can be challenging.

Many people dream of the financial independence and self-sufficiency that comes from owning your own business. The fantasy seems almost too good to be true. Who wouldn't want to set their hours and never report to a controlling manager again? We met with Tatiana, a tattoo artist, and business owner, to discuss the ins and outs of business owner life. Tatiana owns and operates Tatianas Studio, a barbershop, piercing, and tattoo studio in Tbilisi, Georgia. At just 26 years old, Tatiana is working to build an empire and make her mark on the tattoo industry.

Q: Firstly, how did you decide on this profession?

A: I attended art school for ten years, and when I was finishing, a friend from school began tattooing. He told me it was the hardest thing in art, which interested me. I had to know, 'What is this the hardest thing?' Because I tried everything else. He told me that it's hard when you make a tattoo; for example, on a beautiful girl, you need to concentrate on the tattoo and not think of anything else. You should not make any mistakes. That's why I became interested, because of the challenge. My first tattoo was on my mom. She believed in me so much. My friends who were boys told me that I couldn't be a successful artist because I'm a woman. It was not true, and I wanted to show them that it was not true. Why shouldn't I be a good artist? Because I'm a girl?

Tatiana opened her studio five years ago, which was not an easy task. At a crossroads in her life, she made the daunting decision to borrow some money and try her hand at business ownership. At just 20 years old, this was a significant life move, and I had to know what pushed her in the direction of her studio rather than finding one already established.

Q: Why did you decide to open the studio rather than work at an established studio?

A: When I first started tattooing, I worked out of my home. It was difficult because I lived with my family at the time, and there was no dedicated workspace for me to set up as a studio. After a short time, I began to study tattooing at a studio, working under another artist. During this time at the studio, I also struggled for a few reasons. I disagreed with some studio rules, and the studio was not doing a good job of PR. We had a disagreement, and I left to open my studio. I was planning to open it with another artist from my former studio, but she left me, and I had to do it on my own.

Without a robust support system, opening a business can feel impossible. Between the fear of failure and the workload, it's a lot for one person to shoulder. Tatiana's husband also operates a web design business, so much of the work was Tatiana's to handle herself.

Q: What was the process of preparing for and opening your small business?

A: I was so afraid because I was not sure if I would have clients. I borrowed money from my family, but we didn't have a good financial situation, and I was so afraid to fail. That year my parents left Georgia and moved to London, so I was alone. It was hard. Only my husband was with me and helped me. We had no furniture, no climate control, and I was drawing designs in our little apartment. But…years and years later, now we are good.

No question opening your own business, especially in an industry as demanding as tattooing, is not for the faint of heart. To make a business work, you have to be willing to make sacrifices, like living in a small apartment without any air conditioning, until you find the success your business needs. It's a hard road and an uncomfortable one. I often wonder what business owners feel about the choices they have made. Do they miss being an employee? Do they relish the new responsibility? Do they think that all the sacrifice was worth it?

Q: What are the benefits of being a small business owner over an employee?

A: As time goes on, I sometimes feel it has no benefits. I often wonder whether I am a businesswoman or an artist? I don't know. Sometimes I don't want to have a business, but it is more financially beneficial. You have your own rules, and you can go to work whenever you want. On the other hand, you have clients looking at you and your responsibilities, so there are not many benefits. It's easier to work with someone else who is smart, and you can just think about art. It's much easier. I want that. Sometimes I want to go to Europe and work for someone else, to take a break from this.

The constant hustle of being the boss is taxing. There's never a time when it's easy to be a business owner. Not only are you providing for yourself, but your employees are also counting on you to take care of them. If your business fails, it affects everyone working with you and helping you build up your company. There's no more pointed example in recent history than the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other places, the city of Tbilisi was hit hard. Georgia is a small, conservative country, and tattooing is a new rising art form here. It doesn't have the history or staying power like other countries.

Q: How did the pandemic affect your business and the tattoo industry in Georgia?

A: It's really had a bad affected the industry, so much so that most of the studios had to close, and our studio has still not recovered. We needed so much hard work to survive this time that I have some trauma now. It is very hard when you are sitting alone in an empty studio with no clients. You have to pay bills, and there is no money coming in. It was very hard. We thought about sales and how to bring in a client. I was working from home, making and selling designs to keep us afloat.

After such a challenging year, many people lost their businesses and livelihoods. Tatiana was fortunate to overcome this tough time and come out relatively unscathed. She still has a studio, which is more than many can say after the economic hardships that followed worldwide lockdowns. With that victory under her belt, I was keen to know what Tatiana's next move would be.

Q: What are your future goals for your business?

A: My future goals are because I am already in this business, I want to make it bigger. I don't want to go backward. That's why I want to franchise my studio and name. In Georgia, in Europe, I want as many as possible. The first country I wanted to franchise was the USA, but now I am thinking of Belgium. We have some friends who can help us, and it's easier to start a business there. People from Europe, I believe, are much easier to talk to. Here in Georgia, they don't trust tattoo artists. They don't trust you, and foreign people are easier because they are more comfortable with the idea of tattoos.

Tatiana took the plunge, and so can you. If the idea of owning your own little piece of the rat race sounds appealing, it might be time for you to start your small business. Visit us at www.MisulisGroup.com and let our qualified business consultants help you do it.