As an independent contractor and tattoo artist who is scheduling a date/time with your client, running your tattoo shop without your cell is nearly impossible.
Have you ever forgotten your cellphone for the day? To be a tattoo artist or for that matter, anybody except a person on a meditation retreat who is practicing silence, the 3 letters that come to mind are OMG.
Or, how about if your phone is just not working for the day? I’m curious how you handled it… Did you take the whole thing in stride or freak out?
Check this out…
I had the good fortune to attend Augusta, the Master’s a few years ago. As you probably know, it’s one of the most famous golf tournaments in the world. The Master’s Policy is that NO PHONES ARE ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY.
I realized that I wouldn’t have my phone for the whole day – no calls to my family. No texting. No business calls. Nothing. Having worked with thousands of tattoo owners and artists, what would happen if that client you’ve been waiting on is finally ready for a full back piece? Many tattoo shops have stopped using conventional landlines and communicating via calls/texts is the only way to speak with the tattoo artist. Would that client find a new artist? Would the customer have the patience to wait the 24 hours for a response?
Truth be told – it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that refreshed – and I’ve asked many tattoo artists how they felt having their phones off for the day. They loved it and the majority of tattoo artists said they needed a day to refresh, reset and come ready to perform their art the following day.
The common response – NOT checking the phone throughout the day ended up being a blessing – and, thankfully, nothing urgent happened. Of course, nothing happened.
Regardless of your title within your organization, whether you are the owner, the artist, the admin – it doesn’t matter as the concept of team must be developed to run a tattoo shop most efficiently. Too many tattoo artists and entrepreneurs “micro-manage” their business and without having scale with trusted co-workers and colleagues to assist, your business will always just be You! This is not a scalable business that will build exponential value. Be introspective about your company? Can you take a day off or 1 week off and still have your shop operate without a hiccup? If you can, congratulations because you have built scale! And if you can’t, start today putting together a plan of action to accomplish this goal and watch your shop and your artists soar to incredible levels.
As I built my companies, one of my themes was growing the team. With a team, you can focus on those activities that provide the highest return for your company. A meaningful “ah ha” moment for me was understanding that my company would be just fine with me being out of touch for the day. Use this analogy and find your own Masters whether it’s taking a day off to be with your family or doing something you are passionate about — and get totally immersed in that activity without your phone. Be present is the best way to say it (just like my children have taught me that we have a no phone policy at dinner (even though I do try to check it under the table when nobody is looking)!