It’s been a while, it seems. Late last year I had the opportunity to lease a small space in the city I live, after over a decade of commuting, to open a small tattoo studio. I closed my eyes and leapt at this opportunity and what followed is nothing short of an absolutely beautiful whirlwind.
Magnolia Tattoo Collective was born from a dream for a community and collective environment that can work to support and grow relationships between artists, makers, artisans and entrepreneurs, with a focus on women and mothers.
I can say that I am so proud of the space that I have created (with the help of countless friends, family members, late nights and coffee deliveries). It is safe; it is comfortable. “I feel calm here,” a statement from one of our guests; it is inclusive and supportive. Its atmosphere is a reflection of its creation.
I have learned so much in the past eight months and I have found strength and calm in places that I had payed little attention to. I truly believe that the community that built this haven inspires the future of it, so I am want to share my top three lessons in starting my very first brick-and-mortar, after being a contractor/sole proprietor for sixteen years.
- Don’t compromise. This is your business and authenticity is key. Don’t be willing to bend on the things that make your business yours. I am a long time supporter and advocate for small business and local makers, so it was a dream of mine to include this passion in my brick-and-mortar. I am absolutely thrilled now to see Magnolia Tattoo Collective carry products from over fifteen local vendors, all women-owned.
Decide the things that are absolutely non-negotiable for you and stick to them, whatever they are. Do you want to paint a 9×12 foot floral mural before your Grand Opening in three weeks even though you’re also working full time and a mother to a 2 year old (I did!)? Do it, girl. You’ve got this. - Ask for help. You are one person with all of these big beautiful thoughts and ideas and inspirations in your head. You are also one person starting a business and I’m going to bet that you don’t have endless time and money, so please, for the sake of your mental health and relationships, ask for help. Outsource jobs where you can, share your passions and ideas, and the people that believe in you will be there.
As a very independent (and stubborn) individual, this is a hard one for me. It felt like a burden to ask people to come help me paint walls, build shelving, clean cupboards and scrape window film, but I could not have done it without all the help and I feel now like I have a whole village behind me.
I also want to clarify that maybe your village won’t be your friends or family. It may be other entrepreneurs within your city/town, or it may be your local Economic Development department. I held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Grand Opening of Magnolia Tattoo Collective and the kind words by other strong women and men of the community that had never met me could not have been more heartfelt. - Reach out to your local government programs. If and where possible, join your local Chamber of Commerce and ask if there are government funded or free supports available. In my case, I qualified for two programs: Airdrie Right For Your Business Program, which is specific to businesses in Airdrie, Alberta, and the Digital Economy Program, which is Alberta wide, but ending in September 2024.
I used the Right For Your Business funding to schedule over ten hours of one on one meetings with my accountant, focusing on things like proper QuickBooks management and tax planning, as well as long term financial goals. The Digital Economy program focuses on teaching entrepreneurs how to harness digital marketing for their specific business model, which was extremely beneficial in building my website and e-commerce platform, as well as strategizing for social media.
Don’t get me wrong, there will be stress. There will be difficulty and there will be insecurity. That being said, there is something so powerful about being a female entrepreneur in a world that caters to men in business. You are strong and you are capable, and there will always be a community to support local entrepreneurs who are passionate and authentic.
With love,
Erin
