Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 31 July 2018
Compliance, a very annoying and unavoidable part of running a small business. But you think YOU’VE got it tough? You haven’t experienced anything like the hoops, hurdles and red tape the tattoo industry has to put up with just to start operating let alone exist. However you feel about the practise itself this legitimate industry has to go through an almost surreal set of parameters to exist.
Here to share her incredibly resilient journey is Erika from local tattoo enterprise Black Widow. I guarantee after this ½ hour show you’ll never complain again about what you’re expected to comply to.
Welcome to the show Erika.
Here is Erika’s story in her own words…
Having my license granted took me 13 months and nearly killed me, literally as I was closed by possibly corruption associated police and poorly implemented regulations.
I followed the NSW Tattoo Operator instructions from NSW Fair Trading by the book, keeping emails and noting down all correspondence and advice. I had obtained my NSW Tattoo license prior to working at Bondi Ink in Oct 2013. I moved to Aussie from NZ as the tattoo licensing was being introduced and I supported the industry movement.
In my first year of business I built my team up to 4 and we attended the first Sydney Tattoo show in March 2016. The following Monday after the event I had police contact all my team and tell them my shop was closed down. I then was contacted by an officer who told my licence was removed and I cannot trade. I also had Police attend my premise and inform me I am not to trade until further notice.... I contacted NSW fair trading, business chamber, local MP, the ATO, ASICS the media and the police ombudsman, ATG, my lawyer, my accountant – any one ‘pleading’ help as I was on the verge of losing everything.
I lost my premises, my team, my car to pay my team out and had to go and contract car paint for work in Sydney to try and save up for my shop’s re-opening.
The reasoning of which I still have not had. Now anyone who knows me has a clear view that I will never in this life time be affiliated. I have done ‘my time’ since 2005 in Queensland in a (awful experience as a apprentice) - I have 17 years later earned the right to my own shop.
By the time I was re-instated with my operator license I had gone from a full business where we had a team that had just taken time off together and attended a Sydney tattoo show promoting our shop. To just $900 in my bank account.
My Customers and my team sat with me on a daily basis, waiting for the phone call or ‘okay’ you can keep trading… I was in despair and couldn’t resolve the situation. I made it public knowledge that if I cannot tattoo and custom paint then there is no place for me on this planet.
I am a small business owner, I do everything I am told to via the regulatory Organisations - so I should be able to make my small tattoo business work here in NSW!
I finally found a location where I wouldn’t be trading on any existing tattoo shops toes and re-opened my premise. I had a Current Operator License AND a ‘merged’ licenses doc and corresponded from NSW fair trading to make sure everything was ticked off stating mistakes cannot happen again in all written correspondences. I have not heard from any authority since and am currently licensed with both a Tattoo artist and Tattoo operator license.
To find out more go to their website: https://www.blackwidowtattoo.com.au
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