Oil & Ink

Chapter 3: Getting Down to Business

Before Charlie started renting the space at Tucker's, they had another person who did tattoos in the corner. That artist left about a month before Charlie inquired about the space, so when he pulled into the open parking lot after a long drive from Michigan, the manager was quick to make him an offer.

Charlie asked why the previous artist left, and the manager said he'd gotten a job offer a few states over. It wasn't much of a help, but Charlie knew most people would probably lie about questions like this. If Tucker's was the wrong decision for him and his career, Charlie would have to figure that out for himself and go from there.

When he set out on the road headed west, Charlie wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for. He knew he needed a booth with cheap rent, and that was about it.

The fact that his booth was inside of a truck stop had its pros and cons. Having studied business at Michigan State to satisfy his father, Charlie knew the basics of starting a small business, which was essentially what he was doing. College had that going for it.

Sure, he had a roof over his corner inside Tucker's and he was able to "market" to the traffic Tucker's already established. But he would have to hustle and market himself if he wanted to bring in more clients and create a steady, reliable stream of income.

On the upside, Tucker's was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This meant Charlie could create a schedule based on when people would be walking into the shop, and he could put the tattoo idea into potential clients' minds on their way to their vacation destination. On their way back, he was more likely to make a sale.

On the downside, it was a little unconventional to be doing tattoos out of a truck stop. Charlie was fully aware of this. It wasn't like he was renting a booth out of a branded tattoo shop that also employed talented artists. Charlie was sharing space with gummy worms and fountain sodas. On the upside, this made for zero competition when it came to business.

For locals, the idea wasn't so strange. Because the surrounding towns were so small, they were used to doing things a little bit different. Besides, Charlie's corner passed inspection, and he kept it clean. He did everything he could to create a positive experience for his clients, despite the circumstances that were out of his control.

For the out-of-towners, the concept was novel. It was something they'd never seen before, but when you really thought about it, it made a little bit of sense. Why buy a license plate keychain or an embossed pint glass as a souvenir when you could just get a tattoo?

After two years of working at Tucker's, Charlie understood the tourist season and was trying to do a better job of establishing a name for himself with tourists and locals alike. Shortly after opening his booth, he started an Instagram account — @Charliestattooart — strictly for his business, so he could post pictures of clients with their new tattoos.

He'd posted pictures of his own tattoos sometimes, but he tried to stick to the ones he did for clients. There were lots of photos of nature-related tattoos, such as lotus flowers and woodsy scenes. He'd done a few classic cars in vivid colors and even some black and gray portraits. He liked tattoos with lots of detail, like an animal or a person.

He wasn't a fan of social media for personal use, but it was a free way for him to keep an online portfolio of his work and hopefully reach potential clients. He made an effort to post as often as he got clients, as long as they gave him permission to post the picture. He took pictures regardless, but he wouldn't post them if the client didn't want him to.

Growth on social media was slow-moving, but it was somewhere to start. He followed popular tattoo artists in other cities to keep up with their work and what kinds of tattoos their clients were getting. Tattooing was a classic form of artistry that was always changing, and Charlie enjoyed being a part of the ride.