How Much Money Am I Missing Out On Without My Tattoo License?
- Nick Young
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
If you’re asking this question, there’s a good chance you’re already tattooing. Maybe it’s friends. Maybe it’s people from Facebook. Maybe it’s referrals. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that because money is coming in, you’re doing just fine.
I told myself the same thing. And if I had to put a number on what it cost me while choosing to remain an unlicensed tattoo artist/scratcher cost me…
I’d say at least $100,000.
Not because the license itself is worth $100,000. Because of everything it quietly prevents you from becoming.
It Starts With One Question
There was one question that always made my stomach turn and it wasn’t “How much?”
It wasn’t “Can you do realism?”
It wasn’t “How long have you been tattooing?”
It was…“What shop are you at?”
You can feel it in your chest.
Every serious tattoo collector asks it.
Every quality client asks it.
They’re not trying to interrogate you.
They’re trying to decide whether you’re real.
And the second your answer becomes anything other than “I’m over at ______ Tattoo,” there’s a vibration that happens.
You can watch it happen right across their face.
The conversation changes.
The excitement changes.
The trust changes.
At least for me, that’s exactly what it felt like before I became licensed.
People Don’t Want Your Explanation
Let’s be honest.
Nobody wants to hear your twenty-minute explanation.
They don’t want to hear why the state denied something.
They don’t want to hear about paperwork.
They don’t want to hear your background story.
They don’t want to hear why your situation is different.
Every explanation creates friction.
And friction kills trust.
Whether it’s fair or unfair doesn’t matter.
The client doesn’t know you.
They’re making a decision with incomplete information.
The moment you have to explain why you aren’t working in a licensed studio…they’re forced to become detectives.
Most people won’t.
They’ll just move on.
The Anxiety Nobody Talks About
I honestly couldn’t tell you how many opportunities disappeared because of that one question. It happened so many times that eventually it wasn’t even about losing clients anymore.
It became anxiety. Real anxiety. Imagine needing the money. Child support is due tomorrow. Bills are stacking up.
You finally meet someone interested in getting tattooed. Everything is going great. Then they ask…
“What shop are you at?”
And you can literally watch them start putting together what they believe your entire life story must be.
Not because they’re bad people. Because people make assumptions. They start wondering why you don’t have a shop. Why you’re tattooing somewhere else. Why things seem complicated.
You can almost see them mentally connecting dots that may not even exist.
That feeling follows you everywhere.
I Was Hauling a Whole Damn Desktop Computer
Here’s something I’ve never forgotten.
My girlfriend at the time, Kellyann—God bless her—would help me load an entire desktop computer into the car.
The monitor.
The tower.
Keyboard.
Mouse.
Printer.
Extension cords.
Cables.
More cables.
We’d haul that entire circus to somebody’s house…JUST so I could type out a six-word name that I was charging $20-$30 to tattoo.
Think about that.
Not because the equipment mattered.
Because my confidence didn’t exist yet.
Looking back now, it’s almost funny.
At the time…it was just survival.
Why Keep the Circus Showing?
Eventually I had to ask myself a hard question.
Why keep the circus showing?
At what point do you stop building your career around explanations?
At what point do you stop making everything harder than it has to be?
If you’re talented enough to build a career…why keep operating like you’re hiding?
Talent deserves structure.
Structure builds trust.
Trust builds opportunity.
The Day Everything Changed
There was a tiny mixed-use commercial space above Brooklyn Cutz at 31st and Brooklyn.
The landlord told me I needed $1,000 to get the keys.
I had $600. Sooooo I went home and posted everything I owned on Craigslist.
The bed.
The couch.
The microwave.
Bath towels.
The shower curtain.
Area rugs.
Silverware.
Furniture.
Basically everything inside my one-bedroom apartment.
All for one reason.
I needed the last $400.
Kellyann was absolutely furious.
She thought I had lost my mind. But she believed in me when I honestly didn’t really even believe in myself.
I wasn’t chasing some huge vision.
I wasn’t thinking about owning businesses.
I wasn’t thinking about teaching apprentices.
I wasn’t thinking about any of that.
I was just trying and sometimes that’s enough.
What Clients Are Really Buying
People say clients pay for quality. Or safety. Or cleanliness.
Sure. Those things matter.
But after tattooing thousands of people, I’ve noticed something else. Clients like belonging.
They tell stories.
They compare artists.
They argue over who has the better tattoos.
Who paid more.
Who waited longer.
Who got tattooed at what shop.
Tattooing isn’t just art. It’s culture. People want to be part of it. When they walk into a respected studio, they’re buying a story they’ll proudly repeat long after the tattoo heals.
What Staying Unlicensed Really Costs
Most people think staying unlicensed saves money. Maybe it saves a little today. What it quietly steals is much bigger.
Confidence.
Credibility.
Referrals.
Higher-paying clientele.
Professional relationships.
Business opportunities.
Peace of mind.
Years.
You don’t notice those losses because they never show up on a receipt.
They just never happen.
Looking Back
If I could sit down with the younger version of myself - the guy hauling desktop computers around. The guy tattooing wherever he could. The guy selling his furniture to chase one more chance. I’d only tell him one thing:
“Slow down, bud. It’s all gonna work out.”
Nothing more. Nothing less.
So… How Much Money Are You Missing?
Maybe it’s $5,000. Maybe it’s $20,000. Maybe it’s $100,000. Maybe it’s even more.
The bigger question isn’t what you’ve already lost. It’s how much longer you’re willing to keep paying that price. Because eventually this stops being about getting licensed. It becomes a decision about what kind of life you’re trying to build.
One Last Thing
I’m a poor white kid from Kansas City, Kansas.
BEFORE Amazon Prime
I’ve lived in places I never thought I’d live. I tattooed out of a Red Roof Inn in Jacksonville, Florida. I moved back to Kansas City only to find out my Florida license wasn’t going to work in Missouri. In a lot of ways…I had to start over.
Again.
I could’ve quit.
I had every excuse to quit.
I didn’t.
So if you’re sitting there wondering whether your dream is still possible. Whether you’re too far behind. Whether you’ve made too many mistakes.
Let me save you some time. If I didn’t quit after everything I put myself through simply to follow my fkn dreams…you’re insane if you think I’m NOT going to help someone else build theirs.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read my rants lol. I love you all & hope to see you at the top! If you need me, my personal cell phone number is right there👇🏼
Nick Young - Founder
Learn to Ink | New You Tattoo
816.256.7655
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