What Type Of Insurance Do You Need For A Tattoo & Piercing Business

Tattoos and piercings have been an important part of human society and culture for thousands of years. From the early days of human history people painted themselves with either temporary or permanent marking by using all sorts of things they found in nature. Moreover, they used stone, bone, and wood to make elaborate accessories and piercings that could be looked back on as the earliest forms of fashion and personal style.

Throughout the centuries, these grow and changed, varying from status symbols and religious practices to ways of expressing one’s differences and tastes. In the modern world, it is very common for people to have both tattoos and piercings. We do not even think of earrings as piercings because most women and a lot of men have their ears pierced as infants. It is a large industry and a movement that will probably last forever. New practices and methods of introducing ink into the skin and piercing it with metal mean that it will only get more artistic while also being more convenient and safer.

Safety First

Speaking of safety, tattoo and piercing businesses, usually referred to as studios or parlors, have to follow strict rules and guidelines because they are after all in the business of altering human bodies. While it is not lethal in any way nor generally dangerous, it still involves physically damaging the skin and parts of bodies in order to achieve the wanted result. Therefore, there are special insurances and regulations that every business has to follow. Otherwise, there would be no responsibility the tattoo or piercing artists have bear if something goes south.

If you are wondering about the insurance such a business needs, you came to the right place. In this article we will talk about it in depth and check what every owner needs to have if they mean to legitimately work in this business branch. To find out more about tattoo and piercing parlor insurances, make sure to check out businessinsuranceusa.com.

What Every Parlor Needs

Apart from the license to do what you do, every business, no matter if it is only tattoos, only piercings, or both, must have a certain degree of health and safety protocols. Everything needs to be clean and sterile and the tools have to be working properly and cleaned regularly. There is a strict guideline on how to use and maintain every little needle and other tool so as not to harm the clients and always wear tattoo gloves to avoid workspace contamination, etc. A first aid kit should absolutely be close by and all of the employees need to know the basics of helping the clients with the usual problems that could occur in the workplace like bleeding.

Types of Insurances

There is not a single type of insurance that covers everything a venue of this type needs, and you cannot walk into an insurance company and ask for a tattoo or piercing business insurance. It does not work like this. What you need comes in the form of general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and commercial property insurance. We will talk about these in more detail below.

1. General Liability Insurance

Every parlor and its insurance program needs this, as it provides coverage for bodily injuries, property damage, and advertising injuries to third parties. If somebody slips, falls, or otherwise injures themselves on your premises, this type of insurance will cover it and pay the medical expenses. The same happens if somebody’s property is damaged inside or just in front of the studio. Employees are not covered with this, only third-parties like clients and passersby.

2. Professional Liability Insurance

This is the type of insurance that protects the business, the owner, and the employees from faulty claims and those that appear to be malpractice or negligence claims. If you or any of your colleagues are ever accused of injuring the client, giving them work that they did not ask for, or doing anything they did not agree to or pay for, this insurance covers it. Of course, it matters if you actually did it or not, but it is aimed at protecting the workers from false claims by clients who are for the reasons not relating to the employees dissatisfied with what they got.

3. Commercial Property Insurance

This is the type of insurance every type of business has to have because it protects the very premises and the workplace. Catastrophic events, thefts, and disasters can all be covered with it and it is a no-brainer to have it as a part of your general policy. Protecting the building and the assets inside, having the right signage to warn of danger, and ensuring you are safe in case of fires, pipe bursts, and storms is what property insurance is all about. Basically, if your work depends on the shop, you need this.

4. Additional Insurance Coverages

There are of course many other things worth considering apart from these general policies most other types of businesses have. If you have a commercial vehicle, you may need commercial auto insurance. Worker’s compensation insurance is also a must if you want to comply to the law and hire employees. However, more precise and streamlined policies also exist and you should definitely think about them if you want to be as protected and safe as possible.

For example, there also exists something called microblading and permanent makeup insurance, which could be useful for a tattoo studio or a piercing parlor. Apprenticeship program insurance protects those still receiving practical education as well as the senior colleagues who are teaching them. Medical payment coverage of some sorts needs to exist both for the employees and for the clients in case something goes wrong with a tattoo or a piercing. And then there are things like communicable and infectious disease coverage, sexual abuse insurance, guest artist or guest piercer insurance, special coverage at conventions, and many more.

As you can see, it matters greatly what type of a parlor you have and what services you offer. You probably do not need all of these but most are quite useful to have around just in case. That is the exact point of being insured and having policies to fall back on, to protect you if or when something happens.