How a Tattoo Studio Achieved Success

Jonathan Zacks
Go Small Business
Published in
3 min readSep 21, 2017

Through Quality, Passion, and a Commitment to Craft

Featured User: Aztek Ink

A tattoo studio in Blue Island, IL.

www.aztekink.com | @aztekink

This article is a profile of a business that uses our appointment reminder app to get clients to show up for their appointments, saving time and increasing revenue!

Realizing a Family Dream

The Ortiz family must have ink running through their blood.

Jose “Ranger” Ortiz got his start as an amateur tattoo artist at the tender age of 13, offering tattoos to friends out of his parent’s home. His younger brother Carlos grew up with a similar passion for visual artistry, and joined Ranger in the tattoo trade when he reached age 18. Each brother developed a keen eye for realistic imagery and attention to detail, which set them apart as coveted tattoo artists. Over the years their talent and reputation grew, and Ranger opened his own shop in 2009 with Carlos as his first employee.

Achieving Growth Through Quality

As young artists with a new studio, their initial challenge was to get the word out and find new customers. This quickly proved to be especially difficult, as their “hidden gem” location made them difficult to find and prevented any walk-in traffic.

Carlos, business owner, was recently featured in Skin Art Magazine.

They focused their energy on top-notch quality in their work. Before long, they were earning 5-star online reviews and earning referrals from loyal customers. Their active online presence, with fresh work always posted to their website and social media, also helped persuade serious tattoo shoppers of their stellar work and professionalism.

Now, the studio employs five total artists and Carlos’s art was recently featured in Skin Art Magazine.

Overcoming Business Management Hurdles

As any small business owner knows, there are daily administrative headaches that need to be overcome. One challenge for Aztek Ink was last-minute cancellations from customers who made an appointment but didn’t quite know what they wanted. This left valuable appointment slots empty for this in-demand studio and was causing them to lose money.

Since implementing the GoReminders online scheduler tool as his tattoo shop app, they have been able to schedule text messages to remind clients via about their appointments several days in advance, prompting them to make any final decisions about their tattoos. If a client needs to cancel, the empty slot then has time to be filled by another eager customer.

Keeping the Memory Alive

In 2014, Ranger tragically passed away at age 31. Carlos now leads the business, with an unwavering commitment to the craft and a passion for keeping Ranger’s memory alive.

If you’re interested in learning more about this hidden gem outside of Chicago, we invite you to visit their website at www.aztekink.com or follow their Instagram account @aztekink. The work of each Aztek artist can be found on Instagram at @embeddedink, @bootstattoos, @bsquaredtattoos, and @victorytat2.

About GoReminders: GoReminders simplifies appointment management for small business, saving them time and increasing revenue. It automatically reminds your clients about upcoming appointments via text message or email. For many of our users, it’s a smart replacement for their appointment book that reduces no-show appointments. Clients are impressed and grateful for the reminders!

Connect with GoReminders online:

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Jonathan Zacks
Go Small Business

Co-founder of GoReminders (the simplest appointment reminder service), helping businesses save time and make money.