Business: Sapphire Studios
Address: 4s100 Route 59, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-723-7845, www.sapphirestudiosnaperville.com
Owner: Kimberly Morgan, 37, of Westmont
Years in business: 4
What does your business do? “All kinds of art. Basically skin, beauty, body art, tattoo removal, esthetics, eyelashes, skin treatments, everything,” Morgan said. “We focused on solely permanent makeup, but now we do all kinds of art.”
How many tattoo artists work here? “There are 18 of us. (Each has his or her own studio.) They are amazing people and deserve a place to run their business.”
How did you get into the industry? “I’ve been working in the tattoo industry since 2007. I’ve always been more artistic in nature. Back when I was in (Evergreen Park) high school, I took all the art classes to avoid math, the hard stuff. But it ended up serving me.
“I started going to a shop near my house to get tattooed when I was 18. I got along well with everyone there. They were all super cool. … They were looking for an artist. I was half-joking, ‘Why don’t you teach me?’ They said, ‘OK.'”
What do you like about your job? “Everything. My favorite thing is getting to know all kinds of different people. When you’re tattooing someone, you spend all kinds of time with them. We’ve created a safe space for people and they pick up on that. I’ve learned so many things from the clients.”
How long does it take? “A body tattoo, you can be here all day.”
Does it take a few visits? “It depends on the work. If it’s really large, you may not have the time to do it all in one day. It’s not the kind of thing you want to rush through. And, the skin is also kind of limited in the beating it can take. … Some skin is more resilient. Some is more delicate.
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Do you draw from scratch? “We apply a stencil to get the placement where the person wants it, make sure it’s perfect and centered. … It’s all about setting people up for a beautiful tattoo that’s going to last them a really long time. … Tattoos will age along with the skin.”
What should people know? “It’s definitely important they do their research looking for an artist who is experienced and has a very extensive portfolio with a lot of consistent, beautiful work. … You want someone who works in a nice shop, not someone who works out of their home.”
What else? “We are working with open skin. We all have to get bloodwork pathogen tests once a year. The (health) inspector comes through once a year. Makes sure all our spaces are clean and sterile. Needles are used on one person. … We take this very seriously.”
Why do you enjoy getting tattoos? “It’s a way to express my individuality. And I love art in general. … Who’d want to have a plain locker at school?”
Does it hurt? “Oh, yeah. It’s not fun. I compare it to being scratched with sandpaper. Twenty or 30 minutes is tolerable. … It doesn’t hurt after the fact so it’s worth it.”
How did the pandemic impact your business? “That was intense. We were deemed nonessential. I had worked here a few years and took over the business as sole owner in January 2020. I dumped a huge portion of my savings into redecorating everything. I was excited. We remodeled. And two or three months later we were shut down completely. … We were able to reopen in the summer. … I lived off my savings. I contacted the utility companies and they had grace programs to put off paying our bills.”
And when you reopened? “There was a big boom for a while. We were so grateful to our clients for remembering us and coming back.”
What tattoos are popular? “Tattoos have trends that come and go. There are also timeless designs that are always beautiful. Roses, for example, always make a beautiful tattoo. It’s a very personal decision.”
And it is a lasting decision? “It sure is. We do removal as well, but we never say, ‘Don’t worry about this decision because you’ll be able to remove it.’ We want people to take it seriously.”‘
What’s the price? “It depends on the design. All the artists here are independent. They set their own pricing.”
Who gets tattoos? “All ages. Men. Women. Long as you’re 18, you can get a tattoo.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Prepare to dedicate your life.”
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.