Fresno tattoo artist aiming to change the industry. Her just-launched app could do just that

Channelle Charest works in tech, with a side hustle at a tattoo shop in downtown Fresno, though at times it’s often felt like things were the other way around.

“I was thinking: Do I get a personal assistant to help me manage scheduling and things?” says Charest, chief operating officer at Bitwise Industries and an artist at Faithful and True Tattoo Studio.

She knew that technology could help streamline the process of actually getting clients into the chair, but it didn’t exist for the tattoo industry — yet.

In March, Charest and business partner Greg Goforth launched Tatstat, a free mobile app for tattoo artists and their clients.

The application allows those looking for a tattoo to search for artists in their area and instigate an initial conversation about the type, style and placement. They can then book a consultation — in person or virtually — and send reference images and other messages to the artist.

“Getting a tattoo is an experience, and it should be an experience all the way through, from the first message, until you’re getting the ink on your skin,” says Tatstat product officer (and tattoo artist) Carley Feil.

The industry has changed from the days when you walked into a shop and picked a tattoo from as set of drawings on the wall. Now, dozens of potential clients might be reaching out at one time across multiple platforms (Instragram DMs, Facebook messages, texts, emails, etc.).

“It can be pretty overwhelming for tattoo artists,” Feil says.

With Tatstat, each artist has a profile that can be linked across websites and social media, funneling potential clients to a single spot where they can set appointments, collect deposits and begin collaborating on artwork.

Appointments in the app can be synced with an artist’s personal calendar to avoid any overlaps. That’s a game-changer says Charest, who adds that she doubled her business in six months using a beta version of the app.

The original code for Tatstat was leftover from a salon-scheduling app Goforth had worked on. Such applications are fairly standard in salons these days but haven’t be applied the tattoo industry. In 2018, Charest and Goforth pitched the idea at the annual tech competition 59 Days of Code, where they won $5,000 in seed money they used to built out the app and add new features.

And the company will continue to tweak the app as more artists come on board, Feil says. It currently has 140 registered artists from across the county. Already, the company has six months of updates in the works and is getting ready to hire a full-time developer.

The tattoo industry can have a bit of “cool kids” vibe, Charest says. It can feel intimidating. Tatstat is about creating easy access for all artists and clients, especially woman and people of color and “people who don’t get to experience the industry in its fullest,” she says.

“Tattoos are for everyone. We’re trying to remove that barrier, whatever that may be.”

This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.