Boots on the Ground: Franchise Owners Give Back

Sorry, COVID-19, but entrepreneurs will do what entrepreneurs always do. Even in a crisis. Especially in a crisis. What’s that, you ask? Well, we come together. We think of out-of-the-box ideas. And when someone needs help, we help the best way we know how—by being resourceful, scrappy, generous.

One of the beautiful things about franchising is that it allows every franchise owner to keep the on-the-ground perspective and ability to impact their communities at the local level, while having the franchisor and the broader franchise support system in their corner.

That spirit is what inq Tattoos, an emerging franchise, and doubtlessly, thousands of businesses across the nation, have been leaning on as we fight the impacts of COVID-19 in our communities.

Inq Tattoos is a recent IFA member and a brand of premium tattoo boutiques for today’s modern tattoo customer. Our flagship location is in Washington, DC’s backyard of Alexandria, Virginia.

Involvement in our communities happens to be one of our key tenets. So, when the call for help came from our local county, we didn’t think twice about donating medical grade disinfectant, gloves, and cleaning equipment that we had on hand in our tattoo boutique. We donated the supplies to first responders and county essential workers during a drive that Arlington County, VA organized. While our boutique is temporarily closed, knowing that our tattoo supplies are being put to use by the people who are working hard around the clock to keep everyone safe and healthy is our small way to contribute to the fight.
 

While our boutique is temporarily closed, knowing that our tattoo supplies are being put to use by the people who are working hard around the clock to keep everyone safe and healthy is our small way to contribute to the fight.

An unfortunate fact of this crisis is that it has disproportionately affected those who are already the most vulnerable in our communities. inq Tattoos recognizes this, and while we are temporarily closed, another way we have been giving back is by donating 100% of the deposits for all tattoo appointments that customers book on our website to two local area food banks on our customers’ behalf. We will continue this campaign at least through the month of June when we anticipate re-opening. Giving up revenue in lean times is hard. Being hungry is harder. It’s a no-brainer.

Finding creative ways to give back to the community is something that comes naturally to most entrepreneurs. And seeing business owners and industry organizations like the IFA coming together to find ways to support each other and their communities has been truly one of the brightest moments in these turbulent times.
 

"As bad as it is for small businesses right now, there are folks who are hurting a lot worse. So it seemed like the right thing to do."
- Maria Joukov on donating supplies from her franchise.

Founded by Maria and Peter Joukov, inq Tattoos is a woman- and veteran-owned emerging franchise that has reimagined the tattoo experience with premium boutiques for the modern customer. inq Tattoos offers professional, custom tattoo services and related retail products with a focus on clean design, transparency, use of technology, and a customer-first approach. For more information on inq Tattoos, click here.