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May 22, 2023

Tattoo studio Ghost Ink Co. opening in Land Park

Ghost Ink Co., a new tattoo studio opening in Land Park on Friday, is the latest

Ghost Ink Co., a new tattoo studio opening in Land Park on Friday, is the latest success story of a program meant to assist small businesses through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The tattoo studio is at 3020 Freeport Blvd. and is being opened by business manager Gerardo Cabral and husband David Ramses Cabral, a tattoo artist who specializes in color illustration, geometric and line-work. The space is approximately 1,200 square feet and has three work stations for tattoo artists, as well as a gallery space where the artists can showcase their work.

"The space is really about forming a collective artistry of various mediums. Obviously we'll be focused on tattooing but oftentimes these types of studios don't allow the tattoo artists to showcase some of their other mediums, so this space allows for that," Gerardo Cabral said. "We are just looking to build a community of artists here and plan to bring forth a level of professionalism and inclusivity to our clients."

The new business owners benefited from the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Juntos Sacramento pandemic recovery programs campaign, which was set up to help participants navigate the process of starting their own business and surviving throughout the ongoing pandemic. The free program is a partnership between the chamber, Sacramento County, the city of Sacramento and the Sacramento Inclusive Economic Development Collaborative. The program provides minority-owned businesses with everything from promotional services and one-on-one consultations to bilingual webinars and grants.

The Cabrals were set up with David Contto, a business consultant with the chamber, who helped them develop a business plan, provided trainings on the ins and outs of building a business, and helped them work out financials for their vision. Overall, Gerardo Cabral said, they worked together for more than six months, even during the process of looking for a location to lease.

"I continue to refer people to the program. Even if you don't have everything worked out and just have an inkling or desire to open a business, go to this program," he said.

The business faced challenges early on, particularly with finding a suitable location to set up the studio. Gerardo Cabral said he contacted about 30 leasing companies about potentially renting out a space for a tattoo studio, but all of them turned him down due to the perceived notion of what type of clientele the business would attract. They eventually stumbled on the Land Park location while out on a walk with their dog. The leasing agent had recently helped a similar business put down roots in Elk Grove and understood the struggle tattoo studios face in finding locations. The Cabrals also gathered letters of support, including one from the chamber consultant, and were eventually approved.

After its grand opening on Friday, the shop will be open seven days a week and will be by appointment only. Gerardo Cabral said they also plan to hire two more artists to take on clients.

"We are very fortunate to break off from being an independent contractor to now being business owners, so we hope to provide those opportunities for other individuals as well," he said.

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