Small business insurance Canada | Beauty and Tattoo Parlours

What to look for when insuring beauty and tattoo parlours in Canada

Beauty is more than skin deep. Firstly, if you own or manage a beauty parlour or a tattoo parlour you know that your clients seek your services because they trust you. They trust that the personal services your business provides are safe and meet government requirements for the industry.

Secondly, they seek you out because there’s something about the services you provide that aligns with their aesthetic. They trust that your hairstylists, tattoo artists, pedicurists, piercing experts and aesthetic services providers will deliver a beautiful end result. And a feeling of contentment that will last long beyond their parlour appointment.

Trust is at the very heart of what we do. We know that small businesses across Canada are the backbone of economy. And we know that managing any small business means exposing yourself to risk.

This is why our team of commercial insurance experts are 100% focused on meeting the needs of businesses only, so you can trust that we know the best options in the market.

It’s not easy to figure out what to look for when you are insuring a small business. And a beauty parlour or a tattoo parlour is even more complex. This is why we’ve pulled together some timely insights about what you should be looking for when you are buying beauty and tattoo parlour insurance in Canada.

Risk 101 | Managing customer safety in your beauty or tattoo parlour

The personal care business is just that, it’s personal. You know this because of the close contact that your aesthetic services providers have with each and every client. Therefore, there are many government rules and regulations that your tattoo parlour or beauty salon must adhere to in order to safely deliver personal services.

And during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the government rules and regulations have become more stringent as well as subject to change.

It’s vitally important that you and your staff adhere to the most current government rules and regulations to keep your clients and yourselves safe. This is why bookmarking and frequently visiting local, provincial and federal public health websites is nothing short of essential risk management.

For example, Toronto beauty and tattoo parlours can visit the BodySafe page to learn about service inspections. For instance,

• “hairstyling and barbering
• tattooing
• micropigmentation
• ear and body piercing
• electrolysis
• manicures and pedicures
• aesthetics (e.g., waxing, facials, tanning, laser hair removal)”¹

You can also find Health Canada info. And learn about why “needle-free dermal filler devices used for cosmetic skin treatments are not authorized in Canada and may pose health risks”²

And, most importantly, you can get the information you need from Toronto Public Health to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to staff and customers.

Above all, during the pandemic, there are a multitude of risk management requirements that beauty and tattoo parlours must follow. And with guidelines changing, keeping on top of managing customer and employee safety is the most personal service you can provide.

Infection and the inherent risks of personal services settings

Gap analysis. It may sound like a corporate term, but really, it’s a term that businesses of any size should be not only aware of but practising. As a small business you need to get ahead of risk wherever and whenever you can. A recently released Government of Canada report provides some valuable insights about how you can identify infection risks in your personal services business. For example:

“Specific findings related to breaches or non-compliance with recommended infection practices include:

• Improper glove use and cleaning of the environment
• Improper cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of tools or equipment
• Use of non-sterile instruments for invasive procedures
• Use of contaminated water, ink, supplies or equipment
• Pre-existing health status of the clients
• Failure to provide adequate after care instructions
• Deficiencies in the physical layout and inadequate infection prevention and control practices, including lack of hand washing facilities and/ or with no potable water”⁴

This detailed report also provides some helpful principles that you can use to mitigate the risk of exposure to infections in your personal services business. In other words, keeping current with guidelines, reports and other industry-related tools is an essential part of any small business risk management activities.

However, sometimes even with the best risk management techniques in place, worst case scenarios can happen. This is why having the best possible insurance coverage options for beauty and tattoo parlours lined up is essential.

Specializing in business insurance, ALIGNED Insurance brokers across Canada understand know how to find insurance options and fill coverage gaps.

Why insurance is an essential tool to manage your tattoo parlour and beauty salon risks

In business and life, change is the only constant. Beauty and tattoo parlours are not immune to change. And in particular, are often striving to be ahead of consumer tastes and demands. Because aesthetic services are so personal, you are likely evolving your business to keep current with changing ideals of beauty and taste.

Related Matters: Tips for running your spa clinic during COVID-19

One such example is a new studio opened by a Canadian military veteran in Wasaga, Ontario. “It’s a “luxury” tattoo studio, boasting individual rooms where clients can watch TV or listen to their own music in private. The spa-like studio reflects the changing image of tattoo parlours; no longer are they hole-in-the-wall, back-alley shops, but more like doctor’s offices, with an emphasis on sterilized equipment and cleanliness protocols.”⁵

Whether you are insuring for the first time, changing or evolving your services, working with commercial insurance brokers is essential.

Source(s): ¹ Toronto.ca: BodySafe ; ² Health Canada ; ³ Toronto: COVID-19: Reopening Guidelines for Businesses & Community Organizations ; ⁴ Canada.ca: Infection prevention in personal services settings: Evidence, gaps and the way forward ; ⁵  Simcoe.com: Business is a risk and everything is a risk: new tattoo studio opens in Wasaga ;