What am I buying when I buy a piercing studio?

A piercing studio looks simple from the street, but the business is a set of separate pieces. Some are easy to hand over, like display cases. Others, like the trust between a client and a piercer, are not on any list. Ask the seller to itemize what is included, and then ask which pieces depend on a person staying.

The piercers

Find out whether piercers are employees or rent a chair and run their own books. The answer changes who the clients belong to, what you can promise after closing and what paperwork is needed. If the owner is also the main piercer, much of the business leaves with them. Ask your lawyer how staff arrangements are handled in a sale.

Jewellery stock and supplier accounts

Ask for a jewellery count at closing, how old the stock is and whether any of it is consigned or still owed to a supplier. Supplier accounts may not transfer automatically, so ask each supplier what it needs to set you up. Sterile supplies and equipment should be checked, not assumed.

Bookings, name and premises

The booking system and client book show whether people return. Ask what you may receive and use, and ask your lawyer what you may receive and use. The name, reviews and social accounts matter too. Finally, read the lease and ask who owns the fit-out. A studio without its location is a different business.

Other trades have their own lists, such as a brow bar or threading salon or a tattoo shop.