‍ Ground Up is a series by 1:1 Studios designed to spotlight Missoula’s entrepreneurs who are building their businesses and community from the ground up. Each installment dives into the challenges and insights of local ventures, bringing you the stories of the people cultivating them.

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A Little Hand-Poke Tattoo Shop

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The morning light filters through the old windows of a small studio in downtown Missoula. It’s a tattoo shop, but it’s surprisingly quiet here. It’s missing that typical buzzing sound and the weird smells. Instead, there's a cozy atmosphere and this feeling that you've entered somewhere you belong.

“Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to make art and have my own business,” shares Saar Elliott, the artist behind Kip & Koe. “I loved the idea of making my own schedule and making a living off the things I created.” But launching a business, creative or otherwise, comes with its own share of hurdles.

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Challenges, Big and Little

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“Looking back, the initial challenges stemmed from my own lack of confidence,” she says. “I didn’t know how to present myself, nor did I believe what I made was worthwhile.” This challenge affected her early steps. Rather than focus on the craft alone, she put deliberate energy into building a community and a sense of place where those that enter “are encouraged to show up authentically and leave feeling even more empowered to express themselves.”

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Finding the right space presented another challenge. As a tattoo artist, you can’t just lease any old building; there are specific health regulations to protect consumers. Continued persistence in the hunt for a location landed her in current studio – a space shared with fellow tattoo artist Maddie from Black Willow Tattoo – which has led to some interesting opportunities.

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“Last year, we hosted tattoo pop-ups at Pearl Boba Tea, offering same-day appointments to the community,” she says. “It was the first temporary tattoo license approved by the Missoula Health Department. It was such an honor to be a part of and a gift to see like-minded individuals connect through tattoos!”

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Ink Marketing

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Kip & Koe takes a simple, two-armed approach to marketing. Instagram (and other digital platforms) serve as her portfolio and connection hub, the most meaningful business growth has come from word-of-mouth. When you do good work and treat people well, they tend to spread the word. “The biggest turning point was when I started getting person-to-person referrals. Hearing what people tell their friends about their tattoo experience with me is extremely heartwarming.”

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For Saar, there’s an acknowledgment that her digital presence is crucial. “Without good photos of tattoos, my business would not function,” she explains. “I have to be diligent about taking photos and videos throughout my day to document the work process and final results.” In practice, that means doing a mini-photoshoot at the end of each session. “Tattooing is one thing, but taking good photos is way harder.”

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Balancing both approaches seems to be the sweet spot. "I find it important to keep growing my following, and making Instagram reels has been very helpful. That being said, I still believe connecting with people in person is the most rewarding way to market yourself."

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Connecting the Dots

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Looking ahead, the dream of making art and running a creative business extends beyond tattooing alone. “My plan is to diversify. With tattoos as my main focus, I also want to make and sell art more regularly.” Saar’s launched a Patreon, offering behind-the-scenes, stickers, early tattoo flash previews. 

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“I never felt professional or confident enough to make a whole business happen,” she confides. “But I hope Kip & Koe can inspire others to start the businesses they’ve always dreamed of having.”

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The early morning light rises a little higher. Clients will arrive soon. “I hope I can remind people that anyone can get a tattoo, no matter where it falls on the badass-to-cutesy scale. Everyone deserves to appreciate their bodies and show up how they want to. If I manage to help a few people believe that, I’ll consider myself to have done a good job.”

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And that’s what makes Kip & Koe unique; it’s a piece of the human behind the brand. A homegrown studio built dot by deliberate dot.

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See more at: https://www.kipandkoe.com/

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