No matter how successful they are, growth-oriented business owners are always thinking about what’s next. How can I expand, diversify, reach new revenue goals and build upon an already strong customer experience? These are the questions that OC Thomas, owner of Rich in Flesh Tattoo & Barbershop in Livermore, California, had been asking himself for a while. The easy answer was: money. But how could he secure funding that was more business-friendly than traditional avenues, aligned with his timelines & goals, and offered him personalized repayment options?
Thomas eventually found his answer in Vagaro Capital. He didn’t see, at first, how the tattoo studio scheduling software he was using could help fund all the upgrades and renovations he was looking to make. But it all became very clear, very quickly.
This is how Vagaro Capital’s small business funding model helped Thomas enhance his business, positioning it to become even richer in character, in-house talent, name recognition and…well, in the traditional sense, too.
Over the course of 13 years in business, Thomas had never taken any sort of business funding—a fact that he was proud of. But he felt drastic changes were in order, and he knew he could only get so much done by grinding to raise money for projects.
“I chose to [get funding] this time because I wanted to scale faster,” he said.
Turns out, the best option was right under Thomas’s nose—at least, every time he opened his Vagaro Pro app.
“I initially only joined for booking and keeping structure at my business,” Thomas said. “I thought, ‘it’s crazy Vagaro is doing so much!’”
Just like children, each side of Thomas’s business had unique needs, and he didn’t want to prioritize one over the other. He had a number in mind and wanted to get started on both right away.
No problem. Thomas completed the application in minutes. He was approved right away and received $43,000 of funding in 48 hours.
Rich in Equipment
Finding a use for his funding didn’t take Thomas long.
“As soon as that money came in—all new furniture,” he said.
Brand-new tattoo and barber chairs were just the beginning. Thomas had brand-new light fixtures installed that made the shop brighter and more welcoming for clients. At the same time, it improved working conditions for RIF’s employees, all for whom painstaking detail is especially important.
Rich in Personality
Walk into Rich in Flesh and you’re immediately immersed in the energy and aesthetic of two very cool—and complementary—industries: modern barbering and body art. In other words, outside of boundaries necessary for safety and sanitation, it doesn’t feel like two separate, siloed businesses competing for your attention when you walk through the door.
This is all intentional. Thomas allocated part of his funding to turn Rich in Flesh into a true creative space saturated with the personalities of all its employees. That required far more than just a few coats of paint. Among other design revamps, nearly every artist contributed mural art to RIF’s walls.
“They’ve all responded incredibly well to the new surroundings,” said Thomas, referring to the vibe from his employees and renewed air of professionalism in his shop.
Rich in Sound
Thomas never has any doubt in either side of his business’s ability to produce revenue (his Vagaro credit card processing history backs that up) nor in his ability to pay for any amount of funding he needed.
But small business or bank funding can come with prohibitive interest rates dependent on the larger economic picture and rigid repayment terms. Recovering a sizeable chunk of profits used upfront for various projects is always an option, but comes with its own set of risks.
With Vagaro Capital, Thomas sidestepped all of that. He pays off his funding with an agreed-upon percentage of what he makes. Thomas received his funding in August 2023; when the Vagaro team spoke with him in December, he’d already paid off a third of his balance.
“I didn’t even feel it,” said Thomas.
Like all recipients, Thomas determined how—and how fast—he’d pay for his funding during the application process. This is based on an agreed-upon credit card percentage of each transaction—which is, in turn, dependent upon the amount of funding he’d been approved for. Payments are automated as a small percentage of each transaction.
“You just keep it moving along, and, honestly, it’s not really noticeable,” Thomas said.
Still Rich in Ideas
Thomas is the creative sort, the type who thrives on new ideas. As it happens, everything he was able to accomplish at Rich in Flesh through Vagaro Capital has inspired some new ideas for how Thomas can elevate his business further.
The process for capital renewal is as streamlined and straightforward as initial approval. Thomas can count on getting what he needs on the same timeframe as before, which enables him to start planning now. With repayment terms so painless, he isn’t afraid to think BIGGER for next time.
“As soon as the time is right, I’m ready to work with Vagaro Capital again,” he said.
