The survival of the independent beauty professional is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

Independent Beauty Professionals rely on income from clients. We cannot perform salon services online. While the Beauty Industry is deemed “non essential”, the ability to practice our craft is very essential to our livelihood. We are facing grave financial hardship. Our services are also essential to our clients’ mental and emotional health as a form of self care. Salon professionals, this is a great resource for health/safety tips once allowed to reopen: salontoday.com/623817/reopening-how-to-move-forward-safely

Licensed tattoo artists take all necessary precautions and follow all sanitary protocols implemented by the state of Iowa & our local department of health & environmental control. Servicing one client at a time in a very controlled environment {while both the artist & client wear masks & even monitor temperatures 24 hours before appointments in addition to the already implemented safety precautions} poses little to no risk of spreading the virus as compared to the virtually uncontrollable environment of many places like grocery stores & carry out/delivery food places. We already follow sanitation/sterilization guidelines akin to any doctor's office & do so in between EVERY SINGLE CLIENT. Yes, our government has set up the CARES act to help us with our income/finances but understandably, that takes time. We have all been unable to work for 4 weeks now and still, many of us having taken all the measures & provided all the documents required, have not received a single cent; yet we still have bills to pay {a lot still accruing late fees} & families to support {i.e. groceries, prescriptions, etc...} As stated above - we are facing grave financial hardships as the survival of independent tattoo professionals is at risk. Please re-open tattoo studios one client at a time BEFORE May 1st!

Tattoo Artist are technically self employed and aren’t receiving any help financially at this time. They are now told they can apply for unemployment with a 1099 but they still being denied of those benefits. They have families to support and bills that are adding up.

We as salon owners are facing financial hardship and possibility of some of us having to close our doors. There is not much relief out there to carry most of us through. I believe we are some of the cleanest industries out there. We rely on our clients and customer base just as any other business out there. Servicing limited amount of clients poses little to no risk of spreading the virus, as compared to 20 or more people in a grocery store at any given time!

Many of us our self-employed and/or independent contractors and have not received any federal or state aide of any kind We are heading into our second month of no income and our small businesses are suffering immensely and some are on the verge of no return Our business could be deemed essential! Many of our clients are getting desperate and it is a fact that our appearance has a great deal to do with mental health and our overall sense of well being.

Cigar stores in Dallas County are closed because the businesses are considered non essential. Like liquor, tobacco is a product people have legally used and enjoyed since before the founding of this Country. Curb side is safe for food and liquor, why not tobacco? It is nuance without a difference. When I see 80 cars at Loews and 50 cars at major liquor stores what is the impact of 1 or 2 cars at the cigar store? It is safer! Allowing a customer to order ahead and pick up on a couple of cigars at curb side at a Cigar store is safer than it is to go through the drive through at McDonalds.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. America was built by the small business man. We, as business owners, are losing everything we have worked so hard for. We cannot continue to to wait. The bars were the first businesses to have to close. We should be allowed to reopen by May 1st.

Ever since COVID-19 it has been affecting us in major ways and forcing people to make tough decisions for their families. We are going through financial hardship. We were promised bail outs through small business loans or grants yet the government has made the stipulations on these grants nearly impossible for our type of business to qualify for the loan to become a grant.not to mention there is no money left for these grants, and a large percentage of the grants went to large businesses and not small businesses. Most tattoo shops, if not all tattoo shops, have been/ will be denied . We have no help when we have been promised help. We are still waiting for an application for independent contractor unemployment. Most of us have gone without making any money for 4 weeks or more. And are looking at another 2 weeks for an unemployment application. Then another 2 to 4 weeks for payment of any kind. The Quarantine was implemented to flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19 to assure that hospitals were not overwhelmed all the once in to help prevent such a rapid spread . The numbers of infected people is on the decline . We tattoo artists are trained and certified in blood-borne pathogen‘s and cross-contamination as well as many other medical safety and sterility procedures we are just as safe if not safer than most hospitals. tattoo shops are very clean and we take this very serious. This is our livelihood and if we do not return back to work by May 1st many Tattoo businesses will be lost as well as Barbershops, Beauty Salons ,and Groomers among many others. We will not be able to pay our bills, rents/mortgages, Insurances, we have the very potentially of losing everything. We still have to pay our mortgages/ rents and phone bills and gas and electric none of this has stopped for us . Yes, we can postpone them, but they’re not going away! "Some" of us can sustain for a while, but most can't. That doesn’t mean that we are doing OK Governor Wolfe. This is how we pay our bills. This is how we feed our families and we are not getting any help from anyone, nor are we asking for it. We just want to be allowed to return to work, and be able to sustain ourselves. Pennsylvania Tattoo Artist

Ever since COVID-19 it has been affecting us in major ways and forcing people to make tough decisions for their families. We are going through financial hardship. we were promised bail outs through small business loans or grants. Yet the government has made the stipulations on these grants nearly impossible for our type of business to qualify for the loan to become a grant. Most tattoo shops if not all tattoo shops have been/ will be denied . We have no help when we have been promised help. The Quarantine was implemented to flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19 to assure that hospitals were not overwhelmed all the once in to help prevent such a rapid spread . The numbers of infected people is on the decline . We tattoo artists are trained and certified in blood-borne pathogen‘s and cross-contamination as well as many other medical safety and sterility procedures we are just as safe if not safer than most hospitals. tattoo shops are very clean we take this serious this is our livelihood if we do not return back to work by May 1st many small businesses will be lost . We will not be able to pay our bills, rents/mortgages, Insurances, we have the very potentially of losing everything. We still have to pay our mortgages/ rents and phone bills and gas and electric none of this has stopped for us . Yes, we can postpone them, but they’re not going away! Some of us can still sustain for a while, but that doesn’t mean that we are doing OK this is how we pay our bills this is how we feed our families and we are not getting any help from anyone, nor are we asking for it. We just want to be allowed to return to work in a safe manor

This is important for clients relying on massage for pain and or stress management. It is also vital for LMT’s who are self employed and unable to apply for unemployment on the unemployment website as it is STILL not updated for the self employed to apply. And, now we are unable to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program as there is no money. We WANT TO WORK!

Exercise and fresh air are needed for maintaining good health. People need an outlet for boredom and monotony from social distancing. Hiking and nature is one of the best stress relievers in the world.