Winchester tattoo parlour Pins and Needles started in lockdown

Rubie Harper set up Pins and Needles in a former florist in Southgate Street when she was 18-years-old.

Since opening in 2020 she has built up a loyal base of clients and sees around 25 people a week.

Rubie, who lives in West End, explained how the business started. She said: “I really wanted to set up my own place and be my own boss. I trained on a course in London which was only two weeks, but it was the best two weeks of my life, it was amazing. 

“At the age of 18, starting my own business was a scary thing to do and it was in the middle of the pandemic. When this place become available, I came for a viewing and instantly fell in love with it. I had all of these visions about what I wanted to do with the place.

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“I had never been into a tattoo shop myself which is crazy, but when I walked past them all I could see was darkness. I wanted everyone to feel welcome and relaxed here. 

“When I first opened, there was a lot of uncertainty due to Covid, so I had to open and close a few times. I have been here for almost three years now.”

Rubie has ambitious goals for the business and wants Pins and Needles to become a chain. “I want to expand in the future and create different chains of Pins and Needles and get more people in because it is just me on my own at the moment. 

“It was very scary over the first few months, but I've been very lucky because all of my clients have been amazing. There isn't a single person that comes in who I'm not instantly besties with. We're like a big family. It's so sweet to see people coming in and out and talking about their tattoos. 

“I have built this from nothing, at the start I didn't have a client base. It takes years to build that up.”

The 21-year-old also spoke about the challenges involved. 

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“The most challenging thing was getting into a routine of setting up properly and making sure I get things 100 per cent right. It has been difficult to build up a client base. 

“Eventually, in the future, I would love to be able to teach courses because I had the best time ever. Hopefully I can inspire a lot of young people, especially young women, to get into business. I feel that's very important. 

“When people come in regularly, they start to open up to you. I feel like I wasn't aware of the number of mental health issues out there. One of my clients recommended I take a course in psychology. I fully took that on board and I am studying psychology now so that I can give better advice. 

“I have wanted to do this since I was 11. This is where my heart is and has been for years. So to be able to do it and have my dream job is just crazy to me. It doesn't feel like a job it, just feels like I'm going to my second home every day.”

To find out more about Pins and Needles, visit: facebook.com/pinsandneedlestattoosandpiercings.