Questions about Northern Idaho area.... (Boise, Meridian: job market, colleges, income)

[kstorts]

Oh wow, I hadn't realized there were more responses on this thread! oops!

I would say we are definitely very friendly, easy going, level headed people...we aren't materialistic, and we do NOT fit in with the "jones'" mentality here. I've always really liked that slow 50s lifestyle, minus the lack of womens rights...lol.....and it just doesn't exist here. So, my hope is that by getting away from the rat race here, we will find it somewhere else.

We are sooooo torn right now!!! I just don't know where we are l;ikely to do the best....in Meridian, or CdA area......it is such a hard choice!!

.....I have seen that Meridian is around 12% LDS (from the 'best places' website, I thought I saw somewhere else that the Ada county area is about 30%.....this could be very concerning as that means 30% of the population is automatically eliminated for business, which leaves 70%, and out of those 70% how many are likely to want to get work done....

I am wondering if the numbers are better in CdA.....despite the number of shops. I hear that there are a lot of dirty shops there...

I think I will post a new thread on this topic in the boise area to see if any meridian folks have anything to say about their area. You all have been extremely helpful! I wish this was an easier decision to make.

....I mentioned the % of LDS to my husband last night and now have him totally stressed out, we were about 90% sure that Meridian was the place for us, and now he wants me to start my research all over to see if maybe there is somewhere else we should go....lol. *sigh*

Trace- My sister would be green with envy- she has a HUGE crush on that guy!! LOL

[Count David]

Originally Posted by kstorts

.....I have seen that Meridian is around 12% LDS (from the 'best places' website, I thought I saw somewhere else that the Ada county area is about 30%.....this could be very concerning as that means 30% of the population is automatically eliminated for business, which leaves 70%, and out of those 70% how many are likely to want to get work done....

I wouldn't worry too much about the Mormon population in either place, you have new Californians moving in everyday, diluting that number a bit.

Not to mention, that "competing website" you mentioned is notorious for having inaccurate information, and I'm not sure where they get their religion stats from anyway, as that's not something the census asks anymore.

[kstorts]

Thank you for your response David! That is good to know!!

Where oh where did I leave my crystal ball....sure would be nice to get a little glimpse of the future to know if this decision is a bad one!!! LOL

[Count David]

Originally Posted by kstorts

Thank you for your response David! That is good to know!!

Where oh where did I leave my crystal ball....sure would be nice to get a little glimpse of the future to know if this decision is a bad one!!! LOL

When you make major changes in your life, the more time that passes, the more the possibility of regret dwindles.

Even after all of my moves, I regret nothing. And if there's ever anything I care to change, I give myself the power to do so.

Good luck kstorts.

[kstorts]

Very true David! I think it will be exciting, I am just afraid of the unknown (which I know is normal...lol). Thank you again for your response!!

[Sandpointian]

Originally Posted by kstorts

I am wondering if the numbers are better in CdA.....despite the number of shops. I hear that there are a lot of dirty shops there...

What is meant by "dirty?" Criminal? Porno? Unsanitary? Something else?

Thanks,
S.

[kstorts]

What I mean by dirty is unsanitary. ID has very little (if any, really...) health regulations for the tattoo business....which is a bad thing for those of us in the industry that find it important to have that sort of stuff in place. The interest in tattoos continues to grow, however the regulations haven't quite caught up, leaving it pretty unmonitored. I have heard stories from residents of Cda that they have gone into shops there and had the people smoking inside the shop, had dirty floors (mud, etc) on the ground, kids running around, and that infamous bad element that accompanies the unprofessional shops, as well as animals inside the shop. All of these things are begging for infected tattoos at the least. Even in the county I live in CA there is very little regulations in effect. We have the health inspection initially, but they never come back out to check up on the cleanliness, which allows many to just let that stuff slide, which is really bad. Since many customers generally assume that when they go to a busniess they will be taken care of they don't think (or know) to ask about things such as how things are sterilized, and some of the general surroundings. Regardless of where people get their work done, they should always look at the artists works, the environment the work is being done in, and the atmosphere.

So, really, by dirty, it could be all of what you mentioned. I know here in my area we have a shop that uses their tattoo shop as a cover for their drug dealing business and rooster fighting ring they are involved in. How they have managed to not get caught yet is beyond me.....

But overall, from what I have heard from residents in the CdA area, quite a few of the shops there are both unsanitary, and have that bad drug element hanging around. (Being that I am in CA when i heard about the drug element I automatically picture what I know from around here....so, I don't know if it is the same there or not....drugs are drugs, right? IMO they are all the same and I am not a fan of any of them, and none of them belong in a place of business-especially when permanent work is being done on unsuspecting customers...)

[kelpforest]

Moving to ID with your business is a risk, but so is walking out your front door apparently! From my perspective, you are leaning toward Meridian, but CdA is lingering as an option for some reason.

I have friends in Meridian and visit at least yearly, so I can tell you the area is pretty much suburbs. I wouldn't worry about what percentage won't be customers. You'll want to focus of how many could be customers. The area is young, and only about 20-30 min. from a major university. From what I know of people in the area, it is family friendly and you should have a god population base to work with. t's close to Boise, and your friends, it's closer to family (the drive from NID is long indeed) and the climate is milder. Those are the pluses. Visalia 10 years ago probably looked a lot like Meridian does today. To the west a couple miles (Nampa, etc. ) reminds me a lot of the central valley, so just consider that. I don't think ID will slide as far as fast as CA, but this would be the area that would most likely in my opinion. There are still occasional shootings and there are gangs. From what I hear it's like "gang lite" though. So in a nutshell, Meridan could have the best and worst characteristics.

CdA sounds like a wild card still. You should research it in earnest. Building clients with a clean shop that does good work should be possible anywhere where there are enough people seeking you work. The CdA area is absolutely gorgeous. The NID folks I've met are genuine and some are even from CA.

CdA is in a sense a regional hub, like a node off of Spokane, so you could be building customers from a whole region if you promoted it right. The distance from Friends and family might be a negative, but the area may be more appealing.

Proximity to a college town and a population in their 20-30's with some spending cash should factor in to it either way.

Good luck.

[Sandpointian]

Originally Posted by kstorts

What I mean by dirty is unsanitary. ID has very little (if any, really...) health regulations for the tattoo business....which is a bad thing for those of us in the industry that find it important to have that sort of stuff in place. The interest in tattoos continues to grow, however the regulations haven't quite caught up, leaving it pretty unmonitored. I have heard stories from residents of Cda that they have gone into shops there and had the people smoking inside the shop, had dirty floors (mud, etc) on the ground, kids running around, and that infamous bad element that accompanies the unprofessional shops, as well as animals inside the shop. All of these things are begging for infected tattoos at the least. Even in the county I live in CA there is very little regulations in effect. We have the health inspection initially, but they never come back out to check up on the cleanliness, which allows many to just let that stuff slide, which is really bad. Since many customers generally assume that when they go to a busniess they will be taken care of they don't think (or know) to ask about things such as how things are sterilized, and some of the general surroundings. Regardless of where people get their work done, they should always look at the artists works, the environment the work is being done in, and the atmosphere.

So, really, by dirty, it could be all of what you mentioned. I know here in my area we have a shop that uses their tattoo shop as a cover for their drug dealing business and rooster fighting ring they are involved in. How they have managed to not get caught yet is beyond me.....

But overall, from what I have heard from residents in the CdA area, quite a few of the shops there are both unsanitary, and have that bad drug element hanging around. (Being that I am in CA when i heard about the drug element I automatically picture what I know from around here....so, I don't know if it is the same there or not....drugs are drugs, right? IMO they are all the same and I am not a fan of any of them, and none of them belong in a place of business-especially when permanent work is being done on unsuspecting customers...)

Thanks. Always good to learn more.

S.

[ejay]

If you can do really good tattoo work there should be people who will use you. The question is how many people will you be able to get to keep coming back? I would think that you may have to offer something other than tattoos to stay alive here. I have to do many odd jobs to fill in the gaps here in north Idaho. The population is increasing here I have no idea how many people you might be able to bring in for tattoos. There are a few shops here in town I have heard from my friends that have gotten tattoos there that they would not go back. They went to Seattle to get their tats fixed properly. If you are even thinking about opening up a shop up here I would check out all the local tattoo shops and see what they are doing. It would be a real bummer to move up here and then have to move again because you cannot make it here. Although there is a motorcycle bar outside of Post Falls out at state line. Even going there and asking the people what they think. Most of the guys that hang out there are middle class with money. And the majority of them have tattoos. There is a market and if you can do real body art I am sure you could make a living here it will be hard at first until people get to know you. Money can be tight around here and that can be a problem at times.