Cognition Training Ltd

26/04/2026

If you’re a sole trader, here’s something I wish I took seriously sooner…

Doing your self-assessment tax return early is a game changer.

Most people leave it until January, meaning stress, panic, rushing numbers, digging through receipts… it’s chaos.
But when you do it early:
You know exactly what you owe.
You can plan your money properly.
You avoid last-minute mistakes.
You remove that mental weight hanging over you.

Even better, you can start setting money aside in a calm, controlled and organised way instead of scrambling to find it as Jan 31st approaches. With Making Tax Digital becoming more of a thing, staying organised throughout the year is only going to get more important. Early habits now will mean less stress later as well. I have found that using an accounting software like Xero really helps make life easier especally for keeping track of things, if you'd like to give it a go I'd defiantly recommend it!

This isn’t financial advice, it is just something I’ve learned from running a small business and being one of those people that got in a muddle in the past. I defiantly recommend speaking to an accountant or qualified financial professional.

But honestly… future you will thank you for not leaving it until January.

06/04/2026

You may have seen that I visited the Astrid & Miyu store in Leeds earlier in the year. We had a blast going over bevel theory and it was especially good that that we had people join us online and they still got to go over the practical elements with those that were there in person. You can read about it in the latest Spring/ Summer edition of The Sharp End Magazine

29/03/2026

What Is a DBS Check and Why It Matters in a Piercing Studio

When researching a piercer or studio in the UK, you might hear the term DBS check mentioned. Many clients aren’t familiar with what this means, but it’s an important part of professional standards in industries that involve trust and close personal contact.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps verify whether someone has a criminal record or is barred from working with certain groups. These checks are widely used in professions such as teaching, healthcare, and childcare.

So why does it matter for piercing?

Piercing is a trust-based service!

As clients you place a lot of trust in us as piercers. Appointments involve close contact, personal boundaries, and sometimes working with younger clients, where age restrictions and insurance allow.

Having a DBS check demonstrates transparency and helps us as piercers reassure you as clients that the person performing the service has been properly vetted and has your best interests at heart.

It shows a commitment to professionalism

While it is not currently legally required to hold a DBS check for piercers, many of us responsible professionals choose to obtain one anyway. I also believe that it should be a legal requirement of gaining a licence for all special procedures practitioners as is the case in Wales already.
It’s another sign that the studio and your piercer takes safeguarding, ethics, and your wellbeing seriously.

It can be particularly important when studios:

• Work with younger clients (where legally allowed and insured to do so).
• Have an apprentice,
• Offer guest spots to other professionals.
• Operate in shared professional environments such as with tattooists, laser removal or aesthetics practitioners.

These situations benefit from additional safeguarding standards.

Good studios welcome questions

The piercing industry is built on trust. When studios and piercers take steps like DBS checks, clear consent procedures, and professional policies, it helps create a safer and more respectful environment for everyone. When researching where to get pierced, it’s always okay to ask about a studio’s standards, including:

• Hygiene procedures
• Jewellery materials
• Sterilisation equipment
• Insurance
• Professional checks or training

A reputable studio will always be open and transparent about how they operate.
Because great piercing isn’t just about jewellery and safety it’s about professionalism, ethics, and the systems that protect clients and piecers alike.

22/03/2026

Why Insurance Matters in a Professional Piercing Studio

When choosing a piercing studio, most people look at jewellery, photos of healed work, or go on the recommendations of friends. Those things matter but there’s another important question many clients never think to ask: Is your piercer properly insured?

Professional piercing involves working with the human body, sterile equipment, and permanent placement decisions. Proper insurance helps protect both the piercer and the client if something goes wrong.

Legal protection
Insurance ensures that if an issue occurs whether it's a reaction, complication, or misunderstanding there are proper protections in place. It means the studio operates responsibly and is prepared for the realities of providing a professional service.

Client safety and accountability
A piercer who carries insurance is demonstrating something important:
they take their work seriously enough to stand behind it. Insurance is part of a professional framework that shows the studio values client safety, transparency, and accountability.

Professional standards
Many reputable studios, guest spots, and conventions require piercers to have valid insurance before they are allowed to work. It’s considered a basic professional standard in the industry. When a piercer is insured, it’s a good sign they operate within recognised professional practices such as age limits like 18+ for intimate piercings like ni**le or ge***al piercings.

Peace of mind for clients
Ultimately, insurance isn’t something you’ll ever see during your appointment, but it reflects the level of professionalism behind the scenes.

A well-run studio will invest in things clients don’t always notice:
• Proper sterilisation equipment
• Industry standard jewellery such as APP & UKAPP verified brands
• Continued and professional training
• Appropriate insurance

These details all work together to create a safer experience.

When researching a studio, it’s completely reasonable to ask questions like:
• Are you insured?
• Do you follow professional health and safety standards?
• What training do your piercers have?

A professional studio will always be happy to answer!

13/01/2026

If you missed last night's webinar with Aldo, what on earth were you doing?

This was such a brilliant webinar and it's definitely not one to be missed. So don't panic as the recording will be on Cognition's Patreon in the coming months. Make sure you head over and and catch up with previous webinars from the likes of Helen, going over lumps and bumps, Breo's Live, laugh, Large Gauge, and many more.

https://f.mtr.cool/vndsmlyhce

11/01/2026

Lets kick things off this year by trying to make life a little easier shall we? I'm my class at last years UKAPP conference on making life easier I covered a lot of different tools to help you out. Now let's start with posting and social media.

One of my most hated tasks is social media and keeping up with posting, as you all know due to the lack of it! Scheduling tools has made this task bearable and now I am in the swing of it its getting better, I still don't like doing it but I don't mind it half as much now.

I have started using a tool called Metricool and I have found it super helpful as now I just sit down once a week and schedule all my piercing posts on multiple platforms like Instagram and here. My main reason for not using one before now was having to do everything on a laptop, but there's an app you can just upload straight from your phone then finish it all on the laptop if you prefer to like I do.

The other good thing is that it provides a shedload of analytics that are super simple to understand and help you grow your following.

If you'd like to have a chat about it some more then drop me over a message and we can set it up and go through it all together.

If you want to head over and check it all out for FREE then head to

Blog & Social Media Finally Together

07/01/2026

If you missed the webinar on Troubleshooting, Trauma and Irritation its now live over on Patreon

Get more from Cognition Training on Patreon

26/12/2025

🎫TICKETS ON SALE NOW🎫...............................................
Join us in the New Year with Aldo for our first webinar of the year. I am super excited to welcome Aldo who will be presenting his septum piercing class that was a firm favorite at this years UKAPP conference back in September. This is one not to be missed for sure!...............................................
TICKETS AVAILABLE VIA THE LINK IN BELOW

https://f.mtr.cool/uokakahuhq

17/11/2025

✨✨✨TICKETS NOW LIVE✨✨✨

With the upcoming busy season lets get ahead of those issues we will start to see more of from our clients. We will cover the 3 main issues you commonly see in the studio and go over some useful tips on how to help our clients prevent them from happening!

Be sure to join me on the 1st of December at 7pm GMT

https://us05web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D8lpK1EyS4qOMgDWYPg3UQ

11/11/2025

It's webinar time again! It's been a little while but the time has come for another webinar this time. I'll be looking at troubleshooting, trauma and irritation in this live webinar with tickets going on sale Monday the 17th of November. So if you want to join us on the 1st of December at 7:00 head over to the link in our bio and pick up a ticket. ...............................................
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23/10/2025

A very important bit of information for you all regarding needle stick injuries or NSI in the studio. Needle sticks are an unfortunate risk in this and other industries but you can minimise your risk by knowing what to do in the event of one! Make sure you have a proper protocol in place as well as making sure all staff members know what to do in the event of one................................................
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30/06/2025

Just a small selection of my time at the conference last week in Las Vegas. It was a wonderful experience not only getting to learn from some amazing people but having the opportunity to meet Jim Ward! A very special and treasured experience hearing from him about the history of our industry. Thank you to everyone that made this event possible. Maybe one day we'll have the opportunity to come and teach in the future?...............................................
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