Seriously considering starting a pet store... thoughts?

Lycanthropic

Lycanthropic

AC Members
Jun 29, 2009
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Alberta
Hello all!
I have been humming and hawing about starting a pet store in my small town as we have none.
I was thinking of highly focusing on fish to start off, as I love it.
I was just wondering what type of filter they would use on so many tanks?
I was thinking of having a brackish and a fw section, no saltwater because I have no experience in sw and am not willing to try something I find confusing at the time. Maybe later.
Any suggestions for me?
I would be mostly doing the fish aspect, and have an spca corner, so pets could be adopted before I would ever consider selling puppies and kitties. Even then, it would be from local breeders, no puppy mills here. How would I go about ordering fish? I was thinking of ordering fish only from private areas ( people on ac, private breeders)
Opinions?
Please help me out here, and please don't bash my idea. I am still insecure about this idea and I would really like some encouragement.
Thanks!
 
i considered this idea to not to make money just because it would be something i enjoyed
 
I think it's cool! I definetely like the idea of the fins and pets type of store lol.
There are some big stores out there such as tropical fish distributors that sell fish in lots if your looking for something.

I think I'm gonna start a pet store too :)
 
i have recently been pondering the same idea myself and doing a bit of research. i have no experience with any of this but here's my 2 cents:

i think the world needs more humane pet stores and specialty stores rather then the big box animals-as-product dept stores... and that sounds like exactly what you have in mind.

obviously it's a huge investment and can take several years to start any kind of store so you have lots of time to work out the details like filtration and brands to stock and the like. i don't know if you have any experience with small business, but you really want to look more into the business side of things before making any commitments... umm.... most places offer courses and seminars (check your local YMCA and classifieds) so i'd say look into it a bit deeper and see if you are still willing to take on the responsibility and risk. otherwise, talk to people in the area and see what they are looking for and what they want to have available. get some backing and support as that will keep you from changing your mind when things get complicated.

i have seen stores equipped with both a single filter line on all tanks but most of the small ones in my area just have their tanks each set up with their own heater and hob filter. if you aren't sure about salt water, you could find someone who keeps them locally and get some help from them... i'm sure they'd be willing to give you a few pointers at least if it meant a store with what they need near by! not to mention all the people on here who can answer your every question XD

mind you, like i said, i've just gotten my foot wet in the whole thing, and i'm sure someone else here will have some better advice to offer from experience. :D
 
I dunno. If I were to ever do something like this I'd want to start small, like selling a lot on forums first. Establish a base of customers (even if they aren't local) and learn how to run a business without commiting to an entire store.

Just my thoughts. Good luck with whatever you choose!
 
I echo getting some business knowledge! It's one thing to love your hobby and another to make a business of it. The economy is down and depressed. People tend to hunker down and save and not spend on unnecessary things. As much as we love your fish, they are a true luxury in the grand scheme of things. I wonder if this is the time to consider a new business.
 
I want to do this too, not necessarily to make money, but just because I would enjoy it. I would be happy to break even, but even that is a risk. Someday, when I have some extra money laying around I don't need, lol, I will give it a shot :)

Kristina
 
At my LFS they have this continuous water change system. Idk if they have this for all LFS's but all of thier tanks are connected and are filtered by one giant filter i believe and it is continuously dripped into the tank.
 
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