Possible buisness start up

[hondaprelude]

Hello,

Me and my wife have been wanting to
start a collection and start breeding. I came up with the ideal of
starting up a business in a couple of years if everything goes well.
I know this is way easier said then don so I want to know some of the
things that you all have gone through the good and the bad. Any
advice that you can give me. I know that I need a reptile breeding
license and a business name. How hard is all of this to obtain?

[SnowShredder]

What sort of collection do you already have? I think the first thing you should do is figure out if you truly want to get into the business. Once you have 5, 10, 20 + snakes to clean up after and feed and water, you may change your mind. I would build up your collection and care for them for a couple years and really decide if you still want to do that. I would suggest being extremely familiar with the hobby before considering breeding, let alone making a business of it.
It’s easy to care for a few snakes, but when the numbers rise it’s possible for people to grow tired of it.

[hondaprelude]

Thank you for your input I'm glad that you brought these concerns up. I have been caring for reptiles all my life from Asian water monitors to red tail boas and have found a huge passion for ball pythons although my collection right now is pretty small only have 3 ball pythons, 3 bearded dragons, and a leopard gecko I love taking care of them and I don't think that size will effect that but only time will tell as I build my collection of all my animals I want more ball pythons as well as more bearded dragons and leopard geckos. I am waiting a few years to even think about starting a business up I just wanted to know why people got into the business in the first place, Has the business ruined the breeders love for the animal and turned it into strictly a profitable source. I also wanted to know how bad of a struggle was it to get started for most people and how much was it to start up the business so that I can take all of these things into consideration when looking at this as an option.

[Kodieh]

I've heard a lot of people getting tired of dealing with it all, and lot of people never make a solid profit. You usually reinvest the money in more rats, snakes, racks etc. It can pay for itself, but you're unlikely to be able to do this full time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[SnowShredder]

Thank you for your input I'm glad that you brought these concerns up. I have been caring for reptiles all my life from Asian water monitors to red tail boas and have found a huge passion for ball pythons although my collection right now is pretty small only have 3 ball pythons, 3 bearded dragons, and a leopard gecko I love taking care of them and I don't think that size will effect that but only time will tell as I build my collection of all my animals I want more ball pythons as well as more bearded dragons and leopard geckos. I am waiting a few years to even think about starting a business up I just wanted to know why people got into the business in the first place, Has the business ruined the breeders love for the animal and turned it into strictly a profitable source. I also wanted to know how bad of a struggle was it to get started for most people and how much was it to start up the business so that I can take all of these things into consideration when looking at this as an option.

Okay I see, I just wanted to bring that up because I know a lot of people jump the gun.
I'll let others bring more input because I have not yet bred, but I do plan on doing multiple breedings this coming season. I'll say my thoughts on what I can though.
I'm going to get into breeding for my love of snakes, specifically ball pythons. I just love em, and would love to see what I can produce. I get a lot of enjoyment from my animals and would like to take it a step further.
I've heard of peoples interest being ruined, kind of what I said in my first post. Cleaning poop and pee day in a day out. I don't think it really ruins the love, it is just too much to handle for some people. If it ruins your love then I'm guessing they never really loved them in the first place.
I also know breeding of almost any animal, is hardly profitable. There's so much cost that goes in that you rarely see back. Housing, feeding, the cost of electricity, thermostats, heating elements, incubators, vet costs, the animals themselves. I think the only people making a profit are the big names. I don't think I will ever break even on the total cost of my snakes, but at most I'm hoping that I can break even for the year of breeding at least, and that my hobby could at least pay for itself in the coming years.

[Kaorte]

We were actually just discussing return on investments on Facebook.

Yes breeding ball pythons can be profitable! The problem is that us snake lovers can't seem to keep that money as profit. Most people use the money they earned to invest in new animals and equipment.

I think by having at least 2 people engaged in the care of the animals helps tremendously. Its difficult to clean 30 snake cages and 6 rat tubs by yourself, but with a partner it goes much quicker!

I don't need to tell you not to do it for the money if you are passionate about reptiles you most likely won't care about the money. Obviously making money is a huge plus! But more than anything it helps support your hobby and allows you to expand and upgrade.

I just hatched out my first clutch after keeping snakes for close to 5 years. It is such an amazing and rewarding experience. I know I will be doing this for years to come! If you can really commit a lot of your free time and energy to the animals, that dedication will show and your business will do well.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[4theSNAKElady]

Me n my husband both recently started keeping records of every expenditure, and every $1 earned for snake and rodent sales. Last year we made close to $2500 in sales, but i think we barely broke even. This year, unless we get some awesome odds clutches we will have spent more than made, when you add up the vet bills we had this year. But we only consider ourselves hobbyist breeders. We do it for fun, and personal reward, with the hopes of our hobby paying for itself.

sent from my incubator

[Dave Green]

I've posted this a couple times when this question comes up:

It can be done, I've made a living at breeding ball pythons for over five years now. Is it easy? No. Are there people who do it? Yes. Many people dream of turning their hobby into a business; however, make sure you really love the snakes, and the hobby, as it's not as glamorous as some may think. I spend my days cleaning water bowls, feeding snakes, cleaning cages and answering e-mails. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I would suggest you grow your collection slowly and try to avoid debt. Plan small and grow as you feel comfortable. Buy nice animals but get what you can afford. Nothing ruins a hobby or interest like stress. You don't want to be in a position where you need to make a certain amount of money to cover debts and interest. You'll learn more and more every year. As you produce clutches and learn the market you'll see what sells, etc. Good luck.