Hi there,
I think it is a nice idea, but as it has been mentioned, there are other business’ out there who do this professionally - either as a full-time gig (like a birthday party magician), or as a branch of their core reptile business.
Here are some thoughts for you to consider.
- Insurance of some sort. Discuss it with a lawyer who deals in small business in your locale. If you just plan to do this as an undeclared cash business, that’s up to you, but it invites a lot of issues better discussed with a lawyer first.
- You will need professionally written legally-binding contracts. Cash-in-hand may be nice for your clients, but it leaves you with zero legal recourse should they decide not to pay. There will be people who try to get out of paying, and they will use any excuse possible. “Oh, your turtle peed on my carpet, now I have to get it cleaned, you owe ME $X!”
Also, include a waver in your contract waiving any right of the parties involved to sue should an animal scare, bite, or otherwise injure a child. (Not legal wording, just an example.) Again, this must be discussed with a lawyer.
- Charge accordingly: find out what similar business with comparable selections of animals are charging for their time, and match it. Or, just slightly undercut it.
Charge for gas and mileage outside a certain area. If you charge too little, people will not respect you; they will see you as an amateur they can abuse. You must present yourself as a professional in every aspect of your dealings with the public, including attitude and attire.
- Get a t-shirt made with your name and logo on it. Maybe get a safari hat? Make this your ‘business dress’ when doing gigs. If you just show up in jeans and a t-shirt you won’t look professional and you won’t look entertaining! It’s not just up to the animals. Kids can pick up on these things. If their parents are not impressed, they won’t be.
- Children have short attention spans. Music teachers rarely teach children under the age of 7 longer than a half hour. Pre-plan your presentation to work in the maximum amount of entertainment and learning in short bursts, then break it up by animal handling/petting, then get back to talking. This will hold the attention of kids longer.
- Also on the topic of children, get in some serious experience in how to teach young kids. There are a lot of parenting websites with tips on how to handle cranky kids, stubborn kids, crying kids… read up! You will thank me.
- You will be dealing with people who know little-to-nothing about the reptile world. Be prepared to answer the same questions over and over. Better yet, I’d suggest making a FAQ to give clients answering basic questions, such as; are the snakes venomous, does the turtle bite, etc. This will save you a lot of time and headaches. Include specific information on each animal, but keep it brief.
- Test the waters. Do you know how your animals will handle being molested by young children? Do they have experience with this already? If not, spend time acclimating them to the experience before you book your first gig. Make sure the animals are ready/agreeable, too! Otherwise you could be in for some unfortunate surprises.
Okay, on to your business outline:
I have taken small-business entrepreneurship courses. I also advise friends on how they should run their own business', and I occasionally author various press releases and advertisements for them.
I’ve taken the liberty of updating your proposed ad a little, with explanations for major changes;
Snakes and Lizards and Frogs, OH MY!
*1
Parents: is your son or daughter
*2 interested in reptiles?
*3
Does your child have an upcoming Birthday Party or special event?
Good news!
Snakes and Lizards and Frogs, OH MY!*4 is a perfect addition to any gathering hosted for your young nature enthusiast!
Snakes and Lizards and Frogs, OH MY! aims to provide a safe, fun and educational
*5 platform upon which your child will expand their interest and knowledge of the reptile world.
*6 Our experienced reptile handler will host an enchanting presentation that will enrich your child and guests with memories that can last a lifetime.
*7 Our “Look, Touch, Learn” segment will give your child the opportunity to experience these animals in a way unmatched by a trip to the Zoo.
*8*9
Education and entertainment has never been so good!*10
We offer a variety of packages tailored to your budget and needs.*11
Contact;
Home phone #, (858)-581-1808
or
Cell phone #, (858)-736-6032
Email:
pythontricker@yahoo.com
Website:____________________
*12
Only $??.00 an hour
*13
*14
*1 Double Space for clarity of reading on printed posters, etc. When using single-spacing, such as in newspapers where space is a commodity, use indentations and proper grammar structure. Grammar/spelling is highly important in presenting yourself as a professional.
*2 I used the words “Son or Daughter” to overcome the perception many people will have that only boys would be interested in your business. I would also encourage you to use images of boys AND girls playing with your reptiles on any type of print media.
*3 “Interested” can apply to more people than “love.” Some parents are idiots and have no clue what their children really like or love, but if they remember that little Johnny enjoys watching Animal Planet, it may be what gets them to call you!
*4 In the main body of your message use italics for your business name, not quotations.
*5 “Safe, Fun, Educational” - chant these words. They are your mantra in appealing to parents with kids.
*6 Most parents don’t care about if you want to change societies perceptions or not, they just want somebody who is going to entertain their kids in a safe and fun way for an hour or so. What you originally wrote about wanting to chance societies perceptions was good, and I agree with it, but a parent might be intimidated.
*7 I removed the part about “ask me reptile trivia on anything I own” because odds are you are dealing with people who know little-to-nothing themselves and the question is redundant. More than that, the wording had a submissive tone; you were asking for them (the armature) to test you (supposed to be the professional).
Now, offering to give THEM information and to preemptively alleviate any nervousness they have about the animals… that is a good use of space and reinforces the message that YOU are the professional.
*8 This is called “falp.” It is basically a way of up-talking your business that superficially appeals to your target market; parents. Do you actually have a segment called “Look, Tough, Learn”? Sure… you do now!
*9 I removed the list of your pets. The title of your business basically covers what you offer. I feel it is better to either show a picture of them on your flier, OR to leave it to the parents to contact you to discuss it. Again, you are dealing with people who know nothing about these animals, so it’s better to be there to give them facts right away. If they read, “ball PYTHON” on a flier, they may say, “Oh no, those might eat Billy!” and not call. If they call and ask about what animals you bring, you can say something like, “Well, I have a very gentle 3 foot non-venomous snake called Beepo.” Maybe not even mention the species unless asked, and then follow up with some facts to alleviate fears.
For a business poster/advertisement, you want to strike a balance with giving enough information to get people interested, and leaving just enough out to entice them to contact you. It’s all about getting them to call you!
*10 Finish your sales pitch with a memorable catch line that summarizes the two main points you feel will sell your business to your target market. In this case I chose ‘education’ and ‘entertainment.’
*11 As I mentioned earlier, children have short attention spans. Create a few different ‘packages’ appropriate for various age groups. Toddlers may only be able to last 20-minutes to a half hour, while 10 year olds may be able to focus for longer. The prices of the packages (and what they entail, not just the time limit) should reflect that.
*12 Website. A website, even a web-page, will be an immense help to you. Do you know anybody who does web-design? Even a single page on a free account (like geocities) could help a LOT.
*13 $20 is far too little, and if you have different packages, you don't even need to list a single price.
*14 I removed your name. In keeping with the professional business format, you should only reveal the company's name in the advertisements. Clients will find out your name when it comes time to write you a cheque.
Last but not least...
I did not choose my words at random. Each word was chosen for its appeal-value to your target market; parents. For example: “opportunity” instead of a lesser descriptive like ‘chance.’ When a parent hears “opportunity” they think of possibilities for their child. I used the word “our” instead of “I” or “my” to denote a detachment from your personal person and the business. This is common for all levels of business and looks more professional.
I hope this has been helpful and I wish you well on your new business!
PS: Remember to bring hand-sanitizer for the kids to use before/after touching your animals.
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Originally Posted by NightLad
