Pet Shops

[Jmiller250]

Heres the deal- I am moving back home to Michigan and I am wanting to start my own business. I am thinking it is going to be a pet shop mostly herp oriented but, I will carry a little of everything. Here is the question how much would it take to open a decent store-front and how many animals of each should I carry at a time. I know I have to think about quarantine and all of that. I would buy a lot of my snake stock at first from reputible (sp) breeders until I can get enough breeders of my own to stay self sufficent. Lizards and gecko's and alll of the other stuff would be the same. I am not looking to get rich off of this but to make enough to pay the bills and have a little extra. Is this even a good idea? I hate seeing people buy animals from the chain stores and not knowing anything about what they are getting. What are your guy's thoughts and comments about this? I can build a lot of the display cases and the racks myself. I am estimating to get a decent stock of animals and supplies going it will cost about 10,000 is that a good estimate?

Thanks for the comments and suggestions whether they are good or bad.

[hardball]

I dont have any experience with the business side of things but $10,000 sounds kind of low for stock+supplies. Stock alone I would think would be more than that. Figure you need probably 20-30 of each baby BPs and boas alone. at about $50-100 a piece probably. Although breeders probably lower the price a little for a larger order like that. And thats just 2 species alone right there, not talking adults or anything which run more expensive, or any possible morphs. Needing a big enough initial supply though so that you dont run out too fast. Especially when you talk about having other animals in quarentine right after the initial stock you open the store with so that they are ready to hit the store in time after the others are sold without delay. You dont want to end up feeling rushed to resupply the store and rush quarentine and risk losing a store full of snakes. Just taking that into account though Id say stock alone would rise above $10,000. I have no idea how much supplies cost for that kind of stuff, but its not cheap either obviously.

[Aric]

Our local reptile shop just upgraded and built a whole new addition to the shop, and he spent $30,000 on fish supplies and tanks, not to mention the new building (250K) and other supplies for the other animals.

[hardball]

Our local reptile shop just upgraded and built a whole new addition to the shop, and he spent $30,000 on fish supplies and tanks, not to mention the new building (250K) and other supplies for the other animals.

$30,000 on supplies alone? Wow so yeah man, definately not cheap. Im sure you probably have experience building your own racks and what not so it probably wont be quite that expensive. Are you planning on building your own viewing cases for the store as well, or buying those? Also how many different buildings do you need to be able to quarentine all the different animals? How expansive do you plan on going in terms of different snakes (morphs, species, ect)? You realize you need to calculate feed for all of these animals as well, plus some help probably around the store for maintenance and what not. I am very curious how this all works out and adds up to. I think its a very interesting topic.

[gncz73]

i would say by the time you get a building and any permits that my be needed and all the tanks for your stock as well as supplies to sell then your invetory(SP) of animals and thats is after getting intouch with all the different wholesalers which you will need to do inorder to get the best deals on your stock. and then you will need a reserve of cash for the time it takes to get the word out that your there. i would say you would need close to $100,000 depending on the size of store. when i had my paintball store we had 35,000 -45,000 in stock alone. then i had my rent for a store front and all the city papers like name of store and tax papers and lawyer and insurance which is always good.

[lord jackel]

I would suggest you write up a business plan. Asking a forum how much it will cost is like shooting in the dark...everyone has a different view of what a pet store would be like to them and therefore a different "cost" to fill it.


If you really want to focus on herps then a very small store (at first) might be a better start. Lower overhead and if you really think about it there aren't that many supplies to stock...sure you could offer tons of different options but why at first. You need a niche to go after if you plan to compete against the big box pet stores. Have quality animals, and a very knowlegeable and helpful approach is key...then you could offer "complete packages"...sort of like tank and every you need to get started. Just one of many ways to get started.

Or you go the other way and stock everything...you will carry lots more inventory (and therefore much more cost) but you will something for everyone.

You really need to sit down and think about what "YOU" want the store to be known for...then that will lead to how big it needs to be and what you need to carry.

[Kara]

$10k for animals & supplies...water on a hot skillet.

What about rent? Advertising? Insurance? Maintenance supplies? Waste removal? Utilities? Payroll? Taxes? Store fixtures? Phones? Signs? Security system (yes, you will need one)...

How big of a city are you in & what is your local competition from other pet stores? How much is it going to cost you to secure a space that will work for this application? Sure, you can check it out in the summer, but will you need to make adjustments in the winter to protect your animals? Wyoming isn't exactly warm in some months. If you find a good space, is it A) affordable, and B) in close proximity to other retailers that can beat you on dry good pricing due to their corporate ability to buy in bulk? If you're just going to do reptiles, how are you going to create a name for yourself in your local area, and will there be enough of a demand to support such a niche market?

All stuff to think about...I can hit you with more if you'd like.



K~

[jglass38]

$10k for animals & supplies...water on a hot skillet.

What about rent? Advertising? Insurance? Maintenance supplies? Waste removal? Utilities? Payroll? Taxes? Store fixtures? Phones? Signs? Security system (yes, you will need one)...

How big of a city are you in & what is your local competition from other pet stores? How much is it going to cost you to secure a space that will work for this application? Sure, you can check it out in the summer, but will you need to make adjustments in the winter to protect your animals? Wyoming isn't exactly warm in some months. If you find a good space, is it A) affordable, and B) in close proximity to other retailers that can beat you on dry good pricing due to their corporate ability to buy in bulk? If you're just going to do reptiles, how are you going to create a name for yourself in your local area, and will there be enough of a demand to support such a niche market?

All stuff to think about...I can hit you with more if you'd like.



K~

Now that's some info! Kara drops knowledge on the daily...

[Kara]

Now that's some info! Kara drops knowledge on the daily...

LOL...if I can help anyone avoid some of the mistakes we made when we opened our retail store, it's well worth it!!!

[Kara]

ETA: Saw your initial location as Wyoming, but re-read your mention of moving back to MI. Either way, winters are pretty harsh...what would you do in the event of a power outage? Most commercial spaces aren't equipped to cater to temperature-sensitive animals in the colder months...make sure you have an idea how to deal with such a situation before you ever find yourself in it.

Again, food for thought.

K~