This is exactly the kind of discussion I wanted to get started.

Here's my next question, would a storefront be feasible? As in, having a small pet shop where reptiles could be sold locally? I've seen "starter kits" online, but I think it would be better to have starter kits that could be assembled for each species, such as custom cages for local pickup (for reptiles that require higher humidity and won't do well in screen top cages, etc). It seems like a lot of people in this hobby are reliant on a very few distributors for custom cages and equipment, or they have to become a construction expert (not a real expert, I'm exaggerating) in order to create their own cages and equipment to fit the needs of their hobby. For me, there are only two petshops within feasible range for me; petco and a mom and pop shop that focuses on fish, cat and dog supplies with gardening supplies mixed in. I was looking for a terrarium while trying to avoid supporting petco and found myself greatly disappointed. The mom and pop pet store's display of reptiles consisted of a tarantula, two beardies, one half grown the other an adult, a few cresteds, toads, and leopard geckos. They had heat lamps and uth mats with no thermostats. It's discouraging that someone walking into that store off the street can pick up an aquarium, screen top, and heat light and walk back out with an animal and no knowledge of how to care for them. Petsmart and Petco provide pamphlets, but no specific starter kits, so they end up selling people who walk in on an animal they don't really know how to care for, and they usually don't read the books, with a setup that won't really work long term.

Diversity is always key, as is location. If I am ever able to open my own pet store like this, I would definitely be interested in local education programs, events and helping to educate the public in general. I think the weakness of this hobby is that there are so few people out there promoting a change in the thought process of the public view of reptiles. I remember someone bringing a burm or a retic to my elementary school, I can't remember which except that it was definitely an albino and took several people to hold it fully stretched out. I remember petting it and thinking "snakes aren't slimy, they're soft!" It was the first spark that made me think of reptiles as cool, interesting critters.