Thinking of starting my own store

[pacu mom]

In this economy, a fish store would be one of the last businesses to open. More local fish stores are closing than ever before. Tough business to show a profit.

I agree. If a person was independently wealthy and wanted to do it as a hobby that they continually threw money into....it would work. It would be a very difficult way to earn a living. Every single LFS in my area has opened/closed in the last 23 years that I've lived here. One did change hands. The poor fellow worked there every day....he couldn't afford help. He finally was able to sell out. The store has birds and rats, rabbits and a few fish now....I don't know if they are still open.

A fishkeeping passion makes a better avocation than a vocation.

 

[swifty]

The 2 best LFS within 30 miles of me have remained open for 7+ years each. One is a general pet store (dog/cat/bird/rabbit/reptile sections) but a lot of focus on the fish, with a big cichlid selection no chain like petsmart/petco can offer. The other, is strictly fish, with a focus on saltwater. They not only sell fish and supplies, but setup and maintain local business's aquariums.

If you're going to go through with it, make sure you have something to offer different than the chains.

 

[poppalina]

I would start in my basement or garage and let it grow from there.

 

[ckcdrummer]

I would start in my basement or garage and let it grow from there.

That's how a lot of places have started, and that's how I'm gonna start as well.


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[bomber]

I think instead of opening a "store" why don't you just buy a storage space and setup lots of aquariums in there and get some contacts of people from some exporters and ask them for their stock list and just email the stock list to your potential customers and if you have enough orders to make you a profit order the fish. Thats what I would do.

Great Advise...

The first thing you should do is put together a business plan, including an analysis of competitors and whether potential locations would support an LFS. Just because there aren't any "good" stores doesn't mean that there's a demand for them!

Also, starting a business requires capital and the ability to survive without a paycheck from the business for some time. Prepared for that?

Matt

Solid...

In this economy, a fish store would be one of the last businesses to open. More local fish stores are closing than ever before. Tough business to show a profit.

The truth...

I would start in my basement or garage and let it grow from there.

Also great advise...

It does not make sense to dump all this money into a store not knowing how it would make it in this market... rent a storage unit/set up at home and sell from home. Find ways to market via web/craigslist/locally/etc.... If you open up a business, Location is everything and a good location will not be cheap....


If you can not afford to supply your home/storage unit with the proper equip to run tank set ups to hold and sell fish then this is not the right buisness venture for u.
If you can afford to set up at home/storage unit... even if you do not meet your revenue for the month.. you still have awesome set ups cause you love this hobby.

 

[ckcdrummer]

In this economy, a fish store would be one of the last businesses to open. More local fish stores are closing than ever before. Tough business to show a profit.

True but in my opinion it kinda depends on where you live. Here in Santa Cruz and Monterey area it is quiet a popular hobby and especially in Monterey bay where there is a lot of marine life.


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[MonsterMinis]

Being a hobbyist on the outside is very different then being on the inside and the Reality of the industry... I don't think I could every own/run a store. IN part it would ruin it for me... the fewest tanks I ever owned was when I was helping manage a store... It ruined having my tanks at home.

 

[bassfisher91]

Another thing to consider: I'm not sure how fish stores work but it is quite possible that most of their profit comes from equipment and tanks rather than fish. The fish are the exciting part but not what you'll need to sell to stay around. You might make a $1 profit on a livebearer but you'll need the $100 profit off some overpriced fish tank set up to keep you in business.

 

[ckcdrummer]

Another thing to consider: I'm not sure how fish stores work but it is quite possible that most of their profit comes from equipment and tanks rather than fish. The fish are the exciting part but not what you'll need to sell to stay around. You might make a $1 profit on a livebearer but you'll need the $100 profit off some overpriced fish tank set up to keep you in business.

That could be true but for me, I find it cheaper to buy everything online then in stores. I don't think I've ever bought any equipment from a store.


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[Fat Homer]

I think each store has its own bread and butter items they use to pay the bills... Over here i know quite a few store owners, some sell mainly small common fish as their money makers, some sell pre-setup aquascapes with stock as their bread winner...

So i would say its really doing research to see what your area would have high demand for and cater to them and add something special on the side...


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