Im starting an AQuarium/Fish store....

[Gator]

please o please if you start one dont have dead fish floating in tanks! lol it blows my mind in some of these store when I see that and 5 employees shooting the sh$t in the back corner of the store.
As with any business Location Location Location! if you can find a nice store front in a good neighborhood with lots of traffic, close by family restaurants etc,
Affordable product especially in these financial times.
Try to do things to separate yourself from others in the area especially the big chains that will keep your customers coming back again and again
Be informative with your customers but dont sound like your speaking in rocket scientist terms and one more annoying thing that drives me nuts know what kind of fish you have in your tank. I bought a Ripsaw Cat once and the OWNER asked me if it was a FW or SW fish!

 

[puffcrusader696]

My thoughts too. Don't forget, Location location, location. Plus what the others have said.

most important thing!!!! customers are not going to know that u have a store if they dont pass it. try to put it on a main road or off an exit on a 4-lane highway with a sign so you get as much exposure as possible.

 

[puffcrusader696]

omg! dead and dying fish make me wanna walk away or talk to the manager. if you have a dead fish get it out and if theres a dying one maybe have a quarantine tank in the back to put them in to get better or to die in peace. it makes me want to never come back if theres any kind of fish (guppy or monster) dying in a tank. (so as you can probably tell im never going back to any chain store)

 

[freshwaterz]

I was just looking for some advice on starting up an aqurium store im only 19 and this was always my dream.....are there any store owners or employes with great advice? I want the info I can get. I have had my own aquariums since i was ten and have learned alot in the last 9 years deffintly will make everystore I have been too look foolish. Please help

my advice would simply be that if you were to go through with this, EDUCATE YOURSELF!! there is nothing i hate more than an owner/employee giving the wrong info/name/care....etc etc etc. make sure your employees are also educated.

 

[puffcrusader696]

stock only what you know about (tank size, tankmates, food preferences, environment etc.) so that you can inform your customers. thats what i like best.

 

[woofy]

not only stock what u know about for the customes but for you own sake. can u imagine u order fish u have no idea about and they die? or u have no clue about saltwater but u order thm anyway, you will lose alot of money.

and yes saltwater is the money maker, but mostly for established lfs that went fw first. if u know salwater start of with simple things but dont do it just because of the money.

 

[Danger_Chicken]

Don't forget to learn about managing a business. There are a lot of people that are great at what they do but fail because they don't know the first thing about business.

1. You're only 19 don't rush it, prepare for it
2. Follow Gr8KarmaSF advice and work at some pet stores, even if it's petsmart
3. Go to college and take some business classes, read some books
4. Try to work you way into a manager spot, even as an assitant-mgr at Burger King you will get to see the business side of things and there is no substitute for experience - see #2.
5. Network: join every local club in driving distance and get out and get know and build a base.
6. Study the local competition and see what works for them and what area's they are lacking - have a plan to be better
7. Keep you bread and butter fish in stock but make a name for yourself as a can do guy that can get quality exotic's on request.
8. Keep you revenue optinions open - what else can you offer: tank delivery and setup, tank maintenance, pond installs and/or maintenance, mail order, Reps, birds, cat/dog supplies? How far do you want to take it.
9. Save your money: starting a business will cost 10's of thousands and fish gear isn't cheap. Buy used tanks and store them until you're ready. You'll need operating capital for the first several months at least (stock, rent, utilities, employee's, etc)
10. Be prepared to dedicate all of your time for what could be several years until the business is established. If you're open from 10am-10pm 7 days a week, then you need to be ready to work those hours 7 days a week and not hire people until you have the business to support it. Real estate and employee compensation are the two biggest expenses in most businesses.

 

[Druu]

Go to school.

 

[ShipOfFools37]

Go to school.

best advice on here. not only business school, consider the sciences too, there is always more to learn. I know that if i walked into a LFS and the owner had a PhD in Ichthyology or a marine field, I'd trust him more than someone with just a bachelors in business or something. expand your horizons.

 

[jcardona1]

these are all great suggestions from everybody. but i think the best one if from Druu, go to school. take some business classes, even if you dont get a degree. they will help you A LOT. take business management, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, etc. all these classes are great.

i was an accounting major and i really liked all the classes. if youre destined to run your own business, youll love the classes and you will learn a lot.

now, here's a few of my rambling thoughts about what i think would make a good fish store:

- KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER BASE! carry the products they want/need at prices they can afford
- keep your tanks clean and healthy, i cant stress this enough!
- try to hire people who know a thing or two about fishkeeping
- maintain good relationships with suppliers so you can do special orders for more advanced fishkeepers
- develop your market niche - figure out ways to differentiate from other pets stores and the big chains
- CUSTOMER SERVICE - being friendly and polite will go a LONG way for your business.
- try to help new fishkeepers, rather than try to make a sale. if you have to, create little pamphlets that cover the basics so you can hand these out
- keep a list of the special order items with prices so you can hand these out as well
- try to stock a little bit of everything
- read up on the forums to see what people dont like about their LFS, and DONT DO those things