Im starting an AQuarium/Fish store....

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
about the stocking. be open to getting special orders in for the serious hobbiest and ask for a deposit so you get something from a non-pickup. if its a rare species then be upfront with the price, dont dance around with estimates then the customer gets upset because its $40 more than the estimate. also make a point of ringing the person when the fish is ready for sale, i placed an order for uaru from my lfs and they never rang me and i missed all the healthy uaru.
some lfs breed some of their own stock, such as guppies, platies, swords, and even some egg layers like rams and killies. this cuts costs for them as all these fish breed easily or in the case with the killies the eggs are cheap per 50 pack from ebay (come in mud or something like that and it may not be in the US ebay). these are also the fish that seem to sell the most due to bright colours and small size, 90% profit from the livebearers if not more.
 
Another thing...every pet store has a "Beginner fish" that they buy in bulk. Betas and Goldfish. Betas are doomed to be kept in baseball-sized bowls. Goldfish require 30 gallons. So get Mosquitofish, Rosy Reds, and White Clouds. Coolwater "nano" fish that are hardy. When someone asks for Betas or Goldfish, just explain the setbacks of these fish
 
Bottomfeeder;2450160; said:
Another thing...every pet store has a "Beginner fish" that they buy in bulk. Betas and Goldfish. Betas are doomed to be kept in baseball-sized bowls. Goldfish require 30 gallons. So get Mosquitofish, Rosy Reds, and White Clouds. Coolwater "nano" fish that are hardy. When someone asks for Betas or Goldfish, just explain the setbacks of these fish

bettas are a money fish. Sell them, just educate.
 
Bottomfeeder;2450160; said:
Another thing...every pet store has a "Beginner fish" that they buy in bulk. Betas and Goldfish. Betas are doomed to be kept in baseball-sized bowls. Goldfish require 30 gallons. So get Mosquitofish, Rosy Reds, and White Clouds. Coolwater "nano" fish that are hardy. When someone asks for Betas or Goldfish, just explain the setbacks of these fish

Um i dont think its good idea for the mosquitofish as beginner fish that mosquitofish are unsuited for community tank, they are better off in species tank only and no one wants duller grey mean fish, they are dirty cheaper for just 16 cents.
 
I think that having a very nice display tank is also a great idea. If you keep a 4ft moray eel in your store people are going to have the impression you know what your doing. This may also allow you to keep your prices alittle higher than neighboring stores because your customers think that your fish are better even though they may be from the exact same distributor.
Keep good customer relations, you need to be nice to the kids that have no idea what they are doing, once they learn freshwater guppys they, move to oscars, then to bigger tanks, and saltwater...they may be livetime customers to your store and better yet get their friends interested in the hobby.
Always be nice to new people in the hobby.
 
Keep it simple and just remember that it's a place of business and not everyone likes monster fish. Saltwater is gaining more popularity. And remember that you can't please everyone. I know a lot of you don't like Painted Fish or hearing how a 5 year old is picking an Oscar for his/her new 10g tank, but remember that it's about educating and not pushing your views on others.
 
I see alot of others have already given you great advice but here is my two cents...

The most important thing is to make sure that you know your market. Are you in a big city? Small town? How much is the average fishkeeper in your area willing to spend?

Get a part-time job at another fish store and take some business classes. Try to get a job at the best one you can find and learn what they are doing right and wrong. Take notes on what you would fix. Get to know other local fish keepers and develop relationships with them. All very important steps and will set you up to be successful. At the same time you can take classes in topics such as entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, etc. This will help you put together a business plan, which you will need if you are going to need to lend money. Unless you are already independently wealthy, you will probably need to do this as some point in time.

Remember the business that you are picturing will take years to develop. Taking some classes will help you set your priorities and will give you a backup if it doesn't workout.

Best of luck and remember to enjoy whatever it is that you decide upon.

Cheers!
 
Cichlaholics Anonymous;2436773; said:
focus on saltwater regardless if your preference as a fishkeeper might be FW

i work as an employee

Saltwater is what makes up your losses in other areas...
get knowledgable with salt and corals.... will help out a biz alot
customer relations, good variation in stock, etc. tough business right now
good luck
 
awault;2457198; said:
I see alot of others have already given you great advice but here is my two cents...

The most important thing is to make sure that you know your market. Are you in a big city? Small town? How much is the average fishkeeper in your area willing to spend?

Get a part-time job at another fish store and take some business classes. Try to get a job at the best one you can find and learn what they are doing right and wrong. Take notes on what you would fix. Get to know other local fish keepers and develop relationships with them. All very important steps and will set you up to be successful. At the same time you can take classes in topics such as entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, etc. This will help you put together a business plan, which you will need if you are going to need to lend money. Unless you are already independently wealthy, you will probably need to do this as some point in time.

Remember the business that you are picturing will take years to develop. Taking some classes will help you set your priorities and will give you a backup if it doesn't workout.

Best of luck and remember to enjoy whatever it is that you decide upon.

Cheers!

x2
 
voss345;2457210; said:
i work as an employee

Saltwater is what makes up your losses in other areas...
get knowledgable with salt and corals.... will help out a biz alot
customer relations, good variation in stock, etc. tough business right now
good luck

corals really help LFS around here. they are mostly salt but keep a good stock in fresh too and they do well. balance them both. and corals are HUGE! try to learn a lot about corals and marine fish cuz thats what most people want to buy (its the colors cuz not many people want a rare monster thats brown or grey... they want the color)
 
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