WHAT A LOCAL FISH STORE SHOULD BE?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I think the biggest thing that I try to look for is honesty.If your trying to sell me something I dont need I probably wont come back.I may not be the most schooled in the hobby,but I am not stupid either....I dont like to see people being sold equip. that they dont need or dont understand just because its alittle more $.Dont try to rip people of just to turn a buck,even though I dont think this something you would do.Oh yeah,the petco by me is more expensive with evrything except for the livestock,which I would never buy thier anyways,to many dead or dying fish even in new shipments.Petco sells an Ehiem wet/dry for almost 400.00,LFS sells it for about 275.00 which is the cheapist I've seen around here.My LFS sell thier fish at a fair but more expensive price than any one else too + they give a quantity discount/the more you buy the cheaper they are.......... :thumbsup: So sounds like you got a nice plan,if I'm ever in Spokane I'll stop in.Hey,are you going to sell online or by mail,Id buy from ya if you do...............And about the salts<it makes sense if you have someone like that localy thats all up on evrything,its hard to compete w/another topnotch FS :thumbsup:
 
my opinoin is if a fish store is plane jane nothin fancy no biggie there supose to sell fish not a look !! a clean store spell's professionalism beside's most store are'nt hoppin all the time so there should be no reason for a dirty store. also it say's I care about the fish and my equipment..!! I'M in the construction buissness so your apperance is everything that doesn't mean you alway's need the newest tool's and the nicest truck but how you mantain your stuff is important!! you care about yourself & your belonging's you care about other's and there belongin's that how I see it!!... I would rather have someone say they don't know or are'nt sure then say false thing's ,the idea there is to find out for the customer the best you can! or direct them to someone who can answer there question's. and a well stocked store with quality supply's too help's!! doesn't have to have everything on the market but have what you need when you need it ... the special order 's and rareaty's are day one ! goin above and beyond is the key to a successful and long term buissness..... trained and quizzed employe's make all the differance when you can't be there for the customer.. :thumbsup: :nutkick: :cheers:
 
Having the fish in sections by biotope/ water req is a great idea :headbang2
Trying to net fish out of planted tanks could drive you nuts clean well lit is more important.
More than just basic info on the fish on or near the tank so I can read it while I browse is a BIG plus.And make positive info is accurate.
Employees knowing what i have is nice but more important they know details about fish in stock.
FOOD live/frozen/dry I buy all my food at the lfs because Im there getting my live stuff anyway.A good selection of dry food at reasonable price and ill buy it there even if i know I can get it slightly cheaper at walmart.
Tanks and equipt I buy on brand/price so I wiil absolutely shop around.
 
Waldo and I will be the only 'Employees' of the shop. My wife may fill in some hours as well, but she is fairly knowledgable about fish too.. She would still be able to help the customers, and either of us will always be a phone call away. So knowledge and customer service shouldn't be that big of a problem, as I think it will be leaps and bounds beyond any other fish store here in town. (ie: You can't get help ANYWHERE, and when you do, they are idiots.)

and of course we will still sell online! We want to open the shop to the public, so when foot-traffic is slow we can dedicate MORE TIME to selling ONLINE. This way we can move those 'oddballs' and re-circulate a fresh stock of rare fish, by outletting them to people on the internet. Ive realized that rare fish won't always move that fast, but If I attack things from both sides, hopefully I can make the oddballs turn over fast enough to keep people checking in often..

Great Info on the Foods! Thanks guys!
 
def. a good idea keeping a small staff of employees. I'm assuming your partners. Extra employees for a small business are really expendable and I feel that that's part of the reason why so many small businesses go out of business. This one lfs near my house has atleast 15-20 employees with 6-7 in the store at a time when its really not that big and wouldnt need anymore than 2 people. One person for the register, one for the store itself.

I want to start my own business someday. not a lfs, but hopefully you can keep us up to date on how the business is running and give us tips. :thumbsup:
 
sounds like you two have put quite a bit of thought into this venture besides "hey, lets open a shop and sell some critters and make money"... from your original post , you definitely are aware of alot of the things most petstores do not enough, badly, etc. alot of what you propose for your store would be excellent, was just thinking it might be a bit "overwhelming" for two people to cover ALL those bases right from the start....

my opinion about appearance, if the animals are healthy, water/tanks look clean, the "eyecandy" part of the store is secondary.... i mean, unless there is trash, broken items, brooms/mops, etc laying all over, whether the tile on the floor matches the color of the walls etc is very secondary!

i also agree with the statement about every tank set up as a display would be a bit much.... a hell of alot of maintenance day-to-day and also a b!tch trying to "fish" something out of them for a sale....! definitely need a few displays to show different approaches, different types of fish, ways of doing things. will get customers thinking, thinking about buying bigger tanks, more equipment, more fish! and, also asking questions, which is how "lifers" in the keeping of fish start out!!

i too feel that most people do not feed live foods because of price and/or lack of knowledge about the different types and their uses....

one last thing, after you guys get "up and running" and are a success, can ya open a "branch" here in lansing??? we are down to ONE lfs here, and the situation really sucks! the one left is an excellent store, but with a lack of competition in our market (and the one petco and just-opened petsmart will NEVER BE any competion with this store!) we are stuck paying his prices... and, some of them are a bit out there do in no small part to the lack of competion...!!

well, anyhow, am sure you guys will be very successful! dont forget to post some pics of the store when it is up and ready to go, ok??
 
Here is a LFS scenario I would like to see: Enter the store and see beautiful display tanks with large healthy fish (inspiration).

Clean, well lit tanks with the fish that are for sale with common names, scientific names, and brief physical and compatability descriptions. Maybe a scale, like a ruler somewhere showing the potential size of the fish for visual? Further information can be on microphish or accessed on- line right there in the store! (Like public information: I had to do a search on a tax lien at the government center yesterday and all the information was right there, including some stuff on my sister which I'm still confused about, but that's another story...).

Cookie cutter communities sold together as a unit for newbies.

School field trips and workshops being held in the store (like a lot of chains do). School field trips would probably drive you absolutely nuts, but If you make a good impression on the teachers and students the free advertising can be helpful. The rugrats will learn something, haul their parents to your store. You would probably get in the newspaper as well, being Spokane's only 'zoo'.
Workshops can be advertised with a flyer at the cash register. "Take one and tell your friends that Takashi Ammeio-Sanchez will be here saturday at ten demonstrating how to make coral from jell-o. Free sushi afterwords".

Sales people that ask questions about your set ups. That advise.

Oh! And being in WA State, a micro- brewery in the back!

How I admire your dedication, Miles. Good Luck!
--Steve
 
seighten said:
i also agree with the statement about every tank set up as a display would be a bit much.... a hell of alot of maintenance day-to-day and also a b!tch trying to "fish" something out of them for a sale....! definitely need a few displays to show different approaches, different types of fish, ways of doing things. will get customers thinking, thinking about buying bigger tanks, more equipment, more fish! and, also asking questions, which is how "lifers" in the keeping of fish start out!!
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I think everyone took my too literally when I said I would have planted display tanks for each tank.. The plan will be too have live vegetation in each plant, but have it aquascaped in a way that is friendly to both the customer and the person catching the fish. There would be single sword plants, away from any other obstructions. I would include large smooth rocks here or there, but not stacked in any way. I would have large single peices of driftwood with planted java all over it, but easily movable.. All in all, it will be a simple aquascape which should be user friendly.

one last thing, after you guys get "up and running" and are a success, can ya open a "branch" here in lansing??? ?
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My dream would be to open a 'Chain' store, that is based completely out of major shopping malls. It would be a store lined with PetSmart style tanks, with a completely futuristic look. It would be ran by a management team, that requires aquariology degrees. Employees would have to take written exams in order to be on the salesfloor, and meanwhile they can 'educate' themselves doing tank maintenance. In the windows it would hold massive MFK style tanks, which would entice foot traffic to be very high in the store.. It would enlighten people onto what fish offer, because most people do not bother to take the time to further educate themselves beyond goldfish and bettas. It would be the Footlocker of fish stores, and it would be awesome.. I would base the entire business off what we have discussed in this thread... But it's onl a dream.. just a dream...... :drool:
 
cuban jey said:
i like your "dream" bro ill gladly run a chain here in tampa
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who knows man. I'm sure the people who started petco and petsmart had the same dream when they started out. Hope it happens for you miles. Its gonna take loads of hard and some thankless work and about 20 years but, it could happen. :thumbsup:
 
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