pet store

[Lrptls]

i would love to, one day, after saving up alot of money, start my own pet store. but i really dont know how to do it or where to start. has any one ever started their own store or know any thing about it? any info would be great.

[Darren179]

well working at a petstore the owner who owns three said it all comes down to location which is true . Also you might wanna do some research and take some small buisness courses before you rush into anything

[meow_mix450]

i dont know much but i heard that from the beginning youll start slow

Meow

[liltattyprinces]

I've run 2 companies one a roofing company jointly with my now ex-husband and one on my own (convience store) with some family help. It's very hard at first and takes a giant commitment time wise to get things going. I decided to get out of it as i found being a single parent it was taking too much of my time away from my kids. It can be one of the most rewarding things depending on your goals. It just didn't work for me as i decided i wanted to have more time with my family. but all the luck too you in the future...also depending on where you live some citys offer courses as well as subsiduaries (is that spelt right?) and mentor programs where they will pair you up with someone who was just like you and started out small...but as mentioned before a buss admin course is a deffinate must as well as accounting :)
Laura-Lee

[MartinW]

Michele, I think it's a great idea and I hope if you go ahead with it everything comes out well. Based on what I've seen on the site (of what I remember at least) you seem like the type of person who would really care about the well-being of the animals. I'm currently studying psychology at University but if that doesn't work out I'd consider getting some business training and see if I can start up my own little pet shop. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more work than psych though, but it's worth a try.

Martin

[Lrptls]

thank you every one for the advise and support. i bet it will take alot of time, effort and money but its a huge dream and no matter what i have to do i will do my best. any more advise would be great.

[annieb_mice]

If you DO decide to go ahead and start up your own pet store.... spend the time BEFORE you get the animals to learn about them FIRST. I'm sure we have all seen what happens to animals in pet stores where no one knows anything about them. I was talking with one girl who worked in a pet store who said that everytime she went to work in the morning, she had to scoop out all the dead animals. The hamsters were the worst. :P
Decide what kind of animals you would like to feature in your store, and then try to find reputable breeders of these animals in your area and ask their advice on how to set up your store and also how to care for the animals.
Before you take in any animals in the store, learn what a healthy animal looks like and don't accept any animal if it doesn't look healthy.
Take the time to train your employees on how to care for the animals properly. Make sure they are able to give at least BASIC care instructions to customers and are able to help them pick up the appropriate products.
Find a quality vet in the area of the store and keep their number on hand for emergencies.
Provide "caresheets" for the animals that you sell in your store. Post them on the wall by the animals and also make sure you briefly go over them with customers if they choose to buy an animal. Make sure customers know the lifespan of the animal they are interested in. (I've seen a number of people buy a cute little budgie, not realizing that it could live for ten years.... )
Anyways... these are just some suggestions that I have seen done in some of the "better" pet stores around me. One of the pet stores that I like better than most actually took the time to ask reputable breeders in the area to help design his store, and it shows! The animals are well cared for, the staff are fairly knowledgeable, and the owner is a nice guy who cares, not only about his customers, but also for the animals in his care.
Anyways... if you choose to open a pet store... I wish you the BEST of luck!!
Take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~

[jjnnbns]

The only caution that I would advise is that most people on here recommend going to a breeder as opposed to a pet store. That may have some influence on your sales, although there are many more people out there that wouldn't think of shopping anywhere else other than a petstore.

Just pointing out something that I noticed...