Other Turtle Discussion :: another bad pet store story

[pumpkinsherbet]

ya, tell me if I'm crazy, but I've seriously been thinking about switching careers and opening my own pet store. It's just too mind boggling to think that the people who do run pet stores seem to be the least qualified to do so. I just don't get it. Anyway, it would be a major change in my lifestyle if I were to do something like that. I'd basically be married to the store for the rest of my life. But I would be doing something that I love doing. Decisions decisions...

just make sure you have a backup plan, opening your business is pretty risky. and if you do so, i would definitely have a vet on the premises. would you prefer a specialty store (e.g. herp only) or would you have a menagerie (herp, birds, dogs, cats, hamsters, etc.) i personally would stick to specializing. and it was mentioned before in that ''what would you do if you had a petstore" i'd toss in some homemade setups as well. imo homemade is more valuable. and in doing so it would stress the importance of good care and attention. definitely definitely get some aquatic plants in there and plenty of research materials. each animal should have a small fact sheet that goes beyond ''this is what it is - this is how big it can get" general nature should be in there as well (e.g. this animal is not social with other animals//this animal would make great mates with...//etc.) and do extensive checks on the people who work with you. but yeah, that would be a great idea.

[SpotsMama]

About the busiest part of the pet stores around here is the grooming parlor!

Maybe you could work in a store for awhile to get a feel for it. After working for awhile, then if you could manage one for awhile you'd get to know the business inside and out.

Have you run your own business before? As you say, it's a real challenge! I never have done it but have relatives who have. Sometimes the best way is to aquire an existing business with a clientele because startup can be brutal.

[DavidY]

Hmm, yea good things to think about. I was thinking of a specialty store focusing on exotics. I'd want to start out with what I know best, reptiles. Then branch out to small animals (like chinchillas, hedgehogs, sugargliders, etc) and eventually fish. My goal would be to educate customers and provide on site customized setups and installations as well as maintenance and consultations for high end setups. I'm thinking like large built-in units and displays for businesses and upscale homes. Once I branch into fish I would also try to pick up more restaurants and businesses as customers. I have a lot of knowledge of the different types of habitats and how to build them, plus a basic knowledge of electrical, plumbing and carpentry. On top of that, I have a good friend who is a builder who can do anything from masonry to framing to bathrooms and kitchens. His brother also has a lot of experience making high end custom cabinetry, so I could subcontract out some of the bigger jobs to them, getting the framing and exterior finish work done while I concentrate on the cage/habitat design and setup.

Having the animals on hand at the store would be the hook that gets the customer interested in wanting to have a nice display in their home to house the animal in. I would probably use all custom built displays in the store to also whet their appetites. That would be the high-end part of the sales, but I would also stock the standard tanks and cages and supplies so that anyone could have a decent setup in their home without having to be super rich. I'm definitely not thinking your typical corner pet shop with overcrowded and filthy cages and dead or dying animals everywher. I dunno...still just thinking about it.

[SpotsMama]

Very interesting concept. If you had just the right community for it and a good setting - maybe in an upscale mall - it might be quite enticing.

Around here there are some very successful aquarium shops. There have also been some that have failed. The ones I know of that have succeeded are mostly working with commercial clients and upscale residences. Reptiles, though, are probably a very different niche. You'd know this potential customer base well.

[daredevilgirl013]

I've thought about working in a pet store too to hopefully correct the wrongs, but...it won't help. They'll just fire you for being rude to them and telling them what to do when it should be them telling you what to do in the first place. That or I'd be taking home every single animal in the store that I felt was living in poor conditions..so yeah...I just stay away from pet stores until I have to go to one for live food, the rest of my stuff, I order off the internet so I don't have to see anything. It's bad enough that I walk into a pet store, see the conditions and want to walk out with more animals just to get them the heck out of there (one pet store had these baby kittens, not even sure if they were 8 weeks old or not, and they were sleeping in their litter box because they had no soft place to sleep in the wire cage, no bed no pillow, nothing. And when they woke up and saw me they just kept mewing..gosh if I didn't have 4 cats here already I would have taken all 4 of those home...but my two old cats can't handle anymore and my 2 kittens have already cost me over 600.00 in vet bills and we're still not done yet there...my two kittens I got them at Christmas as my cat was killed and they were very sick, ear mites (those are horrible to treat), respiratory infections, worms, needed all their shots, had to go back and get treated for ear infections and respiratory infections again...more shots, another dose of worm meds, and soon we're getting unmaled hahaha..bye bye to the other "boys". But those two alone..oh the vet bills..and I knew the other 4 kittens if I brought them home would have caused that much and more probably on just the first few visits..I feel so bad for those animals in those situations and I just seriously want to take them home..but none of my animals have found a way to make money..sooo..kinda hard to get more animals with the cost of proper living for them)

[grey goose]

Long ago my Dad told me, "Never get into an argument with an idiot, people may not be able to tell who's who."[/quote]

[octpusgirl8]

Oooh good one

[SpotsMama]

Goose should write a book!