Opening a Reptile store!!!!
 

Gonna open a store in tampa.....just looking for some feed back.....really none in my area.......good idea? or bad Idea?.......focus mainly on food and supplies....also some reptiles.........thanks for looking

lots of work, time, blood sweat and tears, tough to get loans for a pet store also but is cool you want to try to open one. just go in it with a level head and start slow. i wish you all the best of luck.

Might wanna start with a Online store first its a lot cheaper and less Overhead!

I don't know where in Tampa you are thinking. I know someone else who is talking about opening a store in Tampa. Right now the economy is so bad that you might want to wait. Good luck if you do.

Make sure you keep your overhead reasonable and dont get yourself in over your head.

Thanks so far for replies......it's my love so dedication is no problem......i have alot of connections so it might work good.......thanks

I think that the only way that a reptile store can really be profitable is to do two things in addition to running the actual retail location.

1. Get a table at EVERY reptile show in your area. You will be there to sell animals, but you will also be there to network with other people.

2. Make a presence in the online community. Get yourself on all of the reptile classifieds and sell a ton of animals online.

Do childrens parties with your animals and open a reptile museum or zoo in the store and charge people to walk thru that area. The people can then use the money they paid to walk thru towards store purchases.

It will be very tough but can be done. Start with a small hole in the closet shop. Dont lease a big space thinking you will have tons of business. Find a space with the option to expand in the future. As a kid I worked for a local petshop owned and operated by these 3 brothers. We were a tiny ass place in a shopping center for several years then the tenants next door moved out and the brothers expanded into the next two spots. Now I go there today and its a big profitable operation. It took time and I'm sure they didnt make much in the begining but they kept at it and now I'm sure they are sitting on some good money.

Do some demographic research. Find a shopping center where families go. Toys r us or something like that. Those are the ones with the pets that will shop at ur store.