The questions you are asking are basic business questions. Many of the answers would be directly related to your area, the deals you can negotiate with suppliers, overhead costs, market analysis, and so on. If running a business is your goal then you need to approach it from that stand point. A good start is developing a business plan which would include a projected market analysis and overhead expenses.
The kind of operation you are talking about would probably be very expensive. To rent a commercial building alone can run between $1200-$5000 a month depending on location and where not talking about huge buildings with those numbers. To figure utility costs you would have to determine the number of animals to be kept, type of enclosures, heating system, and so on. You would then need to add to this air conditioning, lighting, hot water usage, and so on. Convert the total wattage to kilowatt hours and multiply by the energy providers rate. Your water and sewage use shouldn't exceed what is included in the base rate but you never know. If you operate out of a commercial building you will also have to figure for a dumpster. In my area the run between $300-$1500 depending on size and/or frequency of service.
Feeders will depend on the number and age of the animals housed. You will never nail an exact number on this because you have no way of knowing how many animals you will produce a year. Cleaning supplies, substrate, caging, and so on will also have to be figured as estimated costs not based actual numbers.
The ball python market is a gamble at best. Just because you invest in the rarest morph now does not mean you will get any return on it by the time you get it to produce. Research trends and figure for a depreciation of at least 15% per year from the market cost you acquired the animals at. If they maintain the value that is extra profit if not you knew what to expect.
A small operation of 20-40 snakes is probably best done from your home. This will reduce your fixed costs dramatically and allow you to maximize your profit early on. That means you will have more money to invest back into the business to grow it. Remember that you need to figure that a minimum of 9% of your companies gross annual income for advertising preferably you should set aside 30%.
You will have other sources of overhead to figure as well such as shipping supplies, website fees, business license (if required), accounting fees, bank fees, office supplies, postage, phone, internet access, accounting software (your accountant will most likely require you to track costs in quick books pro) and so on. You may want to consider reading a basic business book or taking a class at a community college to better prepare you for determining what your start up and maintenance costs will be. You can also hire companies to assist you in developing a business plan and mode catered to your specific needs.
