For animal lovers looking to own a pet store in their neighborhood, there are quite a few things that need to be considered. Whether you’re planning to carry only exotic pets or pets more on the lines of dogs, cats, and reptiles, it’s going to cause stress, not only to get the business side of the pet shop set up but also to set up the shop itself.
You also need quite a bit of experience with everything from the substrate to feeders and egg crates to water crystals. You need to know what the best carrots, oranges, crickets, and dubia roaches you need to feed your reptiles, as well as knowing how to take care of them and any other animals you choose to have for sale in your pet shop. In this article, you’ll find a few tips to help you open your own pet shop, both legal tips, and set up tips.
1. Get the proper licenses.
The first thing you want to do before you put even one single reptile in your shop is to get the proper license so that it’s legal for you to open your doors. This will entail inspecting the space for proper ventilation, mold, or any other problems that need addressing. Does your shop have a concrete floor that needs epoxy paint? Take care of that and any other potentially allergy-inducing issues before day one.
Not only will you need the licenses to open a business, but many states also require pet shop owners to have special licenses as well. You want to do your research and talk to the proper authorities to see if your state requires that extra license. The application for that license may ask you to list each type of animal you’re going to be selling, and ask you to provide a detailed floorplan for the shop you’ll be opening.
2. Find space and stock supplies.
Once you know that your pet shop is a go, you need to find space and then start stocking your supplies. For example, if you’re going to be carrying reptiles, you need feeders, roaches, and crickets for food, aquariums, plastic tubs, beds, and many other items that will help you keep them healthy until they are sold to good homes. You’ll also need to know about dubia roaches care so that you can take care of the food source for your reptiles. in addition, you’ll need water dishes and a good water source to keep all of your animals healthy, watered, and fed.
Speaking of water sources, you’re also going to need water for yourself and water for your employees. That’s where water from
canadiansprings.com comes in. This bottled water is a great choice for your employees to drink, and you might be able to give some of it to the pets as well. You only want the best water for your pet shop and this company has it in spades.
3. Get your shop set up.
When it comes to opening a pet shop, you want the shop to be in tip-top shape before you bring the animals in. This means that you should have aquariums, enclosures, buckets, and tubs all ready and waiting for your precious cargo to arrive. You should also look into commercial floors and commercial floor coating, since it’s durable, impact-resistant, and won’t stain if things are dropped onto it. From a new floor to a floor that has the right amount of coating on it, you want to get all of this done before the animals arrive. Especially since the reptiles don’t need too much handling, so you don’t want to be taking them out of their enclosures for long periods of time.
4. Take care of the animals and yourself.
Another legal tip for pet shop owners is to pay attention to the anticruelty laws concerning animals of any kind. You need to abide strictly by your state’s health and animal cruelty codes. Different states have different rules for this but all of them involve bathing, feeding, and taking care of the animals the way that you should. In some states, it’s mandatory that at least one person is in the pet store for a specific amount of time every day, even if that’s on a day when the pet store is closed. This way, you will always know if the animals need something or if there’s an emergency. These laws and codes are in place for a reason, so make sure that you follow them to the letter.
It’s also important that in the midst of all of the running around, finding a space, inspecting concrete floors, stocking supplies, and taking care of the animals, that you take the time to purchase the proper insurance. You need the proper insurance because no matter how experienced you think your employees are or how gentle your customers are with the animals, accidents have been known to happen, so it’s a good idea to check into the best commercial or pet store insurance so that you and the animals are covered.
5. Make sure your animals are legal.
When you’re thinking about which animals to sell at your pet store, you need to be careful that they are legal to keep and sell where you live. There are some animals, such as groundhogs, that are illegal to keep as pets. Reptiles, amphibians, dogs, and cats are obviously fine, but if you’re thinking about exotic animals make sure to do your due diligence. Check the laws in the state or country where you live to see what animals or okay to keep as pets and which ones aren’t. If you’re considering housing and selling exotic pets, then you’re probably going to have to have a special permit and you might need to get a special license as well.
Bonus Tips
Learn the business.
If you want to learn what you can about pet stores and how to run the business before you decide to open your own, you can work or volunteer at your local pet store to try to get experience. It’s also a no-risk way to determine if you’re indeed cut out to be a pet store owner before you put all the money and time into the venture and then find out it’s not for you.
Remember, in order to be successful at a business you need to be passionate about it. So, if you don’t have a great love for animals and taking care of them, you might want to find another business. If you do love animals, however, then working at a pet store before opening one will help you with the know-how and things you need to make your own a success when the time comes.
Marketing is key.
One key part of running a successful pet store is making sure that you market the best way possible. You need to be active on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest so that people know who you are and where to find you to buy their pets. Whether you sell exotic animals or domestic animals as pets, you’re not going to get anywhere with making your business a success if you don’t market the way that you should, so get the word out there and then your pet store will soar.
These are just a few tips for getting your pet shop going and making it the success you always wanted it to be. Remember, if you love animals and selling, then this is a great choice for you and you will succeed with patience and hard work.