Need some ideas re: starting a business

[RachelsaurusRexU]

I've been at my current job for seven years and I've always known it's not something I want to do forever. I love working with animals and making a difference, but dealing with people who neglect and abuse animals and people who complain about EVERYTHING is not my cup of tea. I also can't stand the political aspects of working for a municipality.

Lately I've been thinking about the possibility of starting a business. I have a very close, trustworthy friend who wants to do the same, and has the excellent credit we'd need to do so. We both want to do something animal related...but what? It would have to be a pretty lucrative business, as I can't afford to make much less than I'm currently making.

I am very crafty...I can make things like collars, beds, toys, etc and build things out of wood as well. Do you think a boutique type pet store with some handmade items would do well? I could make cat trees, wooden pet furniture, bird toys...all kinds of stuff. We could also sell premium pet foods, treats and raw food!

I'm just nervous about starting a business that fails and then being screwed for money, haha. Thoughts? Opinions?

[xellil]

Well, this is just my opinion - I love a local bird store. They have a better quality seed and corn etc. than i could ever get at Tractor Supply or a big box store and it was comparatively priced or cheaper. And lots of doo-dads that once I got in there I really liked. And they sold the best feeders.

It had some dog stuff but not a whole lot - one brand of dog food.

BUT, my big problem with it was even though it is local it had alot of stuff from China - bird baths, etc. I always thought if they had local artists (of which there are many) and craftspeople sell stuff in their store I would buy alot more because I just won't buy stuff like that if it's from India or China.

Also, if it had alot more boutique type dog stuff. They had some plaques and some little decorative items but no handmade collars or stuff like that.

It all depends on your market though and whether there are enough people to support that. Personally, when I made a bunch of money I spent quite a bit there - now that i am out of a job I won't be buying anything more than bird seed.

[RachelsaurusRexU]

I feel the same way about handmade items versus products that were mass produced in China or wherever. I think enough people are interested in unique, handcrafted stuff, but I'd definitely have to check out the market and do some serious location scouting.

I was also thinking it would be a great opportunity to spread the word about my rescue. We could feature a couple adoptable pets in-store, hold the occasional adoption event, meet new fosters, etc. I could even have my own little workshop there for making stuff.

[chowder]

Do you have a community college by you? The one near me has a lot of courses lately about starting your own business and the economy and how it all works. Most of them are free. It might not hurt to check that out and see what kind of things will work in your area. I know that independent pet stores are doing pretty good in our area right now, and more of them are actually opening. The ones here sell mostly high end dog food but I know that I would shop at them more if they sold supplies and crafts and things like that since I don't buy the food.

I think you have a good idea with the collars, coats, and crafts in addition to food. It would keep people coming back in to see what was new, even when they don't need food. It really depends on the area you live in and the type of economy going on there. Do people have disposable income now for pet accessories?

[rannmiller]

Definitely focus on getting a lot of good, natural food lines in if you do this. That's what's going to keep people coming back into the store as repeat customers. Then hopefully when they're in the store, they'll buy all of your other awesome stuff too! Also, make sure you get a really good location for such a shop, obviously. Aside from that, I have wished I could open up a shop like that in my area but we have a few of them with a very loyal customer base and I have no financial backing to start such an ordeal. Plus, what I'd really love to do is open a PMR shop, but of course that'd be super hard to do since you can get it in a grocery store

[xellil]

Definitely focus on getting a lot of good, natural food lines in if you do this. That's what's going to keep people coming back into the store as repeat customers. Then hopefully when they're in the store, they'll buy all of your other awesome stuff too! Also, make sure you get a really good location for such a shop, obviously. Aside from that, I have wished I could open up a shop like that in my area but we have a few of them with a very loyal customer base and I have no financial backing to start such an ordeal. Plus, what I'd really love to do is open a PMR shop, but of course that'd be super hard to do since you can get it in a grocery store :disappointed:

If the raw pet suppliers opened a storefront I'd go. Now, you have to order, maybe wait for shipment, in my case schedule a time to meet at their freezer. Much easier to walk into a store, if i could.

[meggels]

Sounds awesome :) And very similar to something I'd like to do!

one of the shops I demo in has adoptions almost every Saturday with dogs from down south. They sort of partnered up with a local foster/rescue program. They adopted out over 100 dogs last year!

[minnieme]

I think it definitely depends on your location. I think in my city of Madison, WI, it'd be a brilliant idea. Madison is super dog friendly (10+ HUGE dog parks) and pet boutiques and doggie daycares are BOOMING. With that said, I can't think of any other cities in Wisconsin where I'd try to pull it off. I would really try to make an honest assessment of your community and try to get some figures together before you proceed. You will of course be competing with PetSmart/Petco/etc if they're in your city.... but I LOVE shopping at the boutique places even if they are a bit pricier. I think a lot of people big into dogs feel the same.

But if the market's not there, you can't make it, yanno? It doesn't matter how much advertising you put into it -- if you don't have furmommies ( ), I would move (if it's really your passion) or try your hand at another trade.

[chowder]

If you do open up the shop, consider letting quite a few very reputable adoption groups hold their events at your store all the time. I know that when we adopted Rocky, the group held the event at Petsmart and we were allowed to meet him and pick him up there. Since were were already in the store, we just HAD to buy him all sorts of toys and supplies while were were at the store!! We sure didn't need to get him anything, but he was so cute, and all that stuff was there so we bought it anyway! It would help the rescue and be a big source of income for you.

Some of the rescues here have a lot of trouble getting space and time at the local Petsmarts and really need a place to showcase their animals. It would be a win-win situation for both of you.

[xellil]

The rescue i got Snorkels from does an adoption event at Petco every other Saturday. I figure they make a killing off of that rescue.