Starting a LFS

[Nates.Mom0721]

I've been on these boards for a while, usually the silent type, but I have been approached by friends/family members with the idea of starting a LFS here in town. I started my own 55 gallon after reading book after book after book, which then interested my parents and I have helped them set up and maintain a saltwater tank, then my mother in law and now my sister in law is getting the "itch". Anyways, I live in Sterling (think 20 miles from Nebraska - middle of nowhere - 2 hours from the nearest LFS) and there is currently a grant program in town that has a top prize of $25,000 along with numerous other business grants if you utilize the buildings in "down town", ect. So, I am looking for those that may have owned, thought about owning, or worked in an LFS for thoughts/ideas on opening a new store. Is it hard to become a dealer for saltwater products? Are there "special" licenses (beyond a business license)that I would need to obtain? Would it be best to start with just salt or fresh water and slowly add each different component? I have a friend that breeds snakes and mice/crickets (all that not so fun stuff) that I thought about allowing to sell in part of the store - good idea/bad idea? We at one point had a small fish/pet store (reptiles, fish, a bird here and there, hamsters every now and then) and it seemed to do very well, when it closed due to owner illness there were a lot of disappointed people.

I currently hold an associates degree in business and am working on my bachelor's, along with owning and maintaining the finances of a mobile DJ business so that part wont be the problem.

Thanks for any input/advice.

Krystal

 

[cdrewferd]

I think salt/fresh/reptiles would be a good combo. There is a shop in Boulder that has this setup and they seem to do really well. My only worry would be not enough people to fully support a shop of that size. Though you may be able to pull from a good surrounding area. Good luck. Hope you can get everything worked out.

1 other thing to try might be to send a PM to a few of the sponsors on here that have brick and mortar shops. You might get better response that way.


Drew

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[Cake_Boss]

You might want to start running out of your basement/garage, until you get the hang of it.

That said, I was in Sterling and was thinking that it needed a LFS.

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[Nates.Mom0721]

cdrewferd - Thank you for the suggestion of messaging the sponsors, while I have shopped at most of their stores, I didn't even think to just contact them directly!

rockys_pride - Thank you for the suggestion of the basement/garage, that would definitely help with rent if it did not go over how I hope it would... It would also give me a chance to get a feel of the interest without fully committing to a rental agreement.

 

[WatercolorsGuy]

Check this link for information regarding pet dealers and licensing requirements through the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Agriculture-Main/CDAG/1167928256523

And a link to the State rules and regs PDF. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellit...goBlobs&blobwhere=1251672103413&ssbinary=true

 

[cdrewferd]

The only problem I see with a basement/garage setup is its really hard to have regular hours and a place that somebody just walking/driving by can see. I think this is where a LFS gets probably 70% of their customers. Without this you'd have to be willing to open your house at all hours, as least regular business hours, and you'd have to do some major marketing to get your name out there. The marketing would be needed anyway, but with the garage/basement setup you might need a lot more.


Drew

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[chrislorentz]

Very large upfront cost in getting started.

 

[coloagro]

Very large upfront cost in getting started.

Thats the glaring challenge I see with the idea. Not only that, the economy is still slowly progressing in a positive direction so I would say unless you have "maintenance accounts" setup then you would be hard pressed to keep the business in the black without a few years of backup capital at your disposal. One of my friends in the industry here locally said " Its fun but you wont get rich doing it"

 

[Cake_Boss]

I didn't even think about the marketing aspect, maybe a store front would be best. I'm just hoping that you follow through and get something other than Kenya trees, get some color out there! There might be enough interest to start small meetings/gatherings. I know D&G had the intro classes that didn't go over well, but you have a different market.

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[spstimie]

Do you know how to make a small fortune in the aquarium industry? Start with a large one.