Sell pets at your pet store.
Since many people own pets and spend large amounts of money on their pet care, pet businesses have a good chance of success. Lots of people pamper their pets, which make pet businesses that sell pet supplies or grooming services a good choice to get into. However, it's important that the competition is researched so that pet business owners will receive sales. Because pets are a popular category, many people want to start their own pet stores. Making sure large competition isn't in the same area of the pet business can vastly increase profits.
Instructions
1. Make sure you have enough funding for your pet store business. If your business will only consist of pet sitting and dog walking, you'll need about $3,000 to $5,000 for setting up a home office and buying business cards, according to Entrepreneur magazine. If you plan on reselling pet supplies, you'll need about $15,000 to $30,000 to start off with so that you can buy enough products to resell. If you want to manufacture your pet toys, you'll need around $30,000 to begin your pet business.
2. Determine where you want to run your pet store business. Consider an area where there's lots of traffic, like in a mall, so that more people are aware of your pet business. You may also want to position your pet store near a dog park so that more pet owners are aware that you're in business. Also, don't place you pet business near a large pet store competitor. If you go that route, more potential customers will check out your competitor than your pet store.
3. Apply for a pet shop license. The requirements for the pet shop license depends on what state you're in. Often times, all you have to do is fill in a form and pay a small fee to be licensed. However, sometimes you need to take a test in order to be licensed. Contact the business licensing department in your state to make sure you know all the requirements.
4. Make sure your pet shop follows the health regulations specific to your state. These health regulations will vary, so contact your state government for details on the regulations needed for your pet shop, especially if you're selling animals.
5. Insure your pet shop by investing in a specialty pet shop insurance. Make sure the insurance covers any damage to or theft of the pets you are selling and any damage to potential customers or their belongings from pets in your pet shop. To get insured, contact the Small Business Association in your area.
6. Buy the equipment and items needed for your pet store. Many pet shop owners buy their products wholesale. Find wholesale pet supplies in classified advertisements in newspapers to buy wholesale items locally or browse the web for wholesale deals. Popular online wholesale pet supply websites are PetEdge.com and PetMarket.com.
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