Pet Supplies

Owning a pet shop is fun and challenging. Helping people find that perfect pet or supplying them with the food and supplies they need is fulfilling work. The challenge is finding quality pets and caring for them until they find their homes.

Instructions

Opening a Pet Shop

1 Decide what type of animal and pet supplies you would like to sell. This decision will affect your location. For example, a pet shop that sells dogs needs more space than one that sells only fish. But a pet shop that sells fish needs excellent plumbing, heating and cooling.
Choose a niche for the pet shop and focus on that animal or even breed for a specialty feel. This is the best option for a small shop. Focus on the best pet food and treats for that animal. Offer the best bedding and kennel options. Choosing a niche market will also allow you to get to know your customers better. Take this information and write a business plan.
2 Find a good location for a pet shop in a residential community. It's easier to sell pets from an independent building rather than a mall, because there may be noise or odor involved. Find a location near good traffic flow, but not on an extremely busy street if animals are to be carried in and out.
3 Hire professionals to go over all of the paperwork. Apply for all necessary sales tax licenses, and make sure the zoning in the building you want to use allows a pet store. Check the livestock and pet laws in your area and draw up a pet adoption agreement accordingly. Draw up any return policies at this time. Contact the department of agriculture in your state to set up an inspection for licensing to sell and kennel animals. Purchase business insurance.
4 Hire adequate help for the amount of livestock you will offer as pets. Offering pets for sale is an excellent customer draw but requires a lot of cleaning and handling. Make sure to hire staff old enough to understand the responsibilities of working with animals. Look for assistants with expertise in the type of pet they are hired to care for and have the ability to answer customer questions.
5 Find dry stock vendors for pet supplies and food. Look online as well as locally. Some online distributors offer deep discounts and free shipping on large orders, so consider this for initial orders. Find local dealers for all fresh food needs, or visit farmers markets.
Find local artists or crafts people willing to sell their goods through your shop to show support for the community and unique pet supplies.

Finding Animals

6 Help a rescue in need of store space and adoption help. This is the most community-oriented way to stock a pet shop with livestock. You can either lease part of the shop to the rescue at a discount or write it off as a tax donation. The shelter provides veterinary work and pet guarantees to adopting families. The benefit of this is the release of liability for the pet shop owner. No covering of expensive vet bills or dealing with pet returns.
7 Find reputable local breeders. Look online and talk to other pet owners about where they got their pets and if they would recommend the breeders. Tour any breeder before making any commitments to purchase animals. Personally inspect all areas where animals are kept. If a breeder refuses to let you see an area or tour at all, choose a different breeder.
Check with the top breeders clubs in your area. Generally speaking, the smaller the breeder the better. Smaller breeders have more time to handle animals, a big plus for pet livestock.
8 Find pet distributors for livestock delivery of exotic pets or large fish orders. There are some larger pet distributors that have excellent customer service and livestock guarantees. These are for the hard-to-find small animal, reptile or fish. Keep in mind these animals will likely not be well handled when arriving at the shop. Daily handling will be required to ease the pet's anxieties. Check off-site customer reviews of any major pet distributorship before ordering livestock.

If you love animals and are dissatisfied with the quality of most commercial pet foods, consider starting your own premium pet food supply business. Operating a pet supply store is both a challenging and rewarding endeavor. Starting your own business can give you the satisfaction that you're providing pet owners healthier options for their animals.

Instructions

1 Draft a business plan. Having a written plan assists you in building a model of how you'll financially establish your pet store. In your plan discuss how your premium dog food is superior to the competition. Detail your goals, mission statement, operating expenses and how you plan to make a profit.
2 Apply for a business loan from a bank or lender. Starting a new business is expensive. Consult with a financial expert about options most appropriate to your needs. Take a copy of your business plan with you.
3 Determine a location for your pet food supply business. Locate a place where you know pet owners frequent. For example, consider opening a store next to a grocery store or in a strip mall. Don't open your premium pet food business next to an apartment complex that doesn't allow pets because this limits your ability to reach your targeted audience.
4 Obtain all the business licenses and permits you need from your state and local agencies. Pet food businesses need to contact the county's public health department to register permits and operate as an animal food retailer. Contact your local business administration offices about specific forms you need to fill out to get the proper license.
5 Register your business and business name with the Secretary of State. Consider hiring an attorney, if necessary. Apply for an EIN or Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Business that have employees or register as partnerships or corporations need an EIN.
6 File a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) if you develop your own brand of premium pet food. Trademark applications can be submitted through the mail or electronically. You must include a sample of your design or mark that represents your pet food. As of 2010, filing fees for an initial trademark application costs $375 (paper filing) and $325 (electronic filing).
7 Locate pet food suppliers. Do research into supplements, treats and foods that are in most demand. Establish relationships with suppliers.
8 Stock the shelves of your pet food store. Keep in mind you may need a refrigerated section for organic raw pet foods if you decided to sell these in your store.
9 Hire staff to manage the store, stock inventory and run the cash register.
10 Advertise your premium pet food business. Make fliers to hang around community buildings, in vet offices, groomers and pet daycare centers. Leave your business card with friends and family. Develop a website that highlights your best products. Register on social networking sites to tell your customers about special deals and coupons.

Opening a natural pet food store, online or in your neighborhood, can be both profitable and fun. You can sell a variety of products for common household pets like dogs and cats to more exotic pets like lizards and fish. In addition to selling natural pet food, you can also sell pet treats, pet supplies, books and animal training supplies. Creating customer loyalty is important in order to run a long-term, successful business, as there are many websites and stores devoted to pet food and supplies.

Instructions

1 Lease retail space in a pet friendly neighborhood. Neighborhoods with dog parks, veterinary clinics or hospitals and neighborhoods that sponsor pet-friendly events provide an easier way to build customer loyalty than neighborhoods without many pet lovers. Neighborhoods with one or more pet supply stores increase competition and may make it difficult for you to establish a profitable natural pet food business.
2 Sell natural pet food products online by creating a website and opening a merchant account that allows you to accept credit card payments. Many web hosting companies offer website packages that include merchant account options. Create an online store to supplement sales of your retail location or sell products solely online.
3 Register your natural pet food store with the IRS to obtain an EIN (Employee Identification Number) for tax filing purposes. Contact your local chamber of commerce or small business office to learn about business licensing for retail stores. Ask if you also need a business license to run an online store.
4 Research natural pet food companies and contact those that supply the types of natural food (cat food, dog food, exotic pet food) you want to sell. If setting up an online store with limited space in your home or office to store inventory, ask pet food companies to participate in drop-shipping (sending products directly to customers after you forward the order and collect payment).
5 Create a business plan that outlines how you plan to organize your business and how much you expect to earn for the year. Include expenses for inventory, employees, website costs, insurance, marketing costs and overhead (electricity, maintenance and rent). Overall costs will be lower if opening a store online. If planning to apply for a small business loan, a solid business plan increases your chances for obtaining the loan.

Opening a business demands time, money and plenty of patience. According to smallbiztrends.com, the pet industry tends to be recession-proof, though pet owners spend more thoughtfully during these times. If operated wisely, a pet supply business can be lucrative. To successfully run a pet supply business, ask several questions.

Who Are My Suppliers?

Because dog leashes and cat bowls will not be made by hand, you must find a reliable supplier of these products. Ideally, use one reliable supplier to get bulk discounts. Streamlining your supply chain by using fewer suppliers could save thousands of dollars. However, choose your supplier carefully by researching them beforehand and asking questions. Assess how long the company has been in business and if their prices are fair relative to other newer competitors. While other new companies might seem appealing, risking price for unknown caliber might not be a worthy tradeoff. Choose someone established, and then try leveraging with the company once your purchasing power is firm.

What Ancillary Services Will I Provide?

Besides offering tangible products, evaluate what services will be supplied. For example, if you offer horse feed, horse owners with a small vehicle who live out in the country might want a delivery service. If so, you need additional capital like trucks and delivery people.
Some pet suppliers, like PetCo, offer veterinary services to dog and cat owners. While this service may be too great to provide, as it requires hiring a vet and buying numerous other supplies like vaccinations, understand that failing to provide this service might cause customers to go elsewhere.
One service that might prove beneficial is a grooming station. Regardless of the additional services provided, preempt the additional labor and capital necessary ahead of time to avoid accruing unexpected costs.

Who Are My Competitors?

Along with the online competitors, analyze stores that offer the same products in the near vicinity. Consider chain stores, like Target and Wal Mart: these are two very real competitors. As such, be sure to offer products or services that differentiate your business from them. If providing products for a number of different animals is difficult, consider specializing in just one or two animals. For example, dogs and cats can have more than just leashes---different clothing, jewelry collars or even massages are luxury items not seen in chain stores.
While offering these pet supplies might seem superfluous, business is big: National Public Radio reports a rise in pet spending, even during the worst economic recession since the great depression. The report indicates a 200 percent increase in one business specializing in dog walking and pet sitting. Thus, offering luxury items and services will differentiate your business from competitors.

What Advertising Methods Will I Use?

Choose smart advertising techniques, including web-based sources. Advertising can include radio, television, print or even the web. Viral videos are a great way to advertise: devise a humorous short video involving a pet and a product, put it on YouTube, and perhaps business can grow as a result of inexpensive, creative advertising. Other inexpensive forms are fliers with coupons: distribute them on campuses or in the stores of other local businesses.

What Is My Projected Revenue?

Have realistic expectations of revenue during the first year: it is not uncommon for new businesses to bleed in the red. Allow a few years and ample funds to cover this expectation. Only consider growth once sales are established and firm over a couple of years. Projected revenue is a vital figure needed for other investors and for determining the success of your business. Hire a business-savvy person to help you compute figures, as this will be one of the most important questions you will have to answer for your growing business.

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The pet supply industry grows by about $2 billion each year in the United States, making it a reliable earner for entrepreneurs. Pet owners from the Atlantic to the Pacific show love to their companions with treats, toys and other accessories. While Internet stores have accounted for some of this growth, the neighborhood pet store remains a fixture in many American cities. Major cities have independent and chain pet stores that serve several purposes for pet owners.

Significance

For dog, cat and bird owners, the local pet store is significant for several reasons. A reliable pet store serves as a free resource for information on pet products that can be customized to an owner's needs. The employees at the typical pet store take store clerk and grooming positions because they love animals. This commitment to working with animals means that pet owners can trust neighborhood stores with their dogs and cats while they return to work. Pet owners can also save hundreds of dollars on vet fees by asking basic health and product information from store clerks instead of making appointments.

Function

The essential functions of a pet store include grooming, pet training courses and an extensive inventory of pet products. Pet groomers work in special sections of a store to shave, shampoo and clip nails on dogs and cats. Store managers may conduct basic obedience training while outside experts enter the store occasionally to help difficult pets. The typical pet store carries pet treats, food, toys, carriers and novelties to help pet owners keep their companions healthy and happy. Some stores also carry small animals like fish, reptiles and rodents for adoption by first-time pet owners.

Types

The two types of pet stores in the United States are chain stores and independently operated shops. National chains like Petco and Petsmart have hundreds of outlets nationwide with similar inventories to help owners find their favorite products despite their location. These chains have hurt independent pet stores run by local entrepreneurs and families who have helped their neighbors take care of pets for decades. Independent pet stores typically sell food and treats at higher prices than national chains but can order custom products for regular customers.

Features

Aside from aisles of pet food and toys, pet stores also have sections for oversized products, newborn animals and aquatic animals. The oversized product section of a pet store contains dog beds, cat furniture and travel carriers that cannot be properly displayed in regular aisles. Pet stores display puppies and kittens in special glass cases to attract pet owners looking for young companions. Larger stores will have entire sections devoted to goldfish, betas and angelfish along with fish supplies like tanks, filters and foods needed for healthy aquatic pets.

Considerations

Pet store owners need to think about store cleanliness along with the trend toward natural pet food as they open their businesses. Every pet store needs to be swept, disinfected and kept free of debris as pets walk through for grooming and obedience classes. The grooming area and play area needs to be cleaned frequently to maintain sanitary standards set by state agencies. Store owners can show their commitment to pet health by stocking shelves with green and natural products. Companies like Companion Natural Pet Food and Greenies carry products in multiple flavors to aid digestion without using unhealthy ingredients.

The United States leads the world in the number of pet dogs. As the American population grows, it is reasonable to expect that the numbers of pet dogs will grow too. Americans have a good reputation for caring for their pets. Even when the economy fluctuates, the demand for pet supplies continues. While most pet shops carry supplies for many different pets, specialty pet shops can also succeed. A pet shop owner specializing in dog supplies will need to find creative ways to establish his business but it can be done.

Instructions

1 Register for a basic business course at a local community college or through an online course. Some of the subjects that a new dog supply business owner should learn before starting a business are: information about accounting systems; an overview of federal and state tax laws; how to market the dog supply business successfully; and how to develop relationships with wholesalers to obtain quality dog supply merchandise at a good price.
2 Consider finding a niche market within the dog supply business so that your business will stand out. Some possibilities are selling holistic dog supplies, herbs and other homeopathic treatments for dogs.
3 Think about offering services to dog owners through the dog supply business that will mark the business as one that is run by experts. Some services could include alternative veterinarian care, dog obedience classes, dog grooming or a pet-sitting service.
4 Locate a dog supply wholesaler who can supply the items that will be sold in the dog supply business (see Resources).
5 Secure financing to start a dog supply business. A small business loan may be available through a local bank or credit union.
6 Decide whether to sell dog supplies online, in a shop or both. If the dog supply business will be located in a shop, find a good location in a commercial center that has plenty of foot traffic in a community with a solid income base.
7 Set up a website. Pet suppliers successfully market through a variety of methods but a good website is probably the most important tool to market a business. The website will inform potential customers which dog supplies and services are available, as well as their price.
8 Establish a good storage system. If pharmaceuticals, herbs or other similar supplies will be in the store, a good refrigeration system is necessary.
9 Find a good veterinarian and ask for her assistance as a consultant. Many customers rely on the merchant to give them sound advice about their purchases. If dog owners see that their supplier can be counted on for reliable advice, they will be likely to continue buying there as well as to recommend the dog supply business to their dog-owning friends.

Many busy pet owners prefer to avoid making a special trip to the store to purchase items like dog food, treats, collars and leashes. The convenience of ordering online allows them to keep their canine well supplied with a variety of products delivered right to their door. If you want to start your own dog supplies sales business online, there are several steps to take before you are up and running.

Instructions

1 Locate a supplier from which you can purchase your products. Choose a company that offers wholesale prices --- this allows you to price your products at retail rates and make money on each sale. Check out Pet Wholesaler, King Wholesale Pet Supplies, J-B Wholesale Pet Supplies, Inc. and others. Compare available products, pricing, delivery fees and customer service policies to find your best option.
2 Choose a domain name. Select something catchy that conveys what your business is about. Domain names with the word "canine," "puppy," "dog," "Rover," or "Fido" are all options. An alliterative name like "Puppy Products" or "Canine Kit and Kaboodles" are possibilities. Consider alternate domain name extensions like ".net" or ".biz" when ".com" is not available.
3 Choose an e-commerce company to host your website. Many providers offer a full-service package that allows you to design your website yourself with easy-to-use tools, upload photos of your merchandise, enter pricing and offer a virtual shopping cart service to your customers. Full-service sites also provide options that allow you to accept payments easily and effortlessly via credit and debit cards and PayPal. Choose a free service like Vendio or osCommerce, or consider paid options like Shopify or Virtue Mart.
4 Market your online store to direct traffic to your website. Leave your business cards in the offices of local veterinarians and dog groomers. Place a flyer on the bulletin board at your local animal shelter. Advertise in small, local newspapers. Contact area newspaper or news channels and offer to allow them to do a personal interest story on you and your business.