Pet Supplies

Mealworms are easy to raise and can net a pretty penny if you sell them to pet stores above your cost. Because mealworms are the softer, larvae version of a beetle, birds prefer to dine on themthey're quite succulent. Showing that you're a responsible, repeat seller who has a clean operation will go a long way toward convincing pet store owners that you're the mealworm provider they want to use. It can take three months to get a colony of mealworms started, but then you can produce larvae constantly by keeping things in a cycle.

Instructions

1 Take pictures of the environment and habitat you've grown your worms in. List the food you give them and how long you've been growing them. If you've sold to pet stores before, ask the owners if you can use them as a reference. Include all this information in a portfolio.
2 Call the pet store and ask when you can meet with the owner. Explain that you are a mealworm breeder and that you'd like to sell him some of your stock.
3 Attend the meeting with the pet store owner or manager. Explain your mealworm breeding operation, including the information in your portfolio. Give him a price slightly above what you actually want and ask if he thinks that's fair. If he'd rather negotiate, then haggle until you agree on a price.
4 Decide on delivery terms. When and where does he want the mealworms. You should also ask if he'd like to make the arrangement an ongoing one, pending the sale of your mealworms to his customers, and his happiness with the product.
5 Combine potato wedges and shredded lettuce under a cloth in a plastic bin. Drill holes in the lid. Add the mealworms to the bin for transport. Keep the cloth moist to prevent cannibalism. Deliver the mealworms on time, as scheduled.

The cost of operating a pet store differs from running any other kind of retail store. In many cases, there are living creatures within the store, and taking care of them requires more effort and expertise than simply stocking shelves with canned goods. There is no one figure that can accommodate answering the question of how much it costs to operate a pet store, since there are so many variables.

Monthly rent

The costs of running a pet store depend on the location of the store and the type of pet store that it is. If the pet store is on rented property, the store owner must pay monthly rent. In some cases, the landlord will take care of the utilities (electricity and water) but the store owner is usually responsible for telephone service. This is true of all stores but when it comes to pet stores that sell live animals, there might also be a requirement to pay a security deposit on the property. For example, if a pet store sells live fish, there is the chance that a tank can break, thereby causing water damage to the property. In addition, some landlords might require the pet store owner to pay a higher rent because the insurance requirements with animals usually raise the premiums.

Supplies

Supplies have to be a consideration. The monthly cost of supplies depends on the sort of supplies that are being sold and how often they need to be restocked. Some pet stores sell live animals for feeding purposes (mice and rats for snakes and feeder goldfish for larger fish, for example) and these usually have to be restocked every week or two. In addition, the monthly cost of providing dog and cat food has to be factored into the business budget.

Animals

If the pet store has live animals, this is another consideration that has to be factored into the cost of operating the business. Unlike a normal retail store which can purchase an item (a book, for example) and put it on the shelf without any additional expense, pet stores have a wider range of costs that need to be factored in. A pet store might get a puppy in for sale but unlike the book (which is just placed on the shelf), the puppy has food and water requirements, as well as housing needs. So, not only does the puppy have to be added into the budget, but the additional care it requires needs to be addressed. Failure to maintain healthy animals can result in fines and even imprisonment.

Employees

Pet stores tend to need employees. While it is possible for one person to operate a pet store, more often than not, there should be multiple employees working in the store at any given time. That way, one person can operate the checkout area, while another can answer questions about pets and products that the store opens. Employees are also needed for the days when the store is closed but when it's necessary to take care of the animals.

Medical

Pet stores that have animals also run the risk of having animals get sick. When that happens, the animals will have to have veterinary care, which is yet another expense that needs to be considered.

Proper diet is important to the survival of fish. Homemade fish food can provide the proper balance of nutrients if you know what vitamins and minerals to include for different species. After you make your fish food you can sell it to pet stores for a profit. Follow these steps to learn how.

Instructions

1 Make a quality homemade fish food. Include the proper vitamins and nutrients needed for specific fish types. Search online to learn the specific vitamins that different fish need for their diets.
2 Package your fish food in an attractive manner. You can use clear, plastic bags or clear, recyclable containers.
3 Label the fish food with the ingredients it contains and be sure to include your name or company name. Make sure to include your contact information.
4 Ask a local pet store to sell your fish food. Start by contacting independent businesses that don't work from a corporate office at first. They're able to decide independently if they want to sell your brand of fish food and what they will pay you for it.
5 Contact the corporate offices of chain stores. If your fish food is proving to be profitable than you may be able to get a chain company to consider carrying your product.
6 Keep track of how your fish food is selling and make adjustments as needed. You may need to increase or decrease the quantities you're making depending on demand. Make sure that you're bringing in a profit and not spending more than you make.

Several household cleaning products can be dangerous to pets. Most chemical cleaners are toxic if ingested, and the fumes of some are toxic to animals' respiratory systems. Read labeling carefully before using any cleaning product around a pet. Consider using common household items such as baking soda and vinegar as alternatives to harsh chemicals.

Instructions

1 Investigate chemical safety. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has deemed some cleaning chemicals safe for use around pets as long as the instructions on the label are strictly followed.
Chemicals listed as safe in the ASPCA report are: propylene glycol n-propyl ether and isopropyl alcohol (as less than 4 percent of a cleaning product).
2 Baking soda is a must-have for toxin-free cleaning. Use baking soda and hot water to clean and disinfect pet dishes. The Environmental Protection Agency is so confident in the safety of baking soda as a cleaning product that the EPA recommends using it to clean baby bottles.
Use the abrasive power of baking soda as an alternative to powders containing chlorine. Unfortunately, dogs often drink from toilets so clean toilet bowls with baking soda and vinegar. One the solution is flushed away, the toilet bowl will be clean and free from cleaning chemical residue that may harm pets.
3 Use a mixture of vinegar and water to clean glass and floors. The ratio should be 1/4 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon hot water. For glass, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray liberally on windows and other glass surfaces. Wipe the area dry with newspaper or paper towel. Using newspaper is cheap, and it's a good way to recycle old papers into cleaning rags.
For floors simply fill a medium sized cleaning bucket with the solution and mop as usual.
4 Dilute chemicals properly. Use bleach for its cleaning and disinfecting power, but be certain it is diluted. Safe dilution consists of one part bleach to 32 parts water.

The homeless crisis in our nation is even further compounded by the pet population of the homeless. It is estimated by the National Coalition for the Homeless that 3.5 million people are homeless and between 5 percent to 10 percent of homeless people have dogs and/or cats. Pets of the homeless often lack the proper care and are not spayed or neutered, which, of course, will only serve to increase the problem.

Oftentimes, we see local homeless people with their pets and get a pang to help, but don't always know the best way to approach the person--and how exactly to help. In this article I will discuss some options for helping those in your community who are without homes--in order to help the pets that are at their side.

Instructions

1 Realize that there are different types of homeless people. Some are homeless, but live in their car, van or motorhome; others live in camping areas, and still others live literally in the streets. Some homeless people may have mild to serious emotional or mental issues, whereas others had a string of bad luck that turned into homelessness.
2 Stop and think about what you want to achieve. If you want to help the animal, feeding, providing comfort and tending to their health should be the goals.
3 Have pet food, bottled water and bowls to offer to the homeless person for his/her pet. If you want to help pets of the homeless on an ongoing basis, keep a supply of these provisions in your car along with a few clean towels, blankets or other soft items so the pet doesn't have to sit on a cold (or hot) hard surface such as a sidewalk or parking lot.
4 Say as you approach that you are involved with helping pets and would like to provide their pet with food and water. You can also offer something soft for the pet to sit on. When they see you are the "real deal" and there to provide good things for their pet, it will help build trust.
5 Offer to get a collar and I.D. tag for the pet. You can put the pet's name and your phone number on it or the phone number of your rescue organization if you have one. This way if the pet gets separated from his owner for whatever reason, and is found by an individual or ends up at a shelter, they will call you. It may also deter a police officer or citizen from calling animal control, which often happens with pets of the homeless.
6 If you want to go a step further and tend to the pet's overall health and well-being, your goals should be: spaying (for a female) or neutering (for a male), inoculations including rabies, a microchip, ear and teeth checkup and flea medication if needed. Bathing and grooming may also be necessary.
7 In Los Angeles, an animal rescuer named Daniel Guss started The STAND Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity to help stop the abuse and neglect of dogs, mainly dogs (and cats) of the homeless and guard dogs (see Resources below). You might have a similar organization, are considering starting one or simply want to help pets of the homeless as an individual. In any case, you should try to establish a rapport with a local, low-cost veterinary clinic and let them know what you are trying to do: help pets of local homeless people. Inquire about a discount for services.
8 Give out your business card, like Daniel Guss does, to local homeless people with pets. Tell them you have a partnership with a low-cost veterinary clinic and that you are willing to provide spaying/neutering and other medical services for free. Build the same relationship with the veterinary clinic and ask for a dozen of their business cards so that you can give those out to homeless people to arrange for care of their pets. Make THEM a partner too.
9 Establish a rapport with a few local veterinary providers, as well as with the local homeless population; by doing so you will be a bridge to the animals being healthy and well fed. After all, that could very likely be one of the things the homeless person wants most: to have their best friend and protector cared for and feeling well.
10 If the homeless person is mentally or physically handicapped, their dog may qualify as a service dog. After completing the certification process, a service dog will be able to wear a special vest and escort their owner everywhere, including on city buses, as well as be allowed in most homeless shelters. If there is a homeless person and dog that you think may qualify, contact your local humane society, city animal control or Department of Social Services for your county or state, for information on applying. Another good organization to contact is Paws With a Cause. They train service dogs and assist people throughout the country. If they can't help directly, they can probably guide you in the right direction (see Resources below).
11 Feeding Pets of the Homeless is a wonderful organization based in Carson City, Nevada that helps pets of the homeless throughout the United States and Canada with food and veterinary services. They collect pet food and work with food pantries and soup kitchens to distribute it. They also provide grants to veterinarians to administer medical services to pets of the homeless. Check their website if you need assistance for pets of the homeless in your community, if you would like to donate food and/or supplies or set up a collection site. Their website lists collection sites that are already established (including pet supply stores, food pantries and veterinary hospitals) in alphabetical order by state and then city (see Resources below).
12 Downtown Dog Rescue was founded in Los Angeles to assist the homeless community of dog owners. It is one of the only programs in the country that was specifically formed to assist homeless dog owners spay/neuter, vaccinate and license their dogs, as well as offer a variety of services including crisis care throughout the dog's life (see Resources below).

Just like humans can score at thrift shops--so can pets. These hand-me down havens can't be beat when it comes to one-stop pet shopping at bargain prices--and in these tough times--what are you waiting for? If you're a pet parent--read this article--then "hightail" it down to your local thrift store.

Instructions

1 If your pet is in need of a "home" upgrade or you've added a new pet to the family, you can often find cages for birds, hamsters and gerbils, fish tanks and aquarium supplies--as well as pet carriers for your baby's home away from home.
2 You can't get around it--pets need to eat and drink. If you have a new pet or just need to replace a bowl that's been thrashed--thrift stores are great sources for all shapes and sizes of pet bowls--as well as a plethora of human dishes that can be transformed into pet dishes.
3 Most dogs aren't behaved enough to stick by your side as you stroll down the street--no matter how loyal they may be-the first cute cat that comes along, forget about it. You're gonna need a leash and collar--and you're in luck because thrift stores often have a good assortment to choose from.
4 Another thing you won't be able to get around is a litter box for your cat. You may want to buy one new (for obvious reasons), unless it's one of the fancy ones that you can save money on by getting used. In any case, you may want to hide the thing and a thrift store is the place to find a small, inexpensive cabinet that should do the trick. You can put the litter box at the bottom and if there's an extra shelf at the top, you can store food and supplies like baking soda and litter bags/liners. Or another option is to look for a large, Rubbermaid-type container to hide the litter box in. Just be sure to cut out a hole that's big enough for your cat to get in and out of.
5 Rubbermaid or Tupperware-type containers also come in handy for storing and keeping pet food fresh. Find larger ones for food and smaller ones for treats.
6 The linen section may be where you hit the most home runs. First of all, you can never have enough towels for drying your pet after a bath or a walk in the rain or wiping up paw prints. And thrift stores are the perfect places to get them, since pets don't care if the towels are faded or have frayed edges--or whether the monograms match their own.
7 All pets need a comfortable place to sleep. You can look for a used pet bed and choose from an assortment of simple blankets and mats to keep your pet cozy.
8 You can also find blankets or throws to cover couches and chairs and protect other furniture. Tablecloths can also work for covering furniture, as well as disguise the rubber container you're using to hide the litter box.
9 Cotton throw rugs and bath mats are great for putting down in your pet's eating area to trap food and water, as well as provide traction against spills. They are also good to lay down in front of a litter box to trap litter and provide traction for your cat when going in and out.
10 Like kids, pets can never have enough toys. Tennis balls and rubber toys are ones that surface a lot at thrift stores. You might also look for kids' toys that can double as pet toys, but just be sure they're puncture resistant and sturdy enough for your pet to chew.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations are often in desperate need of supplies, both for the animals that are kept in their facilities, as well as to support people who are fostering adoptable pets. If you would like to collect supplies for these organizations, dog houses and dog crates are a good place to start, although their bulky size makes them a more unwieldy item to gather. There are many ways that you can find unwanted or unused pet supplies to donate to your local animal rescue organization or shelter.

Instructions

How to Solicit Donations

1 Use your computer to create an eye-catching poster asking for donations. Include your name, phone number and the name of the organization for which you are collecting supplies. Independent coffee shops and other stores often have community bulletin boards where you can post your flyer. You should also ask local pet stores if you can post your sign there, so that people who already care about animals will see it.
2 Go online and visit local Freecycle groups, where people post lists of things that they are discarding, for free or for trade. You can either wait until someone posts about giving away pet supplies, or create a post yourself asking for donations. Former pet owners will often have dog houses, beds, leftover food, and other supplies that they want to get rid of.
3 Visit a local pet store and ask if they would like to make a donation to your organization. Perhaps the organization would be willing to publicly thank the pet store, or recommend them to customers, in exchange. This way, the pet store will receive good publicity, and your rescue organization will be able to collect surplus dog houses and other supplies from the pet store.