I am in the beginning stages of planning to open a store front. A local animal store, about an hour away, went out of business and I was able to obtain an incredible deal on 15 display racks.

Things I have done so far:
-I owned my own licensed and insured landscaping and home maintenance business for 6 years and would be doing this reptile business with my father who has owned and operated a real estate business for years
-purchased all of the reptile display racks of varying sizes.
-have been breeding rats and dubias
-been breeding a variety of snakes for several years
-have breed several crested geckos and I am looking into other geckos and chameleons
-established numerous relationships with local small breeders as well as a few larger breeders
-would have a lot of help running the business (brothers, father, and a few good friends who are also breeders
-located a building in a good location that could have the perfect setup and affordable. As well as no legal or code restrictions for selling these animals

Intend to:
-breed crickets, meal worms, super worms
-become a vendor for zoomed, fluckers and exoterra (require me to already have the business licence.
-attend reptile shows for new variety of livestock
-obtain more long distance contacts to purchase overstock that might not be as common locally

I have a lot of people with experience to help with opening other types of businesses, I understand what it takes for a general business. Neither my family or I have ever opened a retail store. Any advice you may have that might be specific to a retail or reptile store would be greatly appreciated. If you can think of anything that I may have missed or anything extra I could consider, please let me know.

Opening this store would still be at least 6 months to a year away. Right now I am still doing a lot of research and debating on the best ways to handle selling reptiles that are obtained from local reputable breeders. Meaning whether to sell on a consignment basis or to buy the animal outright and after verifying their health, selling them.

Also my brother, father and I all breed our own reptiles. How to make sure that the business doesn't get screwed by us selling them as individuals where the business doesn't see a percentage is a potential issue. While at the same time being fair to the individual who bred the animal. I feel like this would severally damage the financial stability of the business. While a majority of the profit would come from supplies and feeders, that is still a question that needs to be addressed early on. I believe we found a solution that seems fair for all of us. We give our personal snakes to the business on a consignment basis and obtain a percentage when it sells. Even if we could have sold it for a greater profit individually elsewhere. Snakes that cost over a grand will likely not sell in the store, well at least not as often, what would be a fair way to address sales that are done online that are not affiliated with the store? Would you still think that the same percentage would go to the store, or should it be a smaller percentage if the animal has never even entered the store and was sold online? I am curious to know what your thoughts are.

Again we are still in the beginning stages and I would love to hear any advice you may have or even what you think would make a new store flourish

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