Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My name is Justin and Ive always been very passionate about our planet and its wildlife. Ive been keeping and caring for reptiles since I was a young child. My interest has only grown over the years and turned into a passion. Ive cared for and a wide variety of animals and still do. Now I am planning on opening a pet shop and am currently taking an online business preparation class, and it recommended I do marketing research to find out what people want and their needs, when I open my business I plan to excel in meeting my customers needs and maintaining long term relationships with them. At this point I'm not quite ready to start my business but am seeking your(as customers/consumers) wants and needs. I plan on breeding rare and more expensive morphs of various different species and offering them at a more reasonable price compared to my competition. What I would like to know from consumers besides myself is what often there local establishment lack in order to provide the best customer service possible and make customers happy. I also plan to do educational presentations for local public and private school to help the younger generations understand why conservation is so important in this day and age, not only for reptiles but all animals in general.
I am open to all suggestions and please feel free to throw as many ideas at me as you possibly can.
You can email me @ jsannino@peoplepc.com
I would like to thank anyone who helps and contributes to making my business a success.

Personally, it would be more of an issue of supplies. I'd like a local pet store that didn't charge an arm and a leg for heating mats. There's one by me that charges $27.00 for the smallest size from Zoo-Med. Also, I'd like it if the animals had some sort of a guarantee, but I suppose that is more just a good business practice. And maybe raffles? Like you get a certain amount of money to spend at your store for completing a survey, or a monthly drawing. But make it worthwhile, none of this $5.00 off purchase of $150.00 or more. And, lastly to this long an demanding list, is after a certain amount towards livestock, then have shipping be free/included. I don't like the idea of spending $400.00 on a nice looking lizard just to have to spend more on shipping. Anyways, good luck, and have a good one.

I am planning to also run an internet based business so ill be buying supplies in bulk rather then by the dozen or so my goal is to be able to offer heat matts at the same and if possible lower then LLLReptiles. I will have a guarentee that the animals that I am selling are happy and healthy when they leave my store. I am also going to try to work out some kind of deal with a local vet that deals with reptiles to do a check up to make sure the animals are in good health. I am also going to make it a point to the customer to seriously take into thought the responsibility that their taking on when purchasing the animal and help make sure they have everything they need to ensure the animals good health before they purchase the animal. So they can provide ultimate care for captive animal. As for caging I plan on carrying chemeleon cages, vision cages, aquariums, and on special order cages by design hybrid model cages. I am going to be one of the few shops to carry limited amounts of feeders for the larger snakes, such as small goats, rabbits, and gerbils. Thats all really going to depend on the demand. I plan to offer the best of the best in both product, animal care, and customer service. I AM GOING TO STAND ABOVE THE CROWD OF REPTILE DEALERS. I am going offer educational programs for schools and after school programs to help educate the new generation of our people. While I may not offer the largest petshop in the west, I will provide top quality service and animals. I wanna thank you speaking out and if there's something missing from my plan please let me know. With the responsibilty of becomming a bussiness owner I cant sell myself short but I figure the more product and I can generate sales on the more I can lower my prices. Thats gonna be up to my customers and supporters.

I am also going to offer cards at a discounted rate for mice,rats,hamsters,chicks,and gerbils on the card you will recieve a certain of punches per card and each feeder you get on your card depending will recieve say for a small rat it will be 3 punches and for a jumbo it will be 6. Regardless the customer will save a considerable amount of money. I am going to breed the mice, hamsters, chicks, rabbits, and gerbils, but will also have a frozen supplier, to offer the lowest possible prices. Id also like to run an adoption program for orphaned puppies, cats, and reptiles to ensure they find a loving home and to give the spca a hand in the adoption process.

Where is your store going to be? I want to take advantage of your amazing store right away? It sounds like you have an unlimited amount of money to get things started. Good luck.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

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