Questions on Starting a store

[RJKain-777]

Been thinking of starting a small store within my home, there’s a couple in the province who do this, so I know it’s doable. I’d like to focus on quarantined fish , and inverts, as none of the local stores offer that service (I know it costs money to hold onto fish long enough to properly QT them) . For me, it would be a “hobby store” and I wouldn’t be focusing on moving volumes of fish, so I’d be able to quarantine them properly before selling.

I’ve been reaching out to wholesalers (2 that I have found) , and end up hitting a wall as soon as I mention the quarantine part. I have a register business and all the equipment and supplies I’d need to get started, but just no luck on getting the livestock.

Any advice? Or recommendations?

 

[painter1982]

I have this idea too. Still in the idea stage. No planning yet. Are the suppliers just wanting you to move volume? Maybe don’t tell them about the quarantine part. How will you plan on cumstomers coming? Appointment or just doing scheduled business hours?

 

[RJKain-777]

I have this idea too. Still in the idea stage. No planning yet. Are the suppliers just wanting you to move volume? Maybe don’t tell them about the quarantine part. How will you plan on cumstomers coming? Appointment or just doing scheduled business hours?

Customers will be appointment only, similar to other stores that are within people’s homes.

Suppliers respond, I send all the required documents, then they just stop responding, I send a follow up email, or message, it gets read and that’s it.

 

[Ironwill723]

Customers will be appointment only, similar to other stores that are within people’s homes.

Suppliers respond, I send all the required documents, then they just stop responding, I send a follow up email, or message, it gets read and that’s it.

They're not interested in you because you will be a low volume order customer. Wholesalers are interested in shops that order every week not just once in a while. Can you order from the US? Or only Canada? I can provide a list for US wholesalers if needed.

 

[RJKain-777]

They're not interested in you because you will be a low volume order customer. Wholesalers are interested in shops that order every week not just once in a while. Can you order from the US? Or only Canada? I can provide a list for US wholesalers if needed.

Not 100% sure on the US side of things, I’ve just been trying Canadian whole salers.

I agree that it would be slow to start, especially the first batch of fish. But, with 2 seperate qt systems running to start, I could
Move fish fairly quickly once they get threw QT, and I can offset each system (order batch 1 for system 1 , then 2 weeks later order batch 2 for system 2, then after 2 weeks repeat with ststem 1) and when the fish are done QT can go to the retail tanks.

 

[Clowning_Around72]

You would be much better off trying to start off with selling a few pre-QT'd harder to keep/acclimate species either online or directly to individuals. Once you build up a customer base it would be much easier to market yourself and take orders in for fish that haven't even hit your tanks yet.

Pre-quarantined fish are expensive. That added price does not make sense for a lot of species or for a lot of hobbyist who do not keep anything too difficult or do not care about disease/pest risk.

Plus, a good chunk of people who care about quarantine would rather do it themselves for at least some of the species going into their system.

I would strongly recommend focusing on rare species where the extea cost can be justified.

 

[RJKain-777]

You would be much better off trying to start off with selling a few pre-QT'd harder to keep/acclimate species either online or directly to individuals. Once you build up a customer base it would be much easier to market yourself and take orders in for fish that haven't even hit your tanks yet.

Pre-quarantined fish are expensive. That added price does not make sense for a lot of species or for a lot of hobbyist who do not keep anything too difficult or do not care about disease/pest risk.

Plus, a good chunk of people who care about quarantine would rather do it themselves for at least some of the species going into their system.

I would strongly recommend focusing on rare species where the extea cost can be justified.

I agree with you there, it’s quite common to see on our public Facebook groups people complaining there fish died, or X store has a bunch of dead fish in there tanks. And it discourages new people from continuing in the hobby.

I want to help people enjoy the hobby, and not be scared off right away. We don’t have the community as say Ontario, Vancouver, or a lot of the states do , but I think if there was more help, and better livestock choices (cheap basic fish, and expensive fish) , then a lot of people would be more focused on staying.

The only LFS that actually carries high end fish that I have found in Canada , is candy corals. And there 4 provinces over.

 

[winzig]

New Dawn Aquaculture has captive bread fish,excellent store and staff in Edmonton

 

[RJKain-777]

New Dawn Aquaculture has captive bread fish,excellent store and staff in Edmonton

Yeah, but that’s a 3 hour drive one way, 6 hour round trip. Or order online, again, something I’m trying to change down here for people who don’t want order or do a 6 hour round trip for fish / corals. Nothing wrong with having another store in the province.

 

[winzig]

I agree fully we need more quality stores here in Alberta.

 

[winzig]

If you started a store I would use it !!!
I’m between Edmonton and Calgary

 

[RJKain-777]

If you started a store I would use it !!!
I’m between Edmonton and Calgary

That’s my plan, something small to start, that I can do in my off time from my job, and then as it grows, go from there. I have all the equipment and supplies to start, just…. No fish or corals lol

 

[GSPClown94]

Not sure about your livestock sourcing problem but if you haven't already check your local zoning laws regarding home businesses and allowable customer foot traffic. That said, I guess you won't have any customers coming and going if you can't find any fish lol

 

[RJKain-777]

Not sure about your livestock sourcing problem but if you haven't already check your local zoning laws regarding home businesses and allowable customer foot traffic. That said, I guess you won't have any customers coming and going if you can't find any fish lol

A lot of people in the area have hair salons, or nail salons, and other home based businesses, so I’m sure I’ll be fine. But yeah, if I can’t find any fish to sell then I’m not to worried.

 

[ReefJarl]

Did you give them a projected volume or spend plan? If they can quantify how much value you can bring them over the course of one or two years it may help sway a distributor to take a chance a lower volume to the time to facilitate ratio as their existing clients or prospects. How many wholesalers service your area? That’ll be the number of elevator pitches you get before you can try starting back at the beginning again with a dialed in pitch.

You sound passionate about it, that’ll create a way.

 

[RJKain-777]

Did you give them a projected volume or spend plan? If they can quantify how much value you can bring them over the course of one or two years it may help sway a distributor to take a chance a lower volume to the time to facilitate ratio as their existing clients or prospects. How many wholesalers service your area? That’ll be the number of elevator pitches you get before you can try starting back at the beginning again with a dialed in pitch.

You sound passionate about it, that’ll create a way.

It’s definitely something im passionate about, and now with my life the way it is, it’s the time to do it.

I know I’ll find a way, it’s just a matter of how.

Thanks for the advice and the kind words.

 

[RJKain-777]

Woohoo, first order of fish from Fiji will be landing October 3rd