Regular Member Netertari Posted July 15, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 15, 2008 Hi, I've been surfing here on and off for the last couple of years, Goldfish Paradise was my official home but the site doesn't seem to be up. This is a great site too and I need some folks to share my LFS adventure with! I'm opening a fish shop and I've completed my fish list and my supplies list, now I'm just waiting for my business partner, who is also my Hubby, to go over it with me! It's so exciting getting to look over top of the line equipment. By the way anyone work at an LFS? See if you can get your manager to let you go to this huge Pet Supplies Show this September in Orlando Florida at Disney World! They'll be top of the line equipment at mega discounted prices, and all the trade advice you can stomach. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lynda441 Posted July 15, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 15, 2008 Sounds wonderful! You will need to post a bunch of pics of your store when it opens! How exciting! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member jyoti411 Posted July 15, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 15, 2008 Amazing...Congratulations...you must be so exited...I wish someday even I get to do that....thts awesome..Good Luck with everything...and yes please post some pics... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member sweetshannon Posted July 15, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 15, 2008 Hi, I've been surfing here on and off for the last couple of years, Goldfish Paradise was my official home but the site doesn't seem to be up. This is a great site too and I need some folks to share my LFS adventure with! I'm opening a fish shop and I've completed my fish list and my supplies list, now I'm just waiting for my business partner, who is also my Hubby, to go over it with me! It's so exciting getting to look over top of the line equipment. By the way anyone work at an LFS? See if you can get your manager to let you go to this huge Pet Supplies Show this September in Orlando Florida at Disney World! They'll be top of the line equipment at mega discounted prices, and all the trade advice you can stomach. Is that show open the public? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isilme Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 It's so nice to make your hobby your profession! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted July 16, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2008 Good luck. Mom and Pop pet stores have the most failure rate. I really wish you luck. We use to have four Mom and Pop type pet shops but when the big chain one moved in all but one so far has shut down and I think the only reason that one stays open is cause they carry saltwater and the other place does not. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nimajneb Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Good luck with that. It will be interesting to get some perspective from the other side of the counter. If you can give good advice and offer the right products the key clientelle will see you overcome any chain outlet competition. Keep the dream alive! And us posted. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted July 17, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2008 Hi Sweetshannon, nice to see you here! Unfortunately the show is not open to the public, as far as I know, it's open to authorized pet shop personnel---managers and any staff a manager chooses to take along---and clients of the big wholesalers. My girls are excited about possibly tagging along and getting to Disney World for their first time! Hi Hidr, fortunately for me, there is no competition. I'll be the only Pet Shop! So I'm really excited about getting an aquarium "cult" going, namely Goldies. I know there are some talented people here who'll be able to raise and breed stunning Goldfish, I look forward to luring them out! I'm excited about the shop, but I'm probably even more excited about finally setting up the size tanks I want with all the gadgets I've been dreaming of. I can't wait to start my special Fancy Collection! I mean the best fish I can find and give them the best care possible. Only other Goldfish hobbyist can understand. I was going to open up with Koi but I've changed my mind because I'm not ready to offer pond services, and I'd like to know the Koi I sell are going into properly constructed ponds. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lynda441 Posted July 17, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2008 I was going to open up with Koi but I've changed my mind because I'm not ready to offer pond services, and I'd like to know the Koi I sell are going into properly constructed ponds. I gotta love you and appreciate you for that! Good job! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ranapipiens Posted July 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2008 I have been REALLY wanting to save my money up to invest in opening a petstore (general pet store with fish and whatnot too) the only competition I have in my town is one little mom & pop who do not take very good care of their animals AT ALL, they have chicks and ducks in the spring time for easter and they even leave the dead ones IN the cages, as if our locals are too stupid to see them, and they leave tiny just weaned puppies outside in dog crates in the blazing sun with no water with just a peice of tin roofing for shade, and when the sun starts to set, the shade doesnt' touch anywhere inside the cage at all, the birds regularly do not have food or water and the cages are CAKED in feces, the hamsters don't have food, their selection of supplies is minimal and they do not rotate stock at all, if it doesn't get bought, it can stay on their shelf for YEARS... The fish tanks are just sad, the ONLY thing I like about that store is their indoor pond, which is nicely set up and has beautiful koi in it, but he doesn't sell them... the "for sale" fish are vastly overpriced (6 bucks for a single pair of plain guppies, and you don't even get to pick the ones you get... I mean, you can tell him and he will try to get it, but if he doesn't after two tries, whatever he can get in the net is what you take home, the aquariums are filthy and full of dead fish, the only fish he actually took care of was the koi pond and another tank of goldfish that are also not for sale, but the tank was over crowded and it had some sort of scary looking predatory fish in there with them... and I guarantee you I am in no way blowing it out of preportions... Unfortunately for the fish, the store caught on fire and they couldn't save the fish, they got the mammals and birds out, but they couldn't get the fish, I do not know if ANY of them survived, I only know they said that some or most or all of the fish he had died, but it's back open now, it burned a few weeks ago, but besides fish and product loss, the sturctural damage was basically nonexsistant... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member daryl Posted July 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2008 That is very sad..... a call to the local humane department or animal control could get some help for those animals. One of the biggest things that has helped one pet store around here survive and thrive - above and beyond any of it's competitors is the input of "animal days". Every weekend a group of people volunteer to come to the store and advise customers about the various fish and animals and products available. We do not do this to sell products - we do it for the animals. But what does happen is that it gets the foot traffic in the store. The store has taken great care to have the products they know we recommend on hand - and they sell a lot. You might want to see if you can get any "specialists" into your store on a regular basis. People will come from a long way away to speak to someone who really knows their stuff...... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lantern567 Posted July 18, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2008 Love the idea about the "specialist" days! I'd certainly go to one if they had one around here. Here's another thought - services to help people set up a tank. This could include ordering of strange-sized tanks (I had a devil of a time getting a 40-gallon long tank.) Also delivery of large-sized tanks, and even helping the customer do the physical setup. There is a person around here who helps set up saltwater tanks as a barter sideline, and he loves doing it. Maybe you could show customers pictures of different styles of tank setups to give them ideas - the tanks people have shown on this site have been an eye-opener as to the great variety of wonderful things you can do. Then of course you get to sell the products. And here's a thought for a side-line to keep the cash rolling in (and build customer loyalty) - fish sitting! I'd pay real bucks for someone to take care of my fish, and who better than an expert who owns a fish store! I can certainly see your point about not selling koi unless you offered pond services. Good luck and keep us posted! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted July 21, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hi, HitomiMama, You would be a hit if you open a pet shop and your only competition is that animal version on Dante's Inferno! I'd be glad to share any trade information with you . . . including how much I've spent so far on supplies and fish. They say the best pet shop owners are people who ran out of room in there homes, garages and yards for there hobby . . . people who have bred so many of their beloved pets that the only way they can continue to grow in the hobby is by giving or selling the animals away! People who would consider giving the best care available a hobby and not a chore. daryl, Specialist Days are a great idea, but I'm the only "specialist" around so far. I have a lot of fun things planned, five minute radio snippets, free giveaways over the airways for those who can answer trivia, and donating large fully stocked and decorated tanks to key places like the bank, and the agricultural department. . . to show the public that capturing paradise in a fish tank is possible. lantern567, Those are great ideas . . . free set-up, special orders, and fish sitting. We are offering free set-up and trouble shooting, and any equipment I can get my hands on is up for special order, and the wholesalers offer free catalogs of there stock so I'll have that on the counter for customers to look at. We're opening this aquarium in conjunction with our Vegan restaurant and plant and flower sales, the space we were blessed with is right on the beach! So I've got a fisherman's theme going on . . . ironically! All the old fishing equipment I can find. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Goldfish7 Posted July 22, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi,HitomiMama, You would be a hit if you open a pet shop and your only competition is that animal version on Dante's Inferno! I'd be glad to share any trade information with you . . . including how much I've spent so far on supplies and fish. They say the best pet shop owners are people who ran out of room in there homes, garages and yards for there hobby . . . people who have bred so many of their beloved pets that the only way they can continue to grow in the hobby is by giving or selling the animals away! People who would consider giving the best care available a hobby and not a chore. daryl, Specialist Days are a great idea, but I'm the only "specialist" around so far. I have a lot of fun things planned, five minute radio snippets, free giveaways over the airways for those who can answer trivia, and donating large fully stocked and decorated tanks to key places like the bank, and the agricultural department. . . to show the public that capturing paradise in a fish tank is possible. lantern567, Those are great ideas . . . free set-up, special orders, and fish sitting. We are offering free set-up and trouble shooting, and any equipment I can get my hands on is up for special order, and the wholesalers offer free catalogs of there stock so I'll have that on the counter for customers to look at. We're opening this aquarium in conjunction with our Vegan restaurant and plant and flower sales, the space we were blessed with is right on the beach! So I've got a fisherman's theme going on . . . ironically! All the old fishing equipment I can find. Would you like to come to Florida and open up a fish store here? We need a good fish/petstore besides the big chains and the run down mom and pop shops(no offense to anyone). Congratulaions on being able to start this business. I wish you the best and know you will give the best care to your animals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted July 24, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks goldfish7. Do you all prefer to buy Tiny Goldfish and watch them grow, or do you like them to be larger. I'm going to have about 3 tanks of 2-3cm Fancies and 3.5in will be the largest, because the wholesaler that I'm working with doesn't have anything bigger. I'm going to grow out a few of the most beautiful Fancies I can find and keep them in the shop as display only, so people can see how large and stunning Fancy Goldfish can be with clean water and a great diet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member heidiinatree@yahoo.ca Posted July 24, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks goldfish7.Do you all prefer to buy Tiny Goldfish and watch them grow, or do you like them to be larger. I'm going to have about 3 tanks of 2-3cm Fancies and 3.5in will be the largest, because the wholesaler that I'm working with doesn't have anything bigger. I'm going to grow out a few of the most beautiful Fancies I can find and keep them in the shop as display only, so people can see how large and stunning Fancy Goldfish can be with clean water and a great diet. I personally like buying big ..but I have bought 2 ranchu fry and watching my hard work unfold in front of me is pretty amazing by how much they are growing !! ..I think you need to have both I will always walk to the goldies that are the biggest but I will also walk to the smaller fry and see what great potentials are swimming around in there too!!!..good luck with the store!! I hope you will post LOTS of pics!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Goldfish7 Posted July 24, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks goldfish7.Do you all prefer to buy Tiny Goldfish and watch them grow, or do you like them to be larger. I'm going to have about 3 tanks of 2-3cm Fancies and 3.5in will be the largest, because the wholesaler that I'm working with doesn't have anything bigger. I'm going to grow out a few of the most beautiful Fancies I can find and keep them in the shop as display only, so people can see how large and stunning Fancy Goldfish can be with clean water and a great diet. I have bought both big and small. The largest fish I have bought was 5 inches and the smallest is 1-2 inches. I like to see them grow but I also like to have larger fish because they bring life to the tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lantern567 Posted July 25, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 25, 2008 It sounds like you are putting a lot of thought and effort into your sales strategy, and you've come up with some great ideas. I love your idea of having some really large, fine fish on display. People have no idea how large goldfish can grow, and if they saw a really large, healthy fish in the appropriate-sized tank, healthy from good care, that would be passing along an excellent message. We were in a Chinese restaurant with a fish pool recently, and another customer was looking at the fish. Somehow we got into a conversation, and he just couldn't believe us when we said they were goldfish and not koi. I can't answer the question about preference of fish sizes - I love them all, and mine have no problem getting l-a-r-g-e-r! Are the Vegan restaurant and plant sales your or a partner's shops? On the beach sounds like such an excellent setup - I just hope they don't think they are saltwater fish! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member drkslvr Posted July 26, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 26, 2008 where in the caribbean are you setting up shop? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Peanuts Posted July 26, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted July 26, 2008 Would love to see pictures? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest riptor Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) Just a tip, the key is to post high quality pictures of what you're selling, invest in a nice Cam too, sign up with Photobucket to host the pictures. Edited July 27, 2008 by riptor 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted August 4, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted August 4, 2008 Hi lantern567, My husband and I are in business together, he had the restaurant decorated so nicely with plants and flowers people began to offer money for them . . . that's how he came up with the idea. drkslvr, we're in Montserrat, the eastern Caribbean. Peanuts, I'll post pics as soon as we get things up and running. Raptor, thanks for the pics advice. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Earth!Mother Posted August 4, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted August 4, 2008 And here's a thought for a side-line to keep the cash rolling in (and build customer loyalty) - fish sitting! I'd pay real bucks for someone to take care of my fish, and who better than an expert who owns a fish store! I can certainly see your point about not selling koi unless you offered pond services. That is such a great idea! I am away on vacation right now, and let me tell you, I've worried myself sick over the conditions of my babies; I've been gone or two weeks, and have another two weeks to go. .___. I would DEFINITELY have paid good money to know that my babes were in top quality hands. Unfortunately I'm going to have to coach my mother through waterchanges over the phone...Needless to say i'm not the most trusting in her fish care ability! Good luck with the store, it sounds soooo fun! Please make a thread and post pictures along the way, or something. I'll be dying to know how it goes, for sure. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted August 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi Earth!Mother, I remember leaving a detailed list for my father and sister to look after my two Ranchus and Oranda, they scrapped the list, overfed and didn't do a water change for the two months I was away! They survived . . . and they were huge when I got home! I don't have them anymore, I gave them to an uncle who says they're about 8" now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Netertari Posted August 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi All, Let me fill you in on my first shipment. Redcaps Orandas Fantails Comets Guppies Swordtails Platies Red Parrots Neon Tetras Pristella Tetras Pink Glowlight Tetras Buenos Aires Tetras Easy stuff for a first time LFS owner, the greatest challenge I anticipate is not overcrowding the Goldies, and installing separate filters for each tank. I Initially wanted to put in 3 sumps, but I was warned by other trade people about the risk of loosing a lot of stock to disease. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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