What Do You Think To These Prices..?

[nurglespuss]

about the same as petsathome on some, cheaper on others.

 

[MBOU]

Meant to ask out of curiosity, how you came about those prices? Are they going by what you would idealy sell them at or by a set mark up?

You will need to include VAT plus freight and packing and box charges and possibly invert charges that arent usually included on most wholesaler lists. Charges will depend on whether you are importing directly or using a wholesaler as a middle man...

Using a whole saler is a lot more expensive to buy the fish = less profit = harder to buy fish and very limited choice of fish...

Importing... lot more complicated having to find the suppliers, sort out the legalities, licenses, paperwork and trips too and from airport or courier costs to pick them up.

 

[Tizer]

Just jump in a van and go over to Holland, fish farm tastic

 

[ez_101]

I agree about the prices, i think most of them are ceaper than my LFS. If you are nearby i would buy from you!!

 

[Tizer]

I agree about the prices, i think most of them are ceaper than my LFS. If you are nearby i would buy from you!!

Even if her fish had disease and were kept in poor conditions because she cant afford the rent?

Its not all about the price.

 

[Kelly-Jo]

Meant to ask out of curiosity, how you came about those prices? Are they going by what you would idealy sell them at or by a set mark up?

You will need to include VAT plus freight and packing and box charges and possibly invert charges that arent usually included on most wholesaler lists. Charges will depend on whether you are importing directly or using a wholesaler as a middle man...

Using a whole saler is a lot more expensive to buy the fish = less profit = harder to buy fish and very limited choice of fish...

Importing... lot more complicated having to find the suppliers, sort out the legalities, licenses, paperwork and trips too and from airport or courier costs to pick them up.

The prices were just based upon a.) what I know my LFS' sells their fish for and aiming to be slightly cheaper b.) looking at a few wholesalers and fish farms and working out what I'd have to charge in order to make a reasonable profit.

This is really just in the beginning stages and I doubt I will be able to start making any proper plans until at least 4-5 years from now but I like to be organised and think ahead. As for the shop and the rent, I am quite fortunate as to have family friends who own several vast warehouse/store type buildings which I could rent or buy dirt cheap which reduces the pressure slightly.

I know that a lot of shops are closing down, especially small one off retailers. It's just that, especially in my area of the UK, there seems to be a significant gap in the market. We have a poorly run, unclean and understaffed LFS. A chain providing resonable basic fish and supplies and another one off LFS which has a few more specalist species but nothing to write home about. I have friends in the area that keep fish who all agree that there is a serious lack of choice, especially in my town. (The nearest shop is a 20 minute drive away).

It will definitely be hard and I don't pretend to be someone with 25 years experience and a whole lot of fame to my name. But I'm incredibly hard-working (Currently work 7 days a week anyway so would be prepared to put in the hours), dedicated and above all I absolutely adore fish and have a passion for fish-keeping.

Fingers crossed I can make it work, but if not we live and learn.

 

[ez_101]

I agree about the prices, i think most of them are ceaper than my LFS. If you are nearby i would buy from you!!

Even if her fish had disease and were kept in poor conditions because she cant afford the rent?

Its not all about the price.

Im sure they wont be, as if they were no one would buy...poor girl trying to start a business in a climate where its the hardest and all she getting is grief!

I give credit to her for trying!!

 

[Kelly-Jo]

I give credit to her for trying!!
[/quote]


Thank you, that's nice to hear. Although, I do see where everybody is coming from and I'm actually really pleased that so many people have taken the time to put their views and thoughts forward. You all represent my target customer and speaking to you about what you like/dislike/want from an aquatics shop is the key. After all, without customers, you have no business.

 

[MBOU]

I find this fascinating and im all up for people trying, there is a lot of help for people out there trying to start up their own business!

Guess I was thinking back and more about the business aspects of it rather than the fact that you are just planning for later.

Out of curiosity again, you dont have to answer as its kind of personal but what area are you in? A lot of people would kill to have afish shop within 20 minutes LOL.

I work in the LFS nearest to me and that takes 40 mins for me to get there and 40 mins back each day!

What wholesalers were you looking at btw?

 

[CezzaXV]

Just want to add my little bit.

My mum runs a fruit and veg shop, and after business rates, rent, bills etc, she is making no money at all. Fruit and veg is one of those things everyone needs and she can't make a profit, so I really don't understand how small indie LFS manage to make money from a niche market.

I second the idea of opening an online shop somewhere like eBay, maybe your own website if it gets that successful. If you can run it from your own home, you save a lot of money on business rates and the like (business rates really are a disgraceful amount).

As for fish prices, I know my LFS has neons 3 for £5, cardinal tetra 4 for £10, cory trinlineatus 2 for £9 an bamboo shrimp 2 for £15, just off the top of my head

 

[Kelly-Jo]

I find this fascinating and im all up for people trying, there is a lot of help for people out there trying to start up their own business!

Guess I was thinking back and more about the business aspects of it rather than the fact that you are just planning for later.

Out of curiosity again, you dont have to answer as its kind of personal but what area are you in? A lot of people would kill to have afish shop within 20 minutes LOL.

I work in the LFS nearest to me and that takes 40 mins for me to get there and 40 mins back each day!

What wholesalers were you looking at btw?

It's fine, I live in Suffolk in a town called Stowmarket. I looked at a website called UK wholesale tropical fish which I know is probably more expensive as it's all from within the UK. I know that a lot of people will say it won't work and shoot me down and maybe to some extent they're right. I'm not doing it to make big bucks, I'm doing it because I love fish and I want other people to enjoy them as much as I do. I think it's so sad the amount of people who say "I had a fish but it died so I gave up keeping fish". If only people were just educated properly on their care and given the tools and answers they need I'm sure more people would enjoy the hobby.


I would DEFINITELY start this as an online business before I even thought to venture into a shop environment. Hopefully that would serve to give me some indicators as to the viability of it and if it does all go pear-shaped, at least I haven't got so much to lose.

 

[colleen0309]

All I can say is good luck! And I am not being sarcastic. I tried this about 15 years ago. I had 30 years experience. People were not interested in my experience... they wanted cheap. I couldn't compete with the chain stores that were almost an hour drive away, one way. My fish were healthy and happy, but theirs were cheaper. They would come to me for advice, but go there for products. One day I had six people come in and ask what to use for ich. They decided it was worth the $.50 to drive for two hours to get what they needed. Now I'm setting up a fish room just for me. If I sell a few fish, that's fine. If not, that's fine too. I will probably get a small following, but that's ok. Just be prepared. I wish you all of the best in your business venture.

 

[Kelly-Jo]

All I can say is good luck! And I am not being sarcastic. I tried this about 15 years ago. I had 30 years experience. People were not interested in my experience... they wanted cheap. I couldn't compete with the chain stores that were almost an hour drive away, one way. My fish were healthy and happy, but theirs were cheaper. They would come to me for advice, but go there for products. One day I had six people come in and ask what to use for ich. They decided it was worth the $.50 to drive for two hours to get what they needed. Now I'm setting up a fish room just for me. If I sell a few fish, that's fine. If not, that's fine too. I will probably get a small following, but that's ok. Just be prepared. I wish you all of the best in your business venture.

Thank you. Another idea I have is to start off as a small breeder with a fish room in an out building in my garden which I can open to the public as a shop. I could buy in some supplies and bought in fish too to reduce costs. This would mean that 70% of the business could be through my website and 30% could be from customers physically coming to the building. Just a thought.

 

[MBOU]

The trouble with that, is that breeding and selling is a whole different ball game...

Having a decent sized set up to import fish, quarantine them for a month or so and get thm into good nick (believe me, they are rarely spot on when they come in!) and then sell them online.

That way you dont have to have public liability insurance and all that faff as you arent open to the public, you get all your tanks with lots of fish to quarantine (your going to need to be up on all your treatments etc).

That leaves you with having to set up a huge fish room with serious filtration and lots of UV steralizers and different sizd tanks etc. Plus the whole packing of fish and paypal and online shop but a heck of a lot easier!!

 

[Kelly-Jo]

I would have to gen up on packing and posting fish as I wouldn't know where to start with that. I would want to make sure that they 100% end up alive and healthy rather than it being hit and miss. It's something to look into.