# Owning a pets shop!



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

Hi
I am only 13/14 and in high school! And realy want to own a pet shop when i am older! Loads of Q's! I would like to sell and own snakes, lizards also some DWA, hmmm rodents, fish etc, mabey small lion type thing! like a fossa in the write enclosure! MAYBE THE FOSSA< at the max
Anyway, waht would i need, in High school! Like maths, english etc, buisness studdys what....?
How old do you have to be to own one?
what quilify cations do i need?
What license would you need?(dwa lisenc (for dangerouse wild animals) pet shop, anything else?
hmmm maybe more questions after
anwser will be thanked  aload


----------



## bret (Feb 18, 2007)

my advice: stay at school. no reptile shops make huge amounts of profits and when your 16-17-18 looking to open a shop you wont have the money nor expertise to run a shop. not tying to put you down, but its true mate :/


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

bret said:


> my advice: stay at school. no reptile shops make huge amounts of profits and when your 16-17-18 looking to open a shop you wont have the money nor expertise to run a shop. not tying to put you down, but its true mate :/


why post en! can some mod delete these posts!
also i dont give 2 SH!*s if they make profit or not, its about working with animals that i want to do also some snakes are sold for 5 digits, some happy guy there, could be me if i have a dream shop! also i will work from 17-20 for money for shop, parents, my bank at the monet getting a job soon!


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

Its not just a profit factor dude. There's also the experience, I wanted the same thing for years but got the same old thing. Say you got a job in reptile centre? they need to know you would be capable of cleaning out a retic python and know you wont get nailed by it and then having to call ambulance. Also insurance purposes for the shop. Best thing is get some experience in breeding and get a breeding stock built up. To work in a reptile centre who are serious on reptiles you would be looking at 15 years personal experience 10 min. It sucks i know this is exacly words i was told when asking for a job.


----------



## Ally (Mar 8, 2006)

He's right though. 
Most people who own their own Reptile Shops have had long sucsessful careers in other areas. It costs a lot, and makes little (you can expect to run for 2 or so years before you make a penny) so you need to be able to support yourself and a shop too. You can expect to need well over £100,000 to get going and survive to making a profit... 
You'll probably need more if you have to look after yourself in that time - you parents won't pay for your living costs forever...


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

I have got 1 snake at the mo! maybe 2 more in june, and a monitor! that will boost my expirence a bit!
i will have 10yrs, before planning on opening one anyway.
hopefully workin a rep shop from 17-20-21 maybe, and whilst i am 19-20 build up a big collection and breeding for 2 years! that should get some stock, also get to now the right people! get a shop built up, ferbished etc! hmmm ern some money on week ends also! thats about it for now!


----------



## BADGERS MUM (Dec 5, 2006)

since you asked about qualifications its not exams so much as knowing what youre on about,nothing pee's me off more than going into a shop,for whatever i want and the staff dont have a clue,its just a job to earn some cash.........whatever shop you own your heart needs to be in it,trust me i know this and sadly end of the day profit counts,the taxman says so lol,also rates advertising staff etc etc etc owning a shop is all about profit but if youre determined you can do anything:smile:


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

If you owned a shop! did something else week ends! do nights( extreeme working) hmm sell stuff, rep wise, on forums, and classifieds, it all adss up and the profit would be huge !


----------



## redeyedanny (Feb 16, 2007)

my heart was in wings n fins. and my boss knew it.

its just a shame its all about the money.

i had to leave because of a complete cow who worked there who used to blag customers for sales. she didn't know a thing about reptiles,or other pets, and hated the fact i knew alot.

she made it quite childishly clear she didn't like the competition because the customers came to me, so she kicked off one day screaming at me like the fool she is. so i had to leave. 

its a shame because it was porrly paid, poorly run but i was willing to give it my all, to work with my hobby. not many people have that opportunity.

i did, but someone ruined it for me


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

Best thing to do is build up your own collection of exotics breed and gain experience and breeding successfully get to know the people in a local pet shop who also breed reptiles, get your contacts and offer your hatchlings for a discount price or store credit which will establish your relationship and they will see you know your s*@t and they may offer you some part time or a few hours to see how you get on if all well get full time job, work there long as poss building up your reptile collection aswell and then can open up a shop if get the funds, get business plan and take to bank see if can get business account and loan, better off renting a shop space than having one built. This is all long in the future and cut down in breif but its the jist. I would love to work in pet shop, unfortunate no luck


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

redeyedanny said:


> my heart was in wings n fins. and my boss knew it.
> 
> its just a shame its all about the money.
> 
> ...


that both blows and sucks, giving up dream job cos someone who couldnt are about the hobby or the animals ruins it. Despise those people


----------



## BADGERS MUM (Dec 5, 2006)

snakelover said:


> If you owned a shop! did something else week ends! do nights( extreeme working) hmm sell stuff, rep wise, on forums, and classifieds, it all adss up and the profit would be huge !


trouble is if you own a shop thats all you do i dont have weekends or holidays,nights are for doing the books sorting wages etc its a hard life but worth it if you can pull it off,youve got the right idea broaden your customer base,websites are good for this,it even helps in my business:smile: sadly nowhere near as interesting as a rep shop tho


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

ok thanks for the help, so basicly i dont need any quilfycations?


----------



## emski (Jan 13, 2007)

I am 22 this year and i have allways wanted my own pet/reptile shop, i even wanted a livery yard. But unfortuantly things like this cant happen without years of experiance and savings or a very lucky win on the lottery lol.. i have worked with all sorts of animals off and on since leaving school, but the pay was just not enough to live on i absolutly hate my job at the moment and am looking to work in a reptile shop or go back to college but then it all comes down to money again!! Nothing is impossible tho, so i hope that you will open your reptile shop one day: victory:


----------



## kwiky (Sep 3, 2006)

i work in a rep shop that was set up by my boss when he was 18, he got £7,000 quid together, sorted a small premises to rent and started off stocking cornsnakes and leopard geckos and other beginner herps aswell as tropical fish, eventually the business out grew the old premises and he had to move to a larger one, 
10 years on, he still stocks tropical fish aswell as rays and stuff but it is definatly more of a reptile shop, he now stocks every type of snake you can think of and its the same with lizards, he often deals with DWA's aswell, the only experience he had was a pet corn and a few geckos

just goes to show, you dont always need vast experiance and unlimited funds to make it work, he started small and worked his way up,


----------



## whitestorm (Feb 25, 2007)

my daughter to wants to own a pet shop, she's 10 but she wants to run it from her own vet surgery , she wants to be a vet as u might have guessed.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks guys


----------



## Ally (Mar 8, 2006)

snakelover said:


> ok thanks for the help, so basicly i dont need any quilfycations?


Although learning to spell or using a spell checker wouldn't go amiss. It will help people take you more seriously.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

because of my spelling!:? well i got some great feedback! so thatnks evryone who helped!!!


----------



## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

snakelover said:


> ok thanks for the help, so basicly i dont need any quilfycations?


I'd strongly recommend you do SOME sort of formal education in business studies, however - because owning a reptile shop, in the end, is not just about getting to stock whatever reptiles you like.

It's also about learning to deal with: 

Taxes
Paying wages
Accounting
Health and Safety Regulations
Wholesalers
Customer Service

And I have to agree with the previous poster... if you talk the way you write, I would have a lot of trouble taking you seriously in person, no matter how much knowledge you actually have. Please, please please check your spelling. It really DOES matter in the real world.


----------



## Robbie (Dec 4, 2006)

People overlook private breeding. The highest turnovers are made by private breeders who do not operate a public sales venue. Look at Bob Clark! Ok maybe that’s a bad example. After all he's apparently getting two and a bit million dollars ‘cos some dude stole his collection!


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I completed a degree in business studies before finally deciding to start up my own shop and I have found it invaluable. Unless you are specifically going to do one in zoology or herpetology, I would suggest that busines studies is a wise move for opening any business, and if you change your mind about reptiles, will allow you access to many different careers. A formal degree will also help you considerabley if you end up applying for a bank loan, as will a good employment history in the area you wish to start up a business.

Rent is going up and council tax seems to be rising, so shops that set up 10 years ago will find their startup cost considerabley lower than those starting up now - and in the future, it's predicted housing costs will only continue to rise. Having recently started up a shop, I cannot see how anyone could do it for less than 15-20k in my area.. of course areas differ vastly in rent/counciltax/licensing.

Furthermore to the qualifications, Cardiff Council (where my shop is - can't speak for other councils) requires you to have the City & Guilds Pet Store Management Certification, before you can get a pet shop license. This may spread to many other counties across the UK as there is more and more pressure from the RSPCA and other groups for shops to be more heavily monitored, due to many problems stemming from the fact that reptile shops give misinformation or sell sick animals. This is a correspondence course and you can get this at any time in your life.

I think early 20s is the earliest you could realistically expect to receive a loan AND be taken seriously by the reptile community as someone with enough years of experience to start up a shop... I certainly wouldn't think about starting it at 18.. If you can work in a shop for a few years part time whilst completing your degree then you will get a lot of experience and insider knowledge which will be hugely helpful. Without working in a shop previously I would have found starting my own shop almost impossible because I just wouldn't have known about suppliers, contacts, etc.


----------



## Robbie (Dec 4, 2006)

Ravens right. I missed your post saying you need no qualifications. And although that post about learning to spell was slightly below the belt it is true.

Getting a job in a rep shop is easier said than done. Exotic pet shops are not really that common and I would imagine there would be a long list of CV's waiting to be looked over. I personally would love to but their is only 1 good store near me and their is always new staff in and out.


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

robnissmith said:


> People overlook private breeding. The highest turnovers are made by private breeders who do not operate a public sales venue. Look at Bob Clark! Ok maybe that’s a bad example. After all he's apparently getting two and a bit million dollars ‘cos some dude stole his collection!


Thats why i decided to breed arachnids as a side line at home business and have a full time job. I figured if cant get a job in reptile store its not stopping me breeding my own reptiles and I would gain better from it. At this stage I think i will be better breeding snakes than tarantulas, my first gravid female in ages and she eats the egg sac :censor:


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

Athravan said:


> I completed a degree in business studies before finally deciding to start up my own shop and I have found it invaluable. Unless you are specifically going to do one in zoology or herpetology, I would suggest that busines studies is a wise move for opening any business, and if you change your mind about reptiles, will allow you access to many different careers. A formal degree will also help you considerabley if you end up applying for a bank loan, as will a good employment history in the area you wish to start up a business.
> 
> Rent is going up and council tax seems to be rising, so shops that set up 10 years ago will find their startup cost considerabley lower than those starting up now - and in the future, it's predicted housing costs will only continue to rise. Having recently started up a shop, I cannot see how anyone could do it for less than 15-20k in my area.. of course areas differ vastly in rent/counciltax/licensing.
> 
> ...


The first pet shop i tried was in exeter was 3 and half years ago i was 22 and although i knew about reptiles and kept spiders for years it still wasnt enough. I was very close to getting a job in pet shop where im living now but its a bit far out and as a uni student cant afford to bus it in to work and working around uni. As far as the dude who wants to work in a pet shop he should focus on getting qualifications and a degree and building his stock up of reptiles or whatever he likes. Im in Teesside business school but business not for me so im switching to course I originally intended. computer game design. Design computer games for a living and breed reptiles at home if all goes to plan will get what I want. I once wanted to open a pet shop but there is so much hassle its hardly worth it not to mention the competition who may have considerable years success before the new shop. Great thread to generate a discussion though.


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

Dont be put off is my advice,you have plenty of time to gain the required skills.
I am opening a shop with nowhere near the money that has been quoted by some but our rent and rates are very reasonable which depends on the area.
Its a dream of many people but only you can turn it into a reality.
I am running the business side and my more experianced business partner is doing the animal side while i learn all i can to get me upto speed.
I will echo the sentiments of some of the posts, i have done a business course recently which has been very useful, many people will open shops because of the love for the animals and neglect the business side which is why they fail. We are hoping to get both right but im sure there will be times when we get things wrong.
We will not stock anything too difficult to keep at first and build from there, it can be done, anything is possible with hard work.

Good luck with it, you have loads of time to realise your dreams.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks evryone! also people saying i need to spell better to be taken seriouse, remember i am 13/14 years old


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

Remember spelling comes through reading and writing, doesnt mean when you are 18 you automatically can spell, it takes hard work like anything else.


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

snakelover said:


> Hi
> I am only 13/14 and in high school! And realy want to own a pet shop when i am older! Loads of Q's! I would like to sell and own snakes, lizards also some DWA, hmmm rodents, fish etc, mabey small lion type thing! like a fossa in the write enclosure! MAYBE THE FOSSA< at the max


it's good to have clear goals, if you stick with them you will hopefully follow through.



> Anyway, waht would i need, in High school! Like maths, english etc, buisness studdys what....?


your english needs improvement. business studies is a good skill for any shop owner, consider pursuing this through to A-level also. a good head for maths.



> How old do you have to be to own one?


old enough to hold all the licenses (whatever age that is). you can start a business off from 18+.




> what quilify cations do i need?


none, you are the boss, you arent set qualifications to meet.



> What license would you need?(dwa lisenc (for dangerouse wild animals) pet shop, anything else?


health and safety, a DWA (applicable to whatever animals you will be holding), i also think you need a seperate license to sell DWA (i may be wrong), a pet shop license. you will also need to meet about 100 more legal requirements to start your business and then about one hundred more to run it.


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

Isnt that a bit of an exaduration?

Hundreds is a bit steep, you basically need a pet shop license, if you can get one of thoses then you have already met most requirments because the premises need to be inspected first. Depending on size you have to have a fire extinguisher and blanket and get an inspection done.
You will need to live within 20 minutes of the shop and register with local police and fire stations.
You will need business insurance but public liability insurance isnt required but is a good idea.
Im sure ive missed somethings but im not at home so cant look through my files.
I must stress that council to council requirments vary hugely, where i live they arent too strict at the moment.
As long as you put the animals and customers welfare first you should be ok.
Please add more requirments everyone and ill add more later


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

i would live in theshop, upstairs!
also how much would you say shops, with a flat above it cost! just woundering!


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

Double what it would cost for just a shop, maybe more


----------



## JBJcool (Mar 6, 2007)

bring only 14 my self this is probbaly a load of rubbish but wouldnt it be a good i dea to get a group going so that you can put funds,stock,exp qualifications etc all together coz then u get...
1)free staff
2)free stock
3)more ppl more friction is the only prob there


----------



## emski (Jan 13, 2007)

I think it is good that you are 14 and know what you want to do with your life, altho i will say when i was 14 i was dead set on opening my own livery yard, this lasted until i was around 16 and then realised even after workin with horses for 8 years i still could not even attempt at opening my own yard. This was for a few reasons, firstly i did not have enough experiance in buisness or the level of knowledge i would need to look after so many horses on my own. 2nd reason was money, if you have enough money then you dont really need the buisness or knowledge part, sure it would help but that can be learned along the way, until then you could pay someone to manage your shop. Opening up a buisness is a huge thing and there are many hidden costs and laws,regulations, licenses etc... If you are serious and do not give up like i did then i think you are more then capable to open up a shop when your a bit older. You allready have a advantage to someone who is older then you wanting to open up there own reptile shop with no experiance etc.. The advantage is of course your age, you have at least a good 4-5 years to save,do well at school and get some good qualifications and also take any course you can on reptile care, health and safety etc belive me it all helps! You can also use the time to get breeding stock and learn how to breed your own reptiles and also go to reptile shows, meet people and talk to them, Even set up your own stall selling your reptiles. If i was you i would concentrate more on getting some good hatchlings and try and get a stall at a reptile show in a year or two this way people will get to know you and take you seriously.

Good luck dude: victory:


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

yes it is a bit of an EXAGERRATION. but there are still lots of regulations most people dont factor in when they think of starting up a business.

for instance, they have to decide on ownership type, and each type have a very specific set of guidelines and regulations which have to be met before you can actually set up a business. if for example you wished to set up as an LTD then you would have to:

1) see if there is already a business under the same or similar name as your business.
2) write up a memorandum of association
3) write up the articles of association
4) register under companies house
5) decide on co-owners and shareholders
6) decide on how the shares are going to be set up (who gets how much)
7) fill out form 10
8) fill out form 12

and all these are regulations are just off my head and they only pertain to one form of ownership. there are many many more than this.

snakelover: a shop with a flat added upstairs in a retail area of town to buy will be:

1) expensive
2) hard to live
3) small (usually)

better to rent at first.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks! I will be getting 1-2 snakes in the summer, and also a dwarf monitor, or uro type lizard! ackies pref, so that will boost some experiance, then couple years of saving! also getting a job in summer and after summere, with good money ffor my age!


----------



## spider_mad (Mar 8, 2007)

Saving money is one of the hardest things to do. When I was a teen for years I had great ambitions and worked out savings if did this and that but nothing ever materialised. Working and having money is great but it soon goes in one and out the other hand.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

King Of Dreams said:


> yes it is a bit of an EXAGERRATION. but there are still lots of regulations most people dont factor in when they think of starting up a business.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I dont mind if its small lol! aslong as its livabl, and have loads of reptiles and animals/pets down stairs, thats ok


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

King of dreams

Damn i knew that didnt look right, thanks

I cant really think of a valid reason why anyone would choose to be a limited company for a small shop, surely a sole trader would be the best option for a venture such as this?


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

lesvegas said:


> King of dreams
> 
> Damn i knew that didnt look right, thanks
> 
> I cant really think of a valid reason why anyone would choose to be a limited company for a small shop, surely a sole trader would be the best option for a venture such as this?


well, it depends. a sole trader gets all the £££ but has all the responsibility, usually has to work long hours, will hvae no one to cover them if they are ill and most of all has unlimited liability. personally i think that having the security of a LTD is a major benefit over sole tradership. also with LTDs, PLCs and partenerships there is much more capital. as others have said to set up a shop you may be looking into many tens of thousands. if four people each threw in £5k each thats £20k, whereas a sole trader will only have £5k of his own and will most likely have to take out a very large mortgage or debenture and be tied with a huge loan like that for the majority of the business life.

personally, i feel that a sole tradership is only suitable for a business which isnt run from a shop or any other premises. such a window cleaning company with one owner and two employees. a sole tradership should only be used when public liability is cheaper than actually setting up a business with limited liability. so a hot dog stand or a dog cleaning service would be good for sole traders or partnerships.

snakelover: if your upstairs and the animals are downstairs where are all the supplies going to go?? unless you plan on a very crowded shop.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

no all the supplies will be down stairs to! evrythinng pet related downs tairs, my stuff upstairs! if that makes sence!


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

I understand your point king of dreams, i suppose it depends how big you want to go and if you can raise the funds yourself. 
I suppose there is nothing to stop someone starting as a sole trader and then further down the line changing to a limited company if they need to attract investment to expand etc.
Just one thing concerns me, many people will tell you its not a lucrative industry and shop owners struggle to make a profit so i cant see people lining up to invest if thats the case.


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

lesvegas said:


> I understand your point king of dreams, i suppose it depends how big you want to go and if you can raise the funds yourself.
> I suppose there is nothing to stop someone starting as a sole trader and then further down the line changing to a limited company if they need to attract investment to expand etc.
> Just one thing concerns me, many people will tell you its not a lucrative industry and shop owners struggle to make a profit so i cant see people lining up to invest if thats the case.


well, shareholders in an LTD are invited to buy shares. so naturally, the person with the enterprise will invite those who will hvae an interest in the enterprise themselves. also owners (shareholders) will have an active part in the business as well. the thing is Les, the whole reason you'd want to be an LTD is not because of size (because LTDs aren't always big, high revenue companies) it's because of the security it provides. let me illustrate:

say, you have set up as a sole trader. you one day - purely by misfortunate chance - leave the door on the viv unlocked one day. an iguana gets out and bites and tail whips 2 prospective customers leaving them with deep cuts and bruising. if that person then decides to press charges on you for not making sure the animal was securely caged then you are royally screwed. the courts impose heavy charges on you (more than you can afford to pay) so you sell everything the business owns yet it still isnt enough. so you then have to pay out of your own personal savings and property (so, you're nice car has to be sold, you house put up for mortgage) to cover the costs. you will most likely hvae to pronounce yourself bankrupt. not a very nice situation. however, if you had gone with an LTD then the iggy gets out, has his fun you get charged, you sell the business and that's it. they cannot have any more as you are protected by limited liability.

snakelover: you will hvae a very small and claustrophobic shop then. if have vivs covering all the walls and maybe have four in the middle of the shop. that's 25-40+ reps plus 1 foosa that you hvae to care for. imagine all the supplies they need and imagine the space they'd take up.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

fossa, do you now hat a fossa is!? that would need loads of space! that was just a stupid trhing i would love, i aint getting a fossa! think about the space, it would need, money, to buy it!were to buy it etc! if i had a shop, it would be big enough! or i would buy 2 and knock wales through to make 1 etc!if i have the money that is! also, i went to a GREAT REP SHOP today, it had about hmm20 reps in big vivs, and a load in tubs! and the shop is small! the living rainforest GREAT SHOP  (go there its great)
also i would probably not have any fish tanks, but if i did I...actualy, no i aint going to do fish! and i my do small mammals!


----------



## lesvegas (Jan 6, 2007)

Good points, cheers

Wouldnt the public liability insurance cover any mishaps with runaway iguanas or similar?
The insurance part is one area im not clued up on, ive got quotes but cant apply officially until 30 days before trading with most of them.


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

snakelover said:


> fossa, do you now hat a fossa is!? that would need loads of space! that was just a stupid trhing i would love, i aint getting a fossa! think about the space, it would need, money, to buy it!were to buy it etc! if i had a shop, it would be big enough! or i would buy 2 and knock wales through to make 1 etc!if i have the money that is! also, i went to a GREAT REP SHOP today, it had about hmm20 reps in big vivs, and a load in tubs! and the shop is small! the living rainforest GREAT SHOP  (go there its great)
> also i would probably not have any fish tanks, but if i did I...actualy, no i aint going to do fish! and i my do small mammals!


i'm not saying saying small shops are crap. i'm saying, all the supplies for the reps will have to be kept in retail space. the customers will not be able to buy these one and they'll be in the way generally. you wont want the shop running supplies taking up the customers room. you've got to think about small things like this. imagine yourself as customer, browsing through a shop and having to be all couped up because there is a big stack of stuff you cant buy taking up the room. you should have seperate area where you keep all the supplies and stuff for the care of the reps in the vivs. show the customer only the stuff that they can buy. personally i hate going into shops in which 25% of the stuff is marked "Not for Sale". i hate going into crowded shops, especially crowded rep shops. you've got:

1) no room
2) lots of warmth coming from the vivs
3) other people to mind for, so when you're looking at that cool, mean looking beardie you have to keep moving everytime someone wants to walk past in the tiny walkways.

Les: I'm not sure on that one. look it up and tell us what you find. in my sixth form and GCSE lessons i hadnt thought of that. interesting point.


----------



## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

*blushes at double post*

well les, here goes:

my bad i made a mistake. just checked some old notes i made and it turns out i was barking up the wrong tree. Public Liability WILL cover you where limited will not. Limited liability means that if the comapny goes bust and is in debt, then only the businesses value can be used to pay off the debts. thew owner will not have to pay out of his/her own pocket. but this does not apply to public liability cases such as my iggy scenario. in that case public liability will cover the owner and the buisness but limited liability will not.

clear now?


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Note that you can also declare personal bankruptcy which is being done more and more often these days with people running up huge debts - it wipes your debts and is a relatively simple procedure (though includes a court hearing and paperwork), but will cripple your credit rating for at least a decade, meaning no credit cards, no loans, no mortgages, you probably won't even be able to order from a catalogue without payment up front.

I have full liability for my shop and I can say it is 100% recommended - people will sue over lots of things, and at the end of the day, reptiles are animals which can cause some damage. Because of this is it is soo important to keep locks on vivs, and to be very careful when allowing customers to handle animals. But if an accident does occur, liability insurance should cover it, and to be honest it's only about £500 a year for a 250-400 sq ft shop, which is full insurance including livestock, frozen, theft, liability up to £1mil etc. so why anyone would not get themselves full insurance including liability I don't know. Even if you are a limited company you still need liability insurance, limited company protects you in case of bankruptcy.

Almost all small reptile shops I know are set up as sole traders, limited companies have a lot more work for what basically is very little gain with a small turnover and only 1-2 people running it. Most don't even register for VAT (low turnover based exemption).

The actual paperwork to set up a shop if you have liquid funds is very minimal.


----------



## Robbie (Dec 4, 2006)

> or i would buy 2 *and knock wales through* to make 1


:lol2: :no1: My favourite typo to date!


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

lmao ment to be walls! lmfao


----------



## tom1400 (Jan 21, 2007)

I myself am 16 and would love to own a reptile shop when i'm older it's a dream. But if you don't do well at school your going nowhere. I'm finisher school soon and wish i listened in lessons more and didn't muck around. I'm not going to get to good of grades. your best bet will be to breed your animals whilst building you collection. This will be best when you have your own place because i don't think your parents would want 50+monitors,snakes in there house. Get in with a good job that you can support yourself. And as you staret building your collection just make a website but don't have a shop. To make a good website you could spend £50. This can be advertised all over the uk and you could have customers flooding in without even spending £50,000 on a loan for a shop. 

Have a real good think about what you want to do and do well in your exams. Don't end up like me mucking around and never listening in lessons, IT WILL GET YOU NOWHERE IN LIFE. 

Hope this has given you a good insite.
thanks tom.


----------



## Daniel (Jul 28, 2005)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww how cute lol well put

btw im pridicted 2 A*'s in science and an A woopwoop:Na_Na_Na_Na:
and an A in maths woooooop:Na_Na_Na_Na:
dan haha
i wanna shop but have the potential to be a vet hmmm tis boring though 7 years training 
dan
ps not bragging m=im just chuffed hehe


----------



## murinus (Jan 3, 2007)

snakelover said:


> If you owned a shop! did something else week ends! do nights( extreeme working) hmm sell stuff, rep wise, on forums, and classifieds, it all adss up and the profit would be huge !


my friends own a fairly well known reptile shop (i used to work there for a bit) and i can tell you now you wont have spare time to earn money elswhere. i started keeping snakes at the age of 11, so over 25 years now and it used to be my dream, but having seen it first hand, there is just so much involved it is a way of life for them, not just a business. and although you were upset by the first post (you did ask for advice) i would agree with bret


----------



## intravenous (Dec 20, 2006)

Daniel said:


> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww how cute lol well put
> 
> btw im pridicted 2 A*'s in science and an A woopwoop:Na_Na_Na_Na:
> and an A in maths woooooop:Na_Na_Na_Na:
> ...


predicted grades are different from actual grades though so don't let it go to your head :razz:.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

yeh lol, i can say hmmm i think i will get a A* next week in my stats yer a* i am super clever you now! :bash: SATS next week!


----------



## tombraider (May 6, 2006)

know. its know.


----------



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

:?....


----------

