# Setting up a rep shop?



## nuttybabez (Jul 21, 2007)

Hiya,

My job is kinda uncertain at the moment - may be redundant by xmas.

But it has come to my attention that there are no rep shops by me - nearest one is 20-30mins from me and its not great.

Has anyone ever set up a reptile shop? Any advice?

Thanks!


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## lukendaniel (Jan 10, 2007)

well were abouts are you first thing is first and see what you need 2 do to get a license


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## Torres13 (Aug 30, 2007)

I see in your sig you have 2 leo's. Have you had experience with many more reps? As you would need to know all about snakes, many lizards probs inverts and chelonia aswell!


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

The best advice i can give you is research, research, and research. And sorry, but asking on forums is not research.


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

It would require months and months of planning. And thats with all the main research already covered. You'd need vast knowledge and experience of different species of reptiles, aswell as knowledge of how to run a buisness, aswell as having contacts with big local breeders, suppliers and thats just the beginning


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Snakes r grreat said:


> The best advice i can give you is research, research, and research. And sorry, but asking on forums is not research.


well it is as theres a few ppl here who have recently opened thier own reptile shops.

you dont research "step by step opening a reptile shop" on google


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## garysumpter (Apr 18, 2005)

I think a reptile shop is a dumb business idea.

What do you set up a business for? To make money.

So why choose stock that you have to feed, clean, treat when ill etc when you can get stock that sits on shelves and requires nothing.

Then there's licenses etc.

Id find another niche market in your area!

Gary


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## powderpuff_girl (Mar 5, 2007)

i am thinking of doing exactly that!!
speak 2 argentine boa! he told me what has to happen!!
u have to find a premises then get a license for the premises (which shouldnt b a problem if u have the money) and then u just need the stock!!

well something like that n e way


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Reptile Shops rarely make the money on their livestock! it's usually on the foods and supplies they make money on.
And it's never an amazing benefit earned. They only earn enough to go by


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

any business can make a lot of money.
any business can fail.
it doesnt matter what you sell [within reason]

People are making money from the herp hobby.
some more than others.

to say its a dumb idea is.. well.. dumb.
it would be daft to go into anything thinking it will suceed no matter what.
but its dafter to assuem soemthing wont and not go there.
The majority of the sales will be made up of things that do infact just sit there, as in accesories.
however the mark up on livestock is very good, and assuming you dont have the same reps sititng there over a month, 2 months, the food wont eat into the profits too much and plenty can be made on the animals themselves also.

many ppl get jobs/set up businesses because they WOULD LIKE to make money doing that... its a good starting point... from there you have to make it work.


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## Xiorell (Aug 15, 2007)

DeanThorpe said:


> any business can make a lot of money.
> any business can fail.
> it doesnt matter what you sell [within reason]
> 
> ...


Well said.

As far as the reserch, yeh, do it. Lots of it. Till it hurts.
I spent 18months reserching the pub business and then realised, no, not the area I want to invest in, so now I am looking into other fields of interest, some new ideas, some resurrected old ideas, but I'll do the same levels of reserch into each before I commit to anything, as I did with the boozer idea.


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

DeanThorpe said:


> well it is as theres a few ppl here who have recently opened thier own reptile shops.
> 
> you dont research "step by step opening a reptile shop" on google


Yes, the internet needs to be used, but not for all of the research. Too many people think its too easy to open a shop, never mind a rep shop, they need to go out and speak to people who have dont it, the bank, supplies etc etc etc.


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

my advice would be go and spend some time with some reptile shops out of the area and chat to them about how dfficult it can be, it can be rewarding but equally very stressful, certainly you need a wide experience of reptiles,


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## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

Most local councils require atleast one of the people applying for a Pet Shop Licence to have a City and Guilds Pet Store Management Certificate! So going back to college would be a start! Apparently not even an ND animal management and a animal related Degree is enough for my local council...
:lol2:

Also you could contact your local Business Link...They have loads of information on setting up all types of businesses and are a great help!


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

Very true about the City and Guilds in Pet Shop Management but my local council has agreed to issue a License (assuming the premise is up to standard) if I am studying for the C&G. They will put a reasonable time time frame for me to complete the exams (2 years).

i have already researched all my suppliers for dry goods and livestock supply, my main task now is to find a suitable premise and hopefully I will be up and running by the end of next year. No point in rushing in to it and having a "half Arse" shop because people will come in once, brand the shop as rubbish and never come in again.....first impressions count for a great deal.

It does take a lot of research but I see no reason why if you have a good shop it will not make money.......but just remember how many shops you have been in and thought "that place was crap, I am never going in there again".........Good Luck


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## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

Palmanda said:


> Very true about the City and Guilds in Pet Shop Management but my local council has agreed to issue a License (assuming the premise is up to standard) if I am studying for the C&G. They will put a reasonable time time frame for me to complete the exams (2 years).


Can I ask where you are studing for the C&G? or does anyone know any colleges that do it?


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## WeThePeople (Jul 8, 2007)

Snakes r grreat said:


> The best advice i can give you is research, research, and research. And sorry, but asking on forums is not research.


Why wouldn't asking a forum with plenty of shop owners be good research?


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## yellow_rat_gal (Mar 24, 2007)

I think he means that you should find out about your area, council rules etc, which you can't really find on a forum!


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

Snakes r grreat said:


> Yes, the internet needs to be used, but not for all of the research. Too many people think its too easy to open a shop, never mind a rep shop, they need to go out and speak to people who have dont it, the bank, supplies etc etc etc.





WeThePeople said:


> Why wouldn't asking a forum with plenty of shop owners be good research?


If you had taken the above post into account, then maybe you would see. 

If you were the bank manager, would you give a loan to someone who had done most of their research on the net? Over half of new business's fail within their first year, and here we have someone who only seems to have 2 leo's, who seems to think it would be a good idea to set up a rep shop in their local area, on the basis they dont think there are many in the area. So their first port of call is to jump on the forum and ask people to tell them how to do it. 

Now as i said, yes, the net needs to be used as part of research, but there is much much more that needs to be done first. 

And seeing as you havent actually offered any help either, i will put some offers in.

- Do a survey of your local area for reptile shops, (going about 50 miles out at least), see what they stock, try and talk to them about what they do best on. Try and see for what they dont do, and see if there could be a niche for that which you could fill.

- If you have a local reptile society in the area, join them! These are the local people who will be your customers, and could give you the best advice as to what they would like to see from a local rep shop.

- Contact your local licensing department and find out what the requirements are to hold a pet shop licence. 

- Use the internet for research. 

- Contact potential supplies (both livestock, and dry goods), explain what you are hoping to do, try and get a trade pricelist, and see what deals they could offer you.

- See your local bank business manager, take all the information you have found out so far so that they know you are serious. They will tell you exactly what you need to do to move things on, and can advise you best on the financial constraints a new business will face. 

Thats enough to start with, im sure other people who have done it, or spent the last 7 years researching this could add to it.


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

mina_the_witch said:


> Can I ask where you are studing for the C&G? or does anyone know any colleges that do it?


 
I am doing it online as a distance learning course with the Pet care Trust, you do the study with online support and then they book you in for the C&G exam at an approved venue. They sit the exams twice a year I think


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Also,, i don't know if the subject has been brought up but..
Where would you get the money from? Not just for the initial few months rent (Which you definately would need) 
But also all the vivariums, the inital reptiles, the equipment? 

It is quite a few grand you'd need just to set up.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Thats about the only reason you need to go see the bank.. to get a loan... its also why you need profit forecasts and all that other stuff.

if you can get the money elsewhere or have it stashed then its going to be a lot easier and then with exception to talking to the licensing officer/department for your council and finding out the specifics about a pet shop license in your area, EVERYTHING else can be done online with the majority of it really imo being talking to people in the biz, finsing out for your own peace of mind what sort of mark up your loking at etc etc.


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

DeanThorpe said:


> Thats about the only reason you need to go see the bank.. to get a loan... its also why you need profit forecasts and all that other stuff.
> 
> if you can get the money elsewhere or have it stashed then its going to be a lot easier and then with exception to talking to the licensing officer/department for your council and finding out the specifics about a pet shop license in your area, EVERYTHING else can be done online with the majority of it really imo being talking to people in the biz, finsing out for your own peace of mind what sort of mark up your loking at etc etc.


Busines managers are soo much more than just giving out loans these days Dean, the can offer so much advise that others cannot. :smile:


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Just remember that very few people in the reptile business get rich quick and retire on a nice fat pension. You will find my shops tick over okay but a lot close down in the first few years.. reptile shops seem to open up quite often, and then disappear, in my experience, within the first 3 years.

If you love reptiles, and want to give your life to work with reptiles, then it is a perfect job and I think anyone can open up a shop with enough research and effort. I first started doing market research (polls) in 2004. I started visiting premises, and wrote my first business plan in 2004.. the banks laughed at me. I had to get a business degree, took a break, thought about it a lot, did a lot more research, came back 3 years later, a lot wiser and more experienced, not just in reptiles - but remember, a business is a lot of work, you've got ordering, stock taking, taxes, profits, losses, accounts, self employment issues, tax credits, this, that, the other.. customer complaints, policies, refunds.. that's nothing to do with the animals, just the tedium of running a business.

If you take your time and do it right though it's worth doing and very rewarding.

I know of 5 people on this forum now who are definitely starting a shop next year - that's 5 people just on the forum. I know of at least 150 reptile shops in the England and Wales and those are the ones I know - I don't visit Scotland so don't know anything there. If you think how many new ones are opening up, it's really quite amazing


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## nuttybabez (Jul 21, 2007)

Hiya,

Ok lots of helpful info thanks. Will try and answer some of your questions now in order of posts.

Lukendaniel - I am in Burton on Trent in Staffordshire. 

In the town centre we have one pet shop which doesn't stock anything for reptiles at all. There is a pet warehouse but its about 20 to 30 mins from Burton and they have a nice but limited reptile section. The next nearest reptile shop I believe is the Hollybush in Cannock which is easily 45 mins away from Burton although it does have a very nice reptile section.

Torres - I haven't kept anything but these 2 leos myself BUT I do have a very good friend who worked with John Foden and in a very big reptile rescue for quite a long time and I was hoping to rope him into helping. I do understand that I would need to spend a lot of time looking into the care of other reptiles but I would not be looking to stock anything which was very difficult to care for or DWA.

Would probably start with leos, beardies, cresteds, carpet pythons, boas, cornsnakes etc. Also things like vivs, feed/water bowls, hides and of course livefood.

I am also fairly experienced in keeping fish so would be the option to stock basic trops and goldfish and some rare-ish plecos.

Snakesrgreat - I would have thought that this forum with very experienced keepers, breeders and shop owners would be a great place to start looking for info. I am not going to rely fully on this forum for all my info, its just a good place to start.

Trice - yep thats the sort of things I need to think about.

DeanThorpe - yes thanks.
garysumpter - thanks for your valuable input. :bash:

powderpuff girl - thanks! I did think about PM'ing him but didn't want to be rude. I will send him a message!

Trice - thanks.

DeanThorpe - thanks again.

PAGE 2

Xiorell - thanks. I am not in a big rush, just toying with the idea really.

Snakesrgreat - fully appreciate what you are saying, I don't expect to learn everything from this forum, I know I will have to go and research elsewhere as well! I don't think its easy to set up a shop, thats why I am asking for advice.

leptohis - I will have to go and find some rep shops willing to talk to me. Will mean I have to find one and take a drive as there are none local, hence my idea.

minathewitch - thanks for that info. TBH its not something I had really thought about, thats the sort of info/advice I need. Business link also a great idea thanks! Sounds like you have already looked into this!

Palmanda - also thanks a lot! Good advice - it all helps!!

WeThePeople - thank you. My sentiments exactly.

yellowratgal - yes thanks, I will have to do that as well.

Snakesrgreat - thanks a lot! I will print that off and start looking into all those things!

Palmanda - thanks. I will look into the online training.

PAGE 3

Trice - I would have to get a business loan from the bank. I understand the set up fees would be large!

DeanThorpe - Thanks.

Athravan - Thanks. Very helpful and more positive.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Snakes r grreat said:


> Busines managers are soo much more than just giving out loans these days Dean, the can offer so much advise that others cannot. :smile:


In what way?
Im trying to think what help a business manager is, not arguing, honestly curious, I cannot think where they could help me for instance...other than with money and crossing the T's and dotting the I's.
In regards to advise, a lot can be gotten again on business links website or even through thier numerous tutorials.. nothing specific of course and a face to face meeting with an advisor for advice is what you need.. but still asking what advice/info it is that I am not [right this moment] thinking of that a business manager would give me.


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## Andy b 1 (May 14, 2007)

good luck on your shop


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## Snakes r grreat (Aug 21, 2006)

nuttybabez said:


> Hiya,
> 
> Snakesrgreat - I would have thought that this forum with very experienced keepers, breeders and shop owners would be a great place to start looking for info. I am not going to rely fully on this forum for all my info, its just a good place to start.
> 
> ...


Sorry to come accross negative, but sometimes i see and get people asking me about these things, and its obvious its a spur of the moment thing, that has had about as much thought as how their going to brush their teeth tonight. 

It seems you have looked into this more than originally suggested, which is excellent. I wish you all the best with this, if you go ahead with it. If you have any questions, i am more than happy to help, just ask here or pm me. 

*Dean*, i will chat to you on msn at somepoint, it will be easier.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

lol ok
i went to bed after that post last night and almost came down to add..
as i didnt want to make it sound liek i wouldnt advise going to a business manager... 
I meant... that is something you would do when your ready and have done your research, at a later stage [or back and forth constantly, depending on how you liek to do thinsg and how unsure you are]
I just dont think bank managers and the like are gona be able to advise you specifically on a reptile shop... rather you tell them all the details and they walk you through the normal business side of things where and what specifically is applicable to that business.


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## nuttybabez (Jul 21, 2007)

Thanks guys. I have got a lot of things to look into and I'll let you know how I get on.


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## Ally (Mar 8, 2006)

A business manager won't be able to help you with the reptiles, but you've got all the 'normal/boring' businessy stuff that they can help with. 
Budgetting, payroll, taxes, VAT, self assesment and all the nitty gritty bits!
Basically, they help with all the non-fun stuff!


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

yeh... They are still the things that you leave till your ready.. unless your unaware you have to pay taxes and how vat works lol.

Good luck mate, keep us updated on how you get on.


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