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The market for pets is almost universal, with the pet population in Australia alone estimated at nearly 40 million!
Learn how to take advantage of people's love of animals by selling not only the pets themselves, but a variety of profitable sidelines and accessories as well.
When it comes to starting a pet shop, site location is probably the most important factor in determining success for the majority of businesses.
The scenario is simple: Someone will walk by, fall in love with an animal and buy it. These sorts of impulse sales can add dramatically to your profits.
First-time browsers in a pet shop will not necessarily jump at the thought of spending $50 to $500 to bring a dog home or to set up an aquarium.
However, if your shop is accessible and your sales and service ability is convincing, it will not be long before you convert walk-in traffic into buying customers. The trick is to find a great location for walk-in traffic.
Your location will also be a result of the type of market you plan to target. Market research will help you to identify your market segments. This is an extremely important part of the business planning process.
Families with children living in suburban areas are the main market for dogs. High-priced, pedigree dogs are best sold to markets where shoppers can afford to both buy and maintain the animals.
Shops in low to middle income areas do well too. Pets provide comfort, security and entertainment to people who cannot afford other luxuries. In recent years, much media attention has also been given to the therapeutic effect of dogs and other animals on elderly people in nursing homes.
You will also need to consider the qualtiy and health of the animals you sell as esentially they are your business' stock. When new animals come in, they must be checked for illness and then put in the right cages. Illness or infection can become a major problem unless precautions are taken.
It is best to practice preventive maintenance. This means that you do not wait until things go wrong, but rather take careful precautions so that animals remain healthy.
This Guide also sets out how to customise your operations to fit the local area, how to avoid stocking the wrong pets, how to take advantage of the booming fish market, and how to buy, display and maintain stock.
| High net profit before tax | $64,000.00 | | Average net profit before tax | $41,000.00 | | Average startup investment | $57,000.00 | | Minimum startup investment | $34,000.00 |
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