Planning on Start my own LFS

I got tired of working for the "man" and am looking into starting my
own freshwater aquarium store. I was wondering if anyone knew where a
good source of financial information might be found. I think I've
figured out the initial costs but regarding the potential profits and
growth would be appreciated. Also any advice on how best to proceed
from anyone with experience would be apprecatiated as well.
Thanks

suhweetp wrote:
I got tired of working for the "man" and am looking into starting my
own freshwater aquarium store. I was wondering if anyone knew where a
good source of financial information might be found. I think I've
figured out the initial costs but regarding the potential profits and
growth would be appreciated. Also any advice on how best to proceed
from anyone with experience would be apprecatiated as well.
Thanks

I ran a LFS and Aquarium Maintenance company from 1978 -2002.
It can be both tough and rewarding, but there is sooo much to know than
I or anyone else can give in an over simplified answer.
But i will give three very important points in todays super competive
world;

[1] Capital and more capital. If you are under capitalized, you will
not be able to compete with the buying power of the big boys. With
plenty of capital you will be able to pay cash and buy in qantity to
get better discounts.

[2] Carve out a nitch, be unique.

[3] An old business saying that still applies; Location, Location,
Location.

Carl
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

"suhweetp" wrote in message
ups.com...
I got tired of working for the "man" and am looking into starting my
own freshwater aquarium store. I was wondering if anyone knew where a
good source of financial information might be found. I think I've
figured out the initial costs but regarding the potential profits and
growth would be appreciated. Also any advice on how best to proceed
from anyone with experience would be apprecatiated as well.
Thanks


Actually there is an excellent series of articles.
One second,,,,,, searching,,,,,,,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubW...iz%20index.htm
Actually where are you based?
Can prob give you a better local heads up.
:-)
As an added note I'd like to say welcome to welcome to the salt mines, or
acid vats if your going Amazonian.
You may not be able to choose your customers, but you can do your best to
educate them and make sure they stick around in the hobby long enough to
come back.
I found the hardest thing...... the bloody hardest thing..... is politely
asking a lady to get her kiddy to stop kicking the discus tank.
And you may find yourself explaining a nitrate cycle or 2.....

swarvegorilla wrote:


Actually there is an excellent series of articles.
One second,,,,,, searching,,,,,,,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubW...iz%20index.htm

This article is good starting place for information, but try and read
more and more opinions here and elsewhere.

I do have to differ with this article in two areas;
[1] UV sterilization is most effectively achieved at 265 NM, not the
higher numbers they gave. Also proper UV sterilization will not achieve
a "boy in the bubble" effect. It is not that complete.
[2] Central filtration. I have run stores with and without central
filtration and yes it can save time, but this comes at the expense of
your customer's fish health. This is of coarse my opinion, but it is
shared by many. As I stated earlier, you want to carve out a niche to
separate yourself from the "big boys" who mostly use central
filtration, they use it because it is more efficient for maintenance
and their often revolving door work force.
We quarantined our fish then moved them to tanks with their own filter
systems, with all types of filtration present. Our customers reported
that our fish were vastly healthier than the stores with central filter
systems.

Carl

"carlrs" wrote in message
oups.com...

swarvegorilla wrote:


Actually there is an excellent series of articles.
One second,,,,,, searching,,,,,,,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubW...iz%20index.htm

This article is good starting place for information, but try and read
more and more opinions here and elsewhere.

I do have to differ with this article in two areas;
[1] UV sterilization is most effectively achieved at 265 NM, not the
higher numbers they gave. Also proper UV sterilization will not achieve
a "boy in the bubble" effect. It is not that complete.
[2] Central filtration. I have run stores with and without central
filtration and yes it can save time, but this comes at the expense of
your customer's fish health. This is of coarse my opinion, but it is
shared by many. As I stated earlier, you want to carve out a niche to
separate yourself from the "big boys" who mostly use central
filtration, they use it because it is more efficient for maintenance
and their often revolving door work force.
We quarantined our fish then moved them to tanks with their own filter
systems, with all types of filtration present. Our customers reported
that our fish were vastly healthier than the stores with central filter
systems.

Carl


Hey maybe the articles aren't perfect but they are an ok start.
Theres also a lot of them on many parts of the hobby/trade
Where I work we have 100 or so tanks and each one is seperately filtered
dam I love mass air tho

The key is to break even. That break even point is quite high, but the
rewards once you do break free are high as well.
YOU NEED TO STOCK BREAD AND BUTTER SPECIES
it's just how you make cash unless you can support a specialist store and
really theres not many of them

That said what is your background in the fish trade?
If your experienced then trade shows are the go for info
jus gotta get invited
lol

swarvegorilla wrote:

Hey maybe the articles aren't perfect but they are an ok start.
Theres also a lot of them on many parts of the hobby/trade
Where I work we have 100 or so tanks and each one is seperately filtered
dam I love mass air tho

The key is to break even. That break even point is quite high, but the
rewards once you do break free are high as well.
YOU NEED TO STOCK BREAD AND BUTTER SPECIES
it's just how you make cash unless you can support a specialist store and
really theres not many of them

That said what is your background in the fish trade?
If your experienced then trade shows are the go for info
jus gotta get invited
lol

Hey, sorry, I guess I came across wrong.
I think this article was a good start, I just wanted to point out that
anyone interested in starting a LFS needs to explore all the facts and
opinions out there.
And making a niche selling healthy bread and butter species is
certainly the way to go.
If customer A goes to your store to buy a guppy and it lives, but goes
to the large store with central filtration and it dies, where is he
going to go again?
And yea mass air is the way to go!

Carl

carlrs wrote:
swarvegorilla wrote:

Hey maybe the articles aren't perfect but they are an ok start.
Theres also a lot of them on many parts of the hobby/trade
Where I work we have 100 or so tanks and each one is seperately filtered
dam I love mass air tho

The key is to break even. That break even point is quite high, but the
rewards once you do break free are high as well.
YOU NEED TO STOCK BREAD AND BUTTER SPECIES
it's just how you make cash unless you can support a specialist store and
really theres not many of them

That said what is your background in the fish trade?
If your experienced then trade shows are the go for info
jus gotta get invited
lol

Hey, sorry, I guess I came across wrong.
I think this article was a good start, I just wanted to point out that
anyone interested in starting a LFS needs to explore all the facts and
opinions out there.
And making a niche selling healthy bread and butter species is
certainly the way to go.
If customer A goes to your store to buy a guppy and it lives, but goes
to the large store with central filtration and it dies, where is he
going to go again?
And yea mass air is the way to go!

Carl

Thanks all for the responses. I'm actually out of Northern California.
The fish is really going to be centered around planted tanks. As far as
the location, would it be better to be in a place with high foot
traffic or car traffic?. I'm sure parking would also be a plus right?
How far would you all be willing to travel to a good fish store?

suhweetp said the following on 9/28/2006 3:10 PM:

Thanks all for the responses. I'm actually out of Northern California.
The fish is really going to be centered around planted tanks. As far as
the location, would it be better to be in a place with high foot
traffic or car traffic?.

High car traffic is a plus. Foot traffic is nice but nobody wants to
carry all the purchases back to a car that is not parked close by.

I'm sure parking would also be a plus right?

Absolutely.

How far would you all be willing to travel to a good fish store?

I have been known to drive 300 miles to a fish store. Not because the
ones in Jacksonville Florida aren't good (they are) but because the LFS
in Alabama had what I wanted.

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq & newsgroup weekly
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

suhweetp wrote:

Thanks all for the responses. I'm actually out of Northern California.
The fish is really going to be centered around planted tanks. As far as
the location, would it be better to be in a place with high foot
traffic or car traffic?. I'm sure parking would also be a plus right?
How far would you all be willing to travel to a good fish store?

Where in Northern California are thinking of setting up your store?
My stores were in Los Angeles begore I moved to Southern Oregon and set
up an online business.
If you are in an area such as Redding where there is not a lot of
options for many of the scattered nearby communities, potential
customers are more likely to travel. If you are a more densely
populated area such as Sacramento, customers have more options and are
less likely to travel.
My LFS were in areas of alot nearby factories (City of Industry,
Hacienda Heights) and I got a lot of customers who lived elsewhere, but
liked our store and shopped after work before heading home.
Where I live now (Grants Pass) has no good LFS (at least in my opinion-
its like walking into 1978 in these stores), so I purchase my fish when
I travel to LA to meet with my importers for my online business..
Also keeep in mind if you open in a small town such as where I now
live, potential customers tend to be more resistant to change, and will
be difficult get them to change their habits and patronize your new LFS
(which is why I did not open here after a year of talking and
research).

Carl
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

Thanks all for the responses. I'm actually out of Northern California.
The fish is really going to be centered around planted tanks. As far as
the location, would it be better to be in a place with high foot
traffic or car traffic?. I'm sure parking would also be a plus right?
How far would you all be willing to travel to a good fish store?


yep parking is good!!
carrying fish tanks around is no fun!
the other thing that seems to work well
is offering to 2 types of things
a cheap one and a higher quality more expensive one
makes the choice easy for people