reefmedown
New member
if i want to turn this hobby into income, how much do i need to open a small reef store ?? im living in bay area in California.:fun5:
can aquarium store make money??
- Thread starter reefmedown
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reefmedown
New member
because im struggling with my future, i dont know what to do, and im very into this hobby, in stead of being costumer, i want to turn it into a income. i have been going though a lot of things, i haven't feel happy in my life since the past 4 month. i currently having the most difficult time:idea:
MMacro
New member
Ah, sorry to hear that. How long have you been in the hobby?
reefmedown
New member
i start fresh water first about 8 years ago then i quit , 2 years ago i start saltwater but i failed, 1 year after i started do it again, now i really like it. it has been almost 8 months now, longest fish tank i ever keep, and spent almost like 2000 dollar. also met some friends who also love this hobby. recently i help my friend go all the way to sacramento got a 100G tank. they almost ready for coral now.
PS:
im living in san francisco, sometimes i go up to san jose to buy coral, like one called Neptune , i love that place, they have a lot of selections., but the fish is kinda pricey. recently i bought a black clown and a snowflake clown, they are the most expensive fish i ever have so far.
reefmedown
New member
interesting to hear that, I always thought this is a hobby, everything do it by self is a lot of more fun. :dance:
reefmedown
New member
i also love animals in general, not only fish. someday, i might have a combination store hopefully.
Brieninsac
Member
You'd need A LOT of money in the bank to afford the rent for a decent sized place in the city.
D-Nak
Active member
There is a huge void in both SF and the East Bay north of Hayward, and west of Concord and Dublin. If you were to open up a shop, I would consider the East Bay since rent in SF would be insane. Oakland had a long time LFS that closed years ago. Albany Aquarium has a saltwater section, but it's not extensive and their prices are ridiculously high for common fish. They just need some guidance and they could increase sales since their freshwater section is one of the best in the Bay Area.
Not to discourage you, but since we have really nice shops in the Bay Area, there is a lot of competition, so you'd need something that would set you apart. Initial start up costs would be a lot as well, since your shop would have to be at the same level as the others. The stock tanks alone would be pricey.
I can list quite a few shops that have come and gone, some that were around for decades, others only a couple of years before calling it quits. And this doesn't include the garage ops (which I'm not a fan of because they cut into legitimate LFS sales).
Have you considered simply working at a shop to see how it runs? Doing so may help to clarify your goals.
How about working for a business with some association to reefkeeping? Neptune Systems is in San Jose as is Reed Mariculture.
For more local input, start a thread here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=392
Not to discourage you, but since we have really nice shops in the Bay Area, there is a lot of competition, so you'd need something that would set you apart. Initial start up costs would be a lot as well, since your shop would have to be at the same level as the others. The stock tanks alone would be pricey.
I can list quite a few shops that have come and gone, some that were around for decades, others only a couple of years before calling it quits. And this doesn't include the garage ops (which I'm not a fan of because they cut into legitimate LFS sales).
Have you considered simply working at a shop to see how it runs? Doing so may help to clarify your goals.
How about working for a business with some association to reefkeeping? Neptune Systems is in San Jose as is Reed Mariculture.
For more local input, start a thread here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=392
reefmedown
New member
thanks you for ur advice , i was about to mention that, i have seen 2 LFS was closed for business, 1 was downgrade the store size in san francisco.
Making large life decisions when depressed isn't a wise idea. Speak to a psychiatrist, I doubt they would recommend launching a business to now. My wife is currently severely depressed. You say 4 months, but my wife was un-diagnosed and depressed for much longer. Lots of very expensive mistakes were made. Including ideas to launch a business.
cardiffgiant
Active member
When people propose going into business for themselves I always recommend against a "build it and they will come" approach.
Service is where you are going to make a profitable margin, and retail is not. You can build up a service business out of your house with very little investment. If I were doing it myself, I would try to grow it to a point that it could sustain a dedicated location, and then try to build enough of a following to also offer a retail presense.
You could apply that same concept to a number of businesses. The key is drive the demand to pull you into growth, as opposed to offering supply in an attempt to motivate demand (if that makes sense).
That being said, this is the best advice in the thread, and bears repeating.
Service is where you are going to make a profitable margin, and retail is not. You can build up a service business out of your house with very little investment. If I were doing it myself, I would try to grow it to a point that it could sustain a dedicated location, and then try to build enough of a following to also offer a retail presense.
You could apply that same concept to a number of businesses. The key is drive the demand to pull you into growth, as opposed to offering supply in an attempt to motivate demand (if that makes sense).
That being said, this is the best advice in the thread, and bears repeating.
I don't know anything about fish business. My unsolicited advice, however, is to not start a retail business, unless you have some experience and know the in-and-out of running a retail business. Work in a store for couple of years first, then decide. That of course if you don't have a pile of money burning a hole in your bank account.
roberthu526
New member
In my opinion if you have load of money that you don't really care, you can use them to open a fish store. But if you are trying to make it an income source, then it will turn a hobby into chore which you will not enjoy at all. I always tell my wife if one day I win 100 million dollars I will open a fish store just to have fun and not care about losing money so I can really have fun with it.
It's easier to turn a job into something you enjoy than the other way around.
It's easier to turn a job into something you enjoy than the other way around.
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
You need lots of startup cash is the first hurdle, the second is being in a larger city that can actually support a LFS. Hard to make money on yellow tangs and cardinals, you need rare and expensive things like Conspicuous, Clarions, Gems and the likes to be able to make actual profit on fish. Corals are much more of a money maker but if your store doesn't have a nice selection of fish no one will ever come to your store to see the corals. I would avoid it, there are very few well known, high quality fish stores
CHSUB
"Certified Hobby Expert"
not very encouraging...:lol:
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