Fish Store Owners, I need advice.
- Thread starter JYoung
- Start date
Beandawg
I see whatchu did there.
Keep it fresh. New stock in at least once a week. Keep prices low, and easy for the consumer to interpret. Don't try to make a fortune on each sale. The easiest pricing technique I used was entire tanks that had the same price and was clearly labeled. Ideally you would want about 300% mark-up but, that is not always the best way to get a quick turn-around. Sometimes making <%200 is what has to happen. Anything less than $50 will move pretty good, less than $20 will FLY out the door. Frags, frags, frags.
Same idea with fish. The thing with fish is you don't want them hanging around long. They get territorial. They also get very stressed in that environment. Keep your mark up very low on them, so they will move. You want to keep the normal bread-and-butter, hardy, common fish in stock but, you NEED exciting rare stuff to make a name for yourself. Good Luck.
Same idea with fish. The thing with fish is you don't want them hanging around long. They get territorial. They also get very stressed in that environment. Keep your mark up very low on them, so they will move. You want to keep the normal bread-and-butter, hardy, common fish in stock but, you NEED exciting rare stuff to make a name for yourself. Good Luck.
sea of cortez
New member
So where did the thread move too. Search engine not working again
Wills612
Active member
Not an owner but I have seen a few stores come and go. My thinking is location is not a huge deal. Obliviously you don't wanna be in the middle of no where, but if your main clientele is goin to be reefers you don't need a high traffic store front. I would look for a place with good rent price and something that is gonna be cheap to set up as a fish store. I would only do the bare minimum upgrades to the place. I don't really care what the floors are like in the store, I'm looking at the tanks. Also i don't think you need loads of dry goods to start out with. i don't expect the smaller stores geared towards reefers to have every pump, overflow , replacement part I'm looking for. Hope I could help a bit, if not least a bump.
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I wasn't the owner but real close friends with him, is parents have him the first $100,000 to start with. To make a long story short it still feel through in roughly 2 years. It cost more to get the place right and to order stock and dry goods along with the utilities and rent every month. Good luck, I have seen so many stores close up since the economy tanked.
igot2gats
Deeeetroit Basketball!
I'm not an owner either, but I can give my thoughts on what I like to see in stores.
But, first, with social media being so big - I would say try to get your name out there on Facebook and Twitter. It's almost free advertising/marketing if you ask me.
Also, having sales and deals for a grand opening kind of thing to get people in the door.
Lastly, make sure you keep it looking CLEAN and ORGANIZED. I think cleanliness is worth a thousand words, and it sticks with people for a long period of time. The first impression is most important.
I don't know about others, but I don't go back to dirty looking/feeling stores.
Good luck. It's always awesome when a new fish store opens.
But, first, with social media being so big - I would say try to get your name out there on Facebook and Twitter. It's almost free advertising/marketing if you ask me.
Also, having sales and deals for a grand opening kind of thing to get people in the door.
Lastly, make sure you keep it looking CLEAN and ORGANIZED. I think cleanliness is worth a thousand words, and it sticks with people for a long period of time. The first impression is most important.
I don't know about others, but I don't go back to dirty looking/feeling stores.
Good luck. It's always awesome when a new fish store opens.
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IMO I would work from your home at first if you can. The overhead of a store can be the death of you and it will take you at least 6 months to a year to develop a client base. Make a website showcasing your selection and keep it updated. Be willing to cut people good deals to get them into the hobby. You really make money off the small stuff, this is where you can mark up a lot without anyone knowing it.
I agree the store must be clean and organized. I dont know how many stores I wont go to because I feel my tank will get stds just from me walking in. Its very discouraging to walk into a nasty store.
Last bit of advice, dont try and rush it all and dump a fortune into it. Go slow, if you need another frag tank, add another. Don't start off with 5-6 frag tanks if you dont need them. When you build your tanks/system make it upgradeable and slowly add to it, this will save you a lot of money and will allow you to grow as needed.
Hope this helps.
I agree the store must be clean and organized. I dont know how many stores I wont go to because I feel my tank will get stds just from me walking in. Its very discouraging to walk into a nasty store.
Last bit of advice, dont try and rush it all and dump a fortune into it. Go slow, if you need another frag tank, add another. Don't start off with 5-6 frag tanks if you dont need them. When you build your tanks/system make it upgradeable and slowly add to it, this will save you a lot of money and will allow you to grow as needed.
Hope this helps.
best advice in this thread so far.
If you start out trying to make it your sole income, you're likely to fail. Most small businesses do.
Start out using it for additional income. In your house (if at all possible, but make sure to get proper zoning), open a few hours on the weekends, other times by appointment. This will allow you to make mistakes (which you will), refine techniques and build a loyal following, without the stress of making enough money to pay your bills. That's what you have your "real" job for.
Reevaluate your position every so often, and only make the change to full-time LFS when economically feasible.
wooden_reefer
New member
If you want to cater to the serious, your function is to provide healthy livestock.
Healthy means at the moment not seriously affected by captivity.
I don't think the serious expect any QT, but livestock should have shipped well and all in good health at the moment of sale. The rest is up to the client.
Point is that the better aquarists need more livestock by increasing the volume of water (number of tanks). A successful reefer hopefully will bring in more new clients.
Healthy means at the moment not seriously affected by captivity.
I don't think the serious expect any QT, but livestock should have shipped well and all in good health at the moment of sale. The rest is up to the client.
Point is that the better aquarists need more livestock by increasing the volume of water (number of tanks). A successful reefer hopefully will bring in more new clients.
Imo I agree with starting off out of your garage or home is an excellent choice. We have a lfs here that is based solely out of his home and basement. He has about a 2000 gallon system. He sells fish coral and dry goods. He advertises like the previous post said on facebook and craigslist list. He also does aquarium maintenance and new setups/upgrades I have heard many lfs owners talk about their servicing side being their bread and butter. Often they say thats how they have been able to stay afloat. Check out http://www.coralguy.com I have been purchasing tanks and supplies here and there trying to get enough together to turn my garage into a breeding room still a long ways away... good luck and keep us updated..
wooden_reefer
New member
Yes, I have same desire to buy a larger property, say 0.5 acre, and build a large shed and have a small home reef business.
Otherwise the overhead will eat me up.
Otherwise the overhead will eat me up.
wooden_reefer
New member
What license is needed to import directly from South East Asian and Carribean collectors?
I am not an owner
Advice
1) put a price tag on everything. I get sick and tired of going into a store and asking how much for the acro, how about the monti, how much for that rock with mushrooms, if you want to sell it out a price on it
2) two water systems one for coral and one for fish. Fish should have copper and maybe slightly lower salinity. You can cascade the water changes if you want, new salt water goes into coral system, coral water goes into fish water, fish water goes down the drain.
3) talk to the customer ask about their water quality, give advice, offer to test their water quality for a small fee, make the fee small, they will come back with a small bottle of their water and they will also buy something from you a second time, the personal relationship will go far. Rent par meters, customer rents par meter goes home tests lighting and comes back to drop it off and buys something again. have your filtration system visible but also tidy. Talk to the customer about how your filtration system is set up. Have smaller equipment like you have that they can buy.
Advice
1) put a price tag on everything. I get sick and tired of going into a store and asking how much for the acro, how about the monti, how much for that rock with mushrooms, if you want to sell it out a price on it
2) two water systems one for coral and one for fish. Fish should have copper and maybe slightly lower salinity. You can cascade the water changes if you want, new salt water goes into coral system, coral water goes into fish water, fish water goes down the drain.
3) talk to the customer ask about their water quality, give advice, offer to test their water quality for a small fee, make the fee small, they will come back with a small bottle of their water and they will also buy something from you a second time, the personal relationship will go far. Rent par meters, customer rents par meter goes home tests lighting and comes back to drop it off and buys something again. have your filtration system visible but also tidy. Talk to the customer about how your filtration system is set up. Have smaller equipment like you have that they can buy.
I am not an owner
Advice
1) put a price tag on everything. I get sick and tired of going into a store and asking how much for the acro, how about the monti, how much for that rock with mushrooms, if you want to sell it out a price on it
2) two water systems one for coral and one for fish. Fish should have copper and maybe slightly lower salinity. You can cascade the water changes if you want, new salt water goes into coral system, coral water goes into fish water, fish water goes down the drain.
3) talk to the customer ask about their water quality, give advice, offer to test their water quality for a small fee, make the fee small, they will come back with a small bottle of their water and they will also buy something from you a second time, the personal relationship will go far. Rent par meters, customer rents par meter goes home tests lighting and comes back to drop it off and buys something again. have your filtration system visible but also tidy. Talk to the customer about how your filtration system is set up. Have smaller equipment like you have that they can buy.
Advice
1) put a price tag on everything. I get sick and tired of going into a store and asking how much for the acro, how about the monti, how much for that rock with mushrooms, if you want to sell it out a price on it
2) two water systems one for coral and one for fish. Fish should have copper and maybe slightly lower salinity. You can cascade the water changes if you want, new salt water goes into coral system, coral water goes into fish water, fish water goes down the drain.
3) talk to the customer ask about their water quality, give advice, offer to test their water quality for a small fee, make the fee small, they will come back with a small bottle of their water and they will also buy something from you a second time, the personal relationship will go far. Rent par meters, customer rents par meter goes home tests lighting and comes back to drop it off and buys something again. have your filtration system visible but also tidy. Talk to the customer about how your filtration system is set up. Have smaller equipment like you have that they can buy.
CHSUB
"Certified Hobby Expert"
not an owner but was a LFS employee for many years and now own two restaurants...my best advise is to greet the customer when they walk in and ask if they need help. in my area there are about 10 stores all with good stock, but the one's that get my business is the one's that ask me if they can help...i have walked out of 1 store because the staff would not wait on me, only to go to another store and spend hundreds of dollars.....even if you can't wait on a customer right away, acknowledge them.....
Have a business plan. Know exactly how much you have to sell each day to be profitable. Know where that's going to come from. A lot of stores that were profitable 10 years ago are closing now because reefers are learning they don't need to spend $50/month on Kent TurboSnakeOils for a healthy tank. A disturbing number of these owners don't even know what two part dosing is. If you're going to cater to advanced hobbyists, follow advances in the hobby closely and always be thinking about how you will remain solvent as the hobby advances.
