Fretfreak13
I am not a boy!
I know this isn't the first time this thread has circled around, and I'm not even sure if this is the correct board to put it in. Modes move it if it should be elsewhere, please and thank you. I will happily take all constructive feedback, but if you just pop in to call me a moron please just save it.
I am currently writing my a rough draft of business plan and would like to launch in 2020. I say rough draft because my husband works for a company that often moves him around in order to advance in the hierarchy. We both have agreed though that in five years, as long as the demographics in the area look promising and there isn't an aquatics store on every corner, that we will stay put and launch the brick and mortar shop. If the area sucks, we'll wait for another move.
I have personally worked in two LFS. The first one I started as a weekend tank scrubber at 17 years old. I was there for three years and in that time worked my way up as the store manager. I was in charge of employees, ordering livestock, ordering dry stock, managing wholesalers, and even opening new accounts when needed. I also had all the headaches of ****ed off customers wanting to "speak with the manager" and being held accountable.
We also had a full maintenece squad where I personally kept all clients records, and even DID the services on four of them. I watched this little store grow from two employees and a tiny storefront, to an expansion that doubled the space with nine employees and two company vehicles. I watched a nine year old set up his first tank, and was probably just as excited as he was. I also watched my boss work way into the night waiting for a fish shipment who's plane was delayed until three am. I even watched him spend the night at the store in the beginning before we had a proper generator when the weather was looking shady, and then open the next day all bright eyed for his customers. Even after all of all of that, I still want to do this.
The other store I worked at basically taught me all the things NOT to do as far as retail goes. Bad location, bad customer relation, bad organization, etc. however, that boss had double the hobby experience of the first and it showed. I learned a lot from him as far as running healthy livestock systems.
By the time 2020 rolls around I will have been in the hobby for 15 years and will be 26 years old. I will have paid of my car loan by then, and will be more than halfway done paying off my student loan. If I bust my *** I could probably have the student loan paid off too. Unfortunately I never finished college and the credits I do have have nothing to do with business so that was a big waste of time and money.
Sorry for the novel, but I feel like at least saying where I'm coming from instead of acting how starry eyed about owning the perfect public fish roo would possibly get me more helpful and less negative responses.
Here are the first of my many questions, and right now most have to do with applying for a loan so bear with me.
I can do one of two things with my student loan. I can double pay on it and have it paid off by the time 2020 rolls around, or I can put that money into savings for opening the store. Either way I will still need to apply for a business loan. Do you think the loan companies would be more interested in seeing that I paid back the loan early (which on their part means they'd be out of the interest payments) or that I have a little bit of money saved to put towards opening the doors?
This is the first business plan I've ever written. Of course there are lots of examples out there online, but I'd like to see one more geared to opening a pet store. Would you share yours with me if you have one written?
Thinking back to when you first opened your store, what would you have done differently? This could be something as simple as having larger holding tanks to something more in depth, like having more insurance coverage.
Did you find it beneficial to go to your local frag swaps? I get mixed reviews when I ask store owners this question. Some say it's a waste of time, and some say it's good to just get the name out there. I side more with the latter, but what do you think?
What do you think is the best way to respond to a hobbiest posting negative things all over the web? One of my "favorite" customers I've dealt with came in saying the fish he got from us nuked his tank, proceeded to stomp his feet until he got wonderful discounts, left seemingly happy, and the posted reviews everywhere about how we "screwed him over". Forums, yelp, Google, everywhere. He even made stories up that never happened and had nothing to do with his actual scenario. What can you even do about that?
And lastly for now,low did you come up with your name?! For months I've ben thinking about just that part and have nothing on the table! :lmao:
Thanks for reading, and thanks ahead of time for any input that can be offered. :wave:
I am currently writing my a rough draft of business plan and would like to launch in 2020. I say rough draft because my husband works for a company that often moves him around in order to advance in the hierarchy. We both have agreed though that in five years, as long as the demographics in the area look promising and there isn't an aquatics store on every corner, that we will stay put and launch the brick and mortar shop. If the area sucks, we'll wait for another move.
I have personally worked in two LFS. The first one I started as a weekend tank scrubber at 17 years old. I was there for three years and in that time worked my way up as the store manager. I was in charge of employees, ordering livestock, ordering dry stock, managing wholesalers, and even opening new accounts when needed. I also had all the headaches of ****ed off customers wanting to "speak with the manager" and being held accountable.
We also had a full maintenece squad where I personally kept all clients records, and even DID the services on four of them. I watched this little store grow from two employees and a tiny storefront, to an expansion that doubled the space with nine employees and two company vehicles. I watched a nine year old set up his first tank, and was probably just as excited as he was. I also watched my boss work way into the night waiting for a fish shipment who's plane was delayed until three am. I even watched him spend the night at the store in the beginning before we had a proper generator when the weather was looking shady, and then open the next day all bright eyed for his customers. Even after all of all of that, I still want to do this.
The other store I worked at basically taught me all the things NOT to do as far as retail goes. Bad location, bad customer relation, bad organization, etc. however, that boss had double the hobby experience of the first and it showed. I learned a lot from him as far as running healthy livestock systems.
By the time 2020 rolls around I will have been in the hobby for 15 years and will be 26 years old. I will have paid of my car loan by then, and will be more than halfway done paying off my student loan. If I bust my *** I could probably have the student loan paid off too. Unfortunately I never finished college and the credits I do have have nothing to do with business so that was a big waste of time and money.
Sorry for the novel, but I feel like at least saying where I'm coming from instead of acting how starry eyed about owning the perfect public fish roo would possibly get me more helpful and less negative responses.
Here are the first of my many questions, and right now most have to do with applying for a loan so bear with me.
I can do one of two things with my student loan. I can double pay on it and have it paid off by the time 2020 rolls around, or I can put that money into savings for opening the store. Either way I will still need to apply for a business loan. Do you think the loan companies would be more interested in seeing that I paid back the loan early (which on their part means they'd be out of the interest payments) or that I have a little bit of money saved to put towards opening the doors?
This is the first business plan I've ever written. Of course there are lots of examples out there online, but I'd like to see one more geared to opening a pet store. Would you share yours with me if you have one written?
Thinking back to when you first opened your store, what would you have done differently? This could be something as simple as having larger holding tanks to something more in depth, like having more insurance coverage.
Did you find it beneficial to go to your local frag swaps? I get mixed reviews when I ask store owners this question. Some say it's a waste of time, and some say it's good to just get the name out there. I side more with the latter, but what do you think?
What do you think is the best way to respond to a hobbiest posting negative things all over the web? One of my "favorite" customers I've dealt with came in saying the fish he got from us nuked his tank, proceeded to stomp his feet until he got wonderful discounts, left seemingly happy, and the posted reviews everywhere about how we "screwed him over". Forums, yelp, Google, everywhere. He even made stories up that never happened and had nothing to do with his actual scenario. What can you even do about that?
And lastly for now,low did you come up with your name?! For months I've ben thinking about just that part and have nothing on the table! :lmao:
Thanks for reading, and thanks ahead of time for any input that can be offered. :wave: