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 Posted 3/25/2007 1:31:36 PM |
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Senior Member
 
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I've noticed a lot of people new to the hobby appear to have ambitions of breeding their animals to make lots and lots of money, and maybe even opening their own pet store one day. I would pretty much wager that nearly every herper has had this dream at some point, but there comes a time when we all must be realistic. While this "dream" isn't impossible, and I don't want to come across as "squelching" anyone's ambitions, there are a lot of things involved with any business venture, and people need to be aware of them.
1.) You need to realize that this will still basically be your hobby. Most "backyard" breeders do well to break even on the expenses it took to propagate the animals to begin with, and are lucky to get some profit. Essentially, most people do this for the enjoyment. In any case, it takes a lot of effort and many years for something like this to become a substantial source of income. Bottom line: don't quit your current job because your crested geckos laid eggs.
2.) there are many herp species out there that are too numerous to begin with and the hobby simply doesn't need any more of. Examples are green iguanas and red-eared sliders. Numerous animals from both species are often improperly cared for and neglected, often ending up dead within their first year or in rescue shelters. On top of that, they often get released into the wild, and now there are RES nearly all over the globe, including places in the UK and Asia. They're actually doing so well that they're outcompeting native species. So on top of too many of these guys to begin with, unless you have some radical new morph, you're not going to be able to make any money of breeding them, due their already cheap prices and availability.
3.) You do have to establish what you have to offer as a business. In other words, can you offer something that consumers can't get elsewhere? and if not, what makes your "product" superior to the competition? Initially, outside of close friends, most people aren't going to go thru the trouble of seeking you out for a leopard gecko when they can get one for $30 at Petsmart up the street. Bottom line: make sure you have something that can generate a little profit. True, leopard geckos and cornsnakes are as common as dirt, but they're still easy to keep & breed and there's always a market for them as beginner herps.
4.) Providing you have something substantial to offer, you need to advertise. First steps usually involve word-of-mouth; i.e. some guy knows a guy that knows a guy, etc. But if you really want to jumpstart things, you'll need to invest a little time and money into putting your name out there. Make flyers, post ads, create your own website, etc. There's actually a few ways to make a website for free. Try to be as professional as possible, and it wouldn't hurt to have a simple logo for yourself. (for those of you that are serious about this, I'm a practicing graphic artist who would be happy to consult/assist you in such matters).
5.) Before you start advertising though, you need to have a pretty well-established breeding program; first and foremost, you want to make sure you can produce a healthy supply of stock (I hate referring to animals this way, but you guys know what I mean). In other words, you don't want to promote something for sale that you do not have. Ideally, you should have done extensive research on whatever species you trying to breed before diving into it. In general, most programs have a few females to every male.
6.) You need to keep accurate records of everything; birthdates, feedings, parent info, sales invoices, etc. If a potential customer comes to you, you should be able to answer nearly any conceivable question about your stock. It also helps you keep track for things, and can aid in distinguishing unhealthy specimens in your collection. In addition, you definitely need to keep track of any sales transactions...for legal reasons, above all else. Other minor details would include: what guarantee to do you have on your stock, etc?
7.) So...perhaps you've been doing this for several years, and you're actually making enough money to achieve business status. I'm not sure what is involved with getting this done, but there's sure to be a lot of paper work, etc. But the upside is that you've gone professional and people can look you up in the yellow pages.
8.) Now you want to open your own petstore? This is where the old saying, "You gotta spend money to make money" really applies.
- first, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time, money, and work into this. Make sure your finances can handle such a large investment
- secondly, you need evaluate the competition. As most of us know, little privately-owned businesses are finding it harder to stay afloat with big corporations like Walmart, Petsmart and Petco around. So this all goes back to the issue of what do you have to offer that they don't. Can you outmatch their prices? Can you provide better customer service (which goes a long way)? Can you deal with the stress of working in a retail establishment?
- if the answer is yes to the above questions, then you need to find a good location. Once you found something you like, there's all these inspections that you have to pass before you can even consider letting customers inside.
- once the building is fit for business, you need to set-up a cash register, etc, your display cages, and also need to figure out what else you're going to sell. You may been breeding cornsnakes this whole time, but you need to offer more than that in your store. Obviously, supplies, maybe even some for non-herps. Then you need to find reputable sources for your other livestock, etc...
- Once you get your livestock set-up, then comes the fun part: USDA inspections. You better make sure all your animals are well-taken care of.
Everything you just read is the tip of the iceberg; there's countless other things involved with all of this. I'm just trying to give a realistic overview of what one needs to consider before turning their hobby into a business. I hope this helps some of you with future decisons.
[Note to Mod: I know we have 3 pinned topics in the General Section already, but it is a fairly frequent topic that arises and I do think it's pin-worthy.]
Ophiuchus' "hot' topics: one's failure to do research before getting a pet herp (and the improper care methods that often ensue), savannah monitor diet, almost anything regarding green iguanas, wild herps taken from the wild to be pets, redundant & meaningless threads posted over & over, and the resurrection of dead threads!
Current Pets
1.0 ball python "Jasper"
0.0.1.hybrid milksnake "Tortilla"
Experience with: Pantherophis genus, Candoia genus, ball pythons, giant hognose snakes, US pond sliders, African sideneck turtles, most gecko species, frilled dragons, glass lizards, blue-tongued skinks, green iguanas ------------
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| Posted 3/25/2007 2:52:44 PM |
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Average Member
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I have considered breeding Corns, as a start, on the home-hobby level. I have no interest in profit, and already have 3 local pet shops that would purchase healthy hatchlings. I really need to learn as much as possible about morphs, as normal corns are not worth the cost to produce. I am still pondering this idea. One thing you didn't mention was, "What will happen to all the stock that dosen't sell?" You should have an answer to this question before you hatch that first clutch of eggs.
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| Posted 3/25/2007 3:03:55 PM |
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Senior Member
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Saltydog88 (3/25/2007)
One thing you didn't mention was, "What will happen to all the stock that dosen't sell?" You should have an answer to this question before you hatch that first clutch of eggs.
Very good point.
Yeah, I wasn't directing this post at anyone in particular. I just see it continuously popping up as a issue, so I decided to finally spear-head it.
What you're doing is perfectly fine. Its just that a lot of people don't plan ahead and end up amassing all these animals they want to breed, and sooner or later, they burn out, and end up losing a lot of money and time with little/no fruits for their efforts.
Ophiuchus' "hot' topics: one's failure to do research before getting a pet herp (and the improper care methods that often ensue), savannah monitor diet, almost anything regarding green iguanas, wild herps taken from the wild to be pets, redundant & meaningless threads posted over & over, and the resurrection of dead threads!
Current Pets
1.0 ball python "Jasper"
0.0.1.hybrid milksnake "Tortilla"
Experience with: Pantherophis genus, Candoia genus, ball pythons, giant hognose snakes, US pond sliders, African sideneck turtles, most gecko species, frilled dragons, glass lizards, blue-tongued skinks, green iguanas ------------
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| Posted 3/26/2007 8:42:04 PM |
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New Member
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Last Login: 10/4/2007 9:54:58 PM
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What an interesting and timely topic (for me). I have been working on a new Herp product. Hopefully in another six months I will have some thing to show and sell.[ ]
rick
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| Posted 3/28/2007 3:52:24 PM |
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Average Member
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Last Login: 5/19/2008 7:43:47 PM
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So he teases us. Not even a hint?
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| Posted 5/20/2007 9:53:12 PM |
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New Member
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Sorry I've been away so long. It is a unique heating mat that will be of the highest quality. Prototyping is about over. Just tied up with some details and lawyers.
rick
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| Posted 5/21/2007 7:40:17 AM |
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i have a friend that had a sucessful business for a number of years. i liked his method. like you said hobbie first and he neeeded a place to keep them all. this later became his store as well. with his approch he never got more than he could or would want to handle. it was nice. he is still going well......
i agree with your thoughts.
Zero
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| Posted 12/13/2007 12:22:19 PM |
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Starting Member
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I love the ambition that some enthusiasts have to breeding herps. This makes the future of the reptile trade bright. Yes, I agree that it would be difficult to make a living off of breeding, though not impossible. There are other options to working with herps that may pay a bit. For example, my cousin and I run a buisness in which we take our collection of herps to groups that may want us to come out and display the animals. This may take place at parties or other gatherings. My cousin put together a shelf of chambers that could hold the reptiles when we go to show them off. Our company, called Ian's Reptile Show (IRS), is a fun alternative to breeding and selling herps. Instead show off the impressive collection you already posses. Currently, we are stationed in south central Pennsylvania and have a combined collection of 16 herps. Use your imagination to earn yourself a little money using your knowlege of reptiles.
1.1.0 Spotted Pythons0.0.1 Albino Nelson's Milksnake 1.0.0 Beardie Live to Herp, Herp to Live
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| Posted 1/12/2008 2:51:34 PM |
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New Member
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| Great topic, maybe I can help shine some light on it. We've been breeding reptiles for 20 years as our only income. You're right that it's not easy to just jump in and be instantly sucessful. You have to have good business sence and an incredible passion for the animals. Animals are a 365 day a year job, so if you like to take vacations, like to sit around on the weekends. You probably won't do well breeding herps. For us we work a ton and the hobby has been great to us, the thing that is important to remember is that it's not really "work" if you love what you do. I'm a huge believer in doing what you love and the money will follow. You just work harder if you love what you do. That being said, it's not always easy, there's been a lot of ups and downs over the last two decades. The experiences of producing such cool animals, meeting what now are great friends from all around the world and spreading the word about our living art have been something that I feel blessed to be able to do. I wouldn't trade my life for anyones. I hope this gave the viewpoint from a Breeders side. Great topic!!!!Brian(BHB)
www.myspace.com/bhbreptiles
www.snakebytes.tumblr.com
www.snakebytes.tv
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| Posted 3/9/2008 12:54:41 PM |
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Junior Member
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I've considered breeding beardies, but I don't know the cost of keeping 30 babies.
My Pets:
1.0 Beardy, Bearded Dragon
1.0 Snowy, Corn snake (snow)(I made these)  
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