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Introduction and pet industry overview

A pet shop or pet store is a retail outlet that grooms and sells different kinds of pets – dogs, cats, horses, and other kinds of birds. A pet shop can also consist of selling different kinds of animals’ supplies and pet accessories. Some of the animal supplies sold include food, cat litter, toys, treats, collars, leashes, cages, and aquariums.

In this modern society, such as the US, Canada, and Europe some pet stores offer both hygienic care (hygienic cleaning) and aesthetic facility (dog and cat grooming. There are pet stores also that provide other services such as advice on pet nutrition as well as tips on training and behavior.

In the US and some other parts of Europe and Canada, there is growing popularity of pets, particularly cats and dogs. If you love pets and desire to translate the love you have for pets into a venture you can profit from, setting up a pet store is a great idea, and it is!

The pet store industry is flourishing in the US and on the annual basis generates well over $19 billion from over 13,575 pet stores up and down the country.

The industry employs 119,839 people and it is projected to grow at the rate of 4.5% annually between 2011 and 2016. Two companies dominate the pet industry in the US with substantial market share; PetSmart Inc. and PETCO Animal Supplies Inc.

A report published recently by IBISWORLD reveals that the industry is experiencing intense competition while regulations that restrict entry into the industry may be a stumbling block for new entrants together with government regulations.

Your pet store business is likely to succeed if you live in an area there is a large concentration of pet owners. With this development, it is possible you grow the business from your immediate environment into a national brand and even beyond the shores of the United States.

The increasing popularity of pets in America

The pet store business and its constituent products (animals, supplies, and accessories) are in regular demand. The reason is obvious. It is a result of shifting change in the way some Americans in particular are adopting dogs, cats, and other animals in place of children. Consequently, the pet stores as well as the pet food market have grown tremendously over the past decade. Indeed, the pet store and pet food industry growth have tripled in the past 20 years. The growth has been facilitated by the Americans’ love for pets and the massive expenditure deployed to procure pets and care for them. This leads us to mention the different areas of pet business you can set up.

Different types of pet related businesses

Information and advice has been made available in the Pet Business start-up guide that there are about  5 different types of pet-related businesses that are in demand today: pet sitting/dog walking, pet grooming, dog training, pet-food sales, and upscale pet products. There are other pet-related pet store businesses too. One or two of these businesses can be set up as a small-scale enterprise with relatively low capital investment. You can also start one or two as strictly internet businesses to bring the costs low; launching and running them successfully by the owner with or without any assistance from employees. Assistance can come at a later date when the business begins to expand and you can no longer cope with day to day activities.

The different types of pet-care businesses are as follows:

1. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
   If you have developed a love for pets – dog, cat, fish, bird, etc. this could be an ideal profession for you. Here you can take care of people’s pets while they are away for a day or longer. You have become a professional pet sitter, taking care of pets for people who have gone to work, on vacations, or some other trips. You mainly have to feed the pet, play with them, brush them, and if the need is, give them medication as the case may be. These services are offered for the convenience of the pet owners and may also include cleaning accident victims, changing cat litter boxes, watering plants, bringing in newspapers, and taking out the garbage.

Dog walkers, on the other hand, take dogs out for their daily constitutional one or more times a day, in small groups or individually. This service can be offered together with playing with dogs, bringing newspapers and mail, feed the pets, and turning lights on and off.

However, both pet sitting and dog walking are yet to fully develop, they are still at the infancy stage of being recognized as a profession. This could be attributed to the fact that only 3% of US households use this service which accounts for just about 55 million visits in a year. According to the same source, the figure is expected to grow in the coming years.

2. Dog Training- Dog training requires skilled people and at the same time have a love for pets. Training in this case is partly instructional and partly psychology. Those trainers with a background in psychology and also have a great love for people and the animals will be in a position to do a better job than others. With the love you have for these pooches, you will be able to deal with them patiently, talk to them kindly, and strengthen their behavior so that men and animals understand each other.
3. Pet Grooming– Pet grooming entails bathing, cleaning of ears, and clipping to tying bows; pet cleaning goes beyond changing pets’ appearance, cleaning makes pet feel more comfortable. A groomer’s gentle touch can make a skittish dog sit quiet and reassure a scared pet. Besides, a  trained groomer is likely to discover first if a pet has a medical condition that might require veterinarian attention.

As the demand for pet groomers is predicted to rise by12 percent by 2010, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Petgroomer.com, it behooves that the sky is the limit for career pet groomers since there are over 4,000 dogs and cats for every business grooming dogs and cats in the US. It is a great opportunity if you are thinking along the line of starting up a pet grooming business.

4. Upscale pet products

The upscale pet-products market has risen sharply since Hollywood starlets took to carrying their pets around in custom-made bags and tucking them in to lie on designer beds and getting publicity for it. Devoted pet owners now decorate their pets with all sorts of apparels – pearl collars, cashmere coats, rhinestone tiaras, and other related decorations. This has opened a new market and indeed boosted the upscale pet products up and down the country.

5. Pet food store and other accessories – this is where you open your store to buy and sell pet food and accessories. You can open physical wholesale or retail stores, online stores through your websites, and other sites that are frequently visited.
6. Offer petting zoo-style
7. You can do this through ‘meet the animals’ sessions with different categories of pets in your shop to appeal to customers’ children and families. This exercise can promote pets and cause a member of the public to invest in pets.
8. Write and print your booklets on caring for particular animals and hand them out to customers free of charge. You can produce ebooks and hardcopy on caring for particular animals and hand them out to customers free of charge. This will enable customers to learn deeply how to look after their pets and groom/tame them to their lifestyle.
9. Bake or make homemade pet food or treats to sell to pet owners and others.

You can produce various kinds of pet foods and treats to market to pet owners. These foods can be supplied to retail outlets, and if viable you can also sell in your store.

In the case of pet products, it is possible to sell products to the public through various outlets which may include the following:

1. Website/blog – if you decide to sell your products online you can use your website as an outlet to sell your entire products. You can also sell pet products through other active and frequently visited websites.
2. Retail/wholesale stores: if you produce various pet products such as pet foods or other pet accessories such as collars, leashes, health and beauty aids, shampoos, medication, toys, pet containers, dog kennels, etc., you can sell to wholesalers and retailers
3. Own retail store – another way to dispose of your products if you are into production is to open your retail location. If you stock an exclusive and expensive range of products, you can locate your store in an exclusive area such as a holiday resort or in an exclusive neighborhood or mall.; this way you can hope to be successful. If you are renting an outlet in any of these exclusive areas, you should be prepared to foot the rent bill because it is going to be pricey, but it will pay you in the long run when you meet people of affluent who are ready to lavish money on their good friends.

The growth of the pet industry.

Americans’ love for pets is not new; it has grown over the years as many people now own pets. Pet has become part of the family and is playing important roles in the lives of the families. According to Bob Vetere, managing director, APPMA COO, who says that pets have become a part of the family, and spending money on all different types of pet products; from pet food and health care, toys and treats says it all how far Americans can go to taking care of pets.

The strong growth in the pet care industry is orchestrated by the way American people pamper pets as if they have become human beings. Pets make life bearable, bring joy to the family; in some cases lower the blood pressure, and in fact, offer the people unconditional love which many Americans cherish. The pets even bridge the gap left when the children are gone to live their lives in their own separate homes or a spouse departs this world. For some couples who are unable to have their children, pets become their loved ones, and affection and gifts are lavished on them. In some cases, pets have replaced kids, and affection that are meant for kids are showered on pets and even in some cases, parents relate to pets more warmly than to kids.

Therefore it shows that Americans’ love for pets is instrumental to the growth of the pet market in the US. For instance, Americans spent over $34.5 billion on pets; dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, and others, according to the American Pet Food Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). The following year, this figure was estimated to rise by $1.4 billion in continuation of a decade-long trend of increases in pet spending.

How To Start a Pet Store

 Starting your Pet Store from Scratch or Buying a Franchise

Possible Challenges and Threats of Starting a Pet Store

The Service Process Involved in a Pet Store Business

Marketing strategies for a pet store

Publicity and Advertising Strategy for a pet store

Conclusion 

Starting your Pet Store from Scratch or Buying a Franchise

It is important to remember that the pace at which pet parents are making their purchase choices is getting more complex together with the services they look for and the product they buy. Naturally, you would expect them to visit shops employing staff that are vast about pets than others that just sales clerks.

Starting your pet store from scratch is likely to profit you than buying a franchise. Buying a franchise only requirement is about complying with the standard of the franchisor, nothing more, nothing less. Starting from scratch allows you to plan how you are going to carry out your business and make a success of it, so you are likely to be offered the following advantages:

• You are at liberty to choose from many of the pet products and supplies available without having to meet the standard that is put in place by the franchisor.
• You can choose what personal services you can offer; a personal service that satisfies your prospective customers and meets your profit objectives.
• Since you are completely in charge of your business, you are in a position to create a greater connection with members of your community without consulting with your franchisor.
• You can settle for your unique niche/s instead of relying on what your franchisor has to offer your business.

Possible Challenges and Threats of Starting a Pet Store

Do not believe everything you hear about the hurdles in the way to starting and managing this business. There is awesome joy in starting and running a pet store. It can be likened to grooming your first child; putting up a lot of effort together with spending so much money cannot be compared with the joy you derive from seeing your child grow to maturity. Here you have the opportunity to work with pets, and being a pet lover, it is a wonderful experience. Just the thought of it can make you feel good and a fun pastime. But bear in mind that being your boss in this type of business puts on your shoulder a lot of effort and careful planning.

Moreover, be reminded that making a success out of your pet store business is dependent on creating an enabling store environment, supplying the right products, complying with the laws, and being ethical in operating your pet store business.

Some of the challenges you are likely to encounter may include;

• Viable market – the market in which you intend to operate in must be in great demand for pet products to generate sufficient profitable sales.
• Experience and knowledge – to dabble into the pet store business, you must have sufficient knowledge and experience. The experience may be acquired by working for a pet-related business such as pet sitting/walking, pet training, or pet grooming.
• Capital availability – if capital is not available, you must begin early to source for capital by approaching family members and friends, including financial institutions.
• Land space availability – land space is often scarce in densely populated cities and even when available is pricey.
• Time management – starting a pet store business demands so much of your time and if you have another regular job, maybe a herculean task having to share out your time.
• Sustainable supply chain – if you decide to buy and sell pets and its related products, the problem is not finding suppliers but finding reliable and regular suppliers.
• Cash flow management – apart from the initial investment, there is also the need to sustain cash flow especially in the early days of your business when sales is still at the low ebb.
• Hiring trustworthy and competent staff – the staff you employ must have sufficient knowledge and experience to drive the business and attract new customers
• Good communication skills and awesome customer service, not easy always to acquire..
• Animal attacking diseases – this is a big challenge for the pet industry but by employing the services of a veterinary medicine practitioner, disease-related problems can be reduced.

The Service Process Involved in a Pet Store Business

The pet store is similar in some respects to many retail stores but in some retail stores, it differs completely. It is a good idea to identify where these differences occur in the operational activities performed on daily basis and structure the basic operational processes and workflow to enable the smooth running of the store. These processes can be seen in the areas of:

• Purchasing – buying of pets may take a longer process because the medical condition of the pet has to be established before a deal is signed
• Inventory – Inventory is another area that needs to be carefully handled because live animals are involved and also the pet food has an expiring date.
• Customer service – this is the area you must be very careful because the potential customer needs to be convinced thoroughly about the kind of animal that is on sale in terms of animal behavior.
• Accounting – the accounting procedure is also going to differ because live animals are the subject of the transaction. Animals can be infected, sick, and even die; how these are going to be reflected in the books are some of the differences you are likely to face..

Marketing strategies for a pet store

Creating an effective marketing strategy for your pet store will speed up the growth of the pet store and there are low-cost options available. You need to create an effective strategy and make sure it is evaluated before you put it into operation. If need be, engage the services of a professional marketing professional who will add a professional touch to your strategy and even help in the implementation.

You can build up a workable marketing strategy by re-stating your goals and being clear about it. This means that you must clearly understand the potential customers you want to serve, the strengths of your pet shop you want to capitalize on, and the weaknesses you want to cover up. The following are some of the areas you will have to consider:

• Open your pet stores in a grand style with a party for all; include motor shows and drive around the city center.
• Use handbills and introductory emails to let the public know you are in the business of pet selling, grooming, training, sitting/walking, etc., as the case may be. Also, use handbills to direct potential visitors to your store.
• Always ensure you have sufficient stock of a wide range of pets such as dogs, cats, fish and birds, and pet foods and pet supplies, such as collars, leashes, health and beauty aids, shampoos, medication, toys, pet containers, dog kennels, and cat furniture, etc. in your store.
• Make use of signage/flex banners and position them at strategic places around your location.
• Also, point your greeters to welcome and direct customers
• Always use a loyalty plan to reward your notable customers

Publicity and Advertising Strategy for a pet store

The following are the platforms you should use to leverage on to promote and advertise your various range of products and services.

• Use community-based newspapers, pet magazines, radio stations, and TV stations to advertise your range of products and services.
• Plan to reward those who refer others to your store.
• Use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin to spread information about your pet store. Write engaging content on Facebook and use links to direct visitors to your website/blog
• Use any available opportunity to distribute fliers and handbills in target areas in and around your business location neighborhood
• Contact corporate organizations that use dogs for protection, households, pet grooming, and sitting/walking services companies and inform them about the products and services your pet shop has to offer.
• Advertise your pet store business on your official website and use strategies that will help you direct traffic to the site
• Brand all your official cars and vans with your logo, brand name and ensure that your staff member wears your branded shirt or cap at official hours.

Conclusion:

Despite the fact we have given you most details on how to start your pet store business, there are other things you should also bear in mind before you launch your pet shop business. Here are some things you need to do:

• Choose an appropriate name and register it as LLC
• Open a business bank account.
• Obtain Tax Payer’s ID:
• Obtain business licenses and permits
• Obtain insurance for the business and employees.
• Source for the opening capital and on-going operating costs.
• Lease/rent the facility and remodel it as the case may be.
• Draft the employees’ handbook
• Design the pet shop logo and website
• Purchase all the needed equipment for the pet shop

Retails

Tags: Business ideas, Pet Store, Retails Business Ideas