making a business

[cutecotton]

well, oen of the employees at my local lfs became my friend. We're not erally *close* friends, just more like a fish friend/businses friend.

anyways, he knows that i culture live food for my fish, and he also knows that there are plp around here in canada/toronto region looking for live food but dotn' awnt to order from the states because a) shipping costs B) culture may die and c) it takes too long. So he wants to sell them locally, and i think it's an idea because frankyl NONE of my lps or lfs carries any kind of live food.

The idea is that i culture live food for him, ranging from:

blackwroms
grindle worms
microworms
vinegar eels
confused flour beetles

those are the ones that i can get my hands on right now. I have live blackworms already, grindle and confused flour beetles i ordered and are in the middle of being shipped, and i *just* threw away my mw cutlure which means i'll have to get another one.

He was hpoing that i can make a small, medium and large sized culture, and i'm sure i'll be able to do it...only if i'm given enough TIME for the cultures to bloom. Basically i set up a price and sell it to him, and then he'll sel it to his customers.

expcet i dont' know how small a small should be, and i dont' knwo how much to sell them for anyon ehave any ideas? i'd like to take the advantage that there isnt' much live food around here

 

[David]

I think it's a good idea. If you think the profit is worth the time, money, and effort invested, go for it! Good luck.

 

[cutecotton]

i figure the only intial "cost" is getting the starter cultures, containrs and waht the culture is made of (which is usually cheap things anyways).

 

[Tropjunky]

go 4 it jus b sure to get licenced not sure about u lot there but i'm sure that u need to setup an official business thingy.

 

[fishdudein]

I'm not sure about Canadian law, either, but I don't really think you would have to be licensed to do this. Your hobby is tropical fish,the live food is part of your hobby and you are just selling your excess to the LFS. It is just like raising fry of some type of fish that you like and selling the excess to the LFS, it is more of a hobby than a business. Of course, the time could come when you might cross the line from hobby to full-blown business and you will be able to pay the bills from breeding worms ( ), but cross that bridge when you get to it. Until then, go for it!


As for the quantity and price issue, work with the shop on that one. Check some of the on-line sources to see what they are selling for, use that as a guideline. I know, for instance, that I would much rather buy live food at my LFS and maybe pay a little extra for it, knowing that it was local-raised stuff, than order stuff off the web or catalog.

Good luck!