To Open Up A Betta Shop...

[Rediahs]

In a really long time... like 5 years or more... I want to open up a betta shop, in a mall or a shopping nook sort of place. Now, I'd have to learn a lot of things, but I just wanna ask, how well do you guys think it would do, assuming the store is nice?

The way I'm thinking of it, I'd have a bunch of "loonie bettas" (in Canada, our dollars are called loonies) to encourage people who think it's expensive to have a pet. Maybe they'd see these bettas, think "hey, that's pretty cheap, and why not?", then come in, pick up a booklet and a betta and make sure they treat it well.

These would be the bettas that have something wrong with them (not sicknesses, dear god) or just aren't selling. They would still do great as pets.

Then I'd have the regularly priced bettas for people who already know they want a betta and want a fair looking one, and then the top-quality bettas showcased in pretty little boxes with nice lighting for all to see and admire, with the highest price tag, I would think people would buy these if they are thinking of breeding their bettas.

The premise of the store would be "we care about bettas", cause I really do care about them, hate to see them in tiny cups... I think it would be fantastic to have a store where they are treated well, with people STRONGLY encouraged to take home a free care booklet.

I'd also sell small tanks, bowls, and containers that are very suitable for bettas, all 1 gallon size minimum with more roomy options encouraged. And of course all the other necessities and wants for bettas like water conditioner and food and heaters and gravel and plants...

Just having the store would be awesome, but do you think anyone would buy? Do people really want to buy bettas? Or is this kind of thing better done over the internet, where you don't have to keep paying for store space and stuff...

I see all sorts of fish stores but never a betta store. I would love to have one but I am a tad worried that it wouldn't take off. Bettas are one of the most popular fish, but do you guys think they're popular enough to hold up on their own? I am seriously not interested in any other fish, they'd take away from the bettas.

I also want to advertise that I offer free advice on bettas and help to identify diseases. This would get people into the store, and they'd trust the store and tell their friends.


I know that I eventually want to breed bettas, that's a given, but I would really like to start up this shop as well if I have any chance of hell in pulling it off.

So do you guys think it would work?

 

[demonmagus]

well it may, but you should approach it like any other business a.k.a. be prepared for losses

 

[Rediahs]

well it may, but you should approach it like any other business a.k.a. be prepared for losses

Oh yes... of course there will be losses especially in the beginning..

I just wanna see if people think it would eventually work. I mean it would be amazing, but horrible at the same time if it couldn't hold up...

 

[Wisperian]

it might be hard though but if you have any extra money go for it

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

draw up a buisness plan and approach a bank manager and see what he says providing you approach this right there is no reason you couldnt make this work

 

[Rediahs]

it might be hard though but if you have any extra money go for it

Extra money? Fah, me? Well, not right now, but I'm hoping eventually... lol

 

[BWBettas]

Id also branch with the regular tropical fish.. IE platies, guppies etc and youd get more custom

Bret

 

[Rediahs]

Id also branch with the regular tropical fish.. IE platies, guppies etc and youd get more custom

Bret

Ahhh but that's the thing, I don't want to... lol... This is what I want to do, just bettas.

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

yes but maybe parter up with an existing lfs and share profits

 

[dwarfgourami]

This is where location is probably absolutely central. You would need a town that was big enough- and middle class enough- to sustain this degree of specialisation. And you would need to advertise like nobody's business. Maybe get a local paper to do a feature on you and your bettas. But it might just work.
The difficult bit would be to sell enough of the things that actually pay- tanks and dry goods. And maybe very expensive bettas.

 

[Rediahs]

This is where location is probably absolutely central. You would need a town that was big enough- and middle class enough- to sustain this degree of specialisation. And you would need to advertise like nobody's business. Maybe get a local paper to do a feature on you and your bettas. But it might just work.
The difficult bit would be to sell enough of the things that actually pay- tanks and dry goods. And maybe very expensive bettas.

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I don't live far from Toronto, well, it's close enough to move someday... about an hour and a half's drive from my current residence. Toronto would probably work well. But it would also be expensive to have shop there. But at the same time.. people are probably prepared to pay a little more in Toronto, so goods can be more expensive to offset the cost.. I dunno... I might stick around Waterloo or London (Ontario) instead? Those places are not so expensive, but still fairly bustling...

I am just worried about this blowing up in my face but I still have plenty of time to mull it over. I can't do it right now, not possible, and there is no rush.

 

[l.michelle]

Ooooh, near toronto, are you? I am quite close to Toronto. I live north of Brampton, but I work in Brampton.

It might work, I don't know a whole lot of people interested in Bettas, but then again I don't know a whole lot of people I certainly love bettas though, and think it woul dbe a good idea

but if you are looking to do this 5 years down the line, I would suggest putting money away each week, even if it is only 100$ or so if possible, then accumulating it into a GIC investment, trust me, these things work really well, and help you to gather money quicker.

And as someone suggested, talk to your bank manager, they could probably give you a loan of sorts. And if you want to know where you can buy reallllly great bettas, pm me and i'll tell you!!

 

[Rediahs]

It's not Tim Arndt, is it, cause I already got some from him.

And yeah I'm near-ish to Toronto. I never visit Toronto or anything, but I'm close enough to move there pretty easily if I had to.

If you're in Brampton, I think you're on the other side of Toronto from me. I'm closer to London.

Edit: HEY! We have the exact same postcount, and it's 100!!! That's pretty funny.

 

[lisie]

If you do open up a betta shop, I think it would be a good idea to be online too. I definitely wouldn't have highly-priced things. Personally, I don't even buy things from pet stores because of their high prices; I could go online and buy them and it would be the same price, or lower, even with the cost of shipping... and I prefer to support a place that has decent prices. There's nothing stopping you from having a shop in a city, but also one online. That way even if the actual store fell through, you'd still have your business online to fall back on.

 

[l.michelle]

no, this is a pet store family run in the small town i live in, their bettas are kept so well, they always have many different types, HMs, CTs, DTs etc etc, they are super nice, and actually KNOW what they are talking about. When i bought my male and female a couple weekends ago, i went to the chas register, and the girl looked worried i only had picked up one tank and hastily advised me that they are NOT to be kept together, and that i should go find myself another tank or sh wasn' selling them to me. but i told her i have an empty tank at home, and know about bettas as i have two at home, and 2 previously before those two.

She was nice though, but you might want to check them out. And you might want to tell me about this Tim Arndt guy