Part of the Master Plan (at least for the moment!) is to run a pet boutique. If I call it a"pet store" most people question whether or not I will have livestock. No, this is not about that puppy in the window. This is the STUFF for that puppy or kitty you already have at home. Notice and adoption support are certainly OK but no actual animal sales. Clear the air on *that* issue right away!
I really shouldn't say "for the moment". This has been something brewing primarily in my head for the better part of the last decade. I bought a commercial storefront walking distance from my home several years ago. We transformed the second floor of the building into an apartment that has tenants. The income from those tenants are helping the cause right now.
Now, I have the time and no more excuses. Let's do it! Any rtail establishment in this day and age needs to be connected to it's customers needs and wants. We're starting that relationship off right now. I need to start making a lot of decisions and acting on them.
One fantastic retail site I explored today was this one:
http://www.lucythewonderdog.com
I like the product and category selections. I'm going to start off going through their inventory and seeing what items I can source for myself.
Another site I spent time with today is this one:
http://wholesalepet.com
I met Bo Nelson at a Pet Product show many years ago. The products carried on wholesalepet.com are available only to independent boutiques such as PNKPets. Helps the independent retailer stand up to the big boxes by being able to offer something unique and different. Unique and different. Sounds like a tagline for something.
So here's the plan.
I need to physical work on the store improvements. I also need to do the electronic preparations for a retail site. A retail mix of brick and clicks. When I worked with the Small Business Development group many years ago to develop a business plan, I was encouraged to find a way to start the business online or virtually or at least without the expense of the building. I was hung up on the building and now I have one.
The building, however, is still secondary to cash flow right now. I have only a few months to get this off of the ground and get it to a point where it can sustain itself as a viable business. I'd like to get the building going by fall or winter. Definitely before the holidays. Black Friday. Grand opening on Black Friday and/or First Friday of December. We'll see how renovations and improvements before putting a solid date down.
Best businesses are always those fueled by the things you are passionate about. Since I'm most passionate about my own pets, the first steps in product selection will be those that I personally use and endorse. The animals have shopping lists of their own right now so I'd like to work through a few things together. I pick my favorites and post them here as a poll. The items that get the best response from readers will be purchased in wholesale lots as store stock. I'll keep one for "testing" purposes and write reviews and responses on the PNKpets.blogger.com site. As the PNKPets site becomes more developed, the conversations here will begin to diminish in favor of other topics.
Let's give this poll a try here:
Survey Results - GlowDay.com
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