The first thing that you should do is think about what types of animals you want to have in your pet store, and what types of supplies. The best thing to do is to make a list of all of the things you would like and then make an estimate about the costs of these things. Remember that when you open your store you want to have all of the animals and the products ready. So be sure you add them all into your costs.

Next, you want to look at other parts of the independent pet stores costs. This should include the space that you want to rent. Remember that you will need to be able to have the space to rent so that your store can make money – without space, your business will not work. So be sure that you count this as well. Also, you want to count in any utilities or things that you need to buy on a monthly basis for your place. Be sure that this is something that you count as well.

When it comes down to it, you pretty much need to make a budget to figure your opening up costs. However this can be good because then you will have a good idea about how much money you need to spend to get your pet store up and running. You will also know how much money you can expect to spend over the first year or so that you are in business. Your independent pet store start up costs is all going to be part of this.

Sandra Reynolds is a therapist in Chicago. Check out these great Online Pet Store articles and guides.

http://www.idealpetshop.com

Remember last week when I asked “What’s In You Bottle?” Well, it turns out that dogs have special bottled water too. “PetRefresh® is the only water available today that is specifically designed for the daily hydration needs of pets. Not a treat, but a core nutrient for better health.” Also a new water product for dogs, OOH’s “Pup Cups”, is water in a cup for dogs on the go. They got great brand recognition by donating water to the Humane Society for Hurricane Katrina canine victims. I just love this one: K9 Water Co., a Valencia, Calif.-based company, is selling a line of vitamin-enriched bottled waters for dogs over the Internet.
http://www.k9waterco.com/. A four-pack comes in four flavors — Toilet Water (chicken), Gutter Water (beef), Puddle Water (liver) and Hose Water (lamb).

The humanization of pets is more than just as part of the family; they are living longer and healthier lives. There are all kinds of innovations in pet “goodies.” The list of packaged things for your dog is endless. In fact, there is even a new word coined, pupperware, to describe this niche. Pupperware n. Dog accessories and toys, particularly ones demonstrated and sold at in-home parties. [Blend of pup and Tupperware.]

But just innovation and being trendy doesn’t tell the whole story. People are concerned about a dog’s health too. Vitamins and minerals for Fido present a huge new segment. The big thing in “packaging” is ease of dispensing and use for DIY pet medications. There are a lot of new DIY products offered for when you can do it yourself instead of carting your dog to the vet. Just remember make the instructions simple and easy to read if you want people to buy your product.

Recently “Greenies” (a top selling dog treat) got in trouble with consumers because purchasers claimed the product packaging was not informative enough about the potential choking problem. I don’t know the outcome but its important to note that the consumers blamed the package labeling as part of the problem.

Affluent boomers and other empty nesters are looking at Fido as an integral part of the family. They have money to spend and plenty of it so look for an influx of products geared towards this audience. A good example is Harley Davidson. They see money in the 50+ generation and have developed the companion dog products too.

Think about this unique marketing and packaging application too. Prepared meals for dogs, sounds good enough for humans to eat.
“BENEFUL® ELEVATES PET FOOD TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH
INTRODUCTION OF FIRST-EVER PREPARED MEALS™ FOR DOGS
The difference is visible, as Beneful Prepared Meals showcase the eight, mouth-watering varieties and real food ingredients in clear, ready-to-serve, re-sealable plastic containers – a new packaging innovation in pet food. The new product is being launched regionally in 2006 in 50 percent of the U.S.”

I just had to use this example, Bow Wow Breakfast Cereal for Dogs. It is a new line of dog food intended for morning consumption. The company that makes it claims it’s specifically formulated to meet a dog’s needs in the morning. The thing is pets don’t buy this stuff; people do. So keep that in mind as you develop your product packaging. First, you have to appeal to the “human” side of the dog owner.

At the Marketing to Women conference at which I recently spoke, I used an example of packaging dog food that appeals to women. Pedigree Dog Food just implemented a reclosable zipper, something SHE will buy. So think “people” when packaging your products for the dogs. You have to first persuade the owner to pick your product up off the shelf. Make sure that in addition to your packaging “going to the dogs” it’s attracting the people too.

Some predictions on “hot” packaging trends in the coming months:
Baby Boomer Products
Environmental Sustainability And Packaging
Labeling And Ingredients Statements On Packaging (ongoing)
RFID And Packaging

JoAnn Hines the Packaging Diva has been on TV, traveled to China, worked with the SBA and spoken at the White House (twice). Why do they seek her out? Because she knows how to package products so that people will buy them. When Faith Popcorn made her business trend predictions for 2006, she called JoAnn to find out what was going on in the world of packaging. Businesses large and small call upon her to solve their packaging problems.

She loves to share her proficiency in packaging. JoAnn speaks on the subject around the globe and made the packaging world more understandable when she created several web portals, http://www.packaginguniversity.com, packagingcoach.com, womeninpackaging.org and packagingdiva.com, to answer packaging questions and resolve packaging problems.

Her expertise is important because packaging is the third largest industry. In fact, 10% of every dollar spent at retail goes directly to packaging materials. For more insights on what is hot and what is not in packaging contact the Packaging Diva via phone at 678-594-6872 or via email at PackagingDiva@aol.com

Free delivery. You love your pet, but sometimes, you just don’t have time to drop by a pet store to buy food and supplies. No problem – you can have everything delivered right to your doorstep. Most pet supply stores now offer free delivery of the freshest pet food and newest supplies. Steer clear of the inconvenience of pet supply shopping, or running out of pet food. Just order either online or from a catalog.

All-natural pet food products. People are becoming more health-conscious, even with their pets. That is why some pet supply stores now claim to only carry naturally-preserved pet food that do not contain artificial coloring, ingredients or byproducts. Some pet supply stores limit their selection only to pet foods that have passed complete feeding tests ongoing quality assurance checks.

Carefully-chosen pet supplies. There are now many pet supply stores that only sell 100 percent safe and non-toxic pet supplies, especially for dogs. These stores have only clinically-proven safe pet shampoos, creams and medicine in stock. You can also buy harmless pet toys and accessories from such stores.

Veterinarians on call. Most pet supply stores now have in-house veterinarians who can help you choose the right products for your pets. These vets are also on-call to help you if your pet suddenly reacts differently to a product. Best of all, these vets are just great sources of free advice. Just pop in the pet supply store and chat with them – you just might get free opinion on common pet problems.

Pet Stores provides detailed information on Pet Stores, Pet Supply Stores, Online Pet Stores, Pet Fish Stores and more. Pet Stores is affiliated with Free Pet Tags .

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1) Research-

Research your own local area first. Are there any pet cemeteries around you? If so, are they public or private? If there are not any-ask yourself why? Is it because so few people own pets in your area or because of certain regulations.

2) Call your Local County-

Ask your local county about the requirements for starting a pet cemetery. There are bound to be some laws and regulations you must follow. Before you go any further, find out what the requirements are and see if you can meet them. You may also want to talk with a lawyer about setting up the paper work that is sometimes required by states.

3) Find A Model Company-

This step is crucial in any business. Find private pet cemeteries in other cities and get in touch with the owners. Ask them how they set up their business and if they would mentor you. Most entrepreneurs are happy to help, and some may require that you provide them a consulting fee. Even if they help you pro-bono, be sure to find some way to reciprocate. One great way to get in touch with mentors in the industry is to check out the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (iaopc).

4) Locate Property-

My guess is that your model company can probably give you good tips on location hunting. My tip to you is to check with your local county offices again and see if any land is off limits and then go from there.

5) Marketing! -

A lot of distressed pet owners search for the right place to bury their beloved pets and it becomes your job to reach them. The best way for such a business is word of mouth and advertising through local businesses that cater to pet owners, such as grooming studios, pet hospitals, etc.

Best of Luck and Work Smart!