Building lfs

[mfdrookie516]

No... I forgot that part. He rents it. It's in the same building as a hub cap store that carries literally thousands of hub caps (weird, I know). But he rents it. They actually converted it from some nasty old hole in the wall kitchen that I'm sure the health department shut down.

 

[PrettyFishies]

+1 for Rooks online sentiment.

I don't buy price sensitive items from my LFS or most any LFS for that matter. I I have a few in my area. I also don't buy fish from them because I'm just sensitive like that, I prefer online because of guarantees and QT process, etc. I'm willing to pay shipping.

It depends on what you want to do. If you want to make money, you should consider alternatives to the traditional LFS.

Are you interested in the fish or the products or both?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Well zoning and property taxes are ideally the property owners expense. Of course where I was looking at moving into, was an established building already zoned commercial. There are permits and fees that are attatched to anything your gonna do within your store, (building wise). The city wants its cut no matter what. And yes you will have to pay sales tax on everything you sell.

Zoning for your biz isn't the property owners responsibility, it the biz owners, so are the tax on the biz. Local government doesn't just let you plop a shop down without permits, licenses, plans, approvals, even EIR's with a business like a LFS. Don't forget the local animal control and permits from them too (at least here). Look at Walmart in the county I live in, they've been trying to get a store here since forever and the local govnmt just laughs at them because it'll never happen. In & Out Burger had to cut the drive-thru, cut the sq ft, no pole mounted sign, etc. just to get in here. Now this county is the extreme, but we have a no growth policy due to access. But other areas can be just as strict. Even a home based biz has to get approvals/etc, don't get them and get caught, you're in for some serious trouble. Don't for get the IRS, Wesley Snipes can explain that better though .

 

[CaptainAhab]

There are some great threads on WWM dealing with cost/benefit analysis, structured finance, wholesalers, experiences, etc.. Check em out. If you're hoping to get rich or live middle-upper middle class.. the odds are against you.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

I've been in it for 4 years. Taking good pictures of my tank no problem as I was in ap photography so that should be easy. I figured PVC for plumbing, the LFS around me are only for the money, I they didn't even help me because he said it wouldn't help him in business! I would be the one to not over price things and make sure everyone is happy and what not and inform them what and what not to put in your tank. One guy told me I could put a lion fish in my tank and will do great with my clown. Bye bye $100 mated pair! That was 3 years ago though.

 

[tjm80]

Well zoning and property taxes are ideally the property owners expense. Of course where I was looking at moving into, was an established building already zoned commercial. There are permits and fees that are attatched to anything your gonna do within your store, (building wise). The city wants its cut no matter what. And yes you will have to pay sales tax on everything you sell.

As a sales tax auditor, I can speak pretty confidently that sales taxes should not be considered an "expense" that you have to pay. You collect that money from your customers with the purpose of remitting that money to the state. While the money may sit in your bank account for part of the month, it is never your money.