Hello Again!
Reptile Sam here. I’ve been keeping pet reptiles for quite some time now, but I am still new to being a small business owner (LLC, business docs, taxes etc., have all been properly taken care of) but I’d love some input from those of you who have been in the hobby/business for a while.
Did you have any initial investors? How did you decide what genes to invest in for making quality productions? How long do you do this before turning a profit or breaking even?
I feel comfortable with my knowledge on my animals and I love the hobby and the time I spend in the reptile room, but I would love to hear some experience on the business side of things and how you got your start, what your first 5 years of business looked like, how you made some decisions about your investments, etc.
Thanks all for your time! I am doing ball pythons but any experience across reptile breeding would be helpful to hear y’all’s stories.
Umm…I would say so. My mom gave me $400 dollars for Willow when I decided to really take a go for it. But besides that, I have purchased my breeders (except Sherbet) due to Tom McCarthy being a wonderful friend and mentor to me. My mom have helped get rats a few times. My enclosures, heating, and thermostats were also purchased by me. So yeah, my mom helped me way more then I ever thought she would. Right now, my total in just the boas is around $8200.
How did you decide what genes to invest in for making quality productions?
Honestly, I decided to go with genes that I love. Thankfully I have expensive taste . The genes I am working with primarily are Sterling, IMG, and Anery type 1. Additionally I have a sunglow motley jungle program.
I think that the most important thing to picking up breeders is that you like them because they show you what you like about the gene or combo. If you love seeing them, the fire will have fuel thrown on.
How long do you do this before turning a profit or breaking even?
That is a very hard question. I personally haven’t even produced my first litter yet so I am still in the beginning investment stages. From what I have garnered, it takes a while to make a profit of a good amount. It is a more realistic goal to go for a self-sustaining collection. Personally, I really would love for my collection to generate some sort of decent profit. One of or the most important thing is quality animals and reputation within the hobby.
thanks @lumpy for your input! Its really helpful seeing all this. I definitely have a few projects in the pipeline I’m excited to get started. A majority of my animals are pretty young, but I’ve got a couple at or close to breeding age. I think it will be a while before I break even on my investments but even as a hobby like you said it would be great to make it self sustaining! I really appreciate your time and your honest response to my questions!
hope we get some more people’s experiences in this thread too
. The genes I am working with primarily are Sterling, IMG, and Anery type 1. Additionally I have a sunglow motley jungle program.