Who here has turned their hobby into a career? Been contemplating turning my passion into into a buisness. Not as a single source of income but to spread the joy of these creatures and possibly make a little money on the side. Any tips and tricks to get going?
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If you want to make money and not lose money or be stuck with animals you need to treat it like you would any form a business.
You need a business plan.
You need to know the market (online and local, that means pricing, what works what does not etc)
No one can do that for you, now can money be made whether it’s breaking even or a supplemental income or making a living at it? Yes it can be done but without a solid plan, financial stability patience and passion you will fail, which is why you often see collection sales. Too many people think it’s as easy as putting 2 snakes together and that money will come, it just does not work like that.
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Thank you for the insight. I definately have passion and patience. Its definately not as simple as putting 2 animals together. I suppose step one for me will be studying the market and developing a solid plan. Thanks again, always nice to receive insight of this calibre
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If you want to “study the market,” then the best thing you can possibly do is vend the local shows. This is the best source of market intel that I have found. Learn through observation and conversation, but don’t be arrogant or awkward.
Through local shows, I have seen what sells and what doesn’t. I have an understanding of what a simple, but professional table setup looks like, and I know what “business” type extras I need to have so that my customers feel comfortable. I always have business cards, a sign (even a small one), cash for making change, and a way to process paypal and credit cards. I have a clean table covering and I polish my acrylic displays before every show. These are small things with minimal cost that go a long way, and I assure you that you will end up looking better than 50% of the other vendors.
Once you figure out the “putting two animals together” thing and learn how to raise and market your animals, put some energy into connecting with your customers. If people attend a local show, and they see you vend 3-4 times, they will start to recognize you. Smile, don’t use the chair that the promoter gives you, and say hi to people who wander up to your table. Shower, shave, and wear clean clothes. You would be amazed at how far this goes. If you have the same animal for the same price as the guy next to you, but the prospective buyer sees that you are friendly and professional, you are going to win that business over the other guy if he hasn’t made the same efforts.
A little note about pricing - use morphmarket to research the current market values. Make sure you use the historical search function to see what the animal ACTUALLY SOLD FOR. Some vendors do not have a good grip on this and you will see them sneaking around during setup scoping out all the other vendors’ prices. It used to bother me but now I ignore it. Be confident in your prices and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. And - if it is a stunning example of the morph, don’t be afraid to go a little higher. I have sold baby male spiders and pastels for triple the market price.
Best of luck to you!
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Thank you so much. These are all amazing ideas and ill be attending a show next month
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that
If you want to take the big step. Turn it into a business. Register your name, get a business license, ein number, and all the other stuff you need for a business.
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