Aquarium Maintenance Service....

[WorldNation]

anyone here runs an aquarium maintenance service?

[fOx]

No, but I have been looking into starting one up for a few months now....

[WorldNation]

ahh, i' in the process of making one right now. i'm trying to find some ppl online who already have one to get some pointers :)

[NyassaeMan]

What type of pointers. I had a successful Aquarium setup and maintenance business for 4 years. Before you answer what it is you want to know think about the basics..

*Is this a full time job?
*Do you have access to discounted aquarium products?
*How much money do you have to invest to get you started?
*If you have money to invest...are you willing to buy and then lease setups with maintenance agreements?
*What type of vehicle do you have? (Can you haul rocks and 55 gallon containers?)
* Are you going to be legitimate? ( get a business license and insurance bond)? Some stated do not require this for maintenance only business, but you are likely to have compitition in your area and if they hear of you selling or leasing stuff without a license ....well you might get and unwanted visit .
* Is there a LFS who does not offer maintenance service that you could pair up with . You send them retail business...they send you maintenance business.

Once you have a good idea about the basics...I'll give you as many pointers as I can.

[WorldNation]

wow, ok, let me give ya all my info.

*Is this a full time job?

-i'm jsut starting this up as a part-time gig, but eventually, iwant to turn it into a full time gig, get a business liscence, and everything.

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*Do you have access to discounted aquarium products?

Some, i can get 25% of at petco. and 15% at one of my LFS's, but only on live stock at my LFS.

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*How much money do you have to invest to get you started?

A couple hundred more. I've already purchsed add space in the recycler, and pennysaver(start next week). I have tons of supplies(water chem's, ammo, charcoal, etc etc. little stuff. I've also made flyers, and have posted them in eveyr major pet store in the san fernando valley (a total of 8 stores). that includes the petco that i work at.

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*What type of vehicle do you have? (Can you haul rocks and 55 gallon containers?)

1992 4Runner. and yeh, i can haul that :) np

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* Are you going to be legitimate? ( get a business license and insurance bond)? Some stated do not require this for maintenance only business, but you are likely to have compitition in your area and if they hear of you selling or leasing stuff without a license ....well you might get and unwanted visit .

I live in souther cali. for a service, we dont need a liscence.

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* Is there a LFS who does not offer maintenance service that you could pair up with . You send them retail business...they send you maintenance business.

I've checked with all in the san fernando valley, and they all do it. except for one little asian owned one. but its in a pretty cheap neighborehood, but i'm gonna try to set something up with them when i get my business cards in next week.

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well, i got flyers, and business cards soon, and work at a major pet store, with access to customers.

i have all the tool i can think of, except for a giant trash can i might use for cleaning, which i will begetting soon from home depot.

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if u cna, look at my site: www.fw-aquatics.com

thats my service site. has prices, services, etc etc. and i'm adding content when i can.

my main problem is getting that first client. Ive spent almsot 2 hrs this morning calling up dentist offices, seeing if they would be interested in a fresh water tank(oh, i'm only planning on doing fresh water atm, dont know enough ab out salt yet). i have a reef tank, (nano), but its only like 2.5 months old. so i'm still new to salt water.

[WorldNation]

so my main probem is getting the first customer. well, at least that's what i think my main problem is. :)

across from us, is a petsmart, where i used to work, and one of my old friends started up a service where he does cleaning, and i believe he has like 9 customers now. he got them throug the store, but i jsut havent had the opportunity to sell my services at petco yet. whats a good way to try to gain business. I can't do custome set-ups atm, but i cna buy suuplys for my customers and give it to them at discount prices, and maintain their tanks.

i am planning on charging by the gallon, $1/1gallon. it seems to be the going rate out here.

[NyassaeMan]

Ok, first , these are pointers from my experiences and observaations. Nothing is gospel and you can change or ignore as you see fit. All critisism and/or suggestions are to be constructive.

First lemme mention that the first thing to remember is the most important, and almost always the hardest thing to learn in sales. That is, every person you meet is potentially your best customer.

Next word of caution would be to make sure you don't start a business and then use your employee discount to buy customers items. Not only is this frowned upon by most employers...it could get you fired. And believe me....word will get around.

Sounds like you know what products you will offer... now you need to market yourself. This is the single most important aspect of any business is marketing. I'm not saying that becasue I am a Marketing Manager either. Good products have failed to produce sales based on bad marketing. Likewise bad products have sold millions based on good marketing. Spending alittle time and money up front to be creative will , if you are persistant and do good work, pay off big time in the end.

Examples would be:
Decide on a uniform. While most AQ maintenance people don't have them. it will set you apart from them. If you are doing the same thing the compitition is, then why should people use you. Not only will this make your presentation to potential clients more professional, but in an office environment, it is likely to make you the sale. Kaki shorts and a logo'd or airbrushed logo shirt will work fine. Does not have to be elaborate. Just neat and with your company adverts on it.

2. You need a Slogan. All great companies have good ones. Think of 10 words or so that sums up your intentions. Add it to your business cards, web site, shirts etc. Remember to market not only the basics , but think of what you can do different than anyone else. Aquascaping and Aquatic design are a good start. Anyone can clean and tank, but you....you can design a masterpiece of rockwork and fish.

3. Business cards. Often the most overlooked aspect for a sales person. How many little paper business cards have you seen out there. Millions. You probably have a couple of dozen that people gave you lying around your home. Be different. Make your cards memorable. What about a business card the shape of the fish in your logo? If you cant afford a printshop to cut these...then have them print them regular and spend a night cutting them out...not nearly as nice but hey...it's a start....and people are less likely to just toss it away....if it is nice it will probably go on a desk or be shown to others. Later invest in something spectacular like a Metal (copper or pewter) business card. Same thing. Shape of a fish...... these would be expensive, but they would never get thrown away and would probably be the a conversation piece.

4. Get a presentation book started. If you have tanks at home...make sure they are aquascaped nice and take pictures. Good pictures. Start keeping a picture log of your tanks and all the tanks you maintain. Before and After pics work well. Have info on all the various aquascaping rocks such as limestone,slate, and different gravels. Samples of each create a huge fist impression. Usually this is better at getting referal business, as they are used once you have already got a potential customer.

5. Get organized. Keep all your cleaning stuff in a 5 gallon bucket. Mark brushes, buckets, jugs and things with appropriate info in permanent black marker. I kept all my chemicals in a converted tackle box. Remeber things like a small tarp and extra towels.
Have a mintenance log that stay on site with each site. I made checklists and laminated them and hung them on chains inside my customers stands. Godd way to keep track. Keep a log for yourself also. Keep track of all moneys in and out.

6. Get a website! You have one ...good. I took a look and appears ok. A few things would be to add a minimum to your prices. While driving across town to maintain a 40 gallon aquarium for $40 might be fine....driving across town to maintain a 10 gallon for $10 would not be a good situation. I would say make the wording on your website larger. Refer to the company after the first time, or at least a few times, as WE. It makes the add personal and created a better image IMO. Noone need know it is only you now. Plus you will have to add people if you deliver large tanks. Add pictures of set up tanks. That is your product...so lets see it! Add some pictures of rocks, plants and fish . New and innovative products.....show people what they could get if they chose you! Your first customer should help you get more. Ask them how you did...see if you can get a referal or use them as a reference. After you have several clients ask them if you could do a little video clip of them talking about your service. You might be surprised...at this pooint you usually have a relationship with them . Add this to your website. If they have a business, that is advertisement for them too!


And for now, lastly......... remember...you are a salesman now and the product is you. Corny as it sounds, it's true. Make your sales calls in person. Take your presentation stuff with you. My suggestion would be to start with Realtors, Paint and Body shops, Vets offices....Places where you can get to talk to the people who make the decisions on $$. In a doctor and dentist office this is less likely. If the person at the counter says they can't make that decision...then ask who can. Get thier name. See if you can get an appointment. If not then send them a personaly printed card with a picture of a fish tank on the front..... have something like I was in your office the other day (printed on the front) and on the back say ( and I did not see one of these) . and add your info also.

If you are going to have a higher success rate than others then you have to have better marketing and at least as good a product. One day you may have such a good product that it markets itself. If you have neither of these, then you are relying on blind luck and good intentins to pad your pocket book.

Sorry for the long post. Really hope it helps alittle

[NyassaeMan]

Oh yeah..... offer a special rate to first time customers. Also offer an incentive to customers who refer you, Maybe a free fish or next cleaning is free.

If you do get into Leasing tanks ( where you setup, stock and maintain a tank and the customer usually pays a setup fee and a monthly maintenance fee). then you can stock and raise fish. It's like having little brood tanks all over town. I know I raised up some african cihclid breeder fish that way. When they got too big or I wanted them in my breeder tanks...I 'd swap them out.

[WorldNation]

awesome, that helps a lot.

I'm in the process of adding some pics of my 100gal african and 10 gal nano-reef tanks to the site today.

how exactly do i go about making a brochure for my business? or a presentation book ?

can i use a simply 1/2" binder? and add some pics? information? etc etc into it?..

i'm gonna go get a couple shirts done as well now, and get a check list made as well. thnx NyassaeMan. you've been a great help :)

[WorldNation]

K, this is what i'm gonna offer to new customers.

with a new set-up, the first 2 weeks of maintenance would be free.

oh, and i talked with my boss, and he's cooh about me getting supplies for other ppl. we dont sell too many tank set-ups as it is, so it'll actually help us out more. we still make money even with the 25% off, so he's cooh with it :)

well i added some pics of my 100 gallon set-up, and info on the set-up.

Next, i'll be adind a substgrate and rock page, and gonna opbtain some samples for my own use:)

i'ma lso gonna make an appointment with one of the doctors ive talked to and he said he would be interested in setting up a small tank if he could. i jsut need to go and get him an estimate.