Running a business or rescue

OpheliaCooter

So of the people who have experience in small business or running rescues, what advice or tips would you tell a newbie?
I’ve mentioned a few times wanting to run an animal rescue with the main idea being a cat cafe. I figured some on here probably have some insight or maybe just jokes which are welcome too. It’s chitchat after all.

MaltedTea

What a nice idea 😍

My only suggestion to entrepreneurs is to have a busy plan that includes an exit plan. That and think two products/services ahead in your revenue generation streams.

Oh, and have fun...but that's a given when surrounded by purring balls of fire fur, I imagine 😉

ETA: As exciting as purring fireballs sound, let's save that for a pyrotechnic-oriented business. I don't want that for you and your chill kitty café 🤣

amorfati601070

Can you make the cats wear little hats? Each cat gets their own personalized hat.

Hats n' Cats.

You can like put the cats faces on coffee mugs with their name. Maybe include I little bio on one side of the cup with a little spiel about the rescue.

I'm sorry, I have no idea. It's a noble cause. Good luck.

PAWGliacci

move to Austin and turn it into like a cat rescue place that doubles as a coffee shop or library or something. the hipsters will eat it up and you'll be rich in no time.

OpheliaCooter

MaltedTea wrote: »

What a nice idea 😍

My only suggestion to entrepreneurs is to have a busy plan that includes an exit plan. That and think two products/services ahead in your revenue generation streams.

Oh, and have fun...but that's a given when surrounded by purring balls of fire fur, I imagine 😉

ETA: As exciting as purring fireballs sound, let's save that for a pyrotechnic-oriented business. I don't want that for you and your chill kitty café 🤣

Look, maybe the fire is the spice I need to get the people goin’ and adopting!

amorfati601070 wrote: »

Can you make the cats wear little hats? Each cat gets their own personalized hat.

Hats n' Cats.

You can like put the cats faces on coffee mugs with their name. Maybe include I little bio on one side of the cup with a little spiel about the rescue.

I'm sorry, I have no idea. It's a noble cause. Good luck.

Oh there will be antics for sure. Two of my cats are from cat cafes and one posted ophelia in a hat and getting her fur vacuumed.

PAWGliacci wrote: »

move to Austin and turn it into like a cat rescue place that doubles as a coffee shop or library or something. the hipsters will eat it up and you'll be rich in no time.

These places do exist in the most hipster areas. The gf hates tx.

BraydanTaffy

I know a guy in Boston, who due to an anxiety disorder that suddenly rendered him unable to work in offices any longer, had to create his own biz. He didn't have the funds to rent space, so had to find something to do out of his apt (he's a renter).

He took an interesting bent on dog walking... he instead does hikes with dogs, so takes them out for hours/day. It's 2-fold, since he also feels better when out in nature... he suffers great depression if he's inactive & the exercise alleviates his anxiety. He also occasionally boards dogs in his apt for short periods of time (don't know how the landlord feels about that, but he's doing it), like for a client taking an overnight or weekend trip.

He had enough clients that he was about to reach $100K/yr (no idea how much he charges, how many clients or how many times he takes out each dog... 5-days, 1-2 times/wk?) but, then the pandemic hit & clients either had to cut back or were home all day, so they could take the time to exercise their own pets. He was still earning enough to pay bills, but that was all.

BTW, I have no idea how he initially built his client base. I believe he has dogs, so perhaps he'd just tell people what he was doing when seeing them at the vet's office, dog park or approach others walking their pets?

He just recently visited Atlanta & Tampa, to see if he could begin again... he'd just tired of the hassles of Boston COL & traffic & cold weather, but ended up returning, since he has a ready made client list... many have contacted him again to ask if he will accept them again as clients now that they're back at the office & he won't have to start all over again, living on savings 'til he's up & running. Also, he found that southerners have a different relationship with pets... many have yards to let them run off-leash so they don't walk their pets & many also leave their dogs outdoors to live in doghouses in the yard, so he felt it would be harder to get clients.

I don't know if this will help you & I'm not biz minded, or I'd have figured out how to have my own at-home biz years ago (I've tried & failed each time, multiple times with different ideas), but if there were a way you could test what you're doing either out of your home (like an old fashioned parlor tea with cats) or by utilizing a free space that will allow you to bring in just a few animals, like 1-2 times/wk, then perhaps you can expand to a rented shop with maybe a twist, like 24-7 hours.

Since these cafes are popular in Japan, perhaps you can find some YTube vids for ideas? Maybe you can even contact a few & since you're so far away & not direct competition for them, they might be amenable to sharing start-up ideas. Or, maybe find some in other states that won't mind sharing ideas.

Good luck. I hope it all works out & you can set up soon.

OpheliaCooter

🤔 Interesting about your friend! I know there’s a company around here that dog walks and house sits. I guess it would depend on the dog lover whether or not he’d get business. Makes sense though because most do just let them out in the yard.
The cat cafes already exist here. About three that I know of around me. Two of my cats are from two different ones in Charlotte. I’ve also been to one in Charleston.
They team up with the local rescues/shelters and the cats that are fixed, chipped and vaccinated get to go to the cafe to be showcased.
They get a decked out cat room filled with toys and hammocks/bridges/sleeping spots. The litter area is kept separate but a cat door exists so they can ‘go’ whenever. I’d say about 10 -15 cats at a time.
Visitors pay by the half hour to hang out with the cats and of course there’s coffee, tea and maybe a cookie. Gift shop things that are cat themed.
The one in Charleston actually has a bar. Idk about dealing with a liquor license but that’s what they have. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I think getting the cats is basically free with almost no effort on the cafe’s part. I think all the adoption money goes to the shelters but I’m not sure. So in the end I think it’s just running a coffee/gift shop with cat adoption as the theme.
The websites usually have a photographer take quirky shots of the cats in funny hats like bicycle man suggested ^ and a little bio.
I’m just like.,... how do I get it started? Guess first thing would be to be ask around. Find a space for it. Figure out the cost of renovations and coffee machines. Make a website. Just general small business things.