The Company
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders, (CCB), will provide rare tropical fish for aquarists that cannot get them at their local pet stores. CCB ships live fish to its customers’ doors in just one to two working days anywhere in the continental United States. CCB also provides fish to local tropical fish retailers. CCB provides convenience and variety that are not found in the traditional industry of tropical fish selling.
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders’#8217 will have livestock watering systems and aquariums as their assets. The tanks and the troughs will be contained within an insulated steel construction.
Shawn Halsey will own CCB as a sole proprietorship. For the first two year, Shawn Halsey is expected to manage the business fully by himself. As the business grows, Mr. Halsey will add a general assistant to assist him in all aspects of operation.
The Product
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders can provide rare tropical fish in the Cichlidae family. They are well-known for their bright colors and aggressive behavior. CCB will breed up 30 different species, as well as import fish that are difficult to keep in captivity.
As CCB develops, we hope to offer more live plants, unusual cichlids as well, new South American catfish species and some of the more commonly-used cichlid species. We do not plan to offer sales outside of the U.S.
Market
Research shows that fish keeping ranks second in popularity in the U.S., behind photography. We estimate that there will be seven million people who live in the U.S. with an aquarium. Our site will be viewed by approximately 5% (350,000) of these internet users within a year. 2.5% (8.750%) of these potential customers will purchase fish.
CCB sees this opportunity as most people do not have the means to access fish shops that sell a variety of cichlid species. You won’t find some of the most fascinating and beautiful cichlids in these shops. Furthermore, the current online fish sellers do not have any background and care requirements information for the fish that they sell. CCB offers both information on the species and the option to order the researched fish online. CCB will be operating in a niche market where established customer loyalty provides significant competitive advantage. CCB will provide a site that is comprehensive and encourages customer loyalty.
The company targets two market segments in the fish hobbyist business. These are direct online sales to tropical fish collectors and fish retailers in the company’s local area. The largest market segment in CCB’ will be Internet users that live in the U.S. continental and own an aquarium.
Projections Financial
The start-up expenses include costs for building and equipment. A bank loan, an investor and a small owner investment in the initial inventory or equipment will all finance the start up costs.
We anticipate that we will achieve our ultimate goal of selling 50,000 units by 2005’s first quarter, when our breeding stock reaches its peak maturity. Because of the industry’s high margins as well as high inventory turnover, this venture should be profitable.
1.1 Objectives
The CCBՉ۪s most important targets are:
- Get reliable and fast shipping services.
- Sales exceeding $10,000 per month
- Maintain an inventory turnover ratio of six.
1.2 Mission
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders (CCB), which will provide rare tropical fish from Cichlidae, to aquarists who are unable to obtain them at their local pet shops, will be available. CCB will breed up to 30 different species of cichlids. CCB will also import fish that are not easily bred in captivity. CCB can ship live fish anywhere in the continental United States to its customers within one to two working days. CCB will also supply fish to tropical-fish retailers within 100 miles of its breeding center. CCB will provide convenience and variety not found in the traditional tropical fish selling industry.
1.3 Keys to Success
- Efficiently breed several species of tropical fish.