In the previous article on Pet Shop License, we discussed who is eligible to apply for Pet shop license and the detailed procedure for applying the same. In this article, we're going to discuss the Import of Pets and how to start your online pet store. Import of Pets – A new Dimension
The governmental authorities have imposed a barrier to importing foreign breeds of dogs for sale/exhibition/trade purposes. Import shall now be permitted only to equip police and defence forces.
Those willing to import such foreign breeds will be required to acquire a recommendation from the Committee for Control (that will be monitoring the purposes of import) and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (to keep in check how animals are treated).
Purchasing a foreign species in India is made more expensive to discourage the inclination toward foreign species.
Only those possessing valid documents for import shall be permitted to bring pets within the territorial boundaries.
The Law Commission report no. 261 observed that pet shops and breeders violate animal welfare laws with impunity and recommend regulating their practices.
Steps to start a pet shop online
Develop an e-Commerce Site
To acquainted with the world of online sales, a beginner must first consider an eCommerce site to analyze how products are received. A beginner can consider e-Commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart to start an online store.
Business Plan
One needs proper planning to start a business online. A management summary should be considered in a plan which indicates the purpose of the business. The marketing strategy should be included in it, along with the idea of promotions and advertising. How many employees are needed to hire? Who are your forthcoming customers? Who is your competitor? Any financial requirements for the startup? There is a need to analyze all these aspects before starting an online business.
Financing/Investing Requirements
Firstly, it is required to plan from where the money is coming for the startup, which needs planning, such as applying for a business loan from the bank or a Small Business Administration loan or can use saved funds.
Determining your Competition
Competing with your competitors for customers, you have to determine everything about your competitor and what they are selling and for how much price they are selling.
Require Suppliers
After determining, which category of pet animals you want to sell, the first thing you will need is to relate with the reliable suppliers and connect with more than one supplier for backup if one of the suppliers shuts down his business for some reason.
Domain Name should be appealing.
You will need a catchy domain name for your online pet store, and the name should not be too long and unclear. It should be unique and short. Before selecting a name, search about the items similar to what you carry in your business and discover which names are already in use by other companies.
Website of Pet store
You have to develop a well-designed website for your business and hire someone who has experience in e-Commerce sites to develop it. The site should be easy to use, and it should be highly professional and visible. Your site should be interactive and informative also. You should link your social media pages and accounts along with your site. Also, you can insert a link that enables customers to sign up for your newsletter, which you should produce daily.
Develop a Mobile App for your Pet Store
It is also a better plan and beneficial to develop a mobile app for people who want to shop with their smartphones.
Significance of a Good Web Host
The web host is a service provider that provides technologies and services required for the website to be viewed on the Internet. A proper web host is needed for your site.
Online Payment Option
For the products you want to sell from your online store, you need to create a way to get the payment for sold products. An online payment system is the most accessible and efficient way to be paid for online products.
Advertise your online store
A marketing plan will be required for your online pet store to market your products and let people know that you're eager to do business with them. You can advertise through buying banners on pet-related message boards, blogs and forums for marketing your products, and the best thing is that most of the sites will charge only when people visit advertisements.
The shipping method for your products
The important step to develop your online business is to create an effective shipping strategy. You can tie up with the responsible courier service providers for the delivery of the sold products. If you wish to build a successful business, offer reasonable shipping charges on products and ensure that customers don't face any difficulties in the delivery process. Delivery must be on time and at the proper place without causing any inconvenience to the customer.