The Company
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders – CCB will provide tropical fish to aquarists who are unable to obtain them from local pet shops. CCB will ship live fish to its customers’ doors anywhere in the continental United States within one to two days. CCB will also provide fish to tropical fish retailers within the local area. CCB provides convenience and variety that are not found in the traditional industry of tropical fish selling.
Candlelight Cichlid BreedersՉ۪ assets will be livestock watering tanks and aquariums. The steel structure will contain the tanks and troughs.
Shawn Halsey, founder of CCB, is the sole proprietor. Mr. Halsey plans to operate the business completely by himself for the first two years. As sales rise, he will employ a general manager to assist with all operations.
The Product
Candlelight Cichlid breeders will offer rare tropical fish from Cichlidae. They are well-known for their bright colors and aggressive behavior. CCB will breed up to 30 different species of cichlids. CCB will also import fish that are not easily bred 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.
The 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. We predict that about 5% (350,000), will visit our site within one year and that 2.5% (8.750), will actually purchase fish.
CCB’s success is due to the fact that not many people have access or can afford fish shops that carry a large variety of cichlid varieties. Some of the most beautiful and interesting cichlids cannot be found in these shops at all. Online fish sellers are not able to provide any information on the background and care requirements for the fish they sell. CCB will have both information on the species that we offer and the ability for you to order the research fish directly from our website. CCB is expected to operate in a niche marketplace where existing customer loyalty can be a competitive advantage. By providing a comprehensive site, CCB expects to create a one-stop experience that will encourage the customer loyalty the company needs.
The company targets two market segments in the fish hobbyist business. These are direct online sales for tropical fish collectors and fish retail stores in the company’s local area. Internet users living in the US and who own an aquarium will make up the largest segment of CCB’’s customer base.
Financial Plans
Our start-up costs will include equipment and building expenses. The start-up costs will be financed by an investor, a bank loan and a small owner investment of initial inventory and equipment.
Our breeding stock will reach maximum maturity in the first months of 2005, so we anticipate reaching our ultimate sales goal. Because the industry is high in margins and has high inventory turnover, we expect high levels of profitability.
1.1 Objectives
The most important objectives of the CCB’#8217 are:
- Locate a reliable, fast shipping service.
- Monthly sales of 10,000
- Maintain an inventory turnover ratio of six.
1.2 Mission
Candlelight Cichlid Breeders (CCB) will provide hard to find tropical fish from the scientific family Cichlidae to aquarists who do not have access to these fish through local pet stores. CCB will breed more than 30 species of cichlid species. CCB may also import fish that can’t be kept in captivity. CCB will ship live fish to its customers’ doors anywhere in the continental United States within one to two days. CCB can also ship fish to tropical fish dealers located within 100-miles of the breeding centre. CCB will provide convenience and variety not found in the traditional tropical fish selling industry.
Success Keys 1.3
- Many species of tropical fish can be successfully bred.