How Does
How Does a Pet Store Owner Spend a Workday?
Introduction
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A pet store owner's duties may vary depending on the type of pet store she owns. A pet store may or may not sell live animals, it may sell items for only one type of animal, or it may sell only fish. It also depends on whether the pet store is independently owned or whether it is a franchise, "big box" pet store.
Independently Owned
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The independent pet store owner has various duties, from working behind the counter to customer service to ordering supplies and tasks such as accounting. Part of the independent pet store owner's duties includes inventory. If the store is adequately staffed, the pet store owner may just come in to check inventory, order supplies as needed, check the live animals to be sure the employees are feeding and exercising them and doing various employee reviews. She will also do her daily office work and run sales reports, do any accounting that must be done and make bank deposits.
If she carries live animals, she may have to make calls to breeders to see if there are more puppies or kittens she can buy for resale. She must be sure her supply line of breeders are ethical breeders who treat their animals with love and care, make sure the puppies have their puppy shots and are otherwise healthy. When she does get animals in, she must also make appointments to have the animals vetted to be sure the animal is truly healthy to be sold.
The pet store owner must also tend to duties such as bill paying, making sure the proper insurances are kept up to date and are in force, and must renew licenses as needed per county and state regulations.
An independent pet store owner must also deal with any lawsuits that may be filed against the store for various reasons such as slip and falls, defective products that may cause harm to animals or people, or an animal that dies soon after a customer bought it. Certain things should be spoken of prior to heading to the court system, but there are always going to be people who run to the court system first.
Franchise Pet Store Owner
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The franchise pet store owner has all of the same duties as an independent store owner. She must also report to the franchise company. She must send in weekly (or monthly, depending on the franchise) sales reports. The sales reports show what percentage will be owed to the franchise company. The franchise company may also have rules and regulations that the store (including the owner and employees) must abide by. The owner makes sure that all franchise rules and regulations are followed.
Conclusion
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While being a pet store owner can be a great position for some people and they get the benefits of being around many animals--particularly if her store allows shoppers to bring their pets--it's a lot of hard work, especially if the store sells live pets. This article has only touched on pet stores that carry dogs, but many pet stores carry cats, fish and birds. While the responsibilities are the same, each type of animal needs its specialized care. For example, fish tanks need to be cleaned; birds must have interaction. If there is not enough staff to do this throughout the day, the responsibility will fall on the pet store owner.
eHow Article: How Does a Pet Store Owner Spend a Workday?
