You can budget anything from $10,000 to start your taxidermy business, but it is safe to say that there are flexibilities when it comes to the cost of starting a taxidermy business.
You can turn this hobby into a very profitable enterprise as long as you have the right skills and knowledge. In this modern age, a good number of people are seeking to get their pets preserved, and hunters and fishermen also want to preserve their catches.
Museums are also frequent customers if you are an expert in what you do. Starting a taxidermy business requires a good amount of effort, dedication, passion, and most importantly startup capital. In this article, we will look at some key factors that can influence the cost of starting a taxidermy business.
9 Factors That Influence the Cost of Opening a Taxidermy Business
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Your Choice of Location
Top on the list of the factors that can influence the cost of starting a taxidermy business is your choice of location. When we talk of the location of the business, we are not just talking of the address of the business, but everything that a business location brings.
Of course, you know that the location of a business will determine how much rent or lease you will pay, it will determine how much you will spend on operational costs and utilities, etc.
For example, if you lease a facility in a busy business district or shopping complex, you will pay more than someone who lease the same size of facility in the outskirt of town.
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The Choice of Facility
Another factor that can determine how much it will cost you to start a taxidermy business is your choice of facility. Although, a taxidermy business can be started from just a storefront, but that is not ideal as you are expected to rent or lease a facility or workshop that comes with a studio where you can carry out your taxidermy work.
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Your Budget for Equipment and Supplies
The fact that you cannot start a taxidermy business without having the required equipment, tools, and supplies means that the budget for your equipment, tools, and supplies is a major factor that can determine the cost of starting your taxidermy business.
You must make plans to purchase fleshing tools, knives and scalpels, tanning machine, mount forms (manikins), mounting supplies (clay, foam, etc.), preservation chemicals, air compressor, paints and brushes, safety gear (gloves, masks, goggles), wire, pins, and fasteners, taxidermy habitat materials, taxidermy display cases, cleaning supplies, measuring tools, freezer or cold storage, workbenches, and tables, etc.
Please note that the quality and quantity of the equipment, tools, and supplies you plan to buy will impact your budget.
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Licensing and Permit Requirements
You cannot legally start a taxidermy business in the United States of America without having basic licenses and permits such as:
Business licenses, trade name registrations, zoning permits, environmental permits, health and safety permits, wildlife and hunting permits, federal taxidermy licenses, state taxidermy licenses, sales tax permits, hazardous waste disposal permits (if applicable), import/export permits (if dealing with international specimens), home occupation permit (if operating from home), and signage permits (for storefronts).
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Your Budget for Training and Education
Come to think of it, a taxidermy business is not one of those businesses that anyone with little or no training can start. In essence, if you are looking to start a taxidermy business, then you should have a budget for training and education because taxidermy requires specialized training and skills.
For instance, every taxidermy business owner is expected to undergo apprentice programs where they are expected to get hands-on experience that covers measurements, skinning, tanning, salting, framing or molding, and also how to handle all the required tools, and equipment needed for taxidermy business.
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Your Budget for Insurance
If you are planning to start a taxidermy business, then you must make plans to purchase some of the basic insurance coverage for the business.
You will need general liability insurance, professional liability insurance (errors and omissions), commercial property insurance, business interruption insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, product liability insurance, equipment breakdown insurance, employment practices liability insurance, environmental liability insurance, and inland marine insurance (for property in transit) for your business.
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Your Budget for Marketing and Branding
A taxidermy business is more of a creative business, and you can thrive more in this line of business if your marketing and branding is top-notch.
In essence, if you are planning to start a taxidermy business, then you must create a robust budget for marketing and branding that covers your website, the designing of a logo, printing your business cards, and other promotional materials.
Even though there are no specific costs attached to marketing and advertising a business, the bottom line is that if you want to launch a taxidermy business that will win a fair share of the available market share in your location, then you must be ready to invest a significant amount to promote your taxidermy business.
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Your Budget for Staff and Labor
You may be able to start a small-scale taxidermy business alone without having any full-time employees, but if you want to operate a standard taxidermy business, then you must make plans to hire full-time staff.
You should create a budget to hire a general manager, quality & creativity director, project coordinator, life-size specialist taxidermist, sales manager, accountant, tanner, correcting/finish, make-up artist, packaging and sci measurer, and receptionist.
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Miscellaneous
When we talk about miscellaneous for a taxidermy business, we are talking of a budget that covers your utilities, unexpected expenses, waste disposal, the transportation of your finished products, and initial specimens since these specimens might come from hunting, fishing, or other sources et al.