My weird career daydreams

I heard you can make a small fortune selling necklaces made out of baby seal ears.

Slappy, you should post a link to that idea on the 'nothing' thread.

I give you a money making idea of Trump-esque proportions, and this is the thanks I get?

The Brits and I at work have been talking about building The Shrine to Swine after we all leave Sandland. It would be alnong the lines of a classical Greek temple, but with a golden statue of The Pig God in the center. In the back we'd have a keg on tap, and a satellite system to watch all the football games for us High Priests. Whenever another throng of pilgrims would arrive, we'd go out front to receive their alms (and if some of the young nubile female worshippers wanted to somehow earn extra favor, who would we be to refuse...)

Yeah, I know, I really have to get out of here.

My apologies, Slappy. You see, the problem with high fashion is that once you can spot the trend it's too late to get in on the action. I had an uncle who lost a bundle trying to cash in on the chicken-tooth earing fad of the early 90's. Sad case.

~~~

Jim,
Sounds good; I'm sorry I can't convert. I already pay weekly homage at Danny's BBQ.

No you are definitely not the only one.

I've actually had the raise lobster type of thought. The only problem is that lobsters take a while to get big enough to eat.

I also thought of another - pet daycare. I even have the location thought out.

A kindred spirit!

The pet daycare sounds plausible.

Pet daycare is big business! Just saw an article about it somewhere.

I need pet daycare sometimes myself. We have a pal who has one. She is pretty beset. She does most of it herself, with her husband as, it seems to me, sort of weak help, though I don't know that entirely. Let's say they are in crises.

She handles only dogs and only so many days. She does grooming but is booked literally months in advance. Her daughter helps sometimes, and not unwillingly... I like both her and the daughter, and the husband as I know him.

She has a little room where you bring the dogs in that has a display of dog food and bisquit things and the odd toy and a bulletin board... and a dutch door, openable at the owner's will... there is a big pen, and some little pens. She is very very very good with dogs. She understands group mentality well. There are all sorts of dynamics that go on. I get this not first hand, but from my business partner, who has Derby the Dobie and Parker the cocker. Derby is the one who mothers either parker or my dog, pacco, depending on who is there (pacco has probably been there six times in two years, but memorable for him.) There seems to me, at thirdhand, to be a milling dynamics going on. I sometimes hear of some of the individual stories, and this day care person is surely alpha and wise.

Alternately, I guess some places have everybody in separate cages. I have no idea if that is smarter - will they be hyper as they leave the cage? or wiser.

Derby and the Parker seem to be ok with it, and Pacco is not a happy boy and has been tucked into his own den for a bit on occasion.

So, what, I think there is a lot of moxie needed to run a place...

I know of one pet daycare in Boston. My spot is outside of Boston in a good size office park. I figure there is enough land available to have space. I also thought of having a groomer available during the day and sell doggie food and toys sort of as you described. Also, having a connection with a local vet if any problems arise. I even considered putting together a little hand out after each day (similar to my daughter's school) describing what they ate and did that day, personalizing it a little bit.

Thought the location was good for those that worked in the park and they could visit their friends during lunch.

That does sound good...

I don't know how it would work finacially though...

hmmm...
well I dont know about pet daycare, i think it is a good idea, but would the majority of people need it?

However I would like a pet sitter, and I know many other breeders would liek a pet sitter that we could bring the aniamsl over to their house, and they would already haev cages and everythign set up. I would even pay well, but noooo all i find are people willing to come over to your house (which I dont like the thought of someone having access to my house for an entire weekend--every weekend, alone. period.) or the stupid animal shelter that we cannot trust at all to take proper care of our animals, so i am forced to stay at home, or make a relative who doesn't really want to do it stop over every day. But i go out of town some weekends, sigh. So thats a big dilemma to me...plus I woud want someone who knew what thy were doing. I breed different variations of Sugar Gliders, some being pretty rare, so would also want a trustworthy person as well. I guess we just dont haev many f those around here anymore, sigh. but thats what I would want.

I like the idea of raising sea food, food is always in demand, or raising exotic animals, generally they gof or a lot of money, if you have enough breeding colonies, trios, pairs, etc. you can actually make a good deal of money, and becoming USDA licensed is not hard at all; since USDA doesn't inspect as often as they should, and their standards are set low, low enough to where ucky puppy mills, animal testing centers that DEBARK dogs, and own stolen dogs, can be licensed and passed, then pretty much any hobby breeder, or heck even large scale breeder that ctakes relatively good care fo their breeders can be passed.

Doggie Daycares are well used in my small city, but the basic cost for leaving your dog for a day, to be picked up before 5:30 in the afternoon, is not very much money - $5.00 - $8.00. So the owner has to provide other services or have items to sell. Doing all the grooming yourself and taking care of ten to twenty dogs can be very trying. Hiring help immediately cuts any possible profit. Charging more money for basic "sitting" cuts down the number of customers who might leave their dog several times during the work week.

Only $5.00 to $8.00? Forget it! I know of one place in Boston that will also transport the doggies in a bus to the daycare facility. Cute idea, huh? Also, I was only going to run the place, not groom myself, so if I can't make a profit, I guess I have to look at raising lobsters.

Well, that's here in the hinterland. One could probably charge a lot on the upper east side of Manhattan. I think the new PetCo here does doggy day care; if there is one near you, you could see what they charge.