Documents for the opening of the zoo. Business plan for a petting zoo in a shopping center: investments, payback and profit - Entertainment. What is needed for that

Good day to you, my dear readers! Let's fast forward to the past for a moment and share the brightest impressions from our childhood. I am sure that most of you (and I, too), first of all, will remember a visit to the zoo.

Indeed, children always react very vividly to various animals and are ready to devote a lot of time to communicating with them. Parents are not at all against spending a lot of money to make their child's childhood colorful and memorable.

In this article, I invite you to consider an original business idea for organizing your own contact mini-zoo. During his visit, children and adults will be able to directly contact animals (stroking, feeding, etc.), which will greatly enhance the effect of contact with nature. Like any business idea with animals, this business is extremely time consuming, but useful for the younger generation and, most importantly, profitable.

Opening a contact mini-zoo: first steps

To begin with, a little theoretical training. Let's figure out what types of contact zoos can be organized, depending on your place of residence and financial capabilities. I identified only two main types: rural and urban. There are a number of fundamental differences between them.

Rural mini-zoo. The name speaks for itself - it is located in a rural area and is a fenced area with aviaries located on it. Aviaries are of two types: closed and open.

In a rural contact mini-zoo, common animals are usually represented - horses, rabbits, ducks, geese, turkeys, sheep, goats. It is logical to assume that such a zoo is in close symbiosis with subsidiary farming and that the income is also generated by the products obtained from animals.

It is worth opening such a zoo if you have the inclination and desire to engage in farming activities. In addition to standard excursions, this zoo can hold classes on environmental education of schoolchildren, organize animal feeding with visitors, as well as horse riding.

City contact mini-zoo. Placed closer to the city center, usually in large shopping centers or near them. In an enclosed space, there are enough space for cages, aquariums and terrariums with small animals, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods and sometimes insects. Keeping large animals in such a zoo is unprofitable and inconvenient, so the owners of the establishment try to fill it with exotic and unpretentious creatures.

These include snakes, lizards, iguanas, frogs, crocodiles, as well as monkeys and some members of the feline family. This type of zoo is quite suitable for a year-round visit, and the range of additional services that an entrepreneur can provide depends on its location.

Thinking of opening a private petting mini-zoo, but don't know where to start? Read the answers below!

The first: lease-contractual affairs. We are looking for a room or area (depending on the type of zoo). The plot is easier - suburban agricultural land costs a penny, and you can take a few hectares at a ridiculous price. Naturally, there is absolutely no point in renting a plot. If you do not have a country house, then later a small part of the site can be transferred to individual housing construction and build a house there. As for the city mini-zoo, it is better to rent the premises here. In this case, it is necessary to carefully check the heating and ventilation systems and make sure that they are in full serviceability. In terms of area, choose a room with a "margin" for future expansion. Having chosen the necessary living space for future scaly and hairy tenants - proceed to the next stage.

Second: paper cases. We register our individual entrepreneur, receive all the necessary documents, stock up on valerian and go to the SES, and then to the fire inspection for the appropriate permits and regulations. The success and speed of obtaining all securities depends on the mood of the employees of these institutions, the position of the stars in the sky, the Japanese yen rate, the political situation in Ethiopia, atmospheric pressure, and a number of other non-obvious factors. When all the papers are completed and a pair of gray hair turns white on your head, you can safely proceed to the immediate arrangement of the future zoo.

Third: everyday affairs. After making a list of animals that you plan to settle in the zoo, start purchasing all the necessary equipment and aviaries. Place them indoors / on the site so that the hostile species are located as far away from each other as possible (for example, it is better not to put a fox and chickens in the same cage). Make the appropriate repairs in the room and decorate the interior correctly. Place a stand at the entrance with a list of services and opening hours. Having prepared the premises for the entry of new tenants, proceed to their search and purchase.

Fifth: veterinary affairs. It is absolutely necessary for each animal to have a veterinary passport and periodically monitor its health status. A professional veterinarian can be hired on the staff or simply enter into an agreement with a verified veterinary clinic.

Sixth: personnel affairs. You are unlikely to cope with the organization of the work of the zoo alone, so willy-nilly you will have to hire several workers. Here is a sample list of helpful staff for the zoo: administrator, tour guide, cleaning lady, veterinarian and animator (optional).

Tip: thoroughly study all available literature and Internet sources on the care, feeding, maintenance and lifestyle of your animals. Otherwise, some of them may suddenly go to heaven because of some minor trifle.

In the next section of the article, I will introduce you to a number of obvious and non-obvious features of this business.

Features and nuances of this business idea

Question: how to make a lot of money from a petting mini-zoo is usually not the cornerstone of this business. Get creative and a little smart to generate consistent monthly income.

a) place an urban petting zoo on busy streets, near large cafes and shopping centers, and a rural one within 20-30 km from the city, preferably in an area near which a busy highway passes;

b) the zoo is designed, first of all, for a children's audience, so it will not be superfluous to organize a playground or a playroom for rest, as well as the sale of ice cream, cotton candy and soda;

c) as far as the rural zoo is concerned, a trade point should be opened within its boundaries and milk, eggs and handmade souvenirs should be sold there;

d) if possible, have young hens, sheep, goats and pigs in the rural zoo. Trust me: playing with a young pig will be a hundred times more interesting for a child than stroking a sluggish python or iguana!

e) prohibit photography and filming. Take pictures of those who wish for an affordable price and print photos on the spot. This requires a laptop and a good printer;

f) establish contacts with all possible educational institutions of the city. In the future, it is even possible to create a paid ecological club based on your zoo;

Investments and income

It is rather difficult to calculate the costs of organizing a petting zoo. The fact is that they will vary in a very wide range due to the specifics of a particular business project, its scale and location. To open a small petting mini-zoo in an average Russian city will require at least 300 thousand rubles. If you decide to fill your menagerie with exotic animals, then the costs will start from 500 thousand rubles and endlessly. The zoo will pay off in about a year. Here is an approximate list of the main expenses that you face at the initial stage of this business:

a) rental of premises and its arrangement according to your needs;
b) buying various animals;
c) payment for veterinary escort services;
d) purchase of cages and aviaries;
e) purchase of feed and specialized equipment;
f) advertising campaign in all available media.

Every month you also have to spend money on employee salaries, utility bills, taxes, zoo cleaning and advertising. If you plan not to stand still, but periodically expand your business, then monthly expenses can also include the purchase of new animals.

In terms of income, it depends a lot on the additional services that your zoo provides. Paid photo and video filming, sale of souvenirs and the organization of planned excursions from educational institutions will significantly accelerate the return on business and your personal well-being. When planning a business, it is also worth considering the fact that the zoo will most likely have to be closed during the winter, as some animals will hibernate or become very lethargic. As a rule, the operating season of the petting zoo lasts from April to October. The optimal cost of a ticket should not exceed 150 rubles - the main income should still be received from related services.

Instead of a conclusion

It is difficult to imagine a more specific type of entrepreneurship than a business with animals. It requires daily vigilant control and is fraught with constant unpleasant surprises.

Animals are not soulless machines and it is much easier to harm them than electronic or mechanical equipment. Therefore, before you decide to organize your contact mini-zoo, think carefully - if you will not be too burdened by the responsibility for so many living creatures that require care and attention.

And, finally, I would like to recall the words from the famous fairy tale by Antoine de Saint Exupery: we are responsible for those we have tamed. Let this phrase become the motto of your business and then you will certainly succeed. Good luck!

May 9, 2016 Sergei

What is a petting zoo?

As you know, animals are the best medicine for relieving stress. In an ordinary zoo, all animals are located behind enclosures and cages. Visitors have only one thing left - to observe the animals from a distance. In a petting zoo (from the word contact), everything is different. Here you can not only watch the animals, but also stroke, touch, and take part in feeding. This concept attracts a lot of casual passers-by: from small children to the elderly.

Business brief analysis

Investments in the regional center with a population of 800,000 are taken as a basis.

Start-up capital - 1 million rubles
The monthly net profit is 50-80 thousand rubles.
Payback - from 1 year.

No. 1. Choosing a suitable room

You should start a business by finding a suitable place. For the purposes of this article, we have selected a shopping center. The main disadvantage of such a place is the high rent, especially when it comes to a popular shopping center with high traffic. This disadvantage pays off with interest, since by paying a lot of money for rent, you will receive a constant influx of customers. This saves on advertising campaigns.

For a mini-zoo within the shopping center, a spacious trading floor with an area of \u200b\u200b80 to 150 sq.m. Ticket prices must be appropriate. This is not the place where people go for the whole day. Usually people come to the contact mini-zoo for 1-2 hours. This time is enough to slowly touch all the animals. The number of animals is limited. The organizer of such an establishment must come up with an ideal and interesting concept of work so that the visitor does not have time to get bored.

We recommend that you allow visitors to take photos and videos for free or set a symbolic fee. For example, a regular ticket can be sold for 250 rubles, and with photos and videos for 300 rubles. Most people will purchase tickets with the ability to photograph and film.

No. 2. Purchase of animals

Let's say we have an area of \u200b\u200b150 square meters. Given that we have a limited area, we must select a variety of animals for it. Of course, dangerous predators should be ruled out. Still, the basic concept of such an establishment is that each animal can be touched, stroked and taken part in a small feeding. It is advisable to focus on exotic animals.

Here are some great options:

Lemurs
Monkey
Raccoons
Protein
Kangaroo
Chickens, geese and ducks
Ponies, goats, sheep
Rabbits
Nutria
Hedgehogs
Pigs
Peacocks
Ostriches
Ducklings and chickens
Kids

To reduce costs, it is cheaper to purchase young animals. This is a big plus for children. Children take great pleasure in contact with young animals.

No. 3. Costs, profits and payback

Prices may vary in each region. To open in a large regional center (in cities from 800,000 people), start-up capital of 1-1.5 million rubles will be required. The most expensive part is buying animals. It all depends on what types of animals you will buy. Exotic ones are much more expensive than those animals that are bred in our strips (hedgehogs, pigs, chickens, ducklings, kids, etc.).

The financial plan includes:

Check in. If you are one organizer with a small staff of employees, then it is better to register an individual entrepreneur. If you have several organizers, then LLC is better suited.
Premises for rent. As a rule, in the shopping center, all commercial premises leased out meet the requirements of the SES and the fire inspection. The cost of renting a spacious area of \u200b\u200b100-150 square meters will amount to about 50-80 thousand rubles per month (if we are talking about a popular shopping center). Indoors, you need to create ideal conditions for keeping animals.
Hire staff. One of the business organizers can act as an administrator and director. An employee will be required to take care of the animals and clean the zoo territory. These duties can be performed by 1 person. One of the main employees of the zoo is an experienced veterinarian. The life and health of your animals depends on this.
Repair and creation of ideal living conditions for animals. It is necessary to purchase cages, aviaries, create an optimal temperature.
Equipment purchase.
Purchase of quality food and feed.
Pay salaries to employees in your state.
Utility costs.
Payment of taxes.
Purchase of animals.

Investments will range from 1 million to 1.5 million rubles. Monthly net income varies by season. Organizers of contact zoos in a shopping center make good profits throughout the year. In a month, such an institution is capable of bringing about 50-80 thousand rubles of net profit.

Payback

Not to say that such establishments pay off very quickly. Let's say that with an investment of 1.5 million rubles you get 70 thousand rubles of net monthly profit, then the payback will be about 21-22 months (1.5-2 years).

Of course, you need to notify the residents of the city that a contact zoo has opened in such and such a shopping center. To do this, you can use social networks, arrange raffles for free tickets, distribute flyers, etc. As an additional profit, you can cooperate with schools or kindergartens, providing an opportunity to arrange biology lessons for teachers.

Project summary

The goal of the project is to open a petting zoo in a city with a population of more than 500 thousand people to provide services in the field of entertaining family leisure. The petting zoo will be a closed separate area of \u200b\u200b220 sq. meters, which will be equipped with aviaries with various types of domestic and exotic animals that do not pose a danger to humans. Unlike classic zoos, a petting zoo will allow visitors to touch, feed and pet the animals. In addition, due to the format it will be possible to visit such a zoo at any time of the year. The target audience of the zoo will be preschool and school children and their parents.

The cost of the project will be 1,660,000 rubles. The payback period is 11 months. The preparatory period will take 3 months. Reaching the planned sales volume from the moment the petting zoo started its work - 3 months.

Key financial indicators of the project

Discount rate, %

Project net profit *, rub.
Return on sales,%
Payback period (PP), months

Profitability Index (PI)%

* - during peak sales months

Industry and company description

Contact zoos began to appear in Russia in 2009 and became very popular for just a few years. Contact zoos are opening one after another in different parts of Russia. Contact zoos are small-format zoos (usually their area is only 200-300 square meters, the maximum possible - up to 450 square meters), where visitors are allowed to enter the enclosures, feed, pet and photograph the animals. Naturally, in such menageries there is no place for predators in cages - all animals are harmless and pose no danger to humans. Contact zoos have gained the greatest success among residents of million-plus cities, for whom such establishments have become practically the only opportunity for close communication with wildlife. Contact zoos began to appear in large shopping centers and other crowded places. In essence, contact zoos can be classified as a family entertainment market. Due to its format and small areas, the number of visitors to a petting zoo cannot be compared with large zoos, therefore the ticket price is slightly higher than to a large zoo and can reach 300-400 rubles.

The goal of this project is to open a petting zoo in a city with a population of over 500 thousand people. It will be a closed area of \u200b\u200b220 sq. meters with enclosures equipped inside. The zoo will be divided into two main zones, one of which will include animals that can be found on the farm, and the other part - more rare exotic animals of the jungle and tropics. All of them will not pose a danger to humans. 90% of the zoo is contact, that is, visitors to the zoo will be able to touch and pet the animals, as well as feed them with special food, which can be purchased at the entrance. Another 10% of the animals can be simply watched. The target audience of the petting zoo will be children of preschool and school age (0+) and their parents. The main income of the zoo will come from the sale of entrance tickets.

The form of ownership of the contact zoo is IP. The taxation system is simplified (6% of income). The main activity code according to OKVED is 92.53 "Activities of botanical gardens, zoos and reserves". The head of the petting zoo will be an individual entrepreneur. The staff of the zoo - the veterinarian, caretakers, receptionists, and also the chief accountant - will be directly subordinate to him.

Description of services

The following types of services will be provided on the territory of the petting zoo:

individual visit to the petting zoo;
group visit to the petting zoo;
organization of children's parties and events.

The average check of the petting zoo will be set at 250 rubles. Children under 3 years old admission is free. There will also be discounts for some other categories of the population. A detailed list of services is given in Table. 1.

Table 1. List of services

Name	Description	Cost, rub.
Adult ticket	Visiting a petting zoo for a visitor from 14 years old
Child ticket	Visiting a petting zoo for a visitor from 3 to 14 years old
Children under 3 years old	Visiting the petting zoo for visitors under 3 years old (accompanied by adults)	is free
Group visit + excursion	A visit to the petting zoo by an organized group of 10 people (kindergartens, schools, circles, etc.)
Birthday	Visit to the petting zoo on your birthday + 2 days (upon presentation of a supporting document)	is free
Retirees	Visiting a petting zoo as a pensioner (upon presentation of a pension)
Children's party at the petting zoo	Conducting a birthday, matinee, themed event with the participation of an animator	negotiable

In addition to the above services, a trade in souvenirs and food for the animals of the zoo will be organized on the territory of the touching zoo. As the zoo develops, children's quests will be included in the paid services grid. It is also planned to organize 2-3 free events every month, including themed evenings, lectures on caring for animals, holidays and master classes, and more.

All services provided by the petting zoo will be extremely safe for both visitors and the animals themselves. Pets of the zoo will be exclusively non-aggressive representatives of the fauna, namely:

poultry (geese, ducks, chickens);
small animals and rodents (rabbits, hedgehogs, ferrets, guinea pigs);
large animals (goats, sheep, pigs, ponies);
harmless amphibians and reptiles (turtles, snakes, iguanas, frogs);
insects.

All animals will undergo regular veterinary control - visitors will be able to see extracts from the animal's veterinary passports. Only high-quality feed will be purchased for animals. The safety of pets and visitors will be monitored by caretakers who will instruct visitors. A system of fines will be provided for injuring animals.

Particular attention will be paid to keeping the premises clean. Wet and dry cleaning will be carried out daily. Once a week, a “bath day” will be organized for pets, once a month - disinfection and deratization with washing floors with disinfectants. The zoo will be equipped with a climate controlled ventilation system. Before visiting the animals, visitors will have to take off their outerwear, put on shoe covers and wash their hands. There will also be an agreement on the disposal of biological waste.

Sales and Marketing

Basically, mini-zoos are spread in large cities with a population of over 500 thousand people. These can be seasonal outdoor establishments or indoor zoos. The latter are often shopping centers. Among the players there are both large federal chains developing through the sale of franchises, as well as individual private zoos. At the beginning of 2016, there are more than 60 such zoos in 15 largest Russian cities (data from 2GIS). Prices for visiting mini-zoos on average vary in the range of 150-350 rubles. The fee is set for the entrance and can be the same for both adults and children, or differ depending on the age of the visitor. Children under 3 years old are usually free to enter. Such zoos work most often every day, from 10:00 to 20: 00-22: 00.

The main clients are parents with children of preschool and school age, as well as teenagers. Most often, petting zoos are visited by families. Parents act as “guides” and introduce children to animals, so no intermediary is usually required as a guide. It should be noted that, largely due to the novelty of the format, the requirements for such establishments on the part of clients are not yet high - for many, visiting a petting zoo is new. However, an analysis of the experience of operating zoos will reveal some of the main mistakes in the work of such establishments. Among them:

Lack of opportunity to purchase animal feed;
Unpleasant smell in the room;
Dirt, mess in the institution;
Lack of control over animals and children;
Tightness, inability to approach the enclosures;
Lack of car parking.

All these errors are planned to be taken into account when organizing the work of the zoo.

At the start of the activity of the contact zoo, an advertising company will be held with the involvement of the city’s media and an opening day with contests and prize drawings. In addition, as a means of marketing promotion and customer acquisition will be used:

promotion of the zoo site in search engines with the output to the top;
tV ads;
print handouts (flyers, flyers, souvenir gift items).

The contact zoo will be presented on social networks (Vkontakte, Facebook, Instagram), where the zoo news will be posted. It is also planned to maintain contacts with the media - news from contact zoos about the birth of mongooses, hedgehogs and other animals regularly appear in news feeds. To increase customer loyalty, a network of events will be developed, including excursions, theme nights, lectures on pet care. Collaboration of the zoo with orphanages, organization of meetings with animals for children with disabilities, children in difficult situations are planned.

Production plan

The location of the petting zoo was chosen as a room with a separate entrance, located in the city center, in close proximity to the main attractions and the recreation park. For the convenience of visitors, there is free car parking near the entrance. There is a public transport stop 250 meters from the petting zoo, from which you can reach various parts of the city. When choosing a place, the following factors were taken into account: a large amount of daylight, no noisy neighborhood (nightclubs), proximity to places of family recreation.

To repair and equip the premises with everything necessary, 830 thousand rubles will be required. On an area of \u200b\u200b220 sq. meters there will be two main halls with aviaries, a reception area with a wardrobe, administrative and utility rooms, a bathroom. The purchase of equipment will require 650 thousand rubles. The greatest expenses will be for the arrangement of places for keeping animals. Another expensive item in the equipment column is the ventilation system. A complete list of equipment is given in Table. 2.

Table 2. Equipment costs

Name	price, rub.	Quantity, pcs.	Cost rub.
Equipment for places where animals are kept (aviaries, cages, aquariums, terrariums, nesting boxes, etc.)
Supply and exhaust system
Lighting system and decor elements
Office equipment
Staff rest room equipment
Reception area
Household appliances and accessories
Outdoor sign
Bowls, feeders
Other expenses
Total:

For the work of the contact zoo, you will need the front desk staff, who provide guests with reception and organizes the sale of tickets, food and souvenirs, and room keepers who monitor the order, cleaning the room and feeding animals. The work schedule of the service personnel is shiftable. The basic requirements for caretakers are love for animals, sociability and ability to work with people. The staff will definitely need a veterinarian. His responsibilities will include the treatment and prevention of animal diseases and the maintenance of the necessary documentation. For admission to the position, a mandatory requirement will be at least 1 year of experience in the specialty. Table. 3 given the staffing and payroll. It is possible to attract volunteers to organize ancillary work.

Table 3. Staffing and payroll

Position	Number of people	FOT, rub.
Receptionist at reception
Accountant
Veterinarian
Caretaker
Total:
Deductions:
Total deductions:

At the initial stage of the zoo (3-5 months) it is planned to reach a sales volume of 450-500 thousand rubles. In the future, it will reach a turnover of 800-850 thousand (10-12 months). With these indicators, starting investments will pay off for 1 year of work. The fixed costs of the petting zoo will include: rent (220 thousand rubles - at the rate of 1 thousand rubles per sq. M.), Staff salaries (171 600 rubles including deductions), utilities. Variable costs include the purchase of feed, spending on veterinary services, the purchase of new animals, advertising.

Organizational plan

The project to open a contact zoo will require a preparatory phase of 3 months. Large temporary resources will require coordination with structures (SES, State Fire Supervision, etc.). The management of the contact zoo will be carried out by an individual entrepreneur. His responsibilities will include personnel management, recruitment, marketing promotion, cooperation with feed suppliers, organization of animal purchases, representative functions in other organizations.

Financial plan

Investments in the project will amount to 1,660,000 rubles. Of this amount, 830 thousand rubles. will be required for and equipment of the premises of the zoo, 500 thousand will be working capital, 330 thousand rubles. will be spent on intangible assets (registration, launch advertising campaign, website development, other expenses). Financial indicators of costs, revenues, tax deductions, net profit are presented in Appendix 1. Calculations are made for a five-year period of work with an average check of 250 rubles.

Project Performance Assessment

The calculations performed show that the project for opening a contact park is very effective. The initial investment will pay off within 11 months, with a return on sales of 15%. Key performance indicators are given in Table. 4.

Table 4. Project performance indicators

Index	Value
Discount rate, %
Net present value (NPV), rub.
Project net profit *, rub.
Return on sales,%
Payback period (PP), months
Discounted payback period (DPP), months
Profitability Index (PI)%

* - during peak sales months

Risks and Warranties

The success of this business is facilitated by the novelty of the format and conditions of modern urban life. Often children are deprived of the opportunity to be in nature and directly contact with it, and the formats of large zoos do not allow close contact with animals. One of the main risks of this business is a gap in Russian legislation that does not regulate such activities in any way. In particular, closed spaces raise questions (especially when it comes to shopping centers). The conditions for keeping in them can be grossly violated: pets are kept in too small an area, they receive irregular food and often do not have the opportunity to hide from people at will. In addition, there are no clear requirements for the qualifications of personnel. All this causes discontent among animal rights activists, which is also expressed in doubts about the ethics of free business and actively seeking to ban such establishments. Nevertheless, today there is already a certain industry of private zoos. According to experts, even if the new law is adopted, the activities of most private zoos will not stop, but the requirements for them may significantly increase. In the highest risk group - exotic animals that require special care and maintenance measures, in the smallest - unpretentious pets - dogs, cats, pigs, rodents and more. Table. 5 the project risks were assessed and measures to prevent them.

Table 5. Assessment of project risks and measures to prevent their occurrence or their consequences

Risk	Probability of occurrence	Power severity of consequences	Measures to prevent
Introduction to the legislation on the regulation of the activity of contact zoos			Bringing the activities of the zoo in accordance with the legislation, emphasizing the maintenance of unpretentious animals
Injury to an animal by a visitor			Verbal and written instructions on the rules of behavior with animals, control over visitors, system of penalties for injuring animals
Penalties of inspection bodies			Compliance with animal welfare standards, veterinary control, prevention of keeping animals of various species in one enclosure, feeding with proven feed
A sharp deterioration in the situation in the country, a drop in the population's ability to pay			Stimulating demand with loyalty programs, revising pricing policy, reducing costs, introducing additional services

Applications

Key financial indicators of the project in a five-year perspective

It is unlikely that today anyone has not heard of contact zoos and does not know what it is. Most entrepreneurs think about how to open such an institution and draw up a business plan for the implementation of targeted actions.

The popularity of such entertainment is due not only to the love of children for animals, but also to the psychotherapeutic direction called pet therapy. Experts say that close contact between the child and the animal has a positive effect on the child's psyche and helps to overcome difficulties in communication and development.

Business specifics

And although this type of entertainment has become very popular in a short period of time, let us first clarify what it is. The petting zoo differs from the usual one by the presence of safe animals. Here you can feed them, stroke them, play, hold a cute little creature in your arms.

They are organized in the open air or indoors. Also pay attention to the variety of pets present in these establishments. These can be simple rural animals bred on farms within our country or exotic representatives of the fauna.

One of the most important conditions for organizing a contact zoo is the complete safety of the animal for children. True, we should also take care of our smaller brothers and protect them from excessive aggression or excessive manifestations of love, feed them in a timely manner and observe the optimal conditions for their detention.

The main difficulties on the way to organizing such an institution in our country may be a weak legislative base in this regard. If you do not comply with high requirements, you can even face huge fines or incur the wrath of environmentalists. Therefore, each point should be approached with special care and responsibility.

It is believed that such an undertaking as a contact zoo will justify itself only in a city with a population of at least 500 thousand people. But with small investments and volumes, you can try to organize a similar complex in settlements with a smaller number of residents.

This is an entertaining type of business focused on family leisure. From what age is it possible to attend this institution? Anyone. Such contact has a beneficial effect on the development of children of all ages.

Registration process

First, you should register with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur (IE) or a legal entity (LLC). At the same time, the selected method of taxation is indicated (it is better to stay on the USN) and the OKVED code 92.53, which refers to the activities of zoos and reserves.

In order to obtain permission to keep animals in captivity and provide them for entertainment purposes to clients, you need to prepare everything in accordance with the requirements of the main inspection bodies - the sanitary and epidemiological station, the fire inspection and the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare.

The most important point is obtaining a veterinary certificate for each animal that will live in the zoo. These documents are issued by a veterinarian after examination, diagnostic measures and vaccinations. Particular difficulties sometimes arise when buying exotic animals, which need not only to be legally and correctly transported across the border, but also to provide them with optimal conditions. All this is checked by the relevant services.

To move step by step, it is advisable to draw up a business plan with calculations. This will also help when obtaining a loan from a bank if you do not have enough funds to implement the project.

What is needed for that?

To begin with, it is worth deciding where exactly you are going to organize a space for communicating with animals. It can be an open-air petting zoo, or a small "living corner" within a shopping or entertainment center in the middle of the city.

In the first case, you will be able to offer visitors the pleasure of playing with larger representatives of the fauna. At the same time, favorable conditions, fresh air, sunbathing, etc. are provided for the animals. The second option makes it possible to keep only small pets, but at the same time there will be difficulties with the arrangement of the building in order to create optimal conditions for their living.

Depending on the size and number of animals, the area of \u200b\u200bthe territory for the mini-zoo will also differ. It is believed that 250-300 sq. m is enough for these purposes. The maximum bar is 450 sq. m. The entire area is divided into aviaries. Remember that according to the law and common sense, representatives of different species cannot be placed in the same section. It is also not recommended to place hostile individuals nearby, even if they are separated by a partition.

It is important to provide pets with good living conditions. To do this, pay special attention to the ventilation system, heating, lighting, air humidity and other indicators. Keep in mind that each animal needs its own parameters, which they will learn about even before organizing the project and buying certain representatives.

Pay attention to the convenience of visitors. The location of the petting zoo should be close to the main target audience. A small distance from a densely populated residential area or a well-equipped area in a shopping center is considered ideal. Also, a good solution would be to open a petting zoo nearby or on the territory of an ordinary park.

It is important that there is a public transport stop nearby and enough space for parking cars. If it is not convenient for potential customers to get to the animals, they will prefer other types of entertainment and relaxation.

Since families come here for a few hours or even for a whole day, you will have to worry about additional infrastructure. So, install toilets for visitors, a small cafe on the territory, place vending machines with drinks and snacks. To attract more children, you can open several attractions, but not too noisy, so as not to frighten the animals nearby.

Do not forget about the administrative buildings and premises. Indeed, at the zoo you will have to store a lot of feed, equipment, tools, allocate rooms for the manager, accountant and other employees. For all this, you need enough space and competent division of sectors.

Animals

Another important point is the choice of those pets with which it will be accessible and interesting for visitors to play. It is important to consider several factors at once:

The safety and harmlessness of the animal so that when it comes in contact with the child, it does not attack and does not harm in any way.
Cunning - cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, monkeys and even poultry are especially attracted to children.
It is advisable to choose such representatives of the fauna that do not require sleep and tranquility during the day, as well as unpretentious in care.
The cost of the animal - rare or exotic species are very expensive, which will entail expenses not only for purchase, but also for the care, feeding and obtaining permits.

Since today the inhabitants of megalopolises practically do not have the opportunity to see live even ordinary rural birds or small ruminants, giving them a chance to play with a pig, goat or chicken will be accepted with delight by many. In the selection of successful options, use your imagination and conduct preliminary surveys, study the market, focus on the wishes of future customers.

Staff

People are needed to maintain cleanliness, the required conditions in the zoo, caring for animals and performing other functions. The staff consists of:

manager;
accountant;
security guard;
cleaners;
veterinarian;
daily animal care workers.

You can invite an animator to hold various interesting events. If your petting zoo is large enough and there are various exotic animals, then the presence of a guide will be useful. He will tell kids about the peculiarities of the life of such pets, their homeland, etc.

When selecting personnel, it is very important to pay attention to whether a person loves animals, knows how to handle them, and knows about their features. Such specialties as an accountant and a tour guide require additional skills and specialization, corresponding work experience. At each of the employees, check the sanitary books and send them in a timely manner for medical examinations.

A petting zoo as a business is a rather promising and interesting idea. With the right approach, in a few months clients will come to you simply on the recommendation of friends. But for word of mouth to work, you first need to conduct a competent advertising campaign. To do this, use as many channels as possible:

The standard ads in local media are newspapers, magazines, and television. It is especially important to actively inform the population in this way about the opening of the institution.
Other sites - banners, billboards, posters, posters.
Use printing products - distribute flyers and leaflets in places where potential visitors congregate - children's institutions, educational and entertainment complexes, cafes, mailboxes, supermarkets, etc.
Create a website, a group on social networks and inform about news, various events, shows, raffle periodically entrance tickets, etc.

To increase the popularity of the institution, you can cooperate with schools, kindergartens, conduct group excursions, arrange master classes, biology lessons on the territory of the zoo. Show programs, performances and other entertainment can be organized periodically. For maximum benefit from the institution, it is important to establish cooperation with psychologists and psychotherapists so that they conduct classes here with difficult children and disabled people.

To make such a business successful and start making money on it as early as possible, you should pay attention to the following points:

Set up a flexible tariff schedule. For example, determine the cost of admission according to age, individual or group visit. Make discounts for pensioners and birthday people. Children under three years old - admission is free.
The rules of ordinary parks stipulate that it is forbidden to feed the animal by hand. In the contact zoo, this function is assumed to be one of the main ones. But at the same time, the time of feeding the pet is specified, and a special feed is issued.
Write down strict rules of conduct and introduce them to each visitor. It is important that children do not press down on animals too much or harm them. This should be monitored by parents and zoo workers. Provide a system of fines for violations.
Remember to protect not only children, but also representatives of the fauna. Provide them with the opportunity to hide and be alone if desired, to sleep during the day, if nature requires it. In this case, not so much earnings are important as good conditions for the animal. The better you take care of each zoo inhabitant, the less you will face their diseases, mortality and conservationists.
Carefully consider the placement of enclosures, so that the zoo has enough space for animals and visitors. If it turns out to be too crowded, then this will not bring joy and positive emotions to customers.
Watch for changes in legislation. Since today laws have not yet been enacted to regulate the activities of contact zoos, it is rather difficult to focus on some clear requirements. At the same time, the government is considering the possibility of banning or tightening control in this direction. Therefore, when any laws concerning contact zoos appear, you need to immediately adjust your work in accordance with the new standards, which are likely to be quite serious.
In order to provide each animal with the best living, nutrition and care conditions, you should know in advance all the available information about it. To do this, even before buying any copy, read the relevant literature and communicate with professionals. And this applies not only to exotic species, but also to ordinary rural pets. After all, each of them has their own preferences, and even from a slight draft or frequent feeding, some representatives can become seriously ill.
Connect with educational institutions. After all, on the basis of such a zoo, you can organize amazing zoology lessons, an environmental club, conduct master classes, teach children how to care for animals and even give them the opportunity to take care of selected pets.

Financial part

The costs of such a project would be serious. Indeed, even at the stage of paperwork and obtaining permits, you will have to spend a significant amount. Further investments will greatly depend on how much the animals on which you choose are worth. Let's try to show the average cost of organizing a petting zoo.

At the same time, keep in mind that you will have to spend every month on feed, staff pay, utilities and rent, advertising, and so on. The payback depends a lot on the influx of customers, the established rates, the availability of additional services, etc. Even what kind of animals you have in your care will greatly affect the level of fixed costs. For example, to feed a cat and the same piglet will require different costs.

The introduction of various additional paid services will help increase revenues. This can be the sale of souvenirs, special food, photographs with pets, organization of festive events, installation of attractions, a children's room, a cafe on the territory, etc. Remember also about the products that are obtained in the process of life from some representatives of the fauna - eggs, wool, milk. All of these can be sold wholesale or retail.

Video: contact business.

As practice shows, successful projects of contact zoos begin with a hobby - hobbies for caring for animals, collecting their rare species or business associated with representatives of the fauna.

A great way to turn a hobby into a profitable business is to organize a contact zoo as a business. This is a place where animals that are safe for humans are kept. During his visit, you can contact the pets: pet and feed. Most often, such establishments contain farm animals: lambs, rabbits, pigs, chickens, ducklings (in the case of organizing an open-air business). And guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles, raccoons, chinchillas, foxes, parrots, reptiles and even some types of insects live in institutions organized indoors.

Target audience and its preferences

The main visitors, of course, are children or organized groups of children, naturally accompanied by adults. In order to understand how to organize a business, let's look at the main preferences of the target audience - why do people go to the contact zoo?

Thus, according to a survey conducted by the authors of the Naukovedenie online magazine, 57% of respondents visit it for recreation purposes, 22% for educational purposes, 18% important direct contact with animals: petting, feeding, 3% visit similar institutions with research purpose. According to age, these trends are reflected in graph 1

The older the visitors, the more they prefer relaxation and direct contact with animals, and younger respondents visit contact zoos for educational purposes, including for the sake of contact with the inhabitants.

In the open versions of the answers there were such as: love for animals, communication with nature, the ability to take an unusual photo, play with animals and feed them.

By the way, a scientifically proven fact - tactile communication with animals, including in a contact zoo, carries, in addition to aesthetic, also a therapeutic psychotherapeutic function. This technique is called animal therapy.

Knowing the needs of your target audience, it is easy to set up a business in such a way as to satisfy them. In our case, since the main visitors are children from 7 to 17 years old, and for them, as can be seen in Figure 1, the cognitive component is important, it will be useful to organize mini-lectures on care, the environment and other features of the zoo inhabitants.

And also provide the opportunity to take pictures with pets and equip a small seating area for accompanying people: comfortable seating areas, possibly a mini-cafe where the older generation can relax while the guys are talking with animals.

Important points for organizing a business

If communication and caring for animals causes positive emotions, I want to give joy to children and the idea to open a contact zoo has arisen, then you need to know and consider the following points:

Ideally, it is better to engage in such a business for those people whose occupation is related to animals. This is a great option for owners of veterinary clinics, farms, zoo workers. From scratch, opening this business without knowing anything about its specifics will be difficult. We must not forget about the ethical side and humanism in relation to the inhabitants of the zoo.
Currently, in Russia, the activity of zoos is not regulated by law, it is regulated by order of the Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia from 1993. According to UNESCO classification, zoos, including contact ones, are wildlife museums, therefore their activities are subordinate to cultural departments.
Documentation of activities includes, in addition to standard issues, such as the choice and registration of the organizational and legal form - the best option for an individual entrepreneur on a simplified taxation system (6%), OKVED 92.53 "Activities of botanical gardens, zoos and reserves", the conclusion of a lease agreement, also mandatory examination of all pets by a veterinarian, their vaccination, followed by issuing passports for each inhabitant, as well as obtaining permission to conduct activities from the Veterinary Administration.
Recently, there have been many opponents of contact zoos due to the fact that profit is put in the first place in them, and not its inhabitants. In such a business, priority should be given to non-harm to animals in the first place, for this it is necessary to hire co-workers-zoologists who will control the communication of children with pets. After all, children, not by virtue of cruelty, but by virtue of inexperience and ignorance, can easily harm the helpless inhabitants of such institutions.
An important point is the choice of the location of the contact zoo. It will be a mini zoo in a shopping center with several pets or a large park of animals or birds in the open air.

In the mall

Let us consider this format using the example of a petting zoo with a funny name "Bugagashechka", opened by an animal lover - the owner of veterinary clinics, cat cafes and a cat museum Anna Kondratyeva in one of the shopping malls in St. Petersburg.

Here, children and their parents can feed, pet animals, listen to lectures on pet care, as well as participate in game and educational quests with 100% cross-country ability for kids with the participation of real insects. For older visitors, quests are organized according to the book of Ray Bradberry.

Theater decorators were hired to equip the space, who built special rabbit holes, an anthill, and even a “maternity hospital for butterflies” - a place where they hatch from a cocoon.

Capital investments in the opening of the institution amounted to about 1.5 million rubles. And this is taking into account the fact that animals were not acquired by Anna. All inhabitants were donated by friends-zoologists, taken from youth groups, brought for treatment to the veterinary clinic and “forgotten” by the owners. Now in “Bugagashechka” there live inhabitants of 64 species, among them: guinea pigs, mice, chinchillas, insects, reptiles, rabbits, birds.

The third part of the investment in the business came from the purchase of equipment: spacious terrariums, fabulous houses, cages, aquariums. Current expenses, except for the purchase of animal feed, rental of premises, salaries for employees include veterinary services, vaccination of animals, and disinfection of premises.

It turned out to be not so easy to find a place for the zoo because of the specificity of the business: there must be windows for animals to receive sunlight, a ventilation system. The presence of an elevator, ramps is crucial, since the institution is visited by parents with wheelchairs, as well as people with disabilities; a toilet with a washbasin is required, because sometimes visitors are delayed for several hours. Also, you need a small utility room for storing and preparing animal feed and a reception desk for selling tickets and receiving visitors.

The cost of visiting is 300 rubles. for adults and 250 rubles. for children, the cost of one quest is 3000 rubles. On weekends, an average of 4-6 quests is conducted. This additional service allows you to bring the business into a stable plus, because, as recognized, the hostess of the institution, a surge in attendance, when you can say that the business makes a profit, happens during school holidays, the rest of the time you have to balance on the verge of zero.

On open air

In the Kolomensky district, on the basis of the collapsing Maksheevsky farm, in 2009 the Gorki contact zoo was opened. Currently, in a vast open area in conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat, hens, ducks, geese, squirrels, nutria, ostriches, llamas, deer, camels, horses, ponies and many other animals live.

Coniferous trees serve as an excellent help as an additive to animal feed and the construction of beds for them. But the owners of the zoo do not destroy the forest, in the winter they organize volunteer campaigns to collect the trees left after the New Year holidays.

The seasonality of the business leads to a shortage of funds for current expenses; the zoo management has found a way out of this situation. The program "Take custody of the animal." A company, organization or individual may become patrons of the arts who provide financial assistance to the zoo or take custody of one or more animals. At the same time, it is possible to place your sign near the cage with the animal, and all sponsors are given a free subscription to visit the zoo.

Entrance fee for adults is 250 rubles, for children - 100 rubles. In addition to standard services - observation and communication with animals, such services as riding a pony, horse, camel, riding lessons are offered, for an additional fee you can purchase food and feed your pets. On the territory there is a shop and a riding school, which brings additional benefits to its visitors and profit to business owners.

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