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 go back in time for a minute and share the brightest impressions from our childhood. I am sure that most of you (and I, too), first of all, will remember your 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, on the other hand, are not at all opposed to spending a lot of money to make their child's childhood colorful and memorable.

In this article, I invite you to consider original business the idea of 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

First, 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 have 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 - located in countryside 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 plots and products derived from animals also generate income.

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

City contact mini-zoo. Placed closer to the city center, usually in or near large shopping centers. 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 felines. 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!

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, it makes absolutely no sense to rent 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 IP, we get everything Required 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 exchange rate, the political situation in Ethiopia, atmospheric pressure, as well as a number of other non-obvious factors. When all the papers are drawn up and a pair of gray hair whitens 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 buying everything necessary equipment and aviaries. Place them indoors / on the site so that species that are at war with each other 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 competently. 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 trusted 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: carefully 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 due to 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 a cornerstone this business... Creativity and a little bit of ingenuity will allow you to generate consistent monthly profits.

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 primarily 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) with regard to the rural zoo, then within its boundaries should be opened point of sale and sell milk, eggs and handmade souvenirs in it;

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

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

f) establish contacts with all possible educational institutions cities. In the future, it is even possible to create a paid ecological circle on the basis of 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 will face on 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 in monthly expenses you can also enable the purchase of new animals.

In terms of income, they depend 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 petting zoo operating season lasts from April to October. The optimal ticket price 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 famous fairy tale 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 Sergey

What is a petting zoo?

As you know, animals are the best medicine for relieving stress. In an ordinary zoo, all the animals are behind enclosures and cages. There is only one thing left for visitors - 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, take part in feeding. This concept attracts a lot of casual passers-by: from small children to old people.

Business brief analysis

Investments in the regional center with a population of 800,000 people 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

Starting a business should be looking for 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 the popular mall 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 80 to 150 sq.m. Ticket prices must be appropriate. This is not the place where people go for the whole day. Usually people go 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 a photo and video filming 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 150 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 main 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), you will need start-up capital in the amount of 1-1.5 million rubles. 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:

Registration. If you are one organizer with a small staff, 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 retail premises leased out meet the requirements of the SES and the fire inspection. The cost of renting a spacious area of 100-150 square meters will be 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.
Paying wages to employees in your state.
Costs for utilities.
Payment of taxes.
Purchase of animals.

Investments will range from 1 million to 1.5 million rubles. The monthly net income depends on the season. Organizers of contact zoos in a shopping center make good profits throughout the year. In a month, such an institution is able to bring about 50-80 thousand rubles of net profit.

Payback

Not to say that such establishments pay off very quickly. Suppose, 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 partner 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 over 500 thousand people to provide services in the field of entertaining family leisure. The petting zoo will be a closed separate room with an area of 220 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 the project

Discount rate, %

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

Profitability Index (PI)%

* - during peak sales months

Description of the industry and company

Contact zoos began to appear in Russia in 2009 and gained great popularity for just a few years. Contact zoos open one after another in different parts of Russia. Contact zoos are small-format zoos (usually their area is only 200-300 square meters. 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 almost 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, so the ticket price is slightly higher than to a large zoo and can reach 300-400 rubles.

The purpose of this project is the opening of a petting zoo in a city with a population of over 500 thousand people. It will be a closed area of 220 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 animals can be simply watched. The target audience of the contact 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 individual entrepreneur... The staff of the zoo - the veterinarian, caretakers, receptionists, as well as 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 are admitted 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 over 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 contact zoo by an organized group of 10 people (kindergartens, schools, circles, etc.)
Birthday people	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 holiday 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 into a grid paid services children's quests will be included. It is also planned to organize 2-3 free events every month, including themed evenings, lectures on caring for animals, holidays and master classes, etc.

All services provided by the petting zoo will be extremely safe both for visitors and for 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 the animals. The safety of pets and visitors will be monitored by caretakers who will instruct visitors. A system of fines will be provided for inflicting injuries on animals.

Particular attention will be paid to maintaining the cleanliness of the premises. 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 more than 500 thousand people. They 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, and individual private zoos. At the beginning of 2016, there are more than 60 such zoos in 15 largest Russian cities (2GIS data). 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 as a guide is usually required. It is worth noting 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, advertising company with the involvement of the city's media and holding the opening day with contests and prize drawings. In addition, the following will be used as means of marketing promotion and customer acquisition:

promotion of the site of the zoo in search engines with a conclusion to the top;
TV advertising;
printed handouts (flyers, leaflets, souvenir gifts).

A petting zoo will be presented at 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, themed evenings, and lectures on caring for pets. The zoo plans to cooperate with orphanages, organize meetings with animals for disabled children, children in difficult life situations.

Production plan

As the location of the petting zoo, a room with a separate entrance, located in the city center, in the immediate vicinity of the main attractions and the recreation park, was chosen. For the convenience of visitors, there is a free car park near the entrance. There is a bus stop 250 meters from the petting zoo public transport, 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, the absence of a noisy neighborhood (nightclubs), the proximity of places for family recreation.

To repair and equip the premises with everything necessary, 830 thousand rubles will be required. On an area of 220 sq. meters there will be two main halls with aviaries, a reception area with a wardrobe, administrative and utility rooms, and a bathroom. The purchase of equipment will require 650 thousand rubles. The greatest costs will be spent on 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.	Price rub.
Equipment of places where animals are kept (aviaries, cages, aquariums, terrariums, birdhouses, etc.)
Supply and exhaust system
Lighting system and decor elements
Office equipment
Staff restroom equipment
Reception area
Household appliances and accessories
Outdoor sign
Bowls, feeders
Other expenses
Total:

For the operation of the petting zoo, you will need receptionists who provide reception and organize the sale of tickets, food and souvenirs, and room caretakers who keep order, who clean the premises and feed the animals. The work schedule of the service personnel is shiftable. The main requirements for caretakers are love for animals, communication skills and the ability to work with people. The state 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 is given the staffing table and the payroll. It is possible to attract volunteers to organize ancillary work.

Table 3. Staffing table and wages fund

Position	Number, people	Payroll, rub.
Receptionist
Accountant
Veterinarian
Caretaker
Total:
Deductions:
Total with deductions:

At the initial stage of the zoo's operation (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 such indicators, the initial investment will pay off in 1 year of work. V fixed costs contact zoo will include: rent (220 thousand rubles - at the rate of 1 thousand rubles per sq. m.), wage personnel (171,600 rubles including deductions), utilities. Variable expenses include the purchase of feed, spending on veterinary services, the purchase of new animals, advertising.

Organizational plan

The project to open a petting zoo will require a preparatory stage for a period of 3 months. Large time resources will require coordination with the structures (SES, Gospozhnadzor, etc.). The petting zoo will be managed 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 equipping the premises of the zoo, 500 thousand will be working capital, 330 thousand rubles. will go to 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.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the project

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

Table 4. Indicators of project performance

Index	Meaning
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 guarantees

The success of this business is facilitated by the novelty of the format and conditions of modern urban life. Children are often deprived of the opportunity to be in nature and have direct contact with it, and the formats of large zoos do not allow close communication with animals. One of the main risks of this business is a gap in Russian legislation, which 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 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 a certain industry of private zoos has already taken shape. 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 increase significantly. In the highest risk group - exotic animals requiring special care and maintenance, in the least - unpretentious domestic animals - dogs, cats, pigs, rodents, etc. 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	Degree severity of consequences	Measures to prevent
Introduction to the legislation on the regulation of the activities 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 of visitors, a system of penalties for injuring animals
Inspection authorities' fines			Compliance with standards for keeping animals, veterinary control, prevention of keeping animals in the same enclosure different types 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 someone has not heard of contact zoos and does not know what they are. 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 though given view entertainment in a short period of time has become very popular, let's clarify for a start what it is. A 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 outdoors or indoors. Also pay attention to the types 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 can be a weak the legislative framework in this regard. Failure to comply with high requirements 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 idea as a petting 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 fewer inhabitants.

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

To get started, you should register with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur (IE) or entity(OOO). At the same time, the chosen method of taxation is indicated (it is better to stay on the USN) and the OKVED code 92.53, which deals with the activities of zoos and reserves.

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?

First, you need to decide where exactly you are going to organize the 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 the 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, it is impossible to place representatives in the same section different types... It is also not recommended to place hostile individuals nearby, even if they are separated by a partition.

It is important to provide pets good conditions accommodation. For this Special attention pay 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 starting the organization of the project and buying certain representatives.

Pay attention to the convenience of your 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 a regular park.

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

Since families come here for a few hours or even a whole day, you 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, on the territory of the zoo, you will have to store a lot of food, inventory, tools, and allocate offices for the manager, accountant and other employees. For all this, you need enough space and a 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 take into account several factors at once:

The safety and harmlessness of the animal, so that upon contact with the child, he does not attack or 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 an animal - rare or exotic species are very expensive, which will entail spending not only on the purchase, but also on care, feeding and obtaining permits.

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

Staff

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

manager;
accountant;
security guard;
cleaning ladies;
veterinarian;
workers involved in the daily care of animals.

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 the kids about the peculiarities of the life of such pets, their homeland, etc.

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

The contact zoo as a business is quite 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:

Standard ads in local media - newspapers, magazines, television. It is especially important to actively inform the population in this way about the opening of the establishment.
Other sites - banners, billboards, posters, posters.
Use printed products - hand out flyers and leaflets in places where potential visitors gather - childcare facilities, development and entertainment centers, cafes, letter boxes, supermarkets, etc.
Create a website, a group on social networks and inform about new products, various events, shows, raffle occasionally 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 it is important for the institution to establish cooperation with psychologists and psychotherapists so that they conduct classes here with difficult children and disabled people.

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

Set up a flexible rate schedule. For example, determine the cost of an admission ticket 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 a petting zoo, this function is supposed to be one of the main ones. But at the same time, the time of feeding the pet is specified, and special food is given out.
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 staff. Provide a system of penalties 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, sleep during the day if nature requires it. In this case, it is not so much income that is important as good conditions for the animal. The better you take care of each zoo inhabitant, the less you will face their diseases, deaths and conservationists.
Think over the placement of the enclosures so that the zoo has enough space for animals and visitors. If it is too crowded there, it will not bring joy and positive emotions to customers.
Watch for changes in legislation. Since today there are no laws regulating the activities of contact zoos, it is rather difficult to be guided by any 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 correct your work in accordance with the new standards, which are likely to be quite serious.
To provide every animal Better conditions accommodation, food and care, you should in advance find out about him all the available information. 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. Indeed, on the basis of such a zoo, you can organize amazing zoology lessons, an ecological circle, conduct master classes, teach children 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 prove to 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 every month you will have to spend money on feed, pay for staff, 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, feeding 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, the organization of festive events, the 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 a business associated with representatives of the fauna.

A great way to turn a hobby into a profitable business is to organize a petting zoo as a business. This is a place where animals that are not dangerous to humans are kept. During his visit, you can contact with pets: ironing and feeding. Most often, such establishments contain farm animals: sheep, rabbits, pigs, chickens, ducklings (in the case of organizing an outdoor business). Guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles, raccoons, chinchillas, foxes, parrots, reptiles and even some types of insects live in indoor establishments.

Target audience and their preferences

The main visitors are, of course, children or organized groups of children, of course 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 a petting zoo?

So, according to the survey, which was conducted by the authors of the online magazine "Science", 57% of respondents visit it for recreation, 22% - for educational purposes, 18% important direct contact with animals: pet, feed, 3% visit similar institutions with research purpose. According to age, these trends are shown in graph 1

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

The open-ended answers included such as: love for animals, communication with nature, the opportunity 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 petting zoo, carries, in addition to an aesthetic, also a therapeutic psychotherapeutic function. This technique is called animal therapy.

Knowing the needs of your target audience makes it easy to customize your business to meet them. In our case, since the main visitors are children from 7 to 17 years old, and for them, as can be seen in Graph 1, the cognitive component is important, it would be useful to organize mini-lectures on care, habitat and other features of the zoo inhabitants.

And also provide an opportunity to take pictures with pets and equip a small recreation area for accompanying persons: comfortable seating, perhaps a mini-cafe where the older generation can relax while the children interact with the animals.

Important points for organizing a business

If communication and caring for animals causes positive emotions, you want to bring joy to children and the idea of opening a petting zoo has appeared, then you need to know and take into account the following points:

Ideally, to do such a business better than those people whose occupation is associated with animals. This is a great option for owners of veterinary clinics, farms, zoo workers. It will be difficult to open this business from scratch without knowing anything about its specifics. 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 the order of the Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia from 1993. According to the UNESCO classification, zoos, including contact ones, are museums of wildlife, therefore their activities are subordinate to the departments of culture.
Documentation of activities includes, in addition to standard points, 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 the issuance of passports for each inhabitant, as well as obtaining permission to conduct activities from the Veterinary Directorate.
Recently, there have been many opponents of contact zoos due to the fact that they put profit first, and not its inhabitants. In such a business, priority should be given to not harming animals in the first place, for this it is necessary to hire staff-zoologists who will control the communication of children with pets. After all, children, not because of cruelty, but because of inexperience and ignorance, can easily harm the helpless inhabitants of such institutions.
An important point is the choice of the location for the organization 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 a shopping mall

We will consider this format using the example of a contact 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 St. Petersburg.

Here kids and their parents can feed, pet the animals, listen to lectures on caring for pets, as well as take part in game and educational quests with 100% passability for kids with the participation of real insects. For older visitors, quests based on the book by Ray Bradberry are organized.

To equip the space, theatrical decorators were hired, 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 establishment amounted to about 1.5 million rubles. And this is taking into account the fact that the animals were not purchased by Anna. All the inhabitants were donated by friends-zoologists, taken from junior circles, brought to the veterinary clinic for treatment and "forgotten" by the owners. Now in "Bugagashechka" inhabitants of 64 species live, among them: guinea pigs, mice, chinchillas, insects, reptiles, rabbits, birds.

The third part of investments in the business fell on the purchase of equipment: spacious terrariums, fairy-tale houses, cages, aquariums. TO running costs, in addition to the purchase of animal feed, rental of premises, salaries for employees, veterinary services, vaccination of animals, and disinfection of premises are included.

It turned out to be not so easy to find a place for a zoo due to the specificity of the business: there must be windows for the animals to receive sunlight, a ventilation system. The presence of an elevator, ramps has crucial, since the institution is visited by parents with strollers, 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 the visit 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 are held. This additional service allows you to bring the business into a stable plus, because, as it is recognized, the owner of the institution, a surge in attendance, when it is possible to say that the business is profitable, happens during school holidays, the rest of the time you have to balance on the verge of zero.

Outdoors

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

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

The seasonality that the business is exposed to leads to a shortage of funds for operating costs, the zoo management found a way out of this situation. In "Gorki" there is a program "Take custody of the animal". Firm, organization or individual can become patrons of art, providing financial aid a zoo or to take care 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 provided with a free subscription to the zoo.

The entrance ticket for adults is 250 rubles, for children - 100 rubles. In addition to standard services - observation and communication with animals, services such as pony, horse, camel riding, riding lessons are offered, for an additional fee, you can buy food and feed the 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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