Local bird shop

Pet bird owners, hobby breeders and aviary keepers, plus families buying their first bird.

Retail margin on food, cages and accessories, plus sales of birds where permitted. Regular repeat customers buying seed and supplies tend to be the steady part.

• Knowledge of bird care and feeding
• Customer service and advice
• Stock buying and ordering
• Comfortable handling birds

• Rules on selling live birds, especially native species, differ by state and territory, so check which licences or records are needed
• Animal welfare duties for housing, cleaning and care of birds in the shop
• Public liability insurance, plus workers compensation once you hire staff
• Lease terms, fit-out costs and slow early sales while you build a customer base
• Bird health risks such as psittacosis, so check hygiene and handling guidance for staff and customers

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $30,000 to $120,000, depending on your lease, fit-out and how much stock you buy. Early sales can be slow while you build a customer base, so allow for that.

Rules on selling live birds, especially native species, differ by state and territory, so check which licences or records are needed. Also check animal welfare duties, public liability insurance, hygiene guidance for bird health risks such as psittacosis, and workers compensation if you hire.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around $10,000 to $40,000, depending on location, range and whether you can sell birds. That is revenue, not profit. Running a shop typically takes at least about 35 hours a week.