The American Pet Products Association (APPA) indicates that total pet industry expenditures in the United States reached $60.59 billion in 2015. Americans spent a total of $23 billion on pet food, $14 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicine, almost $16 billion on veterinarian care, $2 billion on live animal purchases, and a little over $5 billion on pet services like grooming and boarding. Currently, 56 percent of American households have pets, with that number expected to increase. 

With an industry that appears to be recession-proof, there are many opportunities for an enterprising business person to capitalize on the willingness of individuals and families to own and care for animals.

If you are an animal lover yourself and have thought about starting your own pet business, here are some things you will want to consider.

Keep “business” in the pet business. Remember that starting a pet business is like any other business. Becoming an entrepreneur means that you will need to accomplish all the tasks required of any other business, regardless of whether it will be a traditional stone-and-mortar storefront or an ecommerce business conducted solely or primarily online. At a minimum, you will need to: 

There’s no business like show business, right? People dream of getting into the entertainment industry whether that be as an actress or actor, as a musician, or some other way. They dream of becoming a star, a household name, someone who is loved by all. But, despite their best efforts, the entertainment industry can be one of the most difficult to get into.

While many have starry-eyed dreams of the silver screen or a passion for being on stage, there are a number of other ways to get into the entertainment industry, and one of them is starting out on your own. There’s a lot more to entertainment than just being on the forefront—there’s everything behind the scenes from illustration and videography to lighting and recording. If you’re dying to get into the entertainment industry but aren’t sure you’re cut out to act or sing, here are some business ideas that you can take and run with to get your start in entertainment:

Write Song Lyrics

If you have a knack for writing poetry or song lyrics, you could get into the music side of the entertainment industry and make some good money. Whether you want to work freelance or create an official LLC, you can start your own business writing song lyrics for musicians who are going on stage. If you have experience writing music as well, you could offer those services too, making yourself even more valuable and helping you work your way up in the entertainment business.

Before you even think about starting to play the guitar you need to put your hands on the actual instrument. Although you are surely tempted to believe that this is not necessary since you can always rent one or play the one of the instructor’s, having a guitar of your own will help you out so much more than what you initially think. 

Many beginners make the mistake of thinking they need the very best possible instrument, like a Collings guitar or similar. In reality, what is important is to get a guitar that will actually make it easier for you to learn. As a beginner, you are mainly interested in price, style, age, size, condition and where you buy the guitar from. 

Where Should You Buy Your Guitar From?

The beginner guitar player should always avoid the pawn shops, yard sales or flea markets, unless he/she is buying with the help of someone that does have the proper experience. If you never bought a guitar till now you surely do not actually know what the best option is. The best option you have as a beginner is to visit the local music retail shop. At the same time, online shopping is an opportunity if you are using the services of a company that is reputable. In this case it is very important that you look at the return policy though, just to be safe.