What business category are you in?

[jeff@zina.com]

MOFIB forum members are a pretty diverse lot. I see posts from around the world and all over the marine breeding spectrum. So what would you classify yourself as?

Hobbyist: Breeds a few fish or corals, trades them to the LFS or other hobbyists, participates in frag swaps, etc. Doesn't earn enough to break even on the hobby, but it's fun.

Serious Amateur: Has a decent breeding setup, dedicated just to breeding or propagating corals. Sells to other hobbyists, fish stores, frag swaps or online. Breaks even or slightly better, but not enough be a formal business.

Small Breeder: One man (or family) shop but does it for primary income (or secondary to a spouse's income, retirement, etc.). Keeps careful books, pays taxes, has all the permits from the government agencies and does better than break even. It's a business, not a hobby.

Commercial Breeder: Corporation, employees, large production, deals almost exclusively through distributors. You have ads in the hobbyist magazines and sponsor web sites. You may just be an employee in this organization, but it's a job that pays your salary and has a return on investment.

Institution: You work for a public aquarium, university or government agency. You have a full-time job breeding or doing research, but sales of your product are irrelevant. You're doing research, not commercial production. You close the life cycle on a new species and pass the information along, others will turn it into a commercial success. Or failure.

Me, I'm at the serious amateur stage looking to move to the small breeder category. I have a decent job and will have an okay retirement in the next ten years or so, but I'm going to need to supplement it. I've enjoyed it at the hobbyist level and need to find out if I can make it at the next level. But I have a number of years to ramp up.

So, where are you?

Jeff

[altolamprologus]

I'm just a hobbyist for now. I'm hoping to move all the way up to institution after I finish college.

[Luis A M]

I´m a serious amateur too,but I don´t sell to hobbyists,nor frag corals.
Clowns generate some income,which is wasted in all the other non clown breeding projects
PS:Jeff,you have a PM.

[Clownfish75]

haha i resent this Jeff, where is the mentally impared fish nutter, i want that catagory. I think i would fit perfectly.

[Scottt]

Somewhere between a Hobbiest and Small Breeder. We pay taxes, have permits, and a formal business, but the startup $$ are still greater than profits.

[chuggy]

serious Amateur: trying to make small breeder www.chuggysclowns.com

[CaptCrash]

Serious Amateur trying to work out if its a good idea or bad idea to become a Small Breeder.

[jeff@zina.com]

Looks like we're identifying a target market here.

Jeff