Ethics & Business

I know this topic is quite redundant because most of what I want to write are well known facts. But it is just for me to vent out my frustration on what I notice that is going on around me.

I would just like to write more about the local pet business and how I perceive it. All of us know that pet businesses rely heavily on livestock. The profit margin for accessories and ration is relatively low and most of the pet shop operators depend heavily on selling livestock that may bring up to 100% profit. The other profitable services include grooming and boarding.

Let's spend a moment to just talk about ethics. Business will always remain simply as business at the end of the day because money talks. The question is, will one survive being ethical? In this competitive environment where pet stores are blossoming like mushrooms, many chooses to cut edges and put ethics on the line.

Although business remains as business, the piece of CAKE also remains as a piece of CAKE. The only thing that matters is who's having the bigger slice. Or should the cake be split equally? But we know, the heart of men is greedy.

I for one will never be successful if I ever venture into the pet business. I will never want to venture into it in the first place. Why? Because I learned from observation that in a business, there is no place for ethics. When faced with a situation to weight between business and ethics, the scale will always tip to where the $$ is. I do not like to make that decision. I know many people starts off a pet business because they have love for animals. Sadly, the love for animals and money should never be mixed. Just like how Luke Skywalker must bring balance to the force, there will always be a dark side lingering nearby.

I know of pet stores that did not survive because their love for animals are stronger than their love for money. But as I mentioned earlier, it is a business at the end of the day.

So, my advice is, don't open a pet store if you are an ethical person because it will either make you or break you.

Why am I writing this? It is just because I feel very privileged just being an animal lover and being able to enjoy my pets just as they are. There is no pressure as to whether I will lose my business or not because it is not a business to begin with. I cannot bring myself to the level where I make a living out of other living creatures. But of course at the same time, that does not mean I give away rabbits for free. There should always be a balance. One will only appreciate something if it comes with a price and of value. Mine is not a business yet not a charity.

So if you ask me whether pets from pet stores are worth buying, I would say YES and NO. Why?

YES only for those (pet store operators) with a larger than life heart and as for NO, go figure...