Matt Heeter and Brian Meyers opened Aquatic & Exotic Pets in Onalaska in July 2025. The two co-owners first met in the 1990s, when Brian was a customer at the pet store where Matt worked. Today, their partnership brings together two very different—and highly complementary—skill sets. Brian draws on his background in the Air Force, with experience in aircraft, management, and accounting, while Matt brings entrepreneurial experience, inventory expertise, and a hands-on approach to running the store.
Aquatic & Exotic Pets specializes in freshwater and saltwater fish, pond supplies, snakes, lizards, amphibians, and feeders. Customers can not only purchase their pets but also learn how to properly care for them, from setting up tanks to creating environments where their animals can thrive. “Selling living things is exciting,” Matt said. “I often get to help kids discover their first pet.”
Growing One Step at a Time
The business started with freshwater fish and plants. Since opening, the owners have expanded their selection to include saltwater fish and reptiles and have significantly increased their inventory of dry goods, including decorative rocks, wood, coral, tanks, and other supplies.
That growth is reflected in the business’s sales. When Aquatic & Exotic Pets first opened, daily sales averaged about $400. One year later, the business is averaging approximately $1,000 per day. The owners have also reached a level of reinvesting in the business; they have gained the ability to order inventory in bulk and maintain better stock levels rather than waiting until shelves are empty to reorder.
Customer service remains at the heart of the business. The owners emphasize healthy, quality animals and a diverse selection. They have also developed creative systems behind the scenes, including a unique “rodent rack” with a shared waterline and food rack that improves efficiency, saves space, and makes cleaning easier.
Accomplishments with SBDC:
- Marketing strategy
- Insurance needs
- Financial projections
- Licensing requirements
Getting the Right Help
The owners credit the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) team at UW-La Crosse with helping them navigate many of the business decisions that went beyond their knowledge of the pet industry. The SBDC assisted with financial projections, marketing strategy, insurance needs, licensing requirements, legal-entity decisions, and determining reasonable rental costs per square foot. The guidance also helped the owners make informed decisions about where to invest their limited startup dollars and which inventory to prioritize.
“We learned how to ‘eat the elephant just one bite at a time’ to avoid being overwhelmed with such a big project,” the owners said.
Overcoming Challenges
Finding the right location was one of the biggest hurdles. With the other major pet store in town preparing to close, Matt and Brian wanted to open quickly—ideally within three months. Downtown locations lacked the parking and accessibility they needed for customers, deliveries of live animals, and large amounts of inventory.
Their location at 986 South 12th Avenue checked several important boxes. It wouldn’t require extensive remodeling, the landlord was willing to negotiate a favorable rental rate, and a veterinary clinic was located right next door.
Still, getting the store ready required significant upgrades. A fiber internet installation delayed the opening by about a month. The business also needed electrical and plumbing improvements, including infrastructure for a larger water heater, three water main taps, a utility room sink, shelving, and other necessary structures.
Building a Business and a Community
Aquatic & Exotic Pets has benefited from relationships with other local businesses. The owners worked with JRM Associates, an accounting firm that helped streamline reporting processes, assisted with tax filing, and reviewed data entry. Having trusted professionals to help with the parts of the business outside their areas of expertise has allowed Matt and Brian to concentrate on what they do best.
Their experience reinforced an important lesson: loving your industry isn’t enough. You also need to understand the business behind it.
Hear Matt describe the importance of going beyond just interest in your “hobby”
The Rewards of Entrepreneurship
For Matt, one of the best parts of owning Aquatic & Exotic Pets is simple: being his own boss. Brian enjoys having the freedom to create his own solutions when problems arise. That entrepreneurial independence has helped the business grow from a small freshwater fish and plant shop into a much broader aquatic and exotic pet destination.
Matt and Brian have straightforward advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: ask for help. Aquatic & Exotic Pets is proof that passion can be a powerful starting point, but the right partnerships, practical business knowledge, and willingness to seek help can turn that passion into a sustainable small business. What began with a shared love of aquatic and exotic animals is now a growing business in Onalaska — one fish, rat, axoloti, and customer at a time.
