A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS.

Simon Romero of Simon's Taxidenny considers himself an artist: While stuffing a dead animal may seem brutal to some people, the man behind this Commerce-based taxidermy operation is actually an accomplished sculptor who discovered taxidermy as one of the ways to make a living from his art. But here in Los Angeles, taxidermy isn't just for living room decorations. Many of the area's biggest studios have commissioned Simon's to reproduce some of the world's more exotic species. Staff Reporter Conor Dougherty talked with Simon Romero about the taxidermy business and his occasional studio work.

"I went to school to study marine biology, then got a job working at SeaWorld in San Diego. I'd originally gotten into USC on an art scholarship, and even though biology was my major, I found it much more pleasing to make my living off of artwork. A friend that I went to church with was a master taxi dermist; he taught me the basic lessons of how to do taxidermy and I just took off from there. I opened up the business a year after he taught me the introductory lessons.

"I had a background in business, so I looked at the mistakes that other taxidermists were making. I began to selectively pick my clients instead of just doing whatever anyone wanted. I've made my business in custom work only, not commercial taxidermy.

"Usually people contact us before they go on the hunt, so we can make the proper arrangements. Most of my clients come from word of mouth. The most popular animals are North American game, such as Rocky Mountain mule deer, elk, antelope. A trophy animal is basically whatever the client feels is a trophy to them.

"Your average animal mounted from the shoulder up to the head costs about $550. On the high side, around $1,100, are African animals -- that's where you make the money. Those people pay $60.000 or $70,000 for the hunt, so they're willing to go to a taxidermist that specializes in those types of exotic species, like leopards and plains game animals such as gazelles.

"In addition to taxidermy, I've always done studio work. Since I'm in close contact with a lot of people in the studios, they'll commission me to sculpt and fabricate something for them. For instance, if the studios need something artificially reproduced that's not readily available, like an endangered species, we reproduce if for them artificially. It's easier than getting their studio people to do it.

"I've done work for ESPN, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures and MTV -- and they ask for all kinds of different things."