Advice on Opening a Game Store!

[RatPunk]

I'm beginning to do the work on opening my own game store and I know there have been many threads here in the past from others seeking advice. Unfortunately, the search function is unavailable to my lowly self, so I was wondering if someone with that ability would be so kind as to do a search and post links to several of those past threads. If so, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Edit: Spelling

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

IIRC the most oft repeated advice was :

DON'T DO IT!

I did a quick search for you by various keyword combinations, but did not seem to find all the threads I recall seeing before - It's hard to isolate terms/words for that type of thread - you might be better served by asking SPECIFIC questions anew.

I game with an LGS owner ( and will see him tonight ) , so LMK if you would like me to ask him anything in particular.

May be helpful for you:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=62900

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58832

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Hey...

Talk to MojoGM. He ran a store for a while. It's a tough business, though. Be prepared.

Best,
Sheri

 

[MojoGM]

Hi RatPunk,

I owned a gaming store in 97/98 and I think you can learn a lot from me. Unfortunately, what you can learn from me is what NOT to do .

Though I had some small amount of success, I made a lot of mistakes. But hey, that's what one gets for jumping into something (and opening a business of credit cards....WHAT was I thinking).

Although the store did not last past early '98, and I lost a lot of money (ended up declaring the Big "B"), I still say it was a positive experience. I learned a lot about running a business, made a few good friends (some of whom I still see and play D&D with to this day), and it later led to other opportunities. I work for a publishing company now, and I KNOW I got the interview because "Book Store Owner" was on my resume (That I sold GAMING books didn't matter. Books is books). Oh, and my current job is where I met Djeta, so there is a check in the positive column right there .

My advice...

Go slow...make a business plan, do a LOT of research, and make sure you can afford to operate AT LEAST 6 months assuming you make NO money, possibly longer.

Talk to the other game store owners on this board. A lot of people are going to tell you NOT to do it. Listen, consider their opinion, and make your decision. But realize what you are getting into. Owning any sort of business is a tremendous amount of work. You are never at rest, you never have a day off. Even when the store is not open, you'll find yourself working on it to some capacity.

Like I said, I consider my time as a game store owner a positive experience, but it came at a cost. Could I have made a go at it? Sure, if I had been a little smarter and luckier, but it was not to be.

If you want me to fill you in on my experience, shoot me an e-mail

cdtorres72@hotmail.com

Good Luck

~MojoGM (Chris)

*edited some spelling errors*

 

[LostWorldsMike]

I'm the co-owner of a gaming store that opened in May of this year, and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions I can. I'll start off with some free advice...

Don't do it because you want to get rich.

Don't do it because you want to play games all day.

Just because you like something doesn't mean it WILL sell.

Just because you dislike something doesn't mean it WON'T sell.

Location, location, location. And remember you're dealing with a niche market - mega-traffic (and high rent) don't always equate with big sales.

And I'll close with a question: Why do you want to open a game store?

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Also, just a suggestion RatPunk... You may want to edit your original post and change the subject line to "Advice on Opening a Gaming Store" . I think it would get a lot more views.

 

[RatPunk]

Also, just a suggestion RatPunk... You may want to edit your original post and change the subject line to "Advice on Opening a Gaming Store" . I think it would get a lot more views.

Good idea, Djeta. I have done just that.

Thanks!

 

[RatPunk]

IIRC the most oft repeated advice was :

DON'T DO IT!

Yeah, I know and it's one of the pieces of advice (that I've only really seen here on ENWorld) that really bugs me. If everyone who wanted to open a game store followed the advice of EnWorld, there wouldn't be ANY game stores.

I know it's tough, long, tiring, thankless work, and it's not for everyone, but for those who are looking for real advice on the process, few things are as frustrating as constantly seeing "Don't Do It".

And as I've mentioned, I only ever see that here on ENWorld. I copied about a dozen links yesterday from old Game Store threads on RPGNet and every one of them offered good serious advice on the process without once saying "Don't Do It". I find that curious, really...

Anyway, sorry about the little rant.

On with the advice!

 

[MojoGM]

I know it's tough, long, tiring, thankless work, and it's not for everyone, but for those who are looking for real advice on the process, few things are as frustrating as constantly seeing "Don't Do It".

It is indeed, and I would never tell someone NOT to do it. A lot of people told me that, and I'm quite glad I did not listen.

If people want to say "Do not do it, and HERE is why..." that is different. Listen to what they say, and make the decision yourself. It sounds like you've already decided though, so now you need practical advice.

Best advice is to take your time and do your homework. Seek out possible locations, think about traffic and any possible complications. My storefront I found very cheap (sort of) and no lease, it was month to month. Sounded great. However, the reason it was so cheap is that the landlord planned on doing some construction in the plaza (which was mostly empty) and I soon found my parking lot ripped up and replaced by dirt. and wouldn't you know it? We had the MOST WET, RAINY SEASON EVER. Mud City, man, Mud City.

And if you are going to have an area for people to play games in your store, consider what rules you will have. My store became a big hangout for a group of local kids. They were all cool kids, but sometimes I feel I did not keep a lid on them enough which may have scared off newcomers.

I'll post more later...

~MojoGM (Chris)

 

[Greatwyrm]

Here are some things to keep in mind when opening any business.

1. Get a good accountant before you do anything. Small businesses are probably the most audited segment of the US economy. If you don't have someone who knows what taxes you need to pay and when, the penalties alone will crush you. Also, knowing where every dollar in your business goes is key for a small operation.

2. Get in touch with your state, county, and local governments. All will have rules about where you can set up (in your home, in a store), permits you need to get, and all kinds of other stuff.

3. If you have an actual storefront, don't skimp on insurance. If you think you can't afford to pay the premium on your property/casualty coverage, just wait until you see what it will cost you to replace your inventory (which will consist mostly of easily burnable paper, in your case) or pay the ER bill for the little old lady that falls in your parking lot.

4. Don't do business with family if you can avoid it. No matter how close you are, it will turn out bad in the end.

5. Also on insurance, plan ahead for your own health insurance needs. It's much easier to stay-on/get a group policy than an individual one. If you won't have enough employees to get a group plan (usually at least 3-5, depending on the state you're in) you need to make sure you have something else in place. The laws covering health insurance are very tricky. Talk to an agent in your area, not just a buddy.