The game must go on!

Well, it has been a bit since I posted last but I've got news.

My store opening is going to be pushed back a bit.....

Like a couple of years back.....

Now I know this sounds like a big deal but in the end it really isn't. Let me lay it out for you.

I went to Bank #1 and got denied for the loan based on not having enough collateral. That's cool. I wasn't expecting to get it anyway. I had the opportunity to pick their brains a bit to retweak the biz plan and make it stronger. Trim the fat and make the cuts where you need to.
Bank #2 ended up denying my loan as well. But I was much closer because I know I could of gotten it if I told them I would keep my job part-time as a safety net. But that is not really an option. I need to be at that store every moment that it is open. Its that simple. So no-go on #2.

I must admit I was really bummed after getting denied the second time, but I only allowed myself to mope for one day. And after talking with my wife and sleeping on it I came to the decision that I need to wait a couple years to open my store. This was hard considering I have been striving towards this goal for the last year and a half. So what now? What do I do?

Well, first of all I need to get a second job. Just part-time. And take all that extra money and pocket it away. So I am looking for that right now. I am confident I will find something. Yeah, I know the economy. Whatever! If you have the drive, you can find a job.

Second, I need to remember why I am doing this. My business statement is "Community, Service, Games. That's how we play". Community is the first word in that statement for a reason. I really want to build a community in this area for gamers. That is my primary goal. I want to do it profitably of course. But if I can't have the storefront just yet, I can still stick to my mission statement and work on the community.

So, how do I do that? Well, I have restarted the Bangor area Gamers Guild, and we will be meeting twice a month at the Bangor Public Library. This will provide a group for people who don't love hanging out with a bunch of black t-shirts that smell and avoid daylight. I imagine it will be slow going at first, but consistency is key.

I plan to go online. Gameknightonline.com. If I can't have a really storefront I can have a virtual community to keep up on gaming news online and in the area. Also I have polled a few people in the area and have gotten the overwhelming response that they would like to have a site that they could go to to find gamers who would like to play the same games they are playing. Can you play Memior '44 with your cat? No. But if I can do something to help gamers plug into the community and get the latest gaming news, then I will. I will strive to make it the online gaming hub of Maine. Now I just need to wrestle with Dreamweaver. Wish me luck.

And I have a couple of other ideas as well (one I'm really excited about). But I don't want to let the cat out of the bag quite yet. You never know who's watching. But I will keep you posted.

I guess the main thing I have learned from this ordeal is that this project has really become a part of me. I compare it to having an extra limb sticking out of my torso. Its always there and I really couldn't get rid of it even if I wanted to. Its become second nature. I have never really experienced that feeling with any project before. So I must plug on.

And in the end I have come to the realization that I am comfortable with the fact that I won't be opening  a store quite yet. I still have great plans ahead of me, and I know they are going to shine. And the fact that its been delayed 2 years? Don't fret. It will be here before you know it. How many times have you heard of a friend or family giving birth and then you turn around and their kid is entering 2nd grade or just got their liscence? All the time! 2 years will whiz by.

Hopefully, pretty soon I will have a link to my website on here, along with more good news. In the meantime, keep the faith. Keep reading. And I hope Santa brings you some awesome games under the tree.

Have fun!
-Flip

Favorite Games

We all have them. My top ten list is in a constant state of change though. I can't help it. I think there are probably only 3 games that have a permanent place on my top ten list. And that is even subject to change. Kinda like John Cusack's character in High Fidelity when the reporter asks him to list his top ten favorite albums of all time and his list contains no less than 15. Anyway, my point is if you want to own a game store odds are you love games.

So what is your favorite? And why is it your favorite? How does this play into your store? Well its pretty simple really. Your store, in the end is going to be an extension of yourself. You can't help it. You put all of your blood, sweat and tears into this thing. You put a lot of love into this thing and your personality is going to show through it. And as a result of this, a lot of stores are ruled by what the owner or managers favorite game or genre of games are.

If you travel around and visit a lot of stores when you get the chance (as my wife and I do) you will see patterns. If someone is really into minature gaming their store is going to have about every miniature you possibly could think of, and a few more. The will have a ton of 8x4 tables in there and piles of terrain. But will they have Agricola? Agricola? Whats that? Some sort of Elven dryad creature?
And if they are really into Magic they will have binders and binders of every magic card from the last 20 sets on display. Dual lands will plastered on the walls like like wallpaper and life counters along with card sleeves with naughty demons on them will be for sale too. But do you have any codexes for Warhammer? Ummmmm..... wait, I think Randy might play that. Is Randy here tonight? Oh, thats right he's babysitting tonight. Sorry.

Alright, Passion you've got. But is this good for your business? Yes and No. You can't let your business be ruled by only what you like. You need to listen to your customer base. I'm not saying that a one game store can't work. But it will make your job much more difficult. You concentrate on one game or one genre of games, what happens when that mom comes in looking for a D&D manual you don't carry or a copy of Power Grid? You lose that sale. And the second time it happens? You lose another sale. You're going to make it up with all the sales you will make by being a specialist in Magic you say? Great! But is it enough? Probably not.

Oodles and oodles of studies show that if someone has a good experience with a business they tend to tell 4 other people about it. So if that mom comes in and finds that hard to find game that the retailers don't sell, she will be grateful and possibly steer other customers your way. But if she comes in and feels alienated and doesn't even feel she is in the right place because everyone is just playing with miniatures and terrain she will leave and not say anything, or even worse tell 10 other people about her bad experience. Its true, if someone has a bad experience they tell, on average at least 10 others about it.

Nobody is an expert in all games. And we all have passions for certain games. So you need to think like a businessman first, and a gamer second. You need to train yourself to listen to your customers that are coming through the door and slowly groom the stock of your store to reflect that. You have a bunch of calls or people asking about Catan? You better start stocking it! Not many people asking about Bella Sera? That stock is dead or dying and blow it out so you can take that cash and get something in people want. And special orders? You bet we can do special orders! And if I don't have the answer I will get on my network and get the answer for you.

Service is key. It is the primary thing you need to concentrate on to woo more and more customers to your store. A healthy store needs to think past one core group or just one game. Obviously you can't stock every game out there, nor would you want to. You need to hone your skills and your store to make people think of your store as a reflection of the entire world of games, when in fact it is a reflection of what your customer base actually wants.

And if your favorite game obsession is pogs, well......... we're done here. Just don't bother.

Take care, and keep gaming!
-Flip

Persistence- The "Beserker Rage" of business.

We've all got pet peeves. People who chew with their mouth open, texting while driving or leaving the seat up. One of my maine pet peeves is people who don't call you back. In fact, I will go as far as to extend that to email.

In this day and age there is no excuse. Almost everyone has a cell phone (except for me, yes they want to put me in a zoo). We live in a society that is quickly becoming an instant response society. People text entire conversations, you can get info off the internet while waiting in line at McDonalds you can even check on the status of your store while on a plane at 20,000 feet. So why when I call you, you can't or don't call me back?

I live in Brewer Maine. A small town in the middle of the state. Right next door to the second largest city in the state, Bangor. I originally wanted to open my store in Brewer because I am all about supporting as local as I can first and foremost. Also because there was a semi-succesful game/comic store in this town before it "burned" down (it was an arson). There actually where a couple of locations that looked tempting and could possibly work out very well. So I started making some calls.

I went to code enforcement at my city hall to find out about what liscences and things I will need to worry about if I was going to locate in a certain building right down the street. They said they would call back. Weeks went by, they never did. So I called again, same result. So I went in personally to the code office. I was greeted by someone who gave me lackluster information and then boiled it down to "we can't help you unless we actually look at the location". What? I've got measurements, I've got traffic flow, I could probably get you blueprints of the building, in fact if you stick your head out the window you can see the building from here! How many factors go into figure out simple permits and zoning? This isn't a million resident city, we have about 8,000. They said they would call me.  They never did.

I also wanted to join a local small business incubator which customers of mine told me about. They gave me the phone number of a person who works in the organization that I needed to go to. So I called them and told them I was interested in the program and all I needed was info on it or the number of the person running it. No answer. I called 3 times. No response. But the frustrating cherry on this Sundae? I eventually realizes that I see this contact person at my job all the time. And what is this person doing 50% of the time? Playing on their crackberry. What? I call you multiple times, you have a crackberry, you are a professional businessperson and you can't take 30 seconds to find the number and call me back with it? You have the internet, nay the world in the palm of your hand!

After a month I took the initiative and made a bunch of calls and got to the bottom of it myself. I made the calls and enrolled in the course.

So, thanks for reading my rants. Sorry about that. But it really gets my blood boiling. But my main point is this. You need to be persitent in business. There are a lot of "professional" knuckleheads out there. There is  a lot of people who, as soon as they make into a certain position in their carreer get really lazy. Is it the technology's fault? I don't know. So if there is only one person out there with the answer you need, you need to call again. And if they don't get back to you in sufficent time, call again. Always leave you number and your email address too. Give them multiple ways to contact you. You need to get things done and you don't need other people holding you up. I consider myself to be a very nice guy, but sometimes you have to be a little bit of a jerk and hound people to get things done.

And be the change you want to see, call people back yourself. First impressions are important. And promptness is important. It can mean losing or gaining in your business. This is important. It makes you look like the professional that you are, and we all know that in the game store biz that can be lacking. So put yourself ahead of the curve.

 I eventually made the decision to locate in Bangor. First of all, better downtown location and more business going on. But secondly, I found their city hall much better to deal with. They always called me back and I got the answers I was looking for when I walked in there. Was that the deal breaker? I can't say so, but would things have been different if Brewer had their act together and actually talked to me? Very possibly, yes. Brewer loses, Bangor wins.

Lets lighten things up a bit with the next post, how about Favorite games, your favorite and your stores favorite.

Denied!!

Well, I must admit I've been a bit depressed lately. Last week I got the info that I was denied my loan request. This was the first loan request I had made and I was pretty optimistic about it. I was kind of surprised on how much it bummed me out. I mean I knew there was a possibility of not getting it, but I consider myself to be a pretty positive person. I didn't think it would get to me.

So I took a couple of days and moped around a bit, which really didn't do me any good. But I am a firm believer that you can learn something from any situation, even the bad ones. This was no exception.

The main thing I learned was that this project (opening a store) has become a part of me. Its like I have an extra arm or limb thats invisible. Its always there and I would be damned if anyone would try to cut it off. It really has become a passion. I believe this is a healthy attitude to have. I know that anyone who is opening a store or something similiar says "I have a passion". But it really takes an obstacle like this to make you realize that you're not giving up and how much it is worth to you. Sure, a loan denial doesn't seem that monumental. There's plenty of other banks out there. But anyone who is denied actually takes a step back for a sec and it gives them some clarity.

I also learned that I need to scale back my plans a bit. Plenty of succesful stores out there have started with only $2000. Well, maybe not plenty but there are a couple that I know of. I'm not saying this is a good business model but it means that I might be shooting a bit high.

So, time to trim the fat a bit. Do I want a security system to keep my higher priced items from walking away? Sure! But do I need it? Not really, not right now. I just need to arrange the store and get myself in the mindset to catch shoplifters. Do I need 3 computers in the store? I'm sure I could find a purpose for all 3 but not really. How many stores do you see that still run an old fashioned cash register? I might not go that far, but I know I could just get one and multitask it a bit more. Webcams? A ton of advertising? This time to put the brain to the grindstone and start working.

I need to work fast, but that shouldn't be a problem. I have all the info I need at my fingertips and I have survived the first dance with the bank. I see how the game is played and sincerely the SBA paperwork is not that intimidating. Not to someone who actually uses their brain.

I have an appointment with the bank this morning to discuss why I got denied and what I can do to improve my chances with the next bank (only took 4 phone calls to get a reaction from them).

So remember, passion is the one thing that can keep you going. You might say that you have it, but its times like these when you prove it.

Wish me luck.


Next post: Persistence- The "Beserker Rage" of business.

Feelings..... Nothing more than feelings......

Hello again,

I don't know what stage you, gentle reader are at in your quest to open your own store but I believe I need to touch on a subject that affects all of us. That is your feelings.

Now stay with me....

This is a subject that I believe holds a lot of merit because its the main reason a lot of people don't reach out and achieve their dreams. Fear is one of them. We all suffer from fear of the unknown, fear of instability, fear of ignorance, fear of failing. All of these come into play and rear their ugly head when you toy with idea of opening a store. And if you don't feel any fear you are most likely blissfully unaware of what can go wrong. I really didn't give it much thought until I read an article in a local free newspaper about dealing with fear and using as it a tool instead of a hinderance (Props to Deb Neuman).

We all suffer from insecurity. Everybody does. Nobody is born knowing everything about accounting, distributors, inventory cost, how to deal with shoplifters, etc. You need to learn this stuff. But when someone is faced with the daunting task of opening a store and don't know where to begin, they just give up. Why? Because of the fear of failure. Or if they entertain the thought of opening a store and don't think its viable because the future is uncertain, they give up again. How many times have you looked back on the past and thought "Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda"? What if you opened your store when Magic first came out? What if you were the only person to carry Pokemon when that hit? What about Pogs, what if I invested in those? Okay I was kidding about that last one. But big hits have come in the past and they will come again. HeroClix, D&D minis? You need to learn to keep your ear to the ground and do your best to latch on the next great thing.

My point is, if you are thinking about opening a store you should take a moment to step back and look at the situation. Make a list of all the things you need to learn, and all of the things you want to accomplish. Its going to be a long list, guaranteed. But you know what, you're a gamer. That is something you should be proud of. It seperates you from the rest.  You're smarter than the average mere mortal. You spend your days analayzing boards or card combos to find the best strategy. So put your mind to work and figure out a strategy for tackling the enormous task of opening your store.

Fear can be your friend. Its a natural instinct that protects you from danger. But if you look at it with an intelligent mind, you will realize that it is a tool that will help you slow down and analyze the situation(s) that you are going to get into. You need to be confident to the point that you ooze confidence even when you are not entirely sure. But make sure that confidence is tempered with careful thought and patience.

I really do believe that the average gamer is better at a lot of things than the average person. And being a businessman is one of them. You just need to focus and master your fear, use it, then attack!

I could write more on this subject, but hopefully I have provided you food for thought. Feel free to post comments on this topic.

Take care and happy gaming!
-Flip

Customers, I know they are the enemy but......

 If you walk into a random game store what do you get? Most people frequent the same store all the time so they already know what to expect. But when you think of the average game store, what springs to mind? Sadly I think of a counter with nobody behind it. And the person that is supposed to be manning the ship is either gaming themselves or having a debate on the best way to dispatch a zombie with the smelly kid in the corner.

You might not care. Considering that most hard core gamers just want to be left alone anyway. In fact if someone was behind the counter and actually said something, anything to you, you would respond with the "no thanks, just looking". So you are getting what you want, or are you really?

Even if you want to be left alone, everyone recognizes good customer service. Take a moment and think to yourself when the last time was you went somewhere and got some service that was memorable. It can be anywhere a restaurant, grocery store, doctors office or even a toll booth. Try to dissect that memory in your mind. Why was it good customer service? Were they helpful? What was their approach? Did they actually give you some information that you were unaware of? Did you have to hunt them down? Did you feel hassled? Or did you leave buying something you didn't need or want? Chances are that good customer service to you was not the dude who leaves you alone to do your thing and hopefully you can find that Power Grid expansion you have been searching for. Even if you are not looking for help just knowing that they are available and can help you if needed is a subliminal security blanket. This helps set the tone of your store.

Another very important factor is who do you want to cater to? If you don't really care about expanding your customer base, knock yourself out, stand in the corner and discuss the finer points of smashing a zombie skull. The hardcore gamers will find your store, you won't have to do much to appease them on the customer service front. But if you are looking to increase your sales and cater to a wider audience (which we all should do) you need to try to practice the fine art of shmoozing a customer without being overbearing. Why is shmoozing important? Because if you want to attract a shopper that has no better reason to frequent you than just stopping at Wal-Mart you need to make them feel comfortable and make their experience memorable.

This can be tricky. It really is an art. I am fortunate enough to have to worked in the hospitality industry for the past 20 years so I have had hands on experience with shmoozing every type of personality from a giggly 3 year old to a  grumpy 95 year old man. You need to come up with an arsenal of conversation starters or questions to help your customer out, such as. "What have you been playin' lately?" or "Whats your favorite game?" "Who are you buying for? Your kids or you?". The questions will just come to you with practice. My main point is that you need to avoid sounding like a robot. You need to add a little bit of character. Everybody hates the person who just rattles off "Hi my names (insert name here), I'm excited to be here today, what can I get you to drink....". Just relax and do your best to make you customer feel at home and at the same time deliver the message you are here to help and you are the most knowledgable person about games in a 20 mile radius. Because when Timmy's mom wants to buy that new game for his birthday you need them to have the good memories of your store in order for them to come back. Remember you don't need to shmooze the hardcore gamers so much, you could paint the windows black and install a small trench with barbed wire in front of your door and most likely they would love it. You need to get the "regular folk" to come back.

The reason I called this post the customer is the enemy is because too many game store staff take this approach. In fact too many businesses in general take this approach. A lot of places you go, if you watch you can tell through body language or lack of urgency that the employees are not really thrilled you are there. They are just thinking of their next smoke break or heading back to the office to play solitare. You notice this, even if not conciously but you do.

So take the time everywhere you go to shop or do business to look at each person and ask yourself, what is this person doing that would be considered customer service? Are they doing it well? Have they done it uniquely? Become a critic. You need to make your store shine.

Take care and happy gaming!
-Flip

Research....

Great, so you've decided to take the plunge and you want to open a game store. What next? First, you need to remember the cardinal rule "If the card contradicts the rules, the card is right".... just kidding. You need to remember that you must have a business plan. No if, ands or buts. This is something that I would believe would come natural to gamers. We all have read a rulebook or two in our lifetimes that would make the phonebook cringe, so why not put together a business plan? Just think of it as a rulebook for your biz.

With that settled, where do you start?

I believe my first step was to Google "how to open my own game store". After sorting through some of the posts about video games you will find that a few names will pop up time after time. Marcus King from Titan Games, Dave Wallace from Fantasy Shops in St. Louis and others. I believe Marcus King has written a series of articles on rpg.net that I found to be helpful. You can find the link to one of these articles here, and from there you can find tons of other great articles he has written on all different aspects of the business.
http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/counter15oct04.html

Dave Wallace on the other hand has been hailed as the Yoda, Jedi Master of game store philosophy. He has done countless lectures and has written a book on the very subject of opening a game store. Its called "The Specialty Retailers Handbook" I bought a copy off of amazon.com but I can't seem to find it there anymore. I found it to be a great help. If you can track down a copy, I highly suggest it. But don't worry there's hope.

Podcasts!
A lot of information that I have gleaned from books and essays on the subject of opening a store can be found in podcasts. A lot of podcasts just deal with new games coming out, things in the industry and fun stuff. But thanks to the guys at pulpgamer.com they provide not only links to multiple podcasts they have a series of podcasts on just the business side of gaming retail. Listen to all of these, in triplicate!
http://www.pulpgamer.com/gama/
After you listen to those, move onto the other podcasts that are linked on pulpgamer.com. A lot of them are fun, insightful and are always giving me new ideas. I've driven my poor, loving wife crazy with the phrase "I heard on a podcast......". I love you baby.
Another good site to surf through podcasts is boardgamepodcasts.com http://boardgamepodcasts.com/

And if you don't have an mp3 player, go buy one. You wont regret it. Listen in the car, at the grocery store wherever. Podcasts are a great resource for a gamer.

Anyway, I'm breaking my 20 minute rule. But what it boils down to is, research all aspects of what you think it takes to open a store. Be persistent. And not all of its going to be fun. A lot of its going to be dry and boring. But trust me, when it all starts to come together. Its worth it.

I've barely touched on all the things that are available for research, but I have pointed you in the direction that will give you hours and hours of information to sift through and get the wheels turning. Enjoy!

Take care, and keep gaming!
-Flip

Next topic.... Customers, I know they're the enemy but.....