Advice for a *possible* new game store owner?

[Lord Dynel]

A friend and I are mulling it over...opening a game store. I know, were crazy, but coincidentally we both have had this idea for many years and we've only just realized that we both have had this dream. So we're in a pre-pre-pre planning stage (the "just BS'ing" stage ).

A little bit of info - We live in (and would open the store in) a town about the size of 35,000. There is no current game store in this town - the last one closed about 2 years ago. That store, opened in 1991 and was owned by the same guy for about 13 years. He sold it off in 2004, due to him moving to NC. A guy bought it and pretty much ran it into the ground (a few customers went off and made a rival comic store across town, but that store closed in '07...anyway...). In '06 the guy who bought the store realized there was more to running a store than he realized and sold it to a "chain" of comic shops in the area. That store closed in early '08 and was consolidated into a store in a neighboring city.

As for the neighboring city - the store that got "folded" into the more successful store in this town is still going okay, but they trimmed out all the games, except mainstream stuff (D&D, SW Saga, Magic, and a few odds and ends) and all they do is comics now, mostly. The bigger competition is a store that has been in business since the late '80s. They do comics, rpgs, action figures, comic memorabilia (busts, etc.), a little cards, and a few other things.

The good thing is the town is bigger - maybe 85,000+ and only has those two stores to work with (there is a Books-A-Million and a Barnes & Noble in town, too). The total metropolitan area of our two towns is over a half a million people. The good store is about 25-30 minutes away from where I'd put mine/ours (in my downtown area, most likely). Also, the good store in the neighboring city doesn't deal with Magic or Games Workshop at all (they have three boxes of Magic cards, and thats it).

I guess my question/concerns are, will this area be able to support another store? I think both stores (the one in this town w/ the original owner and the one in the neighboring city) did well when they were at their peak, and even for a long time after that. I think the good store in the other town still does 10-12k a month. The original owner of the store in my town said that he did 14-18k, with higher spikes, a month up until he sold and moved to NC. But I also know those were better times, too.

I'm thinking of focusing on things the other stores in the area aren't focusing on - Games Workshop & GW events, Magic and Magic events, and in-store gaming in general (even the good store in the other town has never, all these years, had in-store gaming). I'm still up in the air about comics, but I've heard they're a necessity and I've heard I can do without.

I guess Im trying to pick the brain of any current or former store owners/workers, or others who have information essential to this subject. How big should initial orders be? Restocks? Overhead? What product does well and moves fast, and what doesn't? Am I a freaking idiot?? Any pointers would be helpful.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[serleran]

Remember that RPGs will not carry you. You will have to rely on other things for that, like Warhammer and Magic. You'll have to have places for people to play, and a way to attract them. If you sell OoP material, make it reasonable... don't ask $45 for a Fiend Folio.
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Serl's Corner

[DangerDwarf]

I'll give you the same advice I give everyone who wants to start up a business.

Add stripper poles. It might entice hot women to stop by and dance randomly.

Thus far, no one has ever taken my advice on this.

Conversely, because of that no one has ever disproved my theory that this is good business sense.

[Lord Dynel]

I agree serl. With the lack of WH and Magic in nearby stores, I feel that's a huge resource we can tap. And, yeah having a place to play is essential.

OoP/Used stuff is a big thing for me. The old store in this town used to do it, but it stopped when he sold and left. His method was selling it half of retail, regardless of what it was, and basically giving half of that (or 1/4 retail in store credit - so a $20 book would be sold by him for $10, so he'd give $5 in store credit). I think OoP/used stuff is big in int own right, and can be a good source of income (especially if you're giving store credit for it and not cash).
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[Lord Dynel]

DangerDwarf wrote:
I'll give you the same advice I give everyone who wants to start up a business.

Add stripper poles. It might entice hot women to stop by and dance randomly.

Thus far, no one has ever taken my advice on this.

Conversely, because of that no one has ever disproved my theory that this is good business sense.

Stripper poles would be nice, but I don't know about too "wholesome."
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[Relaxo]

DangerDwarf wrote:
I'll give you the same advice I give everyone who wants to start up a business.

Add stripper poles. It might entice hot women to stop by and dance randomly.

Thus far, no one has ever taken my advice on this.

Conversely, because of that no one has ever disproved my theory that this is good business sense.

I think this is sound advice for a tittie bar

[DangerDwarf]

Lord Dynel wrote:
OoP/Used stuff is a big thing for me.

Thats the biggest thing I miss about having an local store.

Thats a must for a good store in my opinion.

[Relaxo]

LD, I'm really not the one to ask, but I'd say Serl is right, you must diversify the products you are selling and get people in the store.

Right now folks may not have a lot of disposable income to throw arond, but then again, they're looking for a fun escape. have you read about movie ticket sales this year? thru the roof.

Any business needs raging fans, not customers. If you build a community of loyal customers, they will keep you afloat and better.

This sounds pat, but I really believe it.

Publicity, and return customers, and sell tings online too! that way if your brick and mortar is slow, you're still making money.

All the best!!!!!

[DangerDwarf]

Relaxo wrote:
Any business needs raging fans, not customers. If you build a community of loyal customers, they will keep you afloat and better.

Bingo.

I'm one of those stubornly loyal bastards who'll go out of my way to support a business that I feel does right by me.

[TheMetal1]

Lord Dynel wrote:
I guess Im trying to pick the brain of any current or former store owners/workers, or others who have information essential to this subject. How big should initial orders be? Restocks? Overhead? What product does well and moves fast, and what doesn't? Am I a freaking idiot?? Any pointers would be helpful.

LD, here is a link to a column over at RPG.net called: Business of Gaming Retail. It is written by the Lloyd Brown. His intent behind writing this column is simply this:

Quote:
...to address a regular question that pops up at least once a month here on RPG.net:

"I want to open a game store. Can anyone help me?"

The answer is "yes."

Here is the link to all the columns he has done so far
http://www.rpg.net/columns/list-column. ... mingretail

This particular quote below is from his first column as it shows where he is coming from:

Quote:
Since I sold my store, I've written business plans professionally and counseled other would-be store owners. Ive written a book on gaming retail, which is with a publisher now. I've begun working with other would-be business owners in my area, potential franchisors nationwide, and other people planning to start their own business.

These articles should create a slew of follow-up questions because their brevity will force incompleteness on my part. Naturally, I can't discuss how to adapt each article to every gaming business model. I'll have the answers for some of those in articles planned for later, but I'm willing to address them immediately in the forum. I'm always available for specific discussion relevant to your situation. If at any time you would prefer discuss your issues privately instead of sharing your plans on the forum, you can e-mail me at Lloyd@lloydwrites.com. I'm here for you.

[Treebore]

Be very, very money conscious, and then be committed to customer satisfaction, and have employees that are also committed to customer satisfaction, and hopefully knowledgeable about your product lines.

Also learn to find good deals, from other business' going out, etc... The cheaper you can get your product the better.

Take the Trolls, for example. See if they will supply you directly, and if they are a better deal than a distributor. Do the same with Goodman, Green Ronin, etc...

If enough of them do it, at a good enough price, they may allow you to be competitive enough with Amazon, etc...

The good things right now may be that business properties may be hurting as much as residential, so you night luck out and find a property at a seriously reduced rate.

Also be sure to pay attention to utility bills. Its much easier to make a business work with utilities below $1,000/month than one with costs at $1,500 or higher.

So location is important, but its more important to have a location you can afford to keep open.

Also look into insurance costs. Building insurance and business insurance.

Then find out exactly how much it will cost to get your initial inventory.

Make darn sure you can afford to cover all of these costs. If you can't, then its obviously not a good business plan.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Deogolf]

Be diversified! Keep up with what's going on in the field!

Simple, but true.
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[Lord Dynel]

Y'all have been a great wellspring of information. I especially want to thank TheMetal1 for the article links...I'll be definitely be checking it out!

DD - Yeah, I feel used section is nearly a must. The one weird thing about the decent store in the next town is thy've never done used stuff. not a bit in 20 years. I like it because it brings an eclectic mix of stuff in at little cost to me, and I get first dibs at stuff I may want. I know a little selfish, but hey!

I think snacks for the gamers are going to be a necessity - one snack/soda combo machine, at least.

Treebore - yeah, a lot of what you said has been in my thoughts as well...especially location and rent. My partner wants to get a spot that's a little pricy, but it's right in the retail hub (by expensive I mean 1500 sq. ft. for ~$2100/mo.). I found a cheaper place (about $1600 a month for about 2000 sq. ft.) bt well out of the "happening" retail part of town and in the older part of town. My thinking is that if it's a game store, they'll come...but I dunno

If you all got more to share, feel free to do so!
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[Treebore]

Lord Dynel wrote:
Y'all have been a great wellspring of information. I especially want to thank TheMetal1 for the article links...I'll be definitely be checking it out!

DD - Yeah, I feel used section is nearly a must. The one weird thing about the decent store in the next town is thy've never done used stuff. not a bit in 20 years. I like it because it brings an eclectic mix of stuff in at little cost to me, and I get first dibs at stuff I may want. I know a little selfish, but hey!

I think snacks for the gamers are going to be a necessity - one snack/soda combo machine, at least.

Treebore - yeah, a lot of what you said has been in my thoughts as well...especially location and rent. My partner wants to get a spot that's a little pricy, but it's right in the retail hub (by expensive I mean 1500 sq. ft. for ~$2100/mo.). I found a cheaper place (about $1600 a month for about 2000 sq. ft.) bt well out of the "happening" retail part of town and in the older part of town. My thinking is that if it's a game store, they'll come...but I dunno

If you all got more to share, feel free to do so!

Just be sure to check all cost factors, such as utility costs, insurance, etc...

Higher traffic flow may be worth that $500 per month, but if insurance and utilities make it even more...
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[serleran]

Customer service. Without it, you have no customers. Do not hire people who only want to talk about one game, like it is the only one around -- they may have their favorites, sure, but they should at least know what a published game is, and maybe even what is coming out for it... no one likes a moron.
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Serl's Corner

[Sir Ironside]

My first piece of advice is don't. Now that your secretly telling me that your looking for constructive advice, I'm still telling you don't. Stop and really look at what you wrote and the abject failure of all the stores that had gone before you and how recent their utter failure has been. You have to take note of that, and if you don't your a fool.

Now that you aren't going to listen to the most sane of the advice. I'll give you just a few points.

1) Location, location, location... you hear people say it, you hear people say it that way, because it is true.

2) After you have figured out what your costs to stay open per month, then make sure you have enough disposable income to last you at least 2 years. That is 2 years where you make absolutely no money from your business.

3) Do not depend solely on games, you will fail, every game store who has tried that has failed fast and hard. Twin it with something else, miniatures are not "something else" something like comics or used books etc.

4) On average a business is not really established, in a community, until after 5 years.

5) The customer is not always right. Good customer service is essential, but there is 10% of your customer base you can do without. Those 10% usually end up costing you money and no matter what you do, they will still go around bad mouthing you. So where is the sense encouraging them to come around?

I figure point #2 will be the killer for you, either because you won't be able to afford it, or you'll choose not to believe it and suffer after you sunk your kids future into the money pit.

There is other shit, but go read those articles, I'm willing to bet they are much less negative than me.

[dachda]

In Portland one of the the longest lasting gaming stores is Bridgetown Hobby & Games. (http://bthobbies.com/) They been around as long as I've lived here (15 years now). They are half gaming, both RPGs and board wargames and the other half is surprisingly not comics but models. That is plastic models both military, like Tamiya tanks and half-tracks but also ship models, race car models, etc . . . Always seemed unique to me. They also provide game space for folks to come play at the store. They are going strong as far as I know. Peter Jackson (yes the LOTR director!) even stopped by, when he was in Portland about a month ago. Seems he is a big WWI airplane buff.

The other thought I had was a website. Seems these days a good website, that at least has a calendar of events, a forum, a meeting place for gamers to meet other gamers and so on is vital to maintain the sense of community. Might think about doing mail order too especially of the used stuff.

Any way there's my two cents.
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[Jeffery St. Clair]

Lord Dynel wrote:
My partner wants to get a spot that's a little pricy, but it's right in the retail hub (by expensive I mean 1500 sq. ft. for ~$2100/mo.). I found a cheaper place (about $1600 a month for about 2000 sq. ft.) bt well out of the "happening" retail part of town and in the older part of town. My thinking is that if it's a game store, they'll come...but I dunno

Location is key - the last three attempts at game stores right here in the Lake Geneva area all folded because they weren't in a good spot. One guy even had plenty of computers available, all networked, with hi-speed, and still couldn't make it work because his best customers weren't old enough to drive there yet. Count on kids being a fair share of your customer base. Which place is Mom more likely to drop the kids off to play?
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[Lord Dynel]

Great advice guys.

Ironside, I do appreciate your words. I know there are many factors against opening a store, but yo're right - I'm probably going to do it anyway.
Seriously, though, I don't know for a 100% certainity that I will be doing it. We both want to, but we both agreed to wait a while until we see what th economy does. By the time the economy turns around, we may have lost interest.

Location, I agree, is terribly important. The best rent in the world is not going to be a deal if no one can find your store. Customer service is important as well. I have some professional courtesy, and I'm fairly knowledgable of the product, and with kids have come patience. I think I would do fairly well on the CS side of things...I hope.

I think we can make it work, but staying open is going to be the hardest thing - getting customers to buy, hang out and have a good time. I think the ingredients are there, but keeping the doors open will be the hardest part, I think.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[Sir Ironside]

Lord Dynel wrote:
Ironside, I do appreciate your words. I know there are many factors against opening a store, but yo're right - I'm probably going to do it anyway.

Well I

I'll impart two other words of wisdom.

1)Freaking advertise... phone book (duh) but other places to that will reach your demographic. If they don't know your there, don't be surprised if very few show up.

2) Having a gaming area is good, but don't have it everyday, while the store is open. Make it like a Wednesday night to play rpg's and board games (miniatures) card games. Also offer 10% off any purchase that night. I've see the every day model and this model. The problem with the everyday model is with their Cheeto stained hands and Mountain Dew +1 breath attack it has a negative impact on any new customers. They huddle in the corner and stare at the new person... and god forbid that new person is a girl.

I know I'm Mr. Negative but if everyone else is selling you Unicorns and roses I figure a little dose of reality would be helpful. And, I'd love to see another FLGS succeed but if you go in with a Mary-Ann approach, you won't make the year.

Good luck

[Breakdaddy]

If you're coming to Trollcon there is a guy that runs a local shop you should ask. He is actually running a thriving business here locally.

[Relaxo]

Sir Ironside wrote:
My first piece of advice is don't. ... really look at ... the abject failure of all the stores that had gone before you and how recent their utter failure has been.

yeah, not to piss in your cornflakes, LD, but the man has a point.

If a pizza joint goes out of business, is it a good idea to buy the space and open a pizza joint?

Just be realistic and when tallying expenses, round UP and when guestimaing revenue, round down.... must have realistic expectations.

I say this wiht the experience of running a painting franchise that lost money.
I won't say NO don't do it, but still, you've got to be realistic about everything and be real about the very real possibility of losing money.

[Lord Dynel]

Again, good advice, everyone!

First thing, yeah, I'm not opening up anytime soon. At least not for a year. And not even then if the economy has not recovered at least a little.
As far as the business in this town, the one closed down, I think it was bad business more than a lack of support. Well, I think the bad business led to a lack of support. The guy (I'll call him Fred) bought the store and it was doing in the range of $14,000-$18,000 every month. That was with the good store in the neighboring town rolling along, not to mention a few minor stores here and there in the area (within 30 minutes). When Fred bought it, there were people who didn't like him to begin with (he was known to people, and know to be somewhat pompous and a little self-righteous). So that led to a small comic book "spin-off" store about seven minutes away. Others just didn't want to deal with him and the potty-mouth pervert that he hired to watch the store in his stead. Eventually he got rid of the overhead of an employee, and ran the store himself - but being a new father, sometimes he opened at noon; sometimes it was 1:30pm. And he closed up early, nearly everyday (compared to what people were used to) and stopped weekend business altogether.

So when the "comic book chain" came in and bought it, it had probably lost 80% or more of its customer base over the course of about two years. Very sad. And this store was doomed, too. Already picking up a store with sagging sales due to a decimated customer base, it was on its last legs it seemed. Now that the store was all "official" acting, it was hard to get to know the people behind the counter (who changed quite a bit in the year or two they were there). Things like special orders were a pain in the ass. They didn't care too much for in-store events (they had some, but it had to be wrapped up by end of business, which was 6pm...and not a minute too late). Then store hours kept shrinking and shrinking until the store up and left. After about a year or two the store wasn't doing any business and consolidated it with the store in the next town over. Now all they do is comics and they don't really compete with the bigger, older store in that city.

So, I don't know. I dont think it was as simple a thing as "the store's sales couldn't support itself so it went under." I mean, that's exactly what happened, but it seems a little more complicated than that.

Coincidentally, I almost bought the store instead of Fred buying it, but I opted for my wife's decision - putting a $200,000 addition (yes, addition ) onto the house.

On one hand, I think if I can get some of the old customer base back, we might do well. Many of them are still around, but getting them back would be good. Some of the customer base is gone - grown up and moved away. We'd have to try to get new blood, and who knows how good that is. But yes, as Ironside said, to get either demographic (old customers of the in-town store and new people) we'd have to advertise. On the other hand, has the damage been done? Has the customers moved on to other stores for their gaming needs (or the internet)? Are there many people like me who prefer a brick-and-mortar to the web?
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[Treebore]

Don't let people scare you. Its smart to be cautious, and to go into it with your eyes wide open.

If you can afford a good location, to have and advertising budget, to have a good starting inventory, and good customer service you will probably succeed. The key is to go into it with plenty of financial backing so you can do everything you need to do and afford to keep your doors open until you get your customer base. Like Ironsides said, that is usually around 2 years. It can be faster, it can take longer. Do your research, find out if there are local resources for new business. If nothing else they should be able to help you write up the business plan you will need to get funding from banks. They can also help you find demographic information.

Do you have other interests that you can make part of the business? The most successful store I know of not only sells RPG's, but comics, CCG's, new age stuff, dragon collectibles, incense, martial arts uniforms, weapons, and other gear, video rentals, had 6 tables for gaming, and had 10 networked computers with internet access and a membership program for the computers and video rentals. All of this was based upon interests of the owners. They even sold anime related toys and gundam models.

I wouldn't assume waiting for the market to recover will be better for you. Property values are down, period. Look, and look hard, You may be able to find a property for sale in a good location that you can buy instead of lease. This is better for several reasons. One, you will eventually pay that property off, and no longer have a mortgage to pay. Two, with leases you have to worry about cost increases every time your lease contract is renewed. I have seen many business' closed down because of this. Once you are there the lease holder has the upper hand, not you. He knows you do not want to move because of the damage a change in location can do to your business. Doubly so if his location is a high traffic area.

So just be thorough, and be honest with yourselves. No matter what, its going to be a risk, just stack it in your favor as much as possible.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

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[Maliki]

Treebore wrote:
Just be sure to check all cost factors, such as utility costs, insurance, etc...

Higher traffic flow may be worth that $500 per month, but if insurance and utilities make it even more...

If possible I would go with the higher traffic flow location. The hardcore gamer will find you wherever you are, in the high traffic area you get a lot more casual gamers, kids with thier parents, gamers out with their spouses, who might not make a trip across town just to go to a game store, but since they are already in the neighborhood hubby may drop in while the wife goes looks at shoes (I do this a lot ). Plus this helpls with younger gamers, maybe the parent does not want to drive to the other side of town, and do nothing while the kid visits the shop, but if there are other things nearby, they are more likely to make the trip.

As others have said, customer service is big, being a gamer is a big plus you speak the language. I always hated trying to get game books from a typical book store chain, if you had a question or needed some help, the person behind the counter normally was clueless to what you were talking about.
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[Maliki]

DangerDwarf wrote:
Bingo.

I'm one of those stubornly loyal bastards who'll go out of my way to support a business that I feel does right by me.

+1

My FLGS was run by some real good people, and I ordered everything I could through them, now I have to buy online, but given a choice I much prefer buying in store.
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[SoulCatcher78]

Lots of great information throughout the thread but the one thing I haven't seen mentioned is the possibility of dealing with a partner.

First things first, incorporate. There are several reasons for doing so, mostly financial and in case of failure (bankruptcy will be against the corporation's Federal Tax ID rather than against the two of you). With the business set up as a corporation, you and your partner can be equal (or however you have it set up) partners. This can be documented legally so that if there's ever a falling out, your path is clear cut. Get a lawyer and a banker that the two of you can agree on and start there. These are the professionals and will make things easier if you start with a clean business plan with some hard numbers rather than hopes and aspirations.

Most (80%+) businesses fail in the first 5 years due to under capitalization. Ironside brought up a great point in that you should be able to survive without making a profit for the first few years. If this is going to be your full time job, agree on a salary and stick to it...none of this "well I need a new computer/cell phone/etc" and it's a write off crap. You will find yourself in a hole that you cant climb out of.

Someone who has owned a book/hoby store will be a better judge of what you can expect as far as COGS and profit margins but I heartily suggest that you plan on razor thin margins (you are going to lose or at best break even on a number of products unless you are ordering by the truckload) for the majority of your product.

Have an online presence. I'm not saying go crazy and hire that kid down the street to do web design but at least have an ebay account set up for product that doesn't seem to move as well locally (more eyes on your merch doesn't hurt).

Do not hire your friends or their kids. This should be self explanatory for anyone who has done the hiring/firing job before. No matter how good an idea it might seem, the people you "know and trust" can screw you faster than a stranger (not to mention funny looks at the family reunion if you have to terminate someone for theft).

This is getting a bit long so I'll stop and see what else comes up.

[Sir Ironside]

I'll second (or third?) a online presence. And not just a "hey I'm here." but a sales orientated online presence. I have a friend who owns a game/comic/accessory store. He has a webpage for which he sells his product through. One day I asked him what percentage of his sales come from his website... he said 70%, he said his web stuff was what was keeping his store afloat and healthy.

I'll also second... do not hire friend or family... ever, unless you don't care about profit and losing friends or family then by all means do so.

I'll also second not waiting if you can fill in all the necessities and cross your t's and dot your i's. When the market is poor things like entertainment (movies etc.) and lotteries actually enjoy more profit. Lottery because people are desperate, movies and stuff to escape from their suck lives. I would think a game store would fall under escaping from suck lives.

Edit: Incorporating is expensive, involves lawyers and is really nor realistic for the small guy. That is why you do not see any small business's incorporate, otherwise everyone would do it.

[Treebore]

Sir Ironside wrote:
I'll second (or third?) a online presence. And not just a "hey I'm here." but a sales orientated online presence. I have a friend who owns a game/comic/accessory store. He has a webpage for which he sells his product through. One day I asked him what percentage of his sales come from his website... he said 70%, he said his web stuff was what was keeping his store afloat and healthy.

I'll also second... do not hire friend or family... ever, unless you don't care about profit and losing friends or family then by all means do so.

I'll also second not waiting if you can fill in all the necessities and cross your t's and dot your i's. When the market is poor things like entertainment (movies etc.) and lotteries actually enjoy more profit. Lottery because people are desperate, movies and stuff to escape from their suck lives. I would think a game store would fall under escaping from suck lives.

Edit: Incorporating is expensive, involves lawyers and is really nor realistic for the small guy. That is why you do not see any small business's incorporate, otherwise everyone would do it.

Actually you can incorporate for around $500, even through lawyers it shouldn't be more than about $1200. All incorporation is is filling out the proper paperwork, properly, and filing it with your local government agency.

Incorporation is a good idea though, gives you lots of good protections, from the IRS and your partner.

I will third do not hire friends and family. No matter how trustworthy you believe them to be, in the long run it just isn't worth it.

I agree, an online presence is a no brainer.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Lord Dynel]

Awesome pointers, guys!
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.