Opening a Game Store

[Crabmaster2000]

I've been tossing around the idea of opening up a game store in town here for quite a while now, but more recently I've gotten to the point that its a serious consideration and not just a "maybe eventually". I'm gonna use this thread mainly as a place to just get some ideas out of my head and explore them, but any criticism/insight/horror stories/encouragement/life lessons/etc. that you guys wish to contribute are always appreciated.

For starters this is basically a list of things I feel I need to explore more to open a store in general followed by possible services and things that would be related more specifically to a game store.

Store Planning:

Bookkeeping/Operating Costs:
- Banking/Loan/Line of Credit
- Taxes
- Payroll/Employees
- Advertising
- Write Offs
- Donations
- Initial Stock
- Rent
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Security
- Shelving
- Tills
- Signage
- Uniforms
- Hours of Operation
- Price Stickers
- General Cleaning Supplies
- Gaming Specific Cleaning Supplies

Locations:
- Floor Space/Layout
- Location of Town

Vendors:
-Ordering
-Returns
-Promotions

Local Partnerships:
- Advertising
- Hosting Events

Security:
- Insurance
- Security System/Security Tags
- Camera
- Safe




Possible Services:

- New Games
- Used Games
- Food/Drink
- Rentals
- Repairs
- Cleaning
- Pay to Play
- Test before you buy (old and new)
- Return Policy
- Cash/Credit/Trade for used games
- Tournaments/Contests/Leagues
- Release Events
- Homebrews
- Gaming Memorabilia
- DVDs
- Magic Cards
- Host Parties/Events

This is basically just me spouting off anything that jumps to mind. Some may be unnecessary/unrealistic, but I don't want to overlook anything. If you feel I overlooked something that should be added to my list please tell.

[Zagnorch]

For a start, you should consider whether or not there is enough local demand for what you'd sell to maintain such a business. I'm not exactly sure how you'd figure this out, though one thing to consider is the size of the local population. Of course, this will factor into the "location" section of your Store Planning outline.

I noticed in the "possible services" section a "pay-to-play" entry. This reminded me of a setup that a local now-defunct video-rental store had way back when. The store's game rental section had Genesis and SNES machines hooked up to small color TVs. The TVs were powered by a coin acceptor slot that, for a quarter, would turn the TV on and let you play for ten minutes. When the TV suddenly powered off, it was time to drop another quarter in for another ten minutes of play time. For my money, it was waaay better than any arcade. Sadly, this kind of setup may be a bit too old-hat and space-wasting for your tastes. And you have to take advantage of every bit of space you have, none can be wasted. Still, it's one idea to mull over...

Try-before-you-buy is always a good idea. It's the big reason I dug GameCrazy over GameStop. Sadly, their attachment to Hollwood Video doomed them...

As for Magic cards: personally, I think you should keep to the vidya games. Though I suppose if there's not much competition in the local Magic retail scene, you could very well clean up.

Most important thing of all: being friendly and keeping a good attitude towards customers. When I was a teen, there was a nearby independent new-used specialty shop that I checked out one day. I found a few things of interest, but when I asked the clerk some questions, he made me feel like a moron for not knowing the answers to the questions I asked. Okay, so I was a bit of a newb-- that's no reason to treat me that way. The guy had a chance to cultivate a repeat-customer relationship, and totally blew it. Needless to say, I never went back again after that, and the shop closed down less than a year later.

[Zagnorch]

Oh, and you should also consider online sales...

...which have a whole 'nother set of factors to consider:

- Venues

  - Auction sites:
    - eBay
    - GameGavel
    - etc.

  - Fixed-price:
    - Amazon Marketplace
    - Half dot com
    - etc.

- Commissions and fees

- Shipping & handling charges
  - S&H compensation
  - International shipping?

- Payment options
  - PayPal
  - Credit cards
  - Cash
  - money orders

- Local pickup options

- Auction descriptions
  - Condition of item
  - Rules and terms of sale
  - Estimated S&H charges



The list above is hardly complete, but it's a start.

[techwizard]

i think this would be a really awesome thing to do. some suggestions:

 - check local bylaws. i was curious about this sort of thing once and looked up anything gaming related in my town, and found out that arcades are actually banned. no business is allowed more than i believe 1 or 2 arcade or vending machines on site. so that might be a consideration for any sort of pay to play setups in store.

 - what zag said about the population, you might want to research what the demographic percentage is in your town. are there many kids/teens, or is it a popular retirement town for seniors? how many schools are nearby that could give insight into how many young people are around, if accurate statistics aren't available.

 - i know you said you were just trying to list off all possibilities of things you'd need to deal with, but make sure to really keep it simple to start. i've heard that for the majority of businesses it can take a few years before the profit margin really starts to increase just because of all the startup costs and getting the word out about the business. the simpler you start, the less the startup costs. things like uniforms, other employees, hosting events, etc aren't essential at the start. start basic and keep improving it as you can afford to, that also has the added benefit in some ways of keeping the store fresh, if it keeps getting better people will have more reason to want to come check it out again.

 - advertising: really get your name out everywhere, before the store is even open. hype it like you would the next blockbuster video game . print, radio, or tv ads (i've heard they're not as expensive as you'd expect, but they can definitely be pricy). put up flyers, craigslist ads, get your name out on twitter, facebook, every social media option you can find. maybe even do some video tours of the shop to put up on youtube.

 - security: enforce a strict no backpack policy, but keep it reasonable. maybe even have somewhere for people to hang their bags somewhere so both you and the customer can keep an eye on them. i find it a safe policy for the store, but as a customer i feel a bit uncomfortable when a place asks me to give them my bag and they put it under the counter. as much as you're a great guy, not everyone will know that when they first come into your store and being able to watch your own stuff and know it's safe would probably be a good thing. that's just my opinion though, might be dependant on space and other factors.

 - layout: something basic would probably work fine but if you have the space maybe something like ikea does, with its suggested path to follow through the store to lead customers to each game section? you could even have a setup that sorts by system release date or something like that.

what zagnorch said about payment options for online is something to consider for local too. do you accept debit, credit, or cheques? or do you stick with cash only. most card services have a transaction fee that you have to consider.

anyway i think this could be really cool, and i hope it works out for you if you follow through with it!

[Kabonk]

I would get in touch with guys that have done this.

Joe at Digital Press has an awesome store with many added features like what you are considering. There is a tour of his store on their you tube channel.

I think the guy from video game rescue is on here. He has a store in a flea market working towards a full time store, I believe.

Good luck. Having a job doing something you love is really a blessing.

[Crabmaster2000]

For a start, you should consider whether or not there is enough local demand for what you'd sell to maintain such a business. I'm not exactly sure how you'd figure this out, though one thing to consider is the size of the local population. Of course, this will factor into the "location" section of your Store Planning outline.

I noticed in the "possible services" section a "pay-to-play" entry. This reminded me of a setup that a local now-defunct video-rental store had way back when. The store's game rental section had Genesis and SNES machines hooked up to small color TVs. The TVs were powered by a coin acceptor slot that, for a quarter, would turn the TV on and let you play for ten minutes. When the TV suddenly powered off, it was time to drop another quarter in for another ten minutes of play time. For my money, it was waaay better than any arcade. Sadly, this kind of setup may be a bit too old-hat and space-wasting for your tastes. And you have to take advantage of every bit of space you have, none can be wasted. Still, it's one idea to mull over...

Try-before-you-buy is always a good idea. It's the big reason I dug GameCrazy over GameStop. Sadly, their attachment to Hollwood Video doomed them...

As for Magic cards: personally, I think you should keep to the vidya games. Though I suppose if there's not much competition in the local Magic retail scene, you could very well clean up.

Most important thing of all: being friendly and keeping a good attitude towards customers. When I was a teen, there was a nearby independent new-used specialty shop that I checked out one day. I found a few things of interest, but when I asked the clerk some questions, he made me feel like a moron for not knowing the answers to the questions I asked. Okay, so I was a bit of a newb-- that's no reason to treat me that way. The guy had a chance to cultivate a repeat-customer relationship, and totally blew it. Needless to say, I never went back again after that, and the shop closed down less than a year later.

I feel like there is a demand, but since I'm not sure how to properly check it there is always the possibility that its just wishful thinking. I live in a city of 80,000 and we are kind of like the "capital" of the area. We are the biggest city for quite a while so a lot of the smaller communities around us flock to Prince George for shopping or events. There is literally nothing comparable in the area to what I have in mind. The closest thing would be EB Games and I hope to offer several services that they don't provide.

I don't have a specific idea in mind yet for the Pay to Play, but I was thinking more like $5 a head to sit on a couch and play any SNES/Playstation/Genesis/etc. game in the store for an hour type thing. I know people can emulate, but if the price is reasonable wouldn't it be cool to play Little Samson, Steel Battalion or Guardian Heroes with your buddies?

And for newer stuff I was thinking of maybe even offering a discount off the purchase after playing. Like you spend that $5 to try out Call of Duty xxxxx for an hour and if you don't like it you're out that $5. If you do like it I could take the $5 fee off of your purchase price at the till.

Magic Cards would just be an easy sell and a small extra source of income. They are very easy to move and don't take up much shelf space. I'm familiar enough with the game that I would be comfortable selling them to help supplement the store's income.

And I completely agree that customer service is gonna be key. I've had many years working in customer service and even been offered jobs in the past from customers who own businesses who were impressed with my service while shopping at the places I've worked. Its been a few years, but I don't think it'll be an issue getting back into it. Plus chatting with Duke and Bil for the last year has given me a great deal of patience towards people with incorrect gaming related opinions

And to add to that, as much as I would enjoy dealing with gamers I want to bring in as many moms/grandmas/young kids as possible into the store. I actually really like helping people explore new games when I have the chance and especially with kids. I'd love for it be kind of a family hangout rather than a gamer dungeon.

The online aspect is something I'd like to stay away from if at all possible. I know its an easy way to supplement the store's income, but I really want to strive to push for an entirely local experience. Its important to me.

i think this would be a really awesome thing to do. some suggestions:

 - check local bylaws. i was curious about this sort of thing once and looked up anything gaming related in my town, and found out that arcades are actually banned. no business is allowed more than i believe 1 or 2 arcade or vending machines on site. so that might be a consideration for any sort of pay to play setups in store.

 - what zag said about the population, you might want to research what the demographic percentage is in your town. are there many kids/teens, or is it a popular retirement town for seniors? how many schools are nearby that could give insight into how many young people are around, if accurate statistics aren't available.

 - i know you said you were just trying to list off all possibilities of things you'd need to deal with, but make sure to really keep it simple to start. i've heard that for the majority of businesses it can take a few years before the profit margin really starts to increase just because of all the startup costs and getting the word out about the business. the simpler you start, the less the startup costs. things like uniforms, other employees, hosting events, etc aren't essential at the start. start basic and keep improving it as you can afford to, that also has the added benefit in some ways of keeping the store fresh, if it keeps getting better people will have more reason to want to come check it out again.

 - advertising: really get your name out everywhere, before the store is even open. hype it like you would the next blockbuster video game . print, radio, or tv ads (i've heard they're not as expensive as you'd expect, but they can definitely be pricy). put up flyers, craigslist ads, get your name out on twitter, facebook, every social media option you can find. maybe even do some video tours of the shop to put up on youtube.

 - security: enforce a strict no backpack policy, but keep it reasonable. maybe even have somewhere for people to hang their bags somewhere so both you and the customer can keep an eye on them. i find it a safe policy for the store, but as a customer i feel a bit uncomfortable when a place asks me to give them my bag and they put it under the counter. as much as you're a great guy, not everyone will know that when they first come into your store and being able to watch your own stuff and know it's safe would probably be a good thing. that's just my opinion though, might be dependant on space and other factors.

 - layout: something basic would probably work fine but if you have the space maybe something like ikea does, with its suggested path to follow through the store to lead customers to each game section? you could even have a setup that sorts by system release date or something like that.

what zagnorch said about payment options for online is something to consider for local too. do you accept debit, credit, or cheques? or do you stick with cash only. most card services have a transaction fee that you have to consider.

anyway i think this could be really cool, and i hope it works out for you if you follow through with it!

Didn't think to check by-laws yet. Very good idea!!

There is actually a decent amount of youth up here. Long, cold winters equal lots of baby making I was thinking that the best location at least to start up would probably be within walking distance of a highschool so I could hopefully get some traffic during lunch hours or flex blocks.

You are absolutely right about not trying to over-reach right off the bat. I've heard that on average small businesses start to profit around the 4th-5th year. Not sure how accurate that is, but I don't expect to be rolling in cash right off the get go (or ever ). Some of the things I listed will be goals to work towards and others may just be pipe dreams. I do need to narrow it down to what I would want to open with though.

Advertising is gonna be one of my weaker points, but fortunately my wife seems willing to help out in that department. I do have a few friends around town that own business that I'm sure would help me promote though at the very least.

There is a large theft problem up here to begin with so security is something I'll have to take quite seriously. I've got a couple friends that work for a security firm in town so I'll be picking their brains to try and find the right balance of safety and consumer appeal.

I've got some layout ideas already, but ultimately it'll likely depend on that locations available within my price range. So until I start looking at property I'll leave that one on the back burner for now.

I would love to deal through debit and credit card if possible. I'm not sure what the cost is yet, but I know several small businesses in town recently went cash only so it might be higher than I'm anticipating.



Thanks for the help so far guys. Its great to hear your ideas and insights!!

[Crabmaster2000]

I would get in touch with guys that have done this.

Joe at Digital Press has an awesome store with many added features like what you are considering. There is a tour of his store on their you tube channel.

I think the guy from video game rescue is on here. He has a store in a flea market working towards a full time store, I believe.

Good luck. Having a job doing something you love is really a blessing.

There are a couple people locally that have recently opened stores that I'm gonna chat with and try and get specifics for my city. I know of several guys online that run local stores I'm going to get in contact with and hopefully pick their brains as well.

[Fleach]

That's a very ambitious dream, Crabby, but it's doable if you prepare adequately.

Starting off small is probably best. Maybe you can look into a flea market vendor booth or making yourself known by going to every video game event in or near your city. This will keep your fixed costs such as overhead down. Staff is not a major need at the beginning.

Talk to your bank about starting a small business. They'll know the ups and downs of opening and running a store. The only downside to that is that they may not want to give you a loan for start-up because they might not see the potential revenue your business will generate. Going the partner route could work, but that has it's downsides too.

Do some homework. Are there many video game retailers in town? How can you stand out from the crowd? What can you do better than the other guys? Are you ready to invest the time and money into this? It'll require a ton of both.

You have a bunch of good ideas in your list, but I'm going to question you on the "try before you buy" proposal on the basis that you're in this to sell games and make money. Having people come over to play the first ten minutes to Mega Man doesn't create cash flow. Basically, you have to be a capitalist through and through if you want to start a business. It might seem cool to have buddies coming over to chat about games, but you need to make sales to stay alive.

You said that stores tend to make make a profit until year 4 or 5. It's actually that a store can't be considered "successful" until it's survived to year 4 or 5.

I was thinking something good for you to start off with would be retro game sales and repairs. Heck, you could run a business like that out of your home if you used a website as your store front.

I hope none of that sounded pessimistic. Just giving my two cents.

[bombatomba]

Destiny Games

Just to give you an idea, this game store has outlasted pretty much every other local game store in the area, and that being an area completely over-saturated with Gamestops.  The reason:  they are great, friendly people who offer much more than what you get at Gamestop:  older games, Magic cards, tabletop, and even a Steel Battalion setup (not sure if it is still there).  Plus the owner is always there and ready to talk games without sounding like a douchebag.

It's a lot of work, has a ton of risks, and will take up all of your money (cash and credit) and time, but owning your own business is a wonderful thing. 

[Crabmaster2000]

That's a very ambitious dream, Crabby, but it's doable if you prepare adequately.

Starting off small is probably best. Maybe you can look into a flea market vendor booth or making yourself known by going to every video game event in or near your city. This will keep your fixed costs such as overhead down. Staff is not a major need at the beginning.

Talk to your bank about starting a small business. They'll know the ups and downs of opening and running a store. The only downside to that is that they may not want to give you a loan for start-up because they might not see the potential revenue your business will generate. Going the partner route could work, but that has it's downsides too.

Do some homework. Are there many video game retailers in town? How can you stand out from the crowd? What can you do better than the other guys? Are you ready to invest the time and money into this? It'll require a ton of both.

You have a bunch of good ideas in your list, but I'm going to question you on the "try before you buy" proposal on the basis that you're in this to sell games and make money. Having people come over to play the first ten minutes to Mega Man doesn't create cash flow. Basically, you have to be a capitalist through and through if you want to start a business. It might seem cool to have buddies coming over to chat about games, but you need to make sales to stay alive.

You said that stores tend to make make a profit until year 4 or 5. It's actually that a store can't be considered "successful" until it's survived to year 4 or 5.

I was thinking something good for you to start off with would be retro game sales and repairs. Heck, you could run a business like that out of your home if you used a website as your store front.

I hope none of that sounded pessimistic. Just giving my two cents.

lol, there is no such thing as a Flea Market or Video Game Event up here. And you're probably right that staff won't really be an issue early on as I can use my wife/brother/friends if I need some extra help I'm sure.

I've got plenty of time, and a bit of cash at my disposal. I'm quite prepared to use both

I'm thinking of the try before you buy thing a bit differently than you. I'm thinking more like the person can pay a few bucks to play Mega Man and then if they decide to purchase it I'll take that price off their copy at the til. Otherwise they basically just pay for the time they spend playing. Either way its money in my pocket. Of course if someone wants to just buy something I'd like to be able to show them its in good working order before they leave the store with it.

Great feedback though Fleach, keep it coming!

[Fleach]

Too bad you don't have flea markets in Prince George. Vendor booths aren't super expensive (around $300 for a whole weekend) in Ontario. You're guaranteed foot traffic in a flea market. Being located near a school could be good because you'll get foot traffic, but high school kids don't really spend money unless is mom or dad's money. It's kind of a bummer you can't open close to a university or college... Those kids have loads of free time (I would know as I wasted mine).

Reaching out to family and friends is great because you don't really have to pay them. Just give them a little perk and they'll be happy. But make 100% sure they're knowledgeable and have good math skills. Speaking of math, being cash only is best because those credit/debit machines are pricey and you'll be charged a percentage of every sale (Moneris or TD want to make a buck too). You know the saying, "cash is king." Store your money in a cash box that's under lock and key. Consider a safe and registers when your business starts growing.

Thanks for clarifying the try before you buy idea. I get it now. Just as a heads up you'll want an available copy of the game that's being tried. This is more important for new games. Make sure you have a copy of Call of Duty that's only for try before you buy because once a game's seal is broken it's not really "new." This game will be part of your purchase order but not sales inventory, though you can put it up for sale if you need to. So it'll be part of the outgoing money, but indirectly part of incoming money. I hope this makes sense. And of course, showing that the game works is smart. Glad you thought of that.

Here's a cool spin-off idea: Video game and Magic tournaments. $5 or $10 or whatever gets the person in the tourney. You keep like 50% or so and the rest goes to the winner. This idea works wonderfully if you can pull it off financially.

I second techwizard's "no backpack" idea. I work in retail and I really get suspicious of people in big coats or with backpacks. You never know what they can stuff in there. Moreover, develop a kind of Spidey sense. Know who to keep an eye one and watch them like a hawk covertly. If you see them steal confront them calmly, confidently and assertively. "I saw you take that! Put it back!" works wonders. Say you'll call the police if you feel it's necessary (but only actually do it if the situation is getting out of hand). Cameras are good, but you can invest in that as you see more money coming in.

Turnover is key. Make sure your stock is making turns, not sitting there.

Get ready to be a brand. Advertise, promote, hype it up, the whole nine yards.

If you've got any questions or ideas shoot me an email or PM. I'll gladly help out.

[Zagnorch]

And to add to that, as much as I would enjoy dealing with gamers I want to bring in as many moms/grandmas/young kids as possible into the store. I actually really like helping people explore new games when I have the chance and especially with kids. I'd love for it be kind of a family hangout rather than a gamer dungeon.

Targeting young gamers and their guardians, with the purpose of educating them about gaming on top of gaining and retaining their business? I think you may have stumbled upon your theoretical business' mission statement.

The online aspect is something I'd like to stay away from if at all possible. I know its an easy way to supplement the store's income, but I really want to strive to push for an entirely local experience. Its important to me.

You don't have to adopt it or embrace it, but don't discount online sales out of hand. Heck, There may come a day where your ambitions go beyond the local scene, and you'll want to expand your business accordingly. And online sales could be one of those methods to expand your business. But for now, why not keep it on the back burner.

Now that I think about it, why not add "strive... for an entirely local experience" to your overall mission statement.

[ixtaileddemonfox]

Sounds Like a great plan I hope it goes well.

[Izret101]

NEW GAMES

Unless there would be no competition for new game sales i would suggest against it. Big chain stores can afford to take a loss on sales you can't.

The risk on new sales is too high, you would have to be locked into large "minimum" distributions often times  and when prices start dropping a couple months after release you can't still have them at 60$s on your shelves.

Upfront investment is going to be high and initial stock you are going to want to try and get from everywhere. Flea markets, tag sales, ebay lots(have a separate buying and selling account), kijiji/craigslist, bestbuy one day sales(GTA was on sale for 8$s and dozens of copies have still been selling on ebay for 20+$)/amazon gold boxes(same as BB sometimes the price cuts are massive and then the game doesn't see a discount for months to years.), etc

The most important thing though is location. I have seen tons of great game stores in my area dry up because they were too far out of the way or had terrible parking. While some of the ones with ever dwindling selection/pricing have been around for literally decades.

Rentals - are a bad idea. You have no way of enforcing a rental policy.

Play before you buy - also not a good idea IMO. Giving people the chance to come in and play anything for free before they buy it might actually discourage sales.

Pay to play - I think going rate on that down here is 8-12 an hour. Been a long time since i have been in a store that caters to that crowd. This would give people X amount of time to play whatever they want. This could be their play before they buy and since the games/systems/tv are all sitting in your store anyways it is free cash in my eyes.

Returns - Since all your disc based games will be leaving scratch free returns should only be for a non functioning product. 7 day return policy gets used as a rental period quite often. Should you decide to do a no questions asked returns policy only give store credit to ensure you are still getting to keep that money.  Profit walking back out the door a week later doesn't mean you break even it means you go negative.

Tourneys/Contests/Leagues:
Once you get things situated and feel comfortable with it you could have themed nights to try and draw different crowds in. DDR, Karaoke, FPS, insert sports here, competitive co-op, various fighters nights (use the stereotypical ones but mix in some unique stuff too.), etc

Host Parties/Events
There is a company in my area that apparently makes a killing with their gaming truck that gets rented for parties. If you can find/afford a large enough building you could have an area dedicated to this/tourneys and pay to play. Obviously they would not all happen at the same time.

Trade ins:
-Be honest with people without being rude. It is always good to have more stock coming in but you really don't need to have scores of copies of X game coming in when you know you already have 20 that won't sell for a buck a piece.
-Test everything. With disc based stuff make sure it will at least launch into the first level. I have owned quite a few games that would go to title screen and then die when i tried to get off the main menu.
-Have a disc buffer on site. If something looks like it might need a buff don't do it until someone is going to buy the game. Then you know exactly the condition it is leaving in and you are not wasting materials on something that might not sell for days months or years. Might take a couple extra minutes on the transaction but i am willing to be people will appreciate knowing that you take care to know you are leaving with the best copy they can get.
-Places that offer cash here always offer less than store credit. Also depending on your area you may need a pawn license.

Cleaning/Repairs - potentially good idea. But you have to have someone skilled enough to never make mistakes and you would need to have a bunch more parts on hand at all times. For cleaning you could bill it as preventative maintenance. You would still need someone skilled enough to get it all apart and put it back together right. Something that has gotten harder and harder with new systems. You would also need to have your own warranty stickers to ensure someone didn't open it back up and mess things up and try to blame your store.

Food/Drink - junk food and soda. Or trail mix, gatoraid and bottled water if you are more health conscious :-P These you would be buying in bulk from a grocery store and would probably be able to double your money if not more (on the drinks).

Magic Cards
If the card/board markets are large in your area those would definitely be worth considering also. I don't know how much has changed but i remember when i was playing MtG buying old cycle boosters were the same price or more than current cycle. Card games IMO are safer than the Warhammers and i paint my own figures games. You only need to stock one thing. Cards. They take up a ton less space than scores of figures and paints that even in the busy stores seem to collect dust.

DVDs/other media
A store in my area started doing this. They still have piles of VHS tapes covered in an inch of dust with DVDs covered in a half inch of dust and blurays/hd movies in a 1/4 inch of dust. If you do go this route tailor your selection specifically to what people coming into your store are going to want. super heros, cartoons, gaming related movies, anime.

Gaming Memorabillia
Sometimes you can score great lots of this online too. Even if you cannot establish a sales relation with a company because of sale limitations you could still probably get promotional swag. You still have customers coming into your store that are going to want to buy the new hottest games. Let pubs/devs know that and they might be willing to send promo items your way to display and potentially sell. Doesn't hurt to ask. And if they say no it doesn't hurt to keep touching base until someone says yes.

[nupoile]

Crabmaster is wanting to live out the American dream!   

My wife and I have owned and ran a retail place before. Like several others here I have some thoughts and opinions too. Lots of good things to think about are already in this thread so I'll highlight a few I may have brought up on my own.

...consider online sales....

The online aspect is something I'd like to stay away from if at all possible...but I really want to strive to push for an entirely local experience.

You don't have to adopt it or embrace it, but don't discount online sales out of hand. Heck, There may come a day where your ambitions go beyond the local scene, and you'll want to expand your business accordingly. And online sales could be one of those methods to expand your business.

When I think about what it takes to run a successful used game business, and I've wondered many times, selling online seems like near necessity to me. Every time I go into a used book store, which I think of as being a very similar business, there is someone working on a computer doing the online side of the store. You say you want to strive for, "an entirely local experience" but I really think using sites like whatever the Canadian version of eBay is (eBeh?) is a great tool. And I wouldn't think for one minute it hurts your local centric business. Fleach says,

Turnover is key.

This is hugely important and you are not helping anyone local by having stock sit around. Maybe you could wait a week or two or four, then put items online, but I would definitely (and defiantly) do that.

- advertising: really get your name out everywhere, before the store is even open. hype it like you would the next blockbuster video game . print, radio, or tv ads....put up flyers, craigslist ads, get your name out on twitter, facebook, every social media option you can find. maybe even do some video tours of the shop to put up on youtube.

Don't think because it is something you are concerned with nearly all the time, anyone else is. You might be surprised how often we drive by a place and I'm like, "Hey! They put in a such-and-such store here." and my wife is like, "That place has been there for 7 years now." Make sure you are using as many tools as you can to get your name out to people. I could go on about this more and my wife even longer as she manages social media for many businesses.

Pay to play - I think going rate on that down here is 8-12 an hour....it is free cash in my eyes.

I don't have a specific idea in mind yet for the Pay to Play, but I was thinking more like $5 a head to sit on a couch and play any SNES/Playstation/Genesis/etc. game in the store for an hour type thing.....wouldn't it be cool to play Little Samson, Steel Battalion or Guardian Heroes with your buddies?

The times I go into game stores and they have a place to do this, I think, "Thats a great idea!" You might not have the space or resources at first to do this but keep it in mind. It's almost always smelly 10-14 year old guys playing hit games (not Little Samson) but if you end up with extra space why not try and get some income from it?

I would love to deal through debit and credit card if possible. I'm not sure what the cost is yet, but I know several small businesses in town recently went cash only so it might be higher than I'm anticipating.

At least around here, I can't imagine a place not taking cards. I don't spend much at the places which don't. It is true, fees can be quite high but it varies so much. You might be surprised how much it varies. Look around, one company that runs a card service might literally be 10 times cheaper than others.  It might take some looking as there are quite a few companies running a card service and they might not advertise towards you.

Starting off small is probably best. Maybe you can look into a flea market vendor booth or making yourself known by going to every video game event in or near your city. This will keep your fixed costs such as overhead down. Staff is not a major need at the beginning.

You said there isn't anything like a flea market up there but starting small is a very valid way of succeeding. Making money early on is for sure the way to do it. Don't lease too big of a place and hope that in a few years business will have built up to the point were rent payments are no longer a constant worry. Go into business with the intent to make money. It doesn't help anyone if you aren't successful. You need to show you are making more than "enough" money to afford a good location, hire and retain good employees, keep good stock on hand, keep the place looking nice, get any sort of consideration when looking for financing and many more things. Go in wanting to be a spectacular success. You want to be at the point were you could step away from the company, pay someone enough to manage it for you and still make a profit.

I also think to be a success in this business you need to aim for expanding to multiple locations. Maybe you can't do that at first but I really think it should be a short to medium term goal.

The most important thing though is location. I have seen tons of great game stores in my area dry up because they were too far out of the way or had terrible parking. While some of the ones with ever dwindling selection/pricing have been around for literally decades.

Tourneys/Contests/Leagues:
Once you get things situated and feel comfortable with it you could have themed nights to try and draw different crowds in. DDR, Karaoke, FPS, insert sports here, competitive co-op, various fighters nights (use the stereotypical ones but mix in some unique stuff too.), etc

Host Parties/Events
There is a company in my area that apparently makes a killing with their gaming truck that gets rented for parties. If you can find/afford a large enough building you could have an area dedicated to this/tourneys and pay to play. Obviously they would not all happen at the same time.

Trade ins:
-Have a disc buffer on site. If something looks like it might need a buff don't do it until someone is going to buy the game. Then you know exactly the condition it is leaving in and you are not wasting materials on something that might not sell for days months or years. Might take a couple extra minutes on the transaction but i am willing to be people will appreciate knowing that you take care to know you are leaving with the best copy they can get.


DVDs/other media
A store in my area started doing this. They still have piles of VHS tapes covered in an inch of dust with DVDs covered in a half inch of dust and blurays/hd movies in a 1/4 inch of dust. If you do go this route tailor your selection specifically to what people coming into your store are going to want. super heros, cartoons, gaming related movies, anime.

Izret has some good things to say, I'm getting wore out on typing     but yea! to Location Location Location and disc buffers in particular.

I've got plenty of time, and a bit of cash at my disposal. I'm quite prepared to use both

Like they say, "The best way to make a small fortune in the restaurant business is to start with a large one." The biggest and best trick to making money on investments is to not loose the money you already have. Easier said than done.

Sounds Like a great plan I hope it goes well.

Me too