Can one start the FLGS?

Seebs <usenet-nospam.TakeThisOut@seebs.net> wrote in
news:slrnft3i5g.8l0.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:

> Simple question: I recently moved to a small town, and so far
> as I can tell, this small town simply does not have a friendly
> local gaming store within about twenty miles.
>
> Any of you rgfd'ers ever run a retail store? I am not about to
> give up the day job, but I might help some people organize
> something.
>
There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support it.

--
Terry Austin

"There's no law west of the internet."
- Nick Stump

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy wrote:
> Seebs <usenet-nospam RemoveThis @seebs.net> wrote in
> news:slrnft3i5g.8l0.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:
>
>> Simple question: I recently moved to a small town, and so far
>> as I can tell, this small town simply does not have a friendly
>> local gaming store within about twenty miles.
>>
>> Any of you rgfd'ers ever run a retail store? I am not about to
>> give up the day job, but I might help some people organize
>> something.
>>
> There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
> likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support it.

(playing devil's advocate...)

Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy? Wouldn't starting a FLGS create a
market?

--
Reginald Blue
"I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my
telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my
telephone."
- Bjarne Stroustrup (originator of C++) [quoted at the 2003
International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces]
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

On 2008-03-07, Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <taustinca.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
> likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support it.

That was precisely my guess.

At this point, though, there's not a comics or gaming store within twenty
miles, and we have two colleges... And we have a few people interested in
participating who, for various reasons, don't need to be making a decent
living at it. This might make it possible.

--
Copyright 2008, all wrongs reversed. Peter Seebach / usenet-nospam.RemoveThis@seebs.net
http://www.seebs.net/log/ <-- lawsuits, religion, and funny pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology) <-- get educated!
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

On 2008-03-08, Sea Wasp <seawaspObvious RemoveThis @sgeObviousinc.com> wrote:
> James Nicoll did for years.

Is he around?

> Rule of thumb is this: have 3 years worth of money to live on and run
> the business IN THE BANK before you start.

> Be ready for total failure.

We have one-up on this: I'm not planning to be the one doing the store. I'm
planning to be the guy working one and a half real jobs to help fund the
experiment.

--
Copyright 2008, all wrongs reversed. Peter Seebach / usenet-nospam RemoveThis @seebs.net
http://www.seebs.net/log/ <-- lawsuits, religion, and funny pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology) <-- get educated!
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

"Reginald Blue" <Reginald_Blue.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:fqskmr$mcb$1@USTR-NEWS.TR.UNISYS.COM:

> Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy wrote:
>> Seebs <usenet-nospam.DeleteThis@seebs.net> wrote in
>> news:slrnft3i5g.8l0.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:
>>
>>> Simple question: I recently moved to a small town, and so far
>>> as I can tell, this small town simply does not have a friendly
>>> local gaming store within about twenty miles.
>>>
>>> Any of you rgfd'ers ever run a retail store? I am not about
>>> to give up the day job, but I might help some people organize
>>> something.
>>>
>> There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
>> likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support
>> it.
>
> (playing devil's advocate...)
>
> Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy? Wouldn't starting a FLGS
> create a market?
>
Depends on population density. Figure the number of people within
the competitive radius - how far people are willing to drive to buy
recreational products like games. Figure what percentage will be
customers. Figure how much each one will spend per year. Multiply
it all together, take 3% or so of that (cuz you're *not* going to
get a net profit higher than that in retail), and ask yourself if
that's enough to live on.

For most rural areas, the answer is "no."

In this case, if it's a part-time business, it's more complicated,
but not by much. Note that the difference between a normal business
and a non-profit is 3% in total revenue.

Retail is a tough business to be in.

--
Terry Austin

"There's no law west of the internet."
- Nick Stump

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

Seebs <usenet-nospam RemoveThis @seebs.net> wrote in
news:slrnft3mll.b9c.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:

> On 2008-03-07, Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy
> <taustinca RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
>> There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
>> likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support
>> it.
>
> That was precisely my guess.
>
> At this point, though, there's not a comics or gaming store
> within twenty miles, and we have two colleges...

Depending on the nature (and size) of the colleges, that could be
enough to make it worth while.

> And we have a
> few people interested in participating who, for various reasons,
> don't need to be making a decent living at it. This might make
> it possible.
>
Just remember, if you're not making a living at it, it's only a
hobby. And people don't sbhow up for their hobby nearly as reliably
as they do for their job.

And regardless, you'll have to meet all the same requirements, like
paying taxes and social security on their wages, had providing
workers compensation insurance, and everything else. Most retail
businesses see a net profit of less than 5%. That means that even
if you run it as a complete non-profit, you need 95%+ of the same
amount of money coming in just to stay in business.

My first thought is that you should look more in to setting up an
internet/mail order set up, to buy at wholesale, and sell stuff
locally out of your trunk. Mail order is a *lot* easier a business
model to get in to. A lot cheaper, too, when you don't have to pay
for retail space.

--
Terry Austin

"There's no law west of the internet."
- Nick Stump

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

Seebs <usenet-nospam.TakeThisOut@seebs.net> wrote in
news:slrnft3mnc.b9c.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:

> On 2008-03-08, Sea Wasp <seawaspObvious.TakeThisOut@sgeObviousinc.com>
> wrote:
>> James Nicoll did for years.
>
> Is he around?

Dunno about here, but he's a regular in rec.arts.sf.written.
>
>> Rule of thumb is this: have 3 years worth of money to live
>> on and run
>> the business IN THE BANK before you start.
>
>> Be ready for total failure.
>
> We have one-up on this: I'm not planning to be the one doing
> the store. I'm planning to be the guy working one and a half
> real jobs to help fund the experiment.
>
The same rules apply, regardless of who is in charge. If you don't
have several years worth of expenses in the bank, you're inviting
disaster.

--
Terry Austin

"There's no law west of the internet."
- Nick Stump

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

In article <slrnft3mll.b9c.usenet-nospam.DeleteThis@guild.seebs.net>,
Seebs <usenet-nospam.DeleteThis@seebs.net> wrote:

> On 2008-03-07, Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <taustinca.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > There's probably a reason there's no local gaming store. Mostly
> > likely, that reason is that the market is too small to support it.
>
> That was precisely my guess.
>
> At this point, though, there's not a comics or gaming store within twenty
> miles, and we have two colleges... And we have a few people interested in
> participating who, for various reasons, don't need to be making a decent
> living at it. This might make it possible.

Set up a web site, find an extra niche or two and it might

If you do comics, games and maybe a bit of craft/art stuff you might get
more walkin traffic. People tend to do more hobby stuff if there aren't
alternatives in the area.

- Allen
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

On 2008-03-08, Allen Wessels <awessels.RemoveThis@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote:
> Set up a web site, find an extra niche or two and it might

> If you do comics, games and maybe a bit of craft/art stuff you might get
> more walkin traffic. People tend to do more hobby stuff if there aren't
> alternatives in the area.

Yeah. The town has some sort of mild hobby stuff, but not very much.

My hope is at least partially that the town has enough people who would
be willing to work for cheap just to have access to a gaming store to
noticably cut wage costs. I dunno; I'll have to do a lot more planning
and thinking about it. Obviously, the web site is a key feature -- that's
a way to get extra prospective sales around the country, although there's
no way for FLGS to ever compete on price with something like Amazon.

--
Copyright 2008, all wrongs reversed. Peter Seebach / usenet-nospam.RemoveThis@seebs.net
http://www.seebs.net/log/ <-- lawsuits, religion, and funny pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology) <-- get educated!
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

In article <slrnft3voj.rsj.usenet-nospam DeleteThis @guild.seebs.net>,
Seebs <usenet-nospam DeleteThis @seebs.net> wrote:

> On 2008-03-08, Allen Wessels <awessels DeleteThis @EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote:
> > Set up a web site, find an extra niche or two and it might
>
> > If you do comics, games and maybe a bit of craft/art stuff you might get
> > more walkin traffic. People tend to do more hobby stuff if there aren't
> > alternatives in the area.
>
> Yeah. The town has some sort of mild hobby stuff, but not very much.
>
> My hope is at least partially that the town has enough people who would
> be willing to work for cheap just to have access to a gaming store to
> noticably cut wage costs. I dunno; I'll have to do a lot more planning
> and thinking about it. Obviously, the web site is a key feature -- that's
> a way to get extra prospective sales around the country, although there's
> no way for FLGS to ever compete on price with something like Amazon.

Absolutely. The trick to competing is finding goods/services where
there's no competition.



- Allen
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

On 2008-03-08, Allen Wessels <awessels.TakeThisOut@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote:
> Absolutely. The trick to competing is finding goods/services where
> there's no competition.

Yeah. Unless it's because there's no market.

But seriously, TWO COLLEGES. That has to be able to yield a gaming market.

--
Copyright 2008, all wrongs reversed. Peter Seebach / usenet-nospam.TakeThisOut@seebs.net
http://www.seebs.net/log/ <-- lawsuits, religion, and funny pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology) <-- get educated!
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

Seebs <usenet-nospam.DeleteThis@seebs.net> wrote in
news:slrnft3voj.rsj.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:

> On 2008-03-08, Allen Wessels <awessels.DeleteThis@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote:
>> Set up a web site, find an extra niche or two and it might
>
>> If you do comics, games and maybe a bit of craft/art stuff you might
>> get more walkin traffic. People tend to do more hobby stuff if there
>> aren't alternatives in the area.
>
> Yeah. The town has some sort of mild hobby stuff, but not very much.
>
> My hope is at least partially that the town has enough people who
> would be willing to work for cheap just to have access to a gaming
> store to noticably cut wage costs.

Good luck with that. You can't go below minimum wage without breaking the
law, and most retail businesses don't pay more than that anyway.

> I dunno; I'll have to do a lot
> more planning and thinking about it.

You need a very thorough business plan. How much is rent? How much are
utilities? Minimum wage, times number of hours of labor you need per
week, and double it (yes, double it) to find the true cost of your
employees. Advertising costs. Merchant account costs.

Nomral discounts for wholesale prices gives you your gross margin, and
you have to pay all your expenses out of that.

> Obviously, the web site is a key
> feature -- that's a way to get extra prospective sales around the
> country, although there's no way for FLGS to ever compete on price
> with something like Amazon.
>
Find your own niche. Amazon's is price. It is *not* service.

--
Terry Austin
"Dude, we're all your bitch, but only Ken's wearing the juice."
- tussock

"Just throw a rock, and what screams will probably be a moron."
- Elvis (no, not that Elvis)
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS? 

Seebs <usenet-nospam.DeleteThis@seebs.net> wrote in
news:slrnft42ck.kh0.usenet-nospam@guild.seebs.net:

> On 2008-03-08, Allen Wessels <awessels.DeleteThis@EXPUNGEpacbell.net> wrote:
>> Absolutely. The trick to competing is finding goods/services where
>> there's no competition.
>
> Yeah. Unless it's because there's no market.
>
> But seriously, TWO COLLEGES. That has to be able to yield a gaming
> market.
>
How big are they? How many students? What sort of colleges? There's several
assorted colleged in, for example, Springfield, Missouri, but they're
mostly small, and mostly female students. I wouldn't be my rent on that
beign a big enough market for support a gaming store. Rolla, on the other
hand, is an engineering school, mostly male, and while rather smaller, is a
much more viable market.

--
Terry Austin
"Dude, we're all your bitch, but only Ken's wearing the juice."
- tussock

"Just throw a rock, and what screams will probably be a moron."
- Elvis (no, not that Elvis)
 >> Stay informed about: Can one start the FLGS?