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 Shadowseer_Kim wrote:

Today I am getting a carpet installation quote, then buying carpet, primer, paint, and materials for building our 4 gaming tables which will be 4'x8'. We anticipate having one table built by end of the day.

My old local store had the clever idea of doing 4x4 tables... Which could be combined to make 4x8s, or kept separate if people wanted to play smaller demo games, card games, etc. Or one time they made a giant L-shaped arrangement for what would now be called 'Apocalypse' games.

These are the things that I have learned make a big difference in me liking a game store or not.

1) The first thing you need to decide is if you are going to support in store gaming or not. If you are going to support, do it all the way, not half-ass. You need enough gaming space people can move around and play on the appropriate sized tables. Make sure the tables are able to support multiple games and there are chairs. Don't over stuff the store as it makes things worse.

2) On premises customer bathroom. I will no longer attend a game store with regularity that does not have a bathroom customers can use. Running across the street to a McDonalds for a bathroom break does not work for me. The exception is if the store is in a mall with public restrooms. Nothing says annoyance more than being in a 6 hour tournament with no onsite bathroom.

3) Having snacks and cold drinks of different varieties at a fair price. Even if you have to make the store "no outside" food, this is something that keeps people in the store.

4) One store I went to a had a policy of needing to buy something of $5 or more to play in the store, for each event. I don't mind this for people who show up rarely or never buy from the store, but the person is a regular and spends some money, it should be waived. Figure out how to do it so that is makes sense, but don't overly "tax" your audience. I would think a $50 per year membership card that gives a 10% discount on product purchased in the store would be a good way to do this. Figure out what the extra floor space costs you and figure how much product you need to move to support that.

Oh yeah, speaking of the bathroom is it Handicap accessible?

Do you have a extra/special garbage for diapers/Femine Products? Those can clog the toilet and cause major plumbing issues.

I know it sound stupid, but I'm just saying because we have all heard the horror stories.

We are top of all of these things. Yes the bathroom is handicap accessible now, but not because of the handicapped. Because a 3 and a half inch step down was a liability problem just waiting to happen. Yes there is an appropriate garbage can for it.

Yes there will be Snacks and Drinks, I meet with the beverage distributor tomorrow. Not a lot I can do in my store right now while waiting for paint to dry.

Yes we have insurance, and a security system that actually works, and cameras that are actually plugged into something that records.

Speaking of demos, once you get settled in, send me a PM with your address and contact info and I'll see if there's a Steve Jackson Games demo volunteer in your area. Munchkin sells well -- basically watch Wil Wheaton's Tabletop and make sure you have whatever he plays in stock!

fwiw, Reaper's having another KS starting tomorrow, so, if you don't mind tying up $100 over a year (or just want some of the figures yourself!) you could buy a $100 Vampire box, put out a "pick through the mini's yourself" table and have a dutch auction where the first week the mini's sell for $5 each, $2.50 each the next, $1.25 each the next, etc. When the D&D miniatures were popular, the FLGS opened some boosters, sorted the mini's by rarity, and priced them by rarity. In their last KS, the Vampire-only orders were filled first, and Undertake retail orders last, so you'll get a jump over your competition, and even some backers!

It sound slike you ar enow onto the hard stuff. Inventory managment and cash flow operations.

Enjoy!