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I run a games shop. Well that is to say I own one in partnership with a guy who runs it.
Don’t expect to make millions in a hurry. If you do, awesome! If you don’t, don’t give up, either way be realistic.
If’ like me you get financially involved in something you love (like Gaming), learn to divorce your love of gaming and your gaming business or you will go broke pretty quickly.
Be realistic about what you can achieve with the resources you have. Who wouldn’t want every accessory, every option, every latest and greatest thing and deep stock levels? If you can’t afford it all, think hard and ruthlessly about what you can afford and why your customers will want that item above other ones you wont get instead.
Your customers are the ones with the money. Sell them what they want. For instance I don’t play Magic. I’ve never played it. I don’t want to play it. It makes up about 30% of the business so whether I like it or not, Magic is a big thing in the shop. GW have been a pack of C^NT$ to independent retailers over the years and I still find dealing with them incredibly frustrating at times BUT they make up about 50% of my turnover. So for the purposes of the business, I don’t ignore GW or Hasbro.
Periodically products I WANT to be popular get a run in the shop, but they require far more effort to build a following AND you have to hope that the game has the longevity and support of GW and Hasbro products. Guessing the ‘next big thing’ is almost impossible and investing in a dud can be heart-breaking. Nothing is as frustrating or terrifying and a successful game line announcing a ‘new edition’ (FoW 2nd Ed, X Wing, Warmachine, AoS 1, 40K 7th ed, Malifaux, D&D 4th ed, I’m look at all of you!).
