Discussion Forum

if you're looking mostly at this to host events, you'd be way better off just creating a club and renting out a room.

running a business is expensive and time-consuming..a games shop even more so..the margins are so thin you'll most likely be losing money for the first few years and you won't have any free time for the foreseeable future.

launching a small business isn't something you do lightly, there's a LOT involved.

Thank you and I am well aware of that. I started, owned and operated a private security firm for 3 years so I know how to structure a new business plan and to account and make projections with goals in place for the first 2 quarters. I also know that a game shop is a risky business to get into but, on the other hand, where I am located there is only 1 within an hour drive to the next closest location so the ability to start something successfully is there. Especially in a Mtg rich community which is why i said, most people end up driving to the next town over to play at a shop there so, opening one here in my area would create a new place to play as well as other ventures (used games, movies, etc)

Luckily I go to a small local shop for FNMs and other events and we just got the highest level rating again so we can have qualifiers and such now. The awesome thing is the owner scares off the "predatory" players who just play strictly to win. We'd always have this one guy who constantly went to all these qualifiers playing a tourney-tier caw blade (pre-ban of course) and would dominate everyone because even the more experienced players at the shop play strictly fun decks.

All the top guys even vowed to never play faeries/fae blade in extended events, it's really awesome as it gives people like me who play on a budget a chance to do decent.

Yeah, see the thing with this place thats in our town is, the shop owners play the tier 1 decks, granted they don't win prize support but still, it takes away from the fun when you can't place in the top 3. Likewise, as judges they stink. Even when you call them over for a ruling, they just tell you, be with you in a minute, so they can finish their round first which eats into the time limit. Then lastely, you get a lot of kids in their that honestly don't know about the rules and the whole point of fnm is to get people involved and to have fun and learn the game. It kind of makes it hard when the judges aren't educating people when needed and when these kids get upset because they don't know the rules and you try to explain it to them, the rest of the round is uncomfortable and it looses its fun.

I would have it to where we did tourneys everyday, 1 day set aside for tier 1 decks, a day for EDH, a day for extended and for legacy, and etc. The tourneys that aren't supported by wizards, prize support will be out of pocket. As far as customer retention, offer a sign up to a "group" and as long as you show up for x amount of tourneys a month, once a month run special prices for those group members who attended the x amount. I would do something like, buy 3x booster pack for $7.50 or $8 + tax of course. If you have been winning tourneys in the top 3 and are a member, that one day a month, you would be eligible to buy a box if you wanted for a discounted price; probably something like $50-$60. it comes out of pocket sure, but its an incentive to keep people coming back, and we all know when we are at the shop playing, we tend to buy packs anyways. I have a bunch of ideas but, like the post says, im looking for someone who would be interested in this venture. I don't care if we have to start in a fleamarket and work our way into a shop but, just like with any business starting out, it will take time and effort.