Okay... Tonight was the first Friday Night Magic in some time where we didn't actually *need* the extra space. That being said, it was still a good day...
This morning, I walked away from the landlord's office with a signed lease for the new space. It's done. It's happening. Now, things begin to move. For the last ten days or so, I've felt like a drag racer that has its rear wheels propped up about three inches off of the asphalt, but they're spinning full bore. Not going anywhere, but ready to hit the ground running...
We are now burning the proverbial rubber...
Monday, I will begin contacting distributors and filling out the paperwork for the address switchover. I will also need to get the business license updated. This weekend, I am hoping to get the business card template updated, a graphic for the light box at the new space done, a new door graphic put together, and two signs done for the door at our current space. One, detailing the upcoming move, and another pointing people to the new space after the move. The landlord said he is willing to leave the second sign in the windows of the soon-to-be-empty space until he rents it out. Little things like that are why we *REALLY* like our landlord and wanted to continue renting from him if we could at all help it.
Loquacious has already started on her end of things, contacting various utility companies and setting up those change-overs. My beautiful wife has also been in constant contact with the gentleman in charge of small business development for our city. Turns out he's also a gamer, and had no idea we were here for almost four years at our current address until he wandered into our store this past November. I found that weird because the city name-dropped us in a press release and an editorial when we first moved here back in February of 2009. Oh well... it happens.
Our fantastic employees (Skribl, High-Sign, BigBank, and Double-L) are already chiming in with suggestions and thoughts on how the flow of the new space could work.
We are also starting to wrangle help to make the physical things happen. That's where the bulk of the Gophers come in...
As a store, Armored Gopher Games is incredibly blessed to have a community such as we have. If we, as a store, need help putting up slatwall panels, packing up and moving to/from a convention, computer technical support, electrical work, minor maintenance, or even moving the entire store, the Gophers are there for us. It is their love of our community, and *THEIR* desire to see the store be successful that ultimately make it possible.
Loq and I? We're just the shepherds of an incredible flock of NOT-sheep... =P
That's why the phrase "Gopher Mafia" fits us so well...
Mafia... La Cosa Nostra ("This Thing Of Ours")... La Familia... Family...
Willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done... =)
-- GopherDave
It's gonna be a crazy couple of weeks. Good thing you've got so many willing helpers.
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