Games

So... As a game store owner, one question I ask regularly ask new customers is "What games do you play (currently)?" I ask this to get a sense of what level of gaming they're into in terms of theme, game type, and complexity. Knowing that information, I can best steer them in the direction of other games I think they would enjoy. It's Customer Service 101.

Every now and then, someone turns it around on me. My standard answer is "Not as many as I would like", and that is true. To effectively run a game store, one of the last things you have time for are games. I currently "run" two HERO System 6E/Champions games at the store, plus one Deathwatch game. I "play" in another Champions game, a Dresden Files RPG, and a Deadlands: Hell on Earth game. I use the words run and play in parentheses, because I am frequently the only one capable of running the store when they are going. Thus, I spend more than my fair share of time away from the table.

The players/GMs say that they do not mind when I do this. I have a store to run. However, I know I am doing them a disservice, especially during the games when I am the GM. However, GopherDave figured out long ago that if he doesn't get to play SOMETHING on a semi-regular basis, he becomes a very cranky rodent.

I need to utilize better time management. We also need an employee or three at the store to take me away from the grunt work and free up some of my time. However, I am firmly of the opinion that we should not hire an employee until after we make our next physical move of the store. We have the money to make the hire now, but we'll be in a better position to take advantage of the extra help when we have more space.

Well, we look at a "space" later today. It's currently part of an existing business that has extra space. They are willing to make a part of their building a discreet unit for us. The idea is appealing as we would have at least SOME say in how it's laid out, but I'm trying not to get ahead of ourselves. We're going to go look at the spot and speak with the people there. If we like what they have to say and we can all make numbers work, excellent.

If not, we say thank you and move on. Either way, we have a meeting with our current landlord about a back-up plan for when our lease truly ends in January of 2012.

Until later... GopherDave