Could it be?

I went to Sams yesterday for sodas to sell at the store this weekend.  When I pulled in the parking lot I had virtual tap on the shoulder and a knowing inside that our business will not go under.  It may take a new direction, but it won’t go under.  A new direction meaning a new venue.  Paul has been checking into moving it to our garage but I am not liking that idea.  However, he’s out scouting for a new location as I type this.  Who knows?  It’s a leap of faith.  God is always good though and I know I can trust Him. 

Fun

I now understand why it is that everyone kept telling me that if I wanted to learn to play Naruto or Yugioh better that I should enter a tournament.  I really enjoy both games but I don’t have much in the way of confidence in myself in either.  I will play against Simon in a heart beat but I’m intimidated at the thought of playing anyone else. 

Last Saturday we had the big tournament in Naruto called the Chunin exam.  Winners of the Chunin are invited to play in the Saanin exam which is a huge big deal.  I played in the Chunin because we needed all the players we could get as it looks better on our store.  I couldn’t believe the excitement of the boys when I told them I was playing.  Was it the eagerness of an easy win against me or were they proud that I finally got the guts to enter?  I go with the first choice.  But easy, I did not make it for them.  I gave them a run for their money and I was proud.  The more rounds we did the better I got and the more fun I had. 

Out of 14 I made 12th place.  Not too shabby for a first timer, huh?  I think I’ll enter tomorrows tournament too. 

Oh, and a side note on the previous entries.  Things have chilled a bit.  Paul and I both have stepped up and put our feet down about rules and how everyone will be treated with respect regardless of the circumstance. 

Angry

I’ve been here at the store since 10:30 this morning.  I’ve got a headache but neglected to bring my ibuprofen with me.  We have a TV hooked up with an X-box so the kids play that in between playing cards.  No problem except I have a daughter who is constantly trying to be right in the middle of the action and I hate hearing everyone always have to ask her to stop doing whatever it is she’s decided to do this time! 

Ok, that’s off my chest.  Next is the fact that I am still learning and have to deal with kids wanting to trade or sell cards and have impromptu tournaments.  I know nothing about running the tournament software.  I’m only beginning to understand buying and trading.  And I have a husband who has decided that I should already know it all and is already taking Thursdays off completely and now is acting as if he needs to also have Wednesdays off!  He can’t understand why I’m a little freaked out here! 

He works hard at his “real” job but they drive him nuts and when he’s had a hard day I get the brunt of it.  He misinterpreted my worries of being left alone to run the store as being the same demands he has at his job where he has to do everything all the time for everyone because no one will learn how to do anything for themselves!  Great!  And of course, he’s allowed to blow off the steam when he’s stressed but I’m not. 

So today, I’m just angry with the world. 

The winds of change

I’m not sure what it is but things are changing.   Well, it’s more attitudes that are changing.  Up till now I’ve been very impressed with the overall kindness of the kids who come to play here.  They all started out as well behaved, eager to help each other learn new games, and always very considerate of others.  Over this past week I’ve noticed there seems to be a lot of testosterone flying around.  Certain older kids are not getting along with the younger ones in that they younger ones are trying to fit in and talk like the older ones.  It’s not been real pretty.  I’ve had to step in on a couple of verbal altercations.  My husband has had to chime in as well.  I wonder if it’s the heat of the summer. 

Other than that, things are going well.  I’m sitting her today, bored, while the kids play.  I should be entering in the newest shipment of comics but I have a slight headache and I’m watching a new kid pretty closely as he seems to be a bit edgy and I don’t trust that he’s not going to go off on someone.  I haven’t figured out if it’s just his personality or if he’s got a chip on his shoulder. 

Oh, the fun of owning  your own business! 

Still open for business

Things have really been going very well.  Word of mouth is our only form of advertisement.  Comments are being made by the kids that they feel like they’ve come home when they come to our store.  They feel welcomed, valued, appreciated, and they really enjoy hanging out with there friends there.  Several parents have spoken up and thanked us for providing this place so they don’t have to drive 1-2 hours on weekends so their child can play. 

We’ve been doing so well with the Yu-gi-oh and Naruto crowd but have had a hard time enticing the Magic the Gathering crowd.  Several have come in to buy booster packs but they never stayed to play.  Well, last week I walked in and my husband was talking to a man and woman who play Magic weekly at the other local shop.  I didn’t think anything of it.  Then Friday night about 6:30 they walk in with 8 more people behind them!  All had been about to play at the other shop when the first two walked in and said, “Hey, let’s hop over to the Game Plan to play tonight!”  So, every one of them just up and walked out of that shop and came to ours!  It was so exciting!  They alone spent close to $200!  And they have expressed their dislike for the other shop in that the owner is not willing to cater to their wants or needs and often when they show up to play he announces they won’t be able to play there that night.  As far as I know they are pushing to get all their other friends to come play on Friday nights!  This is pretty amazing! 

We’ve had a lot of push back from another shop owner who lives in another town.  He was having the big Naruto tournaments there and it’s amazing to me to see how far people are willing to drive to play in these tournaments!  Anyway, when he learned we were opening, he began posting slanderous comments about us on the Bandai gaming forums!  He said we seemed a bit shady along with several other rude comments.  He even went so far as to slam his own customers because they had started coming to our store!  He acted like these kids owed him something for all the hard work he’s done to put on these tournaments for them.  It got to the point where he got into some trouble with the Bandai people.  He seems to have cooled down a bit now but we keep a close eye on him.  The owner of the other local shop came in to our store a few weeks ago and just took a look around.  He didn’t say anything to anyone, he just walked around and then left.  We wouldn’t have known who he was except some our regurlars recognized him.  Strange that we have caused such a stir. 

Meanwhile, I’m learning to play Naruto.  That’s kinda fun.  I’ve felt pretty useless when it comes to making trades, etc, because Paul knows all about that stuff and I know nothing.  I’ve felt much like the cashier, silent partner, and janitor.  But, I was able to tell Paul exactly what I was feeling and he, being the wonderful and often sensitive man he is, figured it out.  I need confirmation that I am doing a good job and I really look for approval.  So, he’s been making it a point to let me know how much I’m needed and appreciated.  That means a lot to me. 

And away we go!

Things have really be going well for us at the store.  We’ve got a huge following of Yu-gi-oh players and every Saturday we are filled up all day long.  Thanks to one guy who enjoys learning and teaching new games we are stepping up in Naruto and UFS.  I open the store on Wednesdays at 11 but in the past weeks we’ve been open I haven’t had any customers until around 4.  Today I was in shock when 2 guys came in at 11:30!  They left and came back with 2 more! 

This is exciting and it’s very scarey all at the same time. 

Pretty awesome!

As of yesterday we have been officially open a week.  Last Wednesday was pretty much me sitting around doing nothing but watching my little girl and the little boy I babysit.  Friday night rolled around and it was very slow as well.  We had a few people come in and talk and get to know us a little but it was nothing to speak of really.  Then Saturday came and it was quite a day!  About 9:30 AM the kids started filing in.  We had a Yu-gi-oh tournament and after that we had a Naruto tournament.  Our sales for the day were way more than we expected.  It was an amazing day with many of the kids sticking around until we closed at 9 PM.  These kids are very well behaved as well which really blew me away. 

Yesterday, exactly one week after we opened, I sat there pretty bored again for a while.  Then guy came in with his family and bought some things and as he was leaving he mentioned that a bunch of the kids from Saturday were talking about coming in later in the day to play.  And they certainly did!  Around 4 PM they all came in and hung out until closing and sales were really good again!  The neat thing is that these kids are all begging to work there with us, telling us how awesome the place is, and thanking us for giving them a place to play!  Oh, and I forgot to mention that the ages of these kids range from 10 to 20.  Most of them around 16. 

Anyway, just wanted to share this with everyone.  I can’t tell you how often people have asked how we are going to make money because no one could imagine how much these kids love the games or how much they would invest in them.  I’m in shock about it myself! 

If anyone had told me last year that we’d be opening our own business and having this much fun doing it I’d have said they were crazy.  I’m sure many people were thinking we were crazy for trying!  But it just goes to show that good things may come from crazy ideas!   

So Exciting!

We weren’t quite ready to open last Saturday but we let people come in to meet us and see what we were doing.  About 8 families came by and they were all so excited that they won’t have to drive an hour away anymore. 

Yesterday, Wednesday, I had to be at the store by 11 to meet with the credit/debit card machine man and to accept a delivery.  It was a pretty quiet day and I was only supposed to clean some more, organize, and learn the register system.  Around 3 o’clock a man walked in with his son and they just wanted to take a look around and ask a few questions.  They were both so very nice and we ended up talking for an hour and half.  Boredom does that to you I suppose.  Anyway, they left and about an hour later in walks another man with his son!  The son was asking all kinds of questions that I had no idea how to answer.  Luckily, Paul had just called me to say he would be there in five minutes so I asked the boy to wait for Paul.  As soon as Paul walked in the door he started bombarding him with excited questions.  Paul was tickled pink!  And as it turned out, we made our very first sale! 

I really think this is going to take off!  And what frightens me most is that this huge space suddenly doesn’t seem huge enough!   

The Game Plan, The Beginning

April 2 – April 7, 2007

This is The Game Plan…..Just the beginning……..

| View Show | Create Your Own