It Oozed From the Office

Jan 29, 2017

They say hindsight is 20/20 and that one can learn much from the past so, today I take a moment to discuss a critical month for any retail business and one that serves as the gateway to the busiest time of the year. In today's roundtable I join Wayne from Dueling Grounds, Gary from the Haunted Game Cafe' and the host of the Manaverse Podcast, Thomas, in discussing the ups and downs of November 2016 in our shops, along with taking a shot at predicting what will happen for us in December. (Stay…

Dec 11, 2016

In today's special episode, I pay a visit to Wayne and his store Dueling Grounds, all the way in Toronto Canada! Together with Manaverse Podcast host Thomas Traplin, we discuss the importance of product mix in a round table recorded in Dueling Ground's very own game room. (Please note: due to the 'on scene' environment of this recording, audio quality is not ideal - thank you for your patience). (use the buttons above to stream or download this episode) If you have questions about the…

Oct 15, 2016

It's not always work, work, work around here. One of the great things about running a game store is that you occasionally get to have some fun by playing  a game or two. In a departure from our traditional 'business talk' format, and based on the suggestion of our good friend and customer Greg Grant, today's roundtable deals with the topic of our favorite games: what I, Thomas and Wayne consider to be our current top five. Check it out: one of these may just become your new 'best game…

Aug 29, 2016

Ecommerce is everywhere: on our computers, our tablets, our phones and, thanks to Amazon's Dash Button, even on our washing machines. It's a valuable resource but also a dangerous competitor. Personally, I've embraced the internet as a selling channel over twenty years ago but, in today's business enviroment, is a hybrid selling model the right choice for a start-up game store? Join me, Thomas Traplin, host and producer of the Manaverse Podcast, and Gary Sproul, owner of the Haunted Games…

Jul 31, 2016

So you're opening up a small business and you're wondering if you need a website or not. The answer should be obvious but, strangely, many shops in our industry rely entirely on social media for their web presence or simply go about their business without ever establishing so much as a domain name. In today's round table we discuss the basics of choosing your domain name, getting the website hosted and online, and building a website that will serve as a gateway for customer acquisition.…

Jul 17, 2016

Nearly two decades ago, after several years of watching players lugging in bags of food into our shop, it dawned on me that marrying tasty food with great games and pleasant company was an excellent idea. Unfortunatley, the cold hard reality of the numbers involved never seemed to line up with my vision. Today, thanks to the growing popularity of coffe, games and the continued support of our awesome customers, that dream of opening an entertaiment cafe' is finally coming true. To discuss the…

Jul 2, 2016

Benjamin Franklin said it best: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” Most small businesses are founded on hopes and dreams but, in today's increasingly competitive markets, that may not be enough. Formulating a business plan before launching a your endeavor is a good way to increase your chances of success, while minimizing the risk of comitting costly mistakes. In today's round table I discuss the merits of creating a business plan with Thomas Traplin, host and…

Jun 11, 2016

It's a double-whammy episode of It Oozed From the Office with not one but two peeks into the future!!! (Read the word 'future' in dramatic fashion. Try it while waving your hands around. You will find it oddly satisfying, I promise). In the first part I take you onto another journey into what you are going to experience when you come visit us in our new shop (I'll even give you a sneak peak at the incredible amount of demolition work that is currently underway in that location). Then I join…

May 15, 2016

  The focus of this episode's round table is the class action lawsuit brought by several Magic Judges against Wizards of the Coast. We explore how this lawsuit could impact publishers, game store owners and the player community at large.* Joining me in the round table are Thomas Traplin, our host and producer of the Manaverse Podcast and Wayne Mittlestaedt, owner of Dueling Grounds in Toronto, Canada. (use the buttons above to stream or download an audio-only version of this episode -…

Apr 19, 2016

Welcome back to another round table episode! Today we discuss the finer points of putting on a great event, along with discussing at length what some of the more common pitfalls are and how to avoid them. The second part of our round table focuses on the enviroment in which those events take place, and what we do to ensure that our shops are truly safe and inclusive places. Joining me in the round table are: Thomas Traplin, our host and producer of the Manaverse Podcast. Travis Parry,…

Apr 8, 2016

I am happy to announce that 'It Oozed From the Office', my irregular blog of rantings and ravings on the games industry, will now be ... well, 'regular'. I've been asked to join a panel of fellow game retailers, on the Manaverse Podcast, for a series of bi-weekly round tables in which we address hot topics and trends of our industry. These audio podcast will make their appearance here in addition to the usual video/written episodes I've done in the past. You can now listen to the voice of…

Apr 1, 2016

  Welcome to part II of my ongoing series of previews of our new home, which is set to open its doors later this year.  Ever since the announcement of our move went out, the big question on everyone's mind has been: where to? Well, we're ready to show you! Click on the video below to find the spot and scroll down for more spoliers on the new location. LOCATION I know that a lot of you are happy with our choice: one of greatest concerns…