Denver teen opens video game store

[FRO]

Thought this was a particularly heart-warming story, and a cool testament to the rarely positive spin of video games in the news media.

http://kotaku.com/5295187/denver-teen-o ... game-store

[it290]

Wicked. It is my civic duty to check that out.

[twalden]

Inspiring story, I doubt it can top the awesomeness of Boulder Game Force, but it looks like it's worth checking out. The more alternatives to Game Stop. the better.

[The n00b]

Quick someone forward this kid Dave4shmups' resume. That dude needs all the hours he can get!

[Lordstar]

I got to hand it to him too. Its starting up in these echnomic times that can either make you or break you.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I got to hand it to him too. Its starting up in these echnomic times that can either make you or break you.

It's been said that if your small business can survive the first five years of being in business, you're apt to be in better shape than most folks whose business generally fold within their first few years of opening up. It also means having to attract new clientele and still retain the old clientele base as usual to keep the money/profit flowing in. All the money earned will be used to keep the business open and running after paying the usual operating expenses, rent/lease, misc. employees wages, utility bills, etc....that is a given.

You can kiss "taking vacations" goodbye for a very long time as well. Since you're the boss and call all the shots, if your business goes go under, you still have deal with huge money/debt issues with the bank lender and whatever else goes along with it. Not to mention trying to get rid of remaining inventory at bargin-ass auction prices if it needed be. Of course, starting your own self-employed business ain't for everyone. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Lordstar]

I got to hand it to him too. Its starting up in these echnomic times that can either make you or break you.

It's been said that if your small business can survive the first five years of being in business, you're apt to be in better shape than most folks whose business generally fold within their first few years of opening up. It also means having to attract new clientele and still retain the old clientele base as usual to keep the money/profit flowing in. All the money earned will be used to keep the business open and running after paying the usual operating expenses, rent/lease, misc. employees wages, utility bills, etc....that is a given.

You can kiss "taking vacations" goodbye for a very long time as well. Since you're the boss and call all the shots, if your business goes go under, you still have deal with huge money/debt issues with the bank lender and whatever else goes along with it. Not to mention trying to get rid of remaining inventory at bargin-ass auction prices if it needed be. Of course, starting your own self-employed business ain't for everyone. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Your talking to a guy whos been running his thing for 4 years lol. Yeah so many people I know have folded in the first 12 months its crazy. I dont know how it is in the US but it depends on how you open up your biz. Were about to go limited in the next few months I might actually start taking home a wage then I cant say ive not enjoyed myself becuase for all the heart ache, stress and rapid hair loss I would not go back to working in a super market for anything. The best part of my job is seeing people happy with the things I sell and make.

[doctorx0079]

I would not go back to working in a super market for anything.

Amen. I should probably buy a shirt just on principle. Is that your main business, making shirts?

[Lordstar]

I would not go back to working in a super market for anything.

Amen. I should probably buy a shirt just on principle. Is that your main business, making shirts?

Putting logos on tee shirts for companies is what I do making shirts for you guys on the net is about 5% of what I do. Its hard work and stressful but I may be able to buy a house before the decade is out. Im not holding my breath though.

[mr_m0nks]

Its hard work and stressful but I may be able to buy a house before the decade is out. Im not holding my breath though.

Buy an arcade instead

[ZacharyB]

An arcade with a kitchen and bedroom!

[doctorx0079]

An arcade with a kitchen and bedroom!

Just like Flynn's in Tron. That would be TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS.

[Lordstar]

An arcade with a kitchen and bedroom!

Just like Flynn's in Tron. That would be TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS.

would that be RAD or is that a little too new ?

[Lordstar]

Its hard work and stressful but I may be able to buy a house before the decade is out. Im not holding my breath though.

Buy an arcade instead

In this country (the UK) I dont think so. I live in Liverpool and no one has any intrest in arcades at all. Londoners would not travel, I doubt people from manchester would travel to come to it. I have no tech exprience. Maybe i will go and aprentice under grantspain lol

[SAM]

I cant say ive not enjoyed myself becuase for all the heart ache, stress and rapid hair loss I would not go back to working in a super market for anything. The best part of my job is seeing people happy with the things I sell and make.

For this, you are my hero, Lordstar. For I still don't have the gut to kiss my boss goodbye, and start my own business.

It's been said that if your small business can survive the first five years of being in business, you're apt to be in better shape than most folks whose business generally fold within their first few years of opening up. It also means having to attract new clientele and still retain the old clientele base as usual to keep the money/profit flowing in. All the money earned will be used to keep the business open and running after paying the usual operating expenses, rent/lease, misc. employees wages, utility bills, etc....that is a given.

You can kiss "taking vacations" goodbye for a very long time as well. Since you're the boss and call all the shots, if your business goes go under, you still have deal with huge money/debt issues with the bank lender and whatever else goes along with it. Not to mention trying to get rid of remaining inventory at bargin-ass auction prices if it needed be. Of course, starting your own self-employed business ain't for everyone. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

You make it sound like there is more to lose than to gain.

But I don't see being an employee any easier.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I cant say ive not enjoyed myself becuase for all the heart ache, stress and rapid hair loss I would not go back to working in a super market for anything. The best part of my job is seeing people happy with the things I sell and make.

For this, you are my hero, Lordstar. For I still don't have the gut to kiss my boss goodbye, and start my own business.

It's been said that if your small business can survive the first five years of being in business, you're apt to be in better shape than most folks whose business generally fold within their first few years of opening up. It also means having to attract new clientele and still retain the old clientele base as usual to keep the money/profit flowing in. All the money earned will be used to keep the business open and running after paying the usual operating expenses, rent/lease, misc. employees wages, utility bills, etc....that is a given.

You can kiss "taking vacations" goodbye for a very long time as well. Since you're the boss and call all the shots, if your business goes go under, you still have deal with huge money/debt issues with the bank lender and whatever else goes along with it. Not to mention trying to get rid of remaining inventory at bargin-ass auction prices if it needed be. Of course, starting your own self-employed business ain't for everyone. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

You make it sound like there is more to lose than to gain.

But I don't see being an employee any easier.

For SAM,

It is a big gamble or a risky proposition if you stop and ponder a bit. ^_~

If you are going to open your own business, it would be in your best interest to open one with your knowledge such as a favorite hobby or field of expertise. ^_~

Yeah, being an employee has it's perks and downfalls as well. Just show up for work, do your best each day for the boss(es) and go home afterwards. Rinse and repeat until the ol' TGIF (Thank goodness it's Friday abbrevation). ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Lordstar]

I employ a guy and he gets a good wage. He can take time off when he needs it and he gets holidays when he needs them. I always pay him on time and he has money every friday and cash advances if he is a bit stuck for something this month.

I dont get holidays last week off i took was when i was in japan. I dont get sick days and I fail to take home a steady wage, I did make a lot of mistakes early on but its still hella dificult. We put in more hours than anyone and most the time were the first ones thought the door and the last ones to leave. If being a boss was so easy everyone would be doing it and everyone would be millionaires. Its not its really fucking hard A lot harder than just working for someone.

I know some people who are at a point where they pay everyone to do everything for them and they just sit back and watch the cash roll in. But you have to put the time in in the start to get there

[it290]

I'm also a business owner and I agree with everything above. The stress level is a lot higher than a regular job, but then again, the rewards are too. There is nothing like the feeling of walking into your office and not having to answer to anybody but your clients. It's a wonderful feeling.

[dave4shmups]

I will definitely have to check this out, as well! Thanks for the news!

[The n00b]

For SAM,

It is a big gamble or a risky proposition if you stop and ponder a bit. .

If you are going to open your own business, it would be in your best interest to open one with your knowledge such as a favorite hobby or field of expertise. .

Yeah, being an employee has it's perks and downfalls as well. Just show up for work, do your best each day for the boss(es) and go home afterwards. Rinse and repeat until the ol' TGIF (Thank goodness it's Friday abbrevation). .

PC Engine Fan X! .

Hey PC are you hiring? I only ask because the experience you describe is a very idyllic existence that is far from the norm for many employees. Especially the "doing your best" part. The company is not your friend or a smiling father figure complete with pipe ready to give you a pat on the back and a "you'll do better next time, kiddo!" You provide a service and the company is your customer. If your service is crappy, the company might not want to pay for it anymore. The quality of your service must be great, even under duress. This means you might even have to go to training on your "TGIF's"(que cute btw) just to keep up that quality. I don't know who has it tougher and I wouldn't want to judge. However, I think I'd lose the argument against someone who picks up horse crap for a living!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

However, I think I'd lose the argument against someone who picks up horse crap for a living!

Or even cleaning up after human crap is even worse -- fresh & foul smelling diarrehia is the worst offender of them all. Or imagine having to work as an Emergency Trauma Specialist cleaning up splattered body parts, blood, & mysterious body fluids after a freak accident or homicide incident -- I hear that you get paid quite well as law enforcement dosen't do that type of work anyways. This type of specialized job isn't for everyone though.

PC Engine Fan X!

[SAM]

Well, if you are a well paid professional, it makes sense to stay being an employee.

Otherwise, it might not worth limiting your upside potential.

31 years ago, a young lady start her own business with USD 2,500 saving by opening tiny retail counter, with retail space of only 40sq ft, in a shopping mall.

The business growth slowly during the years, 12 years later, she finally managed to has her own store. And she opened her second store another 2 years afterward.

Today her tiny retail counter had growth into a publicly listed enterprise operating in multiple countries with a gross profit of 200M USD last year.

Well, if you are chained to you job by collage loan, home mortgage, parental care and children tuition fee, then that is another story.

[dave4shmups]

Well, I didn't go to that store, but I did go to a really great GameForce store! For those of you in Denver, it is this one:

http://www.gameforce.biz/ Excellent stock, everything from the latest games to Lynx and Neo Geo Pocket games!

They have an old systems wall with everything from a Sega CDX (first time I've seen one of those!) to an Atari 800 computer and cartridges, and even an Odyssey 2. But the systems on that wall aren't for sale, which I think is crazy! It's nice to know that they buy old systems, but they could make even more money selling them.

They do have Saturns, NES top-loaders, Sega Genesis's, and Dreamcasts for sale, though. Great prices, too, so check 'em out it290, and others here in Denver.

[undamned]

An arcade with a kitchen and bedroom!

Just like Flynn's in Tron. That would be TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS.

would that be RAD or is that a little too new ?

If you are playing California Games, both are legit.
-ud

[Specineff]

^^ Tubular to the max?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Gnarly dudes. Or radical as how they used to say it back in the 1980s. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Lordstar]

I recall using 'rad' a lot as a kid. I am 28 though so i think its valid

[dave4shmups]

I went down to this store today, and it's excellent! Elijah Taylor, the guy who started it, is the nicest guy, and very knowledgeable about games and consoles. The store's name is no longer Game-On; it's Level 7 Games. They have t-shirts with the logo on it!

The store is very well stocked; they even have a big bin with Atari 2600 and Intellivision games! And games for just about every system that's ever came out here. I even saw Vay, complete, for the Sega CD!

They also have a Neo-Geo cab, an SNES, and a 360 on a nice Sanyo HDTV that you play!

If anyone wants the address or phone number to this place, please PM me (I don't think we're allowed to post information like that in threads.). For others of you that live in the Denver Metro Area, I HIGHLY recommend this store!

[iatneH]

It's all fine and good to have these cool old systems on the shelf and on display and whatnot, but is Mr.Taylor operating a shop or a museum? I am not a businessman but I am guessing that a business can't stick around unless those stock actually move. I would be more interested in the day-to-day volume this guy sees, but I assume most of that would be from current-gen or last-gen stuff if he deals in that at all.

[dave4shmups]

It's all fine and good to have these cool old systems on the shelf and on display and whatnot, but is Mr.Taylor operating a shop or a museum? I am not a businessman but I am guessing that a business can't stick around unless those stock actually move. I would be more interested in the day-to-day volume this guy sees, but I assume most of that would be from current-gen or last-gen stuff if he deals in that at all.

It's definitely not a gaming museum, they sell all the old systems they get-they all have price tags on them, except for the 2600, and they'd probably sell that, too. Trust me, if I wasn't saving money, I would have snatched up the Sega Genesis Model 2 along with the top-loader Sega CD Unit.

At any rate, it's great to see some independent game stores around here, because with GameCrazy closing hundreds of stores, GameStop, here in Colorado, at least, now have a de facto monopoly-and they don't even sell original XBOX games anymore, plenty of which are compatible with the 360. There is a Gameforce, but you can't trade in games or systems for another system, which makes absolutely no sense.

Level 7 is open 7 days a week, too-even today, on a Sunday, their hours were 10am-10pm. Much better then Gameforce, which is 11-6pm. But then this guy's lost his Mom, so he's gotta get as much business as he can. And I hope and pray that he prospers.