Monthly Update: 6/13

Greetings all!

This month is the one in which the first real progress has been made towards setting up shop, thanks to the Prince's Trust.

We went on the Explore Enterprise course, in which we were taught all the ins and outs of running a business.  It was a good experience, and has made us much more confident in our abilities and all the more certain that we can actually make this work.  The course consisted of 4 main topics: personal skills and finances, sales and marketing, business finances, and business plans.  Without going in to too much detail, we found the whole thing surprisingly simple- the majority was just common sense, the exception possibly being the various taxes involved.  The course was let down by the fact that the tutors had no idea what we were actually doing (to them a tabletop gaming shop means slot machines), and one of the tutors hadn't done a presentation in 10 years so his presentation was a little unorganised to say the least.  However we learnt a lot of valuable information that will be taking up the majority of our time over the next year or so.

So when it comes to actual progress, we're now all steam ahead on trying to move to Bristol, in the hopes of getting a 6 month tenancy then finding a shop premises that will have living space as well.  In the meantime we have a business plan to be working on, and market research to conduct- hopefully in the form of a gaming event held in Bristol where people can bring some games to play, have a coffee, and generally have a good time, which will help me gauge how much interest there is.  More details on that closer to the time, as I have to discuss things with the Prince's Trust first.

So far, our experience of the Prince's Trust has been a good one and I highly recommend it for anyone thinking of starting a business (under the age of 30).  Lots of information, and although we don't have a mentor yet we're told they're extremely useful in giving advice when needed.  And, of course, there's the loan when you get started.

Until next time,

Daniel 'Rooksburg' van Vliet.

Welcome to Rooksburg's Realm!

Welcome to the Rooksburg's Realm blog!

Rooksburg's Realm is the collective name of all of my projects, but most importantly it is the name of my future shop, based in Bristol.  The main purpose of this blog is to share updates on the shop, starting with how my adventure to get started is going.  Aside from that, this blog is also a place for my musings- whether they be reviews, opinions on the news, or general short stories.

The shop will be selling all manner of fantasy role playing games and accessories- I can't say much more than that, because right now it is simply an idea.  I am currently in talks with the Prince's Trust for advice and support on setting up a business, and they predict that I will be ready in a year at most.  I also plan to run a games club once the shop is set up, so if you think you will be interested in this Bristol-based shop/club then let me know what games you would want to play or what accessories you would want (miniatures, battle maps, dice etc) and I will endeavour to stock them.

Updates on this blog will come sporadically, but I will be writing official newsletters regarding the shop's progress every month.  To start with they will be concerning how close I am to setting up, and I am considering hosting a gaming event in Bristol before the shop itself opens so there will be information on that, but eventually the newsletter will cover the month's events and inform you all of any new stock or special offers.

That's all for now, so I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.  Remember, if you have any feedback at all then I would love to hear it.

Until next time,

Daniel 'Rooksburg' van Vliet.