Startup for Purple Fox Games
Donation protected
**Update July 25th 2016** A few people have asked about donation incentives. As this is a very tight startup in terms of minimum starting amount, I can offer these incentives:
Donating $50 or more over the span of the campaign gets you a Purple Fox Games t-shirt (sizes Small through XL)
Donating $100 or more over the span of the campaign gets you the Shirt, plus $20 in store credit when the store opens. Redeemable through 2017.
These incentives will be met at the conclusion of the GoFundMe campaign. Any questions can be sent to the stores facebook page through private messages.
Thank you all for your support!!
My name is Andrew, and I am opening a game store called Purple Fox Games.
Purple Fox Games is a Board Game Retail store. We specialize in designer Board Games, collectible card games, miniature war gaming, and roleplaying games. The store will also act as an event space to try new games, participate in themed game nights, or compete in weekly store tournaments. We really want to help build a positive community of gamers across all ages and walks of life. Games offer a bridge between lifestyles and help form new interests while having fun.
Growing up in Meadville (the location for the store) has shown a lack of entertainment for those of a late High School and early College age. Unless you are an athlete or enjoy exploring new bars, you will find little to do in the way of hobbies. Being that High School student, and having none of the aforementioned interests, I always desired a local game store. I was not the only one, as others had also shown an interest in the gaming hobby. The nearest store was almost an hour away which did not allow for frequent visits.
After graduating in 2011, I moved to southern New Hampshire to work and find my way in the world. In that time, I was able to acquire a position in a small game store chain. Over the next two years I would proceed to build the stores reputation, bring in new customers to grow the store customer base, increase sales, and eventually manage the location. It was an incredible experience and proved very rewarding overall. Alas, the decision was made to close doors on the store by the company owner. I decided that this was the right time to work towards my dream of opening a gaming store in Meadville.
After moving back in February of 2016, it was quickly apparent that the need for a hobby store was still strong. A local business owner allowed us the opportunity to host a Board Gaming night at their bakery. To date, we have had over 50 unique players with 15 players on average each week. We try new games, explore favorites, and enjoy eachothers company. I can confidently say that I would never have met some of these incredible people if it had not been for this event. This local business also offered a spot in a monthly market event where Purple Fox Games has been vending product and spreading the word. The feedback from those that live in this city has been wonderful. Along with a large interest in the gaming genre, there has been a great amount of support and encouragement. Below are some photos of our board game nights.
The reason now for this GoFundMe campaign, is because acquiring funding for this endeavor has proven very challenging. Multiple banks and credit unions have expressed not wanting to take a risk on an industry that they have no knowledge in. This is understandable, however it makes my goal much more difficult to achieve. My original startup cost when beginning this project was $20,000 to afford inventory, a location, fixes to that location, shelving, tables and chairs, and extra for contingencies. With the help of other local businesses and some good fortune, i've been able to scale back on my needs to open.
The money raised from this campaign will afford first month's lease payment on the location and starting inventory. The shelving and tables can be purchased progressively as the business gains traction, though I would rather have them at launch. After the location is open, I can work towards affording some of the more expensive items that were originally in the design for the sore (display cases, an expanded miniatures selection, a larger board game library, more space). If a bank does decide to help fund my business, the money raised from this page will not go to waste. With it, I can offer a wider variety of products and smooth out some of the rocky points most businesses face in their first few months of being open.
I am hoping to reach this $5,000 amount by the beginning of September. My original goal was to have the store open in August, however with the funding being so difficult i've had to push back. It is very important that the store open during the back to school season, as this is the best time to reach out to students and families alike. Word of mouth is very important for a business like this, and the timing will promote positive exposure for the business.
More information about the business can be found at Facebook.com/PurpleFoxGames. We currently have T-shirts for sale, as well as some board game titles. Any amount of support is appreciated, and thank you for taking the time to check out this page. Happy Gaming! ^-^~
Donating $50 or more over the span of the campaign gets you a Purple Fox Games t-shirt (sizes Small through XL)
Donating $100 or more over the span of the campaign gets you the Shirt, plus $20 in store credit when the store opens. Redeemable through 2017.
These incentives will be met at the conclusion of the GoFundMe campaign. Any questions can be sent to the stores facebook page through private messages.
Thank you all for your support!!
My name is Andrew, and I am opening a game store called Purple Fox Games.
Purple Fox Games is a Board Game Retail store. We specialize in designer Board Games, collectible card games, miniature war gaming, and roleplaying games. The store will also act as an event space to try new games, participate in themed game nights, or compete in weekly store tournaments. We really want to help build a positive community of gamers across all ages and walks of life. Games offer a bridge between lifestyles and help form new interests while having fun.
Growing up in Meadville (the location for the store) has shown a lack of entertainment for those of a late High School and early College age. Unless you are an athlete or enjoy exploring new bars, you will find little to do in the way of hobbies. Being that High School student, and having none of the aforementioned interests, I always desired a local game store. I was not the only one, as others had also shown an interest in the gaming hobby. The nearest store was almost an hour away which did not allow for frequent visits.
After graduating in 2011, I moved to southern New Hampshire to work and find my way in the world. In that time, I was able to acquire a position in a small game store chain. Over the next two years I would proceed to build the stores reputation, bring in new customers to grow the store customer base, increase sales, and eventually manage the location. It was an incredible experience and proved very rewarding overall. Alas, the decision was made to close doors on the store by the company owner. I decided that this was the right time to work towards my dream of opening a gaming store in Meadville.
After moving back in February of 2016, it was quickly apparent that the need for a hobby store was still strong. A local business owner allowed us the opportunity to host a Board Gaming night at their bakery. To date, we have had over 50 unique players with 15 players on average each week. We try new games, explore favorites, and enjoy eachothers company. I can confidently say that I would never have met some of these incredible people if it had not been for this event. This local business also offered a spot in a monthly market event where Purple Fox Games has been vending product and spreading the word. The feedback from those that live in this city has been wonderful. Along with a large interest in the gaming genre, there has been a great amount of support and encouragement. Below are some photos of our board game nights.
The reason now for this GoFundMe campaign, is because acquiring funding for this endeavor has proven very challenging. Multiple banks and credit unions have expressed not wanting to take a risk on an industry that they have no knowledge in. This is understandable, however it makes my goal much more difficult to achieve. My original startup cost when beginning this project was $20,000 to afford inventory, a location, fixes to that location, shelving, tables and chairs, and extra for contingencies. With the help of other local businesses and some good fortune, i've been able to scale back on my needs to open.
The money raised from this campaign will afford first month's lease payment on the location and starting inventory. The shelving and tables can be purchased progressively as the business gains traction, though I would rather have them at launch. After the location is open, I can work towards affording some of the more expensive items that were originally in the design for the sore (display cases, an expanded miniatures selection, a larger board game library, more space). If a bank does decide to help fund my business, the money raised from this page will not go to waste. With it, I can offer a wider variety of products and smooth out some of the rocky points most businesses face in their first few months of being open.
I am hoping to reach this $5,000 amount by the beginning of September. My original goal was to have the store open in August, however with the funding being so difficult i've had to push back. It is very important that the store open during the back to school season, as this is the best time to reach out to students and families alike. Word of mouth is very important for a business like this, and the timing will promote positive exposure for the business.
More information about the business can be found at Facebook.com/PurpleFoxGames. We currently have T-shirts for sale, as well as some board game titles. Any amount of support is appreciated, and thank you for taking the time to check out this page. Happy Gaming! ^-^~
Organizer
Andrew Giles
Organizer
Meadville, PA
