Release of board games as a business. Business idea - Board games store Entering the international market

26.11.2021

Which franchise to choose

In recent years, board games are gaining popularity again: they are often chosen as a gift, the Board game can be great with family and friends

Step-by-step opening of a board games store

The benefits of board games are that they develop the child: his logic, fine motor skills, attentiveness, reaction, visual memory and other qualities. In addition, board games are useful as family communication - they take the child away from the computer and allow them to fully communicate with their parents for several hours a day.

From a business standpoint, board game stores are not very common. The thing is that the consumer is little aware of the variety and types of board games. Nevertheless, there is a need for desktop entertainment. The profitability of such a business is achieved through a bright assortment and competent sellers.

The fact that there is simply no competition in this area is in favor of opening a board games store. In large cities you can hardly find 2-3 shops, what can we say about medium and small towns with a population of 100-500 thousand people.

The key when starting a business is the right location. Here, such indicators are important as: remoteness from the city center - the closer, the better (a residential area is not the best solution), and the traffic of a retail outlet - for example, the first floor of a shopping center.

The next important step is to create an assortment of goods. It is enough for a small island department of 20-25m2 to purchase 40-50 types of board games. The most popular games, the ones that you definitely need to have with a margin, are the mafia, the jackal: treasure island, imaginarium and monopoly (classics of the genre). At the same time, one should not forget about the ratings of board games, regularly replenishing the shop windows with new products from the gaming world. The average price level in the store is 1,500 rubles, the margin is from 30 to 200%.

How much money do you need to open a board games store

Commercial equipment (racks, showcases, etc.) - from 50 thousand rubles;

Purchase of the first batch of goods - from 100 thousand rubles;
Registration of an individual entrepreneur, opening a current account - from 2 thousand rubles;
Deposit for rent for 1 month. - from 10 thousand rubles;
Advertising and promotion - from 5 thousand rubles;
Website development - from 15 thousand rubles;

Other expenses - from 20 thousand rubles.

TOTAL ~ from 200 thousand rubles.

The uniqueness of the board games store is that it doesn't sell a product - it sells a mood. As the owner of the Tula board games store (OOO Igrotek) jokes: “Our client is children aged 0 to 99”. More seriously, the main customer of the store is children from 3 years old and adults up to 35 years old. It is important that the assortment of toys sold meets the needs of absolutely the entire target audience. There is really one problem. Many clients have a vague idea of board games (other than classic chess and dominoes). Therefore, the main task of store sellers is to clearly explain the essence of the game, to make the customer interested in the product.

According to the experience of Igrotek LLC, the main method of promoting a store is a live demonstration of games. It is difficult for a person to understand why he pays 2-3 thousand rubles, just holding a colored box in his hands and listening to the description of a sales assistant. It's another matter when the buyer personally tested two or three games that they liked and was eager to buy one of them.

Another way of promoting the store helps well - organizing and holding regular tournaments in board games in some popular cafe or club.

In the heyday of online commerce, the presence of a store's own website is a big plus. It is not necessary for the site to sell more than the real department. The main thing is that it contains a detailed description of the games, rules, recommendations for age groups, useful tips and articles. This will undoubtedly raise the store's status and boost sales.

Which franchise to choose

For aspiring entrepreneurs, there is the option of starting a franchise business. For example, you can conclude an agreement with the federal retail chain Mosigra. This chain has 72 stores in 49 cities of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The conditions for joining the franchise network are as follows: a lump-sum contribution - 80 thousand rubles, total investments in business - from 600 thousand rubles, business payback - up to 12 months.

Step-by-step plan for opening a board games store

Choose a crowded place of trade. For example, a shopping center.
Pick up an assortment of board games, covering interesting different age groups.
Draw up documents and register with government agencies.
Run an advertising campaign aimed at popularizing the store: organizing tournaments, interesting narratives about board games.

How much can you earn by opening a board games store

To determine the pricing policy of your business, you need to analyze the prices of competitors. At the first stages of development, the margin should be slightly lower. You can also order board games in bulk directly from manufacturers. Simple actions will help the store pay off within 4-6 months. You can rate each board game from 30% to 200%: it depends on the demand for the product.

How to choose hardware for a board games store

For normal operation of the store, at the first stage, you will need racks and shelves for placing goods. In the center of the hall it is worth placing a table for advertising campaigns and tournaments. The store should look neat and interestingly designed.

What OKVED to indicate when organizing a store

When organizing a board game store, it is worth using OKVED:

65 - Retail and wholesale of board games;
91 - trading board games by mail or through the Internet.

What documents are needed to open

To organize a store, registration of an individual entrepreneur is required. Any Russian citizen who has reached the age of 18 and who is not an employee of government services can register. Documents for registration of an individual entrepreneur:

Application in the prescribed form.
Copy of passport, birth certificate.
Receipt for payment of the state fee.

Which taxation system to choose

There are 3 optimal taxation options for a board game store:

A single tax on imputed income.
Patent taxation system.
Simplified taxation system.

When opening a board games store with an area of no more than 50 sq. m, experts advise using the PSN: there is no need to submit declarations, a mandatory payment is made once a year.

Until recently, it was difficult for us to imagine that board games - a familiar and even, as it seemed a few years ago, entertainment beginning to become obsolete - could be a profitable investment.

The difficulty of predicting the development of the board game industry lies in the fact that the market for "board games" (as they are called by fans of this way of spending time) includes too many different products - from the simplest "walkers" (roll a dice and move chips) to complex thematic and strategic games where you need to calculate options several moves ahead. According to preliminary estimates, the annual sales of board games is $ 100 million.

There is no single definition of board games yet. Usually, board games are understood as games that can be played indoors using specially designed equipment - a playing field, chips, cubes, cards, tokens, etc.

As a rule, a small amount of items required for the game allows them to be placed on the same table and / or in the hands of the players. The number of participants starts from two or more players. In some cases, there may even be one player, but such games are in the minority.

Board Game Manufacturing Process

The production of a board game consists of several stages. The first - one of the most important - is thinking over and developing the idea of the game, determining its type, storyline, goals and degree of entertainment, creating a preliminary sample ("draft" version) and testing.

At the second stage, the final external design of all game elements is designed - cards, fields, chips, etc., right up to packaging. Then an estimate is drawn up for launching the set into production, the circulation is calculated, at which the release of the game becomes profitable (the smaller the circulation, the more "golden" your play sets will turn out to be), contractors are selected to carry out all the work.

The average circulation of one board game released in our country is 5-6 thousand copies. If you have a rather complex game that requires the use of additional inventory (for example, a cube, chips, tokens, etc.), then sometimes it turns out to be advisable to split production, up to looking for partners abroad.

Pay attention to the quality of your products. For example, if your board game involves the use of cards and / or the playing field, you should not skimp on printing.

At the stage of launching the serial production of the board game, it's time to start organizing the marketing of your products.
Usually, new games are offered to small stores (department stores, bookshops, toy stores, gift stores, etc., depending on the topic and target audience of your product).
Supermarkets make rather high demands, which may not be up to a young company. Another common and effective option is to create your own online store, where anyone can read the description of the game and the rules, see photos and place an order directly, bypassing intermediaries.

The board game industry is attracting more and more attention from both developers and investors. Indeed, the development of a board game requires several tens of times less money than the creation of a computer game. The profitability of some projects reaches 300-350%.

Even during the economic crisis, when sales of computer games in our country fell by $ 150 million, the demand for "board games" continued to grow steadily.

However, in practice, most likely, it turns out that the prospects for such a business are not as rosy and optimistic as we would like. The competition in this segment is already high enough. And this despite the fact that despite all the efforts of the sellers of board games, who not only offer their goods, but try to create demand for it, this type of entertainment in our country is not yet as popular as in the West.
For example, in Russia, board games aimed at children of low and medium price categories (from 100 to 500 rubles) are in the greatest demand. Games for older players costing from 500 to 3500 rubles are not being sold so actively.

The cost of developing one board game, depending on the idea and complexity, from several tens of thousands of rubles to hundreds. However, the main problem is not in creating a board game, but in selling it.

Nowadays, when there are too many players (including Western ones) on the domestic market of board games, new companies are trying to occupy their own narrow niche, offering inexpensive but thematic games, which, as a rule, have additional functions in addition to entertainment (for example, games on development of imagination, strategic thinking, for learning foreign languages or even teaching some skills).

The goal of this project is to become a connecting link for those who are fond of board games and those who are just starting to get acquainted with this hobby.

Game libraries of the project "Play with us!" are events where you can play various board games for free.

Uz Find the details of the nearest toy libraries .

This project is dedicated to everyone who:

loves board games or wants to learn more about them;
appreciates live communication;
prefers to spend time not only fun, but also with benefit;
wants to find new friends and like-minded people.

What is the peculiarity of the "Play with us" toy libraries?

Only the best board games are presented on the game libraries: current classics of games from around the world and new items that have recently appeared in Russia.
Here you will be helped to choose games according to your taste and mood, as well as to understand their rules.
Most places will offer you a discount on your favorite board games.

Where and how often do these games libraries take place?

Usually, game libraries are held on weekends about once a month. With each new event, the project "Playing with us" becomes more and more popular. More than 30 largest cities in Russia and neighboring countries have already joined us.

For the addresses of the nearest toy libraries and the exact time of the event, see.

How to participate in the game library?

All project activities are absolutely free and do not require an appointment. Just find the game library of your city in the list, come and play with us!

Where can I find the latest news about game libraries?

Photos from already held toy libraries

Board games are a favorite pastime for children. Their main advantages are mobility, practicality, variety and availability. Recently, sales in this direction have been increasing. Therefore, aspiring entrepreneurs should consider starting a company specializing in the manufacture and sale of board games.

Project idea: making educational children's puzzles and quests.

Complexity: home business of medium complexity.

Main costs: design development, purchase of game items and typography.

Equipment: telephone and computer.

Initial capital: 100-200 thousand rubles

Payback period: 3-12 months.

Estimated profit: 30-50 thousand rubles per month.

Marketing research in this direction indicates a decrease in sales of computer games by $ 150 million. This is due to the economic crisis. At the same time, the demand for such entertainment is growing. The board game industry is catching the attention of developers and investors. This is due to the fact that it takes dozens of times less money to create than to create a similar computer entertainment. The profitability of many projects reaches 300-350%.

In Russia, the greatest demand is for entertainment of a low price category (200-500 rubles). Expensive options are sold out with less activity. Marketers assure that demand will grow in 2015-2017.

A business plan is a must if you want to attract third-party funding sources. The document is considered by banks, the investor and the commission when issuing subsidies.

If you want the decision to be made in your favor, stick to a certain structure.

The main stages of making a board game

Classic directions - backgammon, checkers and chess. Modern entertainment has a focus, for example, the popular "Monopoly". Today, the topics of sports, fashion, politics, travel, adventure and space are becoming more popular.

The prospects for the development of the project are enormous. Consider where to start an educational desktop entertainment business.

Main steps:

designing game driving principles;
development of a plot, goals, semantic load;
design of the box and all the elements used;
purchase of components;
making the first copy;
testing;
circulation production.

The sale of board games in Russia increased by RUB 3 billion in 2017. When the market is covered by supply for 25-30%, this option of activity allows you to make good money. Business payback can be achieved within 3-6 months. You can write games yourself, sign contracts with authors, and adapt Western counterparts. The option of purchasing a franchise is relevant. When investing from 300 thousand rubles. you can count on a profitability of up to 200%. Hobby World and Igroved are vivid examples of organizing a similar business in Russia, which managed to reach multimillion-dollar turnover and conquer the Western market.

Board games - a lucrative business niche?

In recent years, board games have been actively gaining popularity in Russia. In 2016 alone, the turnover of this market amounted to 10 billion rubles. How is this possible in the age of information technology, saturated with mobile applications and computer programs for gamers?

The reasons for the active spread of desktop entertainment are most often cited as:

the desire of people to take a break from gadgets, which have become an integral part of modern life;
the possibility of live communication with loved ones in the bosom of family or friends.

Reference! To date, more than 50 thousand varieties of board games have been created and distributed in the world.
Source: RBK

In Russia 10 years ago on the market one could find only children's games with chips and cubes from the Soviet past, checkers, chess, loto, dominoes and several world bestsellers - "Monopoly", "Carcassonne" and "Scrabble".

The situation began to change from 2010-2011, when the first companies appeared, which began to produce Western models for a franchise and develop their own versions of this kind of fun.

Currently, only 25-30% of the board games market is covered, which means you can make good money on this. It is important to take into account the specifics of this segment of the Russian economy:

Competition between sellers is active in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In other regions of Russia, it is felt weakly.
Games are most often an unplanned purchase. Therefore, it is important to know how much residents of a particular region are willing to spend on goods outside the list. In Moscow it is 1,000 rubles, in St. Petersburg - 700 rubles, in small towns - 300-500 rubles.
In large cities, such entertainment is sold more efficiently in specialized board game stores, and in medium and small cities - in the departments of toys, leisure goods, and gifts.
The minimum circulation of one game is 500-600 pcs. - it is unprofitable to produce such a product in smaller quantities.

Interesting fact! The segment is characterized by the phenomenon of "chain advertising": out of 10 players who have gone through several rounds in "Scrabble", "Uno" or other board game, 2-3 people will acquire a separate copy for themselves.
Source: Vedomosti

Business model: board games as a way to make money

Why can the idea of producing and selling board games be considered a profitable business option in Russia?

First, according to statistics, even in the crisis years of 2014-2016, sales of computer entertainment fell by $ 150 million, the board games market continued to grow.
Second, if you develop them yourself and sell them to a publisher, your ROI can reach 200-300%.
Thirdly, you don't have to wonder where to find the start-up capital - you can start with 5-10 thousand rubles.
Fourth, it is important to understand that games with simple rules are in greatest demand.

Reference! Games of medium difficulty for children and adolescents in the price segment of 100-500 rubles are in higher demand on the Russian market. Expensive and complex board games for adults (500-3,000 rubles) are less popular.
Source: RBK

Business organization options

There are several options for organizing a business based on board games:

Buying a franchise. A way for newbies to quickly find their customers and achieve ROI in a few months.
Self-development of games and their sale while maintaining the authorship to a specialized publisher. Initially, the author sends a prototype of the game to the publisher. If the latter is interested, an agreement is concluded. The publisher assumes all the costs of making and selling the game and appropriates the proceeds, paying the author 3-10% from each issued box.
Independent development, production and sale of desktop entertainment. Such a risky and bold idea can be further diversified by printing from prototypes of third-party authors.

Note! You can open a sales outlet by registering an individual entrepreneur. It is also worth considering the possibility of using the simplified taxation system (STS).

Product characteristics - first steps in business

Before starting a business based on board games, it is important to work out in detail a number of important nuances:

The target audience. It is important to understand who the product is intended for: boys 15 years old or youth 25 years old.
Subject. Any board game has a different theme - knights, wars, dinosaurs, movies, etc. It depends on which shelf in the store it will end up on.

An important point! The topic and target audience must be in strict accordance with each other. Any buyer considering a game will always ask himself the question: "Is it for me?" and "Why should I buy it?"

Before you start selling your game or franchised product, it is important to do a “cognitive resistance” test. To do this, you need to collect one or several groups of 6-8 people and, based on the results of the game, answer the following questions:

Are the rules of the game clear?
Is the plot interesting?
Are there any shortcomings and mistakes?

If the test results turn out to be disappointing, then it makes no sense to build a business on the basis of the chosen version of the game.

An important point! Technical issues matter. It is necessary to control the quality of printing images, the presence of constituent elements in the packs (chips, card cubes, etc.). A box with a board game should be smart, neat, stable and have a bright and memorable design.

The technical side

The purchase of equipment for printing, laminating, and packaging games requires colossal costs. That is why you can use the services of third parties.

Source: Habrahabr website

How to organize sales?

When opening a board games store, you can choose one of 3 options:

Combined point of sale. Along with the main product, toys, goods for recreation, hobbies and leisure are sold here.
Leisure club with a point of sale. In this case, the fee is charged for the game in the game. In addition, players can buy tabletop entertainment at home, place bets, get a prize, buy a hamburger and cola, and more.
Online store. The most reliable option to reduce the investment risk. You can start selling with running games, and then expand the assortment.

Advice! The first batches of games can also be sold on the basis of agreements with the toy and leisure goods departments in large supermarkets.

Advertising is a sales engine

Advertising plays an important role in sales, based on word of mouth and social media. Leaflets (POS materials) are best distributed in shopping and entertainment areas. Advertising of partners, consisting in the exchange of Lithuanians with toys and leisure goods stores, is also effective. A less effective option is advertising on a billboard, transport, as well as ads on the network.

The main segment of buyers is young people aged 25-35 years. In this regard, it seems effective advertising near cafes, educational institutions, fitness clubs.

Staff matters

The sales assistant at the desk of a specific product must meet a number of requirements:

know in detail not only the composition of the boxes and the prescribed rules of the game, but also understand it from the player's position;
understand what can be advised to the buyer based on his age and interests;
be able to interest in the game, explain its essence and order.

How Much Can You Make Selling Board Games?

If the author transfers the game to the publisher and expects to receive an author's fee, then his costs will be about 5-10 thousand rubles. to create a prototype of the game. Typically, royalties are paid on the number of copies published, not on the number of copies sold. If the minimum batch is 500 pieces, then you can count on revenue of 25 thousand rubles, since:

the average cost of a game is 1,000 rubles;
the average percentage of royalties is 5% of the cost.

In this case, payback can be achieved already in the first month of activity. With other options for organizing a business, the situation is different.

Table 3. Financial business plan (independent business, franchise). Source: Vedomosti

Cost item	Franchise business	Independent business
Rent and repair of premises
Purchase of commercial equipment
Business registration
Lump-sum franchise fee
Franchise royalties
Staff salary

The cost of purchasing or printing the first batch of goods
Creation of your own website

* - Self-employed business does not require royalties and lump-sum payments
** - The franchisor can provide the buyer with advertising materials and place ads on the website and in social networks; He also partly bears the cost of product design and printing.

Reference! According to statistics, an average of 50-100 game sets can be sold per month. The average revenue will be 50-100 thousand rubles. In this situation, you can count on a payback within 3-6 months.