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CaptainCommando
2009-05-08, 11:53 PM
For those of you who don't know, I'm Johnny Tek, a NYC gamer who decided to open a side business while job hunting. I tried something similar earlier this year during a period of grief and personal tragedy but that had no chance of success and I stopped it before it went too far.

The current business has a smarter design that could succeed. It offers game master services for hire as well as children's entertainment performance storytelling (later this month). I'll be posting my progress on online forums and on my business site's blog. This thread will be a chronicle of the business.

Professional game mastering is a much unexplored concept with few people experienced with it. I've met one. A few others have posted on the forum threads I posted while brainstorming for this business. There are a few sites for businesses like Roleplay Workshop and Epic Vacations to see how people profit from game mastering.

Brainstorming is pretty much done. I know what I need to set things up. My goal is to have at least 1 client by the end of this month and to build that up to at least 1 per week by the end of the next month.

I made a lot of mistakes getting to this point and I've been deservedly mocked for it. I've learned a lot from those mistakes and I've come out of it a stronger person as well as a stronger gamer.

The business is still being set up. The full array of services won't be up until the 23rd. I've got a few possible leads that I'll follow up on by the end of the month.

I need the following to have a chance of making this work. After all the feedback, even though this business focuses on a niche market, it does have potential for success.

1. Recommendations and testimonials - I'll be offering free demos to credited game writers/designers to get their feedback and quotes. When I'm ready, I may try volunteering storytelling performances for schools and childcare centers to get their recommendations.
2. Writing Credits - I recently passed a writing challenge from a game pdf publisher and within a month I may have published credits.
3. Community Support - Without feedback and advice from the local gaming community I could never pull this off. I've met a lot of great gaming veterans who have shared their experiences with me.
4. Business Networking - By partnering with and gaining contacts with other businesses I can gain invaluable knowledge about starting up a business as well as improve the value of my services. I may also be able to trade services to gain resources I can't otherwise afford.
5. Pay-Worthy Service - I'd become active in the local gaming meetups to polish my skills. I've got enough materials for a great gaming setup. My writing will continue to improve and gain credibility as I submit more material for publishing.
6. Client Incentive - I'd accepted that the convenience of my gaming services alone was not enough of a sell. Through partnering with other businesses I can create a special client incentive package of coupons and discounts from the partnered businesses. Basic necessities/luxuries are the best for this. For example, a gourmet deli in Manhattan is interested in the idea of exchanging coupons ($5 off $10+ purchases) for advertisement and promotion. People have to eat anyway, and most of my potential clients would be in Manhattan, where such delis are popular places to buy meals. The idea is to eventually make it so that a client can save more money hiring for my gaming services than not hiring for them. In this case the bad economy works in my favor.
7. Room for Growth - If I can get enough client incentive, I can probably get a lot of clients. I can expand the business as an agency for game masters and professional storytellers and perhaps other forms of entertainment. I can hire writers, web designers, and game designers to expand the business in many different forms. A couple of examples are making a text RPG like Sryth and becoming a gaming event organization.
8. Good Advertising - Exploring possible leads, setting up online ads, and free demos for recommendations is the plan for now. If the business gets to a point where it can grow and afford more expenses, the business networking I've done so far has gotten me into contact with representatives of marketing companies so I can probably use that.
9. Flexibility - The hours are flexible so I can seek other forms of income (a regular job and game writing). I don't have to sit around in one place all day waiting for customers. I can add or adapt services as the situation demands. There are a variety of different services to be hired rather than just one.
10. Low Upkeep - The website host is free. I have all the gaming materials I need and I could borrow or trade for things I want. I can use the coupons and discounts I'll get from partnering with other businesses to reduce my business and living costs.

Client Incentive is probably the most important add-on so far. It could make paid sessions effectively free or even profitable for some clients' budgets and encourage repeat business. This is something that almost no free games offer. I probably won't start getting clients until I've started building the incentive package. I should have something by the end of next week. The package will keep growing as time progresses.

I'm still setting up the services but it's starting to look good. I recently changed my "About Us" photo and added some pics of my gaming materials. There's also a link to WotC's free pdf download of the quick start game play rules for DnD 4e for beginners that I approach with my services.

If I don't expand the business, then after taxes (assuming I make enough this year to be taxed), I probably won't make much but a sideline income is possible. That's the main goal.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-09, 08:54 PM
Here's an update from today's game.

DAVE ARNESON MEMORIAL UPDATE

Today three groups ran games at the Compleat Strategist (the fourth was a no show). It was a decent turnout considering there wasn't a lot of advance notice.

I tested out and demonstrated "Delver's Requiem". I gained a lot of new insight into running the kinds of 1-shots that my writing/design style produces.

I had a big scare when halfway to the game store on the train I noticed that I'd left behind a significant portion of my adventuring notes in my rush. Surprisingly, I was able to reconstruct enough from memory to run the session. There's a big difference at the game table when you're not reading narrative from a script.

The players enjoyed the story and loved the combat. I was told that my story was much deeper than usual fare ( a good thing apparently). My encounter design for combat was likened to the "Legend of Zelda". I was a bit nervous but I managed to tell a good story and I even sang as the story's ghost bard for a particular scene. The diddy I made up was well-received. :)

I'm feeling more confident about running paid games. I may be able to add new adventures faster than before with the shorter length and the experience I've gained.

Eldrys
2009-05-09, 09:04 PM
not much of a business person but, if you had a large arsenal of D&D books you could offer a free library-like checkout system for customers.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-12, 01:12 PM
not much of a business person but, if you had a large arsenal of D&D books you could offer a free library-like checkout system for customers.

That would be risky, unprofitable, and costly. I do however provide a link to WotC's free gameplay start up rules on my business site. I'll make more links to player resources available by the end of the month.

TODAY'S UPDATE

I've reduced prices one last time. There isn't going to be much profit from running game sessions alone unless multiple sessions on the same day are requested. Publishing the adventures and the professional storytelling, which has more real life support, will contribute most of the profit until the expansion plans are implemented (that's when the real money will come in).

With the May Special making it really cheap to hire for just one session, whatever sessions I run this month will be about establishing regular clientele and gaining recommendations.

If I can nail client discounts for food at restaurants and delis, I will also reduce my own costs for food as well since I also get to use the discounts. I'll be concentrating on client benefits in Manhattan since most of my potential clientele will probably be from or work in that borough and it's pretty much the city center. Bakeries, coffee shops, chocolatiers and candy shops are also on my list, then perhaps the game stores or toy stores.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-14, 10:19 PM
Here's a late update:

It's official. I've got my first client. The request is for a customized World of Darkness adventure with gritty realism, unspeakable horror and zombies.

I've put up another pic in Photos and my About Us photo is more "friendly".

There might be some downtime for the business as I finish setting things up.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-16, 06:21 PM
TODAY'S UPDATE

I'm altering War Games into Epic Encounters. The client/client group will play a party of PCs against monsters of their choice on battlefields of their choice. This is for anyone who wants to spend their session just fighting monsters in interesting environments.

Dixieboy
2009-05-16, 06:42 PM
I believe i saw your last thread.

Retrying once more?

Good luck.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-16, 09:45 PM
I believe i saw your last thread.

Retrying once more?

Good luck.

Thanks. Hopefully this time it will work out as a side business.

Battles without context may be too boring for an entertainment service. I've decided to just focus on creating a menu of adventures and storytelling. No War Games or Epic Encounters service unless someone requests it through customized adventures.

Yahzi
2009-05-17, 01:00 PM
Hopefully this time it will work out as a side business.
If you're willing to accept zero profit margins... then I predict great success. Take your dividends in fun. :smallsmile:

Nohwl
2009-05-17, 03:48 PM
you sound like an awesome dm, but new york is way too far to go for a game on the weekends. does your business have a name yet?

anyway, good luck.

CaptainCommando
2009-05-24, 11:07 PM
you sound like an awesome dm, but new york is way too far to go for a game on the weekends. does your business have a name yet?


It's in my sig.

This business isn't for profit. It's for aided survival. The cost of transportation while job hunting is starting to kill me already.

UPDATE (5/24/09)

I think limiting my updates on the forums to once a week will be best. Sunday is a good day so every Sunday should be fine.

I've got a start on my client incentive package. A popular Manhattan deli not far from Grand Central station is backing me with $5 coupons. On Tuesday I may be able to get $5 coupons from a popular Chinese fast food place near Penn station as well. A chocolatier, several restaurants, a bakery, a coffee shop, and an ice cream/frozen yogurt shop will round out my culinary incentives. Toys, games, and other services like a spa, bowling alley, or skating rink are also planned for the package.

Dungeon Delves and Teaching Games are now available. I'm delaying the performance storytelling service until sometime in June.

I'm going to be putting up a separate site for a default setting for the pre-made adventures that is fully compatible with most DnD material.

I'm planning to make another setting that may interest fans of the MMO genre.

I've devised a "block" format for designing adventures. Each block will have a certain amount of narrative, a skill challenge, a combat encounter, and a story encounter (teaching game is the exception). A block is 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours of play time. Most adventures will be at least 2 blocks long.

By the end of this next week, I am hoping to start the main phase of my advertisement.

lisiecki
2009-05-25, 01:57 PM
I'm still interested in this website of new and original materiel that you had promised in your FIRST post.



For those of you who don't know, I'm Johnny Tek, a NYC gamer who decided to open a side business while job hunting. I tried something similar earlier this year during a period of grief and personal tragedy but that had no chance of success and I stopped it before it went too far.

The current business has a smarter design that could succeed. It offers game master services for hire as well as children's entertainment performance storytelling (later this month). I'll be posting my progress on online forums and on my business site's blog. This thread will be a chronicle of the business.

Professional game mastering is a much unexplored concept with few people experienced with it. I've met one. A few others have posted on the forum threads I posted while brainstorming for this business. There are a few sites for businesses like Roleplay Workshop and Epic Vacations to see how people profit from game mastering.

Brainstorming is pretty much done. I know what I need to set things up. My goal is to have at least 1 client by the end of this month and to build that up to at least 1 per week by the end of the next month.

I made a lot of mistakes getting to this point and I've been deservedly mocked for it. I've learned a lot from those mistakes and I've come out of it a stronger person as well as a stronger gamer.

The business is still being set up. The full array of services won't be up until the 23rd. I've got a few possible leads that I'll follow up on by the end of the month.

I need the following to have a chance of making this work. After all the feedback, even though this business focuses on a niche market, it does have potential for success.

1. Recommendations and testimonials - I'll be offering free demos to credited game writers/designers to get their feedback and quotes. When I'm ready, I may try volunteering storytelling performances for schools and childcare centers to get their recommendations.
2. Writing Credits - I recently passed a writing challenge from a game pdf publisher and within a month I may have published credits.
3. Community Support - Without feedback and advice from the local gaming community I could never pull this off. I've met a lot of great gaming veterans who have shared their experiences with me.
4. Business Networking - By partnering with and gaining contacts with other businesses I can gain invaluable knowledge about starting up a business as well as improve the value of my services. I may also be able to trade services to gain resources I can't otherwise afford.
5. Pay-Worthy Service - I'd become active in the local gaming meetups to polish my skills. I've got enough materials for a great gaming setup. My writing will continue to improve and gain credibility as I submit more material for publishing.
6. Client Incentive - I'd accepted that the convenience of my gaming services alone was not enough of a sell. Through partnering with other businesses I can create a special client incentive package of coupons and discounts from the partnered businesses. Basic necessities/luxuries are the best for this. For example, a gourmet deli in Manhattan is interested in the idea of exchanging coupons ($5 off $10+ purchases) for advertisement and promotion. People have to eat anyway, and most of my potential clients would be in Manhattan, where such delis are popular places to buy meals. The idea is to eventually make it so that a client can save more money hiring for my gaming services than not hiring for them. In this case the bad economy works in my favor.
7. Room for Growth - If I can get enough client incentive, I can probably get a lot of clients. I can expand the business as an agency for game masters and professional storytellers and perhaps other forms of entertainment. I can hire writers, web designers, and game designers to expand the business in many different forms. A couple of examples are making a text RPG like Sryth and becoming a gaming event organization.
8. Good Advertising - Exploring possible leads, setting up online ads, and free demos for recommendations is the plan for now. If the business gets to a point where it can grow and afford more expenses, the business networking I've done so far has gotten me into contact with representatives of marketing companies so I can probably use that.
9. Flexibility - The hours are flexible so I can seek other forms of income (a regular job and game writing). I don't have to sit around in one place all day waiting for customers. I can add or adapt services as the situation demands. There are a variety of different services to be hired rather than just one.
10. Low Upkeep - The website host is free. I have all the gaming materials I need and I could borrow or trade for things I want. I can use the coupons and discounts I'll get from partnering with other businesses to reduce my business and living costs.

Client Incentive is probably the most important add-on so far. It could make paid sessions effectively free or even profitable for some clients' budgets and encourage repeat business. This is something that almost no free games offer. I probably won't start getting clients until I've started building the incentive package. I should have something by the end of next week. The package will keep growing as time progresses.

I'm still setting up the services but it's starting to look good. I recently changed my "About Us" photo and added some pics of my gaming materials. There's also a link to WotC's free pdf download of the quick start game play rules for DnD 4e for beginners that I approach with my services.

If I don't expand the business, then after taxes (assuming I make enough this year to be taxed), I probably won't make much but a sideline income is possible. That's the main goal.

CaptainCommando
2009-06-01, 01:38 AM
WEEKLY UPDATE

I'm going to be overhauling the way I do customized adventures so no new requests will be taken on that until then.

I'm going to be putting up a special menu website for the pregenerated characters (sorry no power cards or power text - that would be a no-no - heehee) and a website for the default setting(s) for the standard adventures and dungeon delves.

War games may be making a come back but not in the way I imagined them before.

I may have stumbled onto a very real demand for a particular type of game day and a way to get players to pay...

I'll be putting up some goodies for GMs on the site this week.

CaptainCommando
2009-06-08, 01:25 AM
WEEKLY UPDATE

I tried doing a paid LFR session on Friday. Friday was a bad choice for a paid LFR session, plus I should have given more advance notice. 4 people RSVPed but 1 cancelled at the last minute so the game had to be cancelled. Ah well. I now know that people are willing to pay at least $5 each for an LFR game with enough incentive (I'd given up on even trying this once before when there were less LFR players). I'm planning to try again with more advance notice and a 6 RSVP minimum, maybe in a few weeks. I'll be posting dates when I'm more confident about my schedule.

It was suggested earlier on that I organize special paid game events. The problem was finding the right location and incentives. I may have that problem solved because of Old Bridge gourmet deli. Something really cool in July...

At the monthly meetup, I DMed for a gamer who runs a web hosting service and he's willing to charge me considerably less than other web hosts to make Storyteller Solutions into a .com instead of a .webs.com in exchange for DMing games for him and his friends. This was pretty lucky.

At the very same meetup I ran a level 30 combat encounter. I designed the monsters myself. It was a very enlightening experience as a DM and as a game designer for 4e material.

Due to computer-related technical problems and busier than usual job hunting/application submissions, I haven't been able to do much for the site this past week. By the next weekly update, I hope to get things running again. There is a big add-on I've been working on little by little and it will be something that could boost the value of my services significantly.

CaptainCommando
2009-06-14, 08:58 PM
Me need money (sigh). :smallsigh:

WEEKLY UPDATE
The job I applied to and got interviewed for most recently is for crew work at a movie theatre. From what I gathered, they are hiring to supplement their current staff for this year's action-packed summer. The hours are going to vary from week to week so I don't actually know if I will get enough work to meet my financial needs. I'm looking for something more stable while waiting for the first day of theatre work (if it comes at all - I don't know how many others might have applied as well).

Several more openings near where I live have popped up in the past week so I'm a little bit hopeful. My biggest hope is a 24-hour deli that is opening soon (probably within the next couple of weeks from what I saw).

If I can find a job with set hours preferably ending around 5 PM each work day, I'm going to set up a series of regular pay-for-play LFR games in addition to making private hiring available. Private gigs will take precedent and a minimum of 4 players is necessary so the LFR games will have an updated notice board for people checking in the morning or evening before to see if the game is a go.

I'm starting up the Legends of Matia setting site this coming week. If I have time, I'll start Terra Magica as well. I want to include a regularly updated (once or twice a week) webcomic for both, if I have time.

Fixer
2009-06-15, 07:13 AM
In the efforts of helping out a fellow RPer, I had an idea you can probably turn to your advantage and, possibly, profit. It may not be what you are looking for, but it seems you have the necessary planning and patience skills to pull something like this off.

Basic Run Down: after-school or summer program
Role: instructor/entertainer
Scenario: You offer your services to local after-school and summer programs as an instructor. You set up role-playing situations for kids that help with with various skills (socializing, manners, whatever) and you walk them through role-playing 'encounters'. This would be entirely role-playing and no dice-rolling. Have decisions about outcomes made either by you, or by the group if they seem unbiased.

After establishing yourself as a role-playing counselor, as it were, you can then start introducing more freeform roles to the kids. Let them start choosing their roles and help teach others about how to interact with those sorts of people (i.e. if racism is a big problem in the community, have one kid pretend to be a racist and guide the others to deal with them in a socially conscientious manner).


This sort of program would let you start establishing yourself as a career, and make it easier for you to demonstrate your talents to prospective gamer clients to say, "I literally direct role-playing sessions all day long."

CaptainCommando
2009-06-21, 08:31 PM
Well, I'm really just looking to do this as a side business. My desired career path is writing books.

WEEKLY UPDATE

I've started work on the site for Legends of Matia, the first default setting for Storyteller Solutions adventures. I've decided that how gods and the afterlife are handled will be a bit Bleach-inspired. The text I have up so far still needs editing so for now it's a place holder. The setting is at http://legends-of-matia.webs.com

I've decided to have Storyteller Solutions closed until August while I get a handle on my work hours with the theatre and possibly with a 24-hour deli I recently applied to.

CaptainCommando
2009-07-15, 05:05 AM
SPECIAL UPDATE

I gave up waiting on the theatre job and am still waiting for return calls for other jobs (sigh).

After many months of rejection, I finally managed to get some work though (huh?!). Yesterday was my first day as a movie extra on the set of Disney's Step Up 3D. I'm in the audience for the final dancing scenes. There's three more days of this gig and it's pretty cool. I'm getting to see some really awesome choreography and dance battling on set.

On the way home, a mysterious individual known only as "Antenna Man" regaled the subway passengers with a jazz performance on his saxophone. He was "from outer space, not from Mexico..."

I've changed my mind on how to do the pantheon of legends of matia. I'll get to it when I can. I've extended the down time for Storyteller Solutions through to September.

My next update probably won't be for a while but it should be a good one. There will be at least one update in August and I'll return to doing weekly updates in September. To everyone who's contributed so far, thank you very much for your interest and advice.