I Took the Risk of Starting MY OWN Warhammer Store
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 19. 06. 2024
- I Took the Risk of Starting MY OWN Warhammer Store. I'll talk you through my experience with opening a Friendly local gaming store, and seeing if it really is living "The Dream". 2 years ago, I started my own business.. now we stock Warhammer 40k, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, D&D, Vallejo, Citadel and more! Do I regret this decision and has it always been easy? Stay tuned!
OUR STORE (EU based) - www.broadswordwargaming.com
PATREON - / broadswordwargaming
CIARA'S TWITCH - / ciara_elvenblood
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you enjoy the content? If so, do check out the links below. Your support is greatly appreciated and means a lot. đ
PATREON - Access to Discord and Patreon only videos
/ broadswordwargaming
MY STORE - Miniatures, Scenics and CCG's (EU)
www.broadswordwargaming.com
ELEMENT GAMES - Everything hobby (UK)
elementgames.co.uk/?d=10421
Amazon shop - All your essentials
www.amazon.com/shop/broadswor...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Broadswordwargaming #Broadsword #flgs - Hry
Is there anything else you would like to know about opening your own hobby shop, ask away? Also, if you want to help support our family run business, check out www.broadswordwargaming.com :) THANKS! :)
Just remember to disconnect and take a break every once in awhile - it's your career and your business, but make sure you have time for yourself and your family as well. Self employed, corporate, whatever - you make time for the things you make time for.
I would love to know how you find suppliers, stock etc
Sounds like it would help to win lotto first đ
To be honest I didnât even know about your shop until this video and went and had a wee look and itâs Awesomeness ! Are you able to ship to Australia đŠđș ?
i too have had the joy of running a game store
A friend of mine opened his own game shop 10 years ago. He's had good years, he's had bad years, but the last three years have been amazing because his community finally found him, and it's been amazing. I'm hoping the same for you! Congratulations!
I opened my own shop exactly like yours back in 2009 when I was 29. I managed to keep it for 10 years and closed in 2019, so I understand very well the struggles, the joy and all the feelings you expressed in this video. Those years were the best of my life, I saw children growing up and becoming young adults. I gave all I could to the small community where I live, and people still recognizes me and remember the good days they spent in my shop. Unfortunately I couldn't survive all the expenses and taxes that we have here in Italy so my dream ended. When I think of my time working in my beautiful shop I still shred a tear, I did that just today while trying to arrange all the stocks of products I still have in my house..and then it happened to see this video in my youtube home. So guys enjoy every day of your ride while it lasts, because I really felt happy to go to work every day and it's something I never experienced before and after that. Hopefully in your case it will be for many years until you will retire :) Good luck from Italy
"Have you ever dreamed of opening up your own hobby shop?"
No
After watching the video: FUCK NO. This is the kind of stress that would kill me. You both have more strength than me
Haha. That bit is the BRUTAL truth about opening a hobby shop.
@@BroadswordWargaming I wish you both and every other LGS owner the very best.
I'll forever be grateful you took that risk and fostered such a great local store and hobby peeps. Thanks to you and Ciara l've found a community here, which made a new town feel like home.â€
I also really appreciate that you came into this video with true authenticity in your thoughts and feelings, I'm sure that resonates with so many.
These kinds of comments are genuinely what makes it all worth it â€
I work in another irish hobby retail store and have done for 12 years and you've hit everything exactly how it really is on the head. It can be incredibly frustrating on the bad days and absolutely fulfilling on the best. I wish you both nothing but good luck and good times.
Great video! Even though I'm not local I'm always grateful to the people out there who put their time and effort into running the stores that make our hobby great!
Well said!
I have my own hobby shop and I agree wholehartedly with this.
It has a lot of lows but also really nice highs. It takes time, a huge amount of patience and stress management.
Things you wouldn't normally associate with a hobby store, but that's life
Right!? I mean, it's not great that we get so stressed out at times, but it's nice to hear we aren't alone! Keep it up and keep at it. Always around for a chat.
@@BroadswordWargaming of course, when ever you want mate :)
@@BroadswordWargaming It's great that you are passionate about wargaming. FLGS owners need to be passionate about this hobby. I just wish I knew about FLGS before buying 40K at GW. I hate GW pushy salesman! Best of luck to your business!
Great video. I didnt realise you had a store too, I'm quite new to the channel. You are about 3.5 hours south west of me, one day i'll have to take a drive down to visit and pick some hobby stuff up no doubts!
I visited your shop in 2020 when browsing around the city when I saw your sign I decided to go in as I had been looking at minis for a while I picked up my first mini and now I enjoy this hobby so much I wish you all the best in your business â€Love from Dublin
Honestly, great video. Making a hobby a job can cut both ways and I think you see that in this video. It can be great, as the saying goes, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Except the times the Work spoils what you enjoy doing... Wishing you Ciara all the best with the shop!
Good luck to you. Anyone who takes a risk and helps keep the high street thriving deserves all the credit in the world.
This is just fantastic content. Very raw, very real, and fascinating to hear your story and how it has gone for you with the business and everything else. Thank you for sharing this. If anything it left me wanting to hear more!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it interesting! I tried to be as honest as I could, and if I'm being more honest.. got a tad emotional around take 20. Ha.
I hope everything is alright your end, I remember binging all of your warcry painting video a few years ago! đ
@@BroadswordWargaming the emotional part is the best part imo. It's very authentic. Yeah I'm doing ok, kinda fell out of CZcams when I couldn't seem to grow the way other channels did :D
Some might say you took a bigger risk letting Ciara have the stockroom key đ€Ł
haha, that is a financial concern.. MY PAINT!
@@BroadswordWargaming What happened to our stock of Agrax Earth shade... Ciara!
Got to visit in October last year, wonderful little shop and Ciara and Oliver were super nice!
Thanks for the kind words! đ
My parents had a Hobby store for about 10 years and it did very well, mostly do to magic the gathering and them having game nights. They had Warhammer miniatures for a bit but they never sold so they ended up sending them all back. It's a small town so that was likely why they didn't sell. They ended up selling the store so they could move to Quebec since we have family there. I still live in the small town and the store is still open and doing well. Best of luck to you guys, I am sure it will go well.
As a father of two young children in my late 30s, this resonates. Put me in an emergency, I can be cool as cucumber, make me talk bout how I feel trying to support my family and I'm a mess.
You're a hero. Be kind to yourself. I wish you all the luck!
I've got neck ache from nodding along to this. You've managed to convey the experience incredibly well, much love from a fellow hobby shop owner â€
Geat video, really interesting. I'm in Dublin, with presumably the biggest concentration of wargamers in Ireland, and I think it's extra impressive that you made a go of it in Mayo where the population density probably isnt in your favour. And your 2021 40k ITC event was by far the best 40k event I've ever been to! đđ»
Such an honest video Oliver, it was really nice to watch. my wife and I worked together for years until she sold her buissness, like you said there are good days and bad days and although that is true of all walks of lives it is so amplified when your running a small to medium size family buissness. For me it wasnât in a sector that I love the way you love wargaming but being able to spend all my time with her was amazing and now I have a different job and I canât spend all my time with her it hurts a lot, I wish you and Ciara all the luck in the world, may you be able to spend many many happy years working together.
That's genuinely really touching to read, honestly. I find it difficult to keep sight of things sometimes.. but you're right, I should appreciate the days we get to work (and spend time) together because who knows what will happen.
Thank you so much for your kind words. đ
as someone who also took their hobby and made it into my full time job, I completely relate to this. Very high highs but there can be really low lows as well. It's all part and parcel together! Great video and thanks for being vulnerable with us! â€
Love the shop tour. Fair play to you both for sticking with the shop through a pandemic!! I hope you keep building and growing to the stage where you both get to enjoy working in the store more.
An amazing video! If I'd lived near by I'd be supporting you both all the way for sure. Your openness and honesty is so welcoming in this day and age, young new hobbyists are lucky to have you!
Thx for sharing your passion w/ us! Really appreciate it! Opening your own business anytime is a challenge, doing it 2 years ago during the pandemic was really trial by fire for anyone in retail. Best of luck w/ your shop, takes courage to try and chase your dreams!
This was such a great video to watch. I genuinely appreciate how honest you were, Iâm excited to see how your business, your channel, and your life progresses. Please keep posting, and best of luck!
If i lived in the EU i would 100% support your shop. You seem like a great owner. Best of luck to you from across the pond!
Much appreciated! đ
Truly a great thing to have a shop like yours in Mayo. A very endearing video showing a glimpse behind the curtain. I hope plenty of people continue to support you!
A great video to see what it takes to run the shop. I always enjoy ordering off Broadsword, great service. Especially now since Other Realms here in Cork closed recently.
These shops are great centers for people, and promote the hobby in its various forms. Hope it keeps going well and grows.
Thank you for sharing your journey, I needed that. We started our own game store 6 months ago, and everything you said struck home.
I love your CZcams channel, I imagine people love being at your store even more!
In a world dominated by online hobby stores and big box stores that don't really carry what gamers need, the local brick and mortar hobby shop is so important. It takes guts to enter the market (or grave stupidity!) and I applaud you for taking the risk to feed the community. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and success.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GAMING SHOP!
Totally appreciate you sharing what its like to own a hobby store and the struggles of your day to day. I feel your pain with always feeling like you have to keep on top of the store or the channel and not having enough time for yourself. Just know We do appreciate the work you put into these videos and they are excellent so thank you.
Good luck! Great to see another shop opening in the West, especially the Northwest. I knew a few guys trying to make it work in Sligo a few years ago. I'll see about putting in an order to support you, local shops are so important!
Ah, thanks so much. That's hugely appreciated. You'll have to come down for a game!
Definitely will make this a stop and shop when I visit your city. Gotta support those who chase the dreams we all think about it. The best things to pursue are always a labor of love. Thanks for your honesty and I wish nothing but the best for you and yours.
Excellent video as always. Ciara is so funny, Iâve thoroughly enjoyed the speed paint evaluation videos are my favorite. Keep up the great work you two!
I absolutely love your transparent way of communicating about this. Thank you!
Loving the honesty! Good luck the pair of you!!!
I'm really happy for you both and wish you all the best, you have an excellent channel and it's really nice to see a couple that shares each others passion for the hobby đ
Fantastic to see such honesty. As someone who suffers with mental health do to a rare liver disease stopping me from getting out, it's nice to hear someone saying to look after your head space. Keep up the great content.
Amazing video - Godspeed and Good luck you brave souls! Hoping everything will work out for you and your family
All the work you two are putting in now will pay off. And you have each others backs. Well done guys. You're both brave and inspirational. Keep up the good work!!
love the honesty present here, appreciate it and best of luck, youve already had a positive infulunce on my hobby from afar so im glad to hear that youve found a place and a platform to deliver that to many more
I would love to do this in the future but I really appreciate the look into this and also getting to see such a wonderful store and awesome people from overseas!
I can totally relate. A few years ago I looked into opening my own gaming store but after running the figures I couldn't afford it, so instead I looked into ecommerce and started a little eBay store. In two years it's grown and grown, I'm fast approaching the VAT threshold and that's great but it is all consuming. I have a two year old daughter and life is basically work, eat, looking after my daughter, stressing a little bit about money and work. But being self employed gives me the freedom to spend hours with my daughter every single day, so much more than if I worked a normal 9 to 5. But there's not enough hours in the day, not by a mile. It's so frustrating because I can clearly see the more time I invest in my business the more I get out of it, but there are only so many waking hours in a day. But it will get better. Good luck to you!
That was one of the best videos on the subject of the wargaming hobby that I have seen. I applaud your efforts, enthusiasm and above all your honesty about how hard it can be. I wish you both every success in the future, and thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us.
Thanks for the behind the curtain look đ
Lifeâs hard
Wether or not your business is rewarding is on what you choose to take away from it and what you aspire towards regardless of it.
Looks to me like youâve got a great setup, just throw a great coffee drinking atmosphere in there and youâll have more punters.
Those modular tables which flip between gaming and coffee table are ace. Half a dozen of those and customers can choose their experience.
Keep plugging away, always stay positive despite the monotony.
Good luck to both of you x
Totally understand where youâre coming from. Iâve been in the industry 12 years and an owner for 6 years now and you hit how I feel all the time. Itâs the most fun and simultaneously the most stressfully hard thing you can do.
I play dramatically less these days too as the shop eats up a lot of my time, and I also feel like I derive more fun now from seeing that moment when someoneâs hobby journey begins, or putting on a memorable event, rather than just rolling dice for my own games.
Your content is awesome and the best thing I can recommend as someone who has been and or is where you are in the journey is to make sure you take time for you and youâre family where possible and keep an eye on your mental state. Burnout is real and itâs tough to get out of sometimes!
I feel you, I took my passion/hobby of beekeeping and made it into a business. Awesome highs and painful lows at times, appreciate your open eloquent honesty đđ»
I can tell how passionate you are about your hobby and business... sending you prayers and positive vibes from across the pond!!
Great to see things moving forward, wishing you guys every success.
Hugely appreciate your having done so Olly - great service and every delivery is always on time from my experience. Here's to your continued success, and exciting times ahead for all things 10th edition!
Aw thanks so much! We always pack as soon as we can because I hate waiting for toys haha. Thank you for your support, it means alot to us over here! đ
Thank you for sharing. You provided a lot of insight on the struggles of running a business. Your hard work is appreciated.
I worked retail all through the pandemic, first frontline in a big box store and then in the receiving department at a local family-owned grocery store, so I have seen a decent bit of the kinds of challenges you all must be taking on right now. Sincere respect for taking such a challenge on and talking freely about the ups and downs of things. Best of luck, and if I'm ever able to make it across the pond to visit the area, I'll be sure to drop by, stock up on any kits and supplies I think will clear customs, and maybe swap some retail horror stories over a game.
Great video. You guys are doing an amazing job balancing parenthood, business, content creation. My wife had a business from home just before the lockdowns and throughout and it was sometimes rewarding but so much stress. Been through all those frustrations you mentioned albeit on a smaller scale. We still sell stuff but it's a much reduced operation now and the biggest stress is not cutting ourselves short on packaging lol anyways big loves and appreciate you both! đ€đđ„
I opened my own Game Store here in America 5 years ago. I totally understand everything youâre going through. Like you my wife and I run it and weâre the only employees. We all have good days and bad. For example Iâm really jealous seeing your video because youâve got both the new Vallejo Game Color revamp line and Duncan Rhodes paints in stock. Iâve been waiting for mine to clear US Customs for months. Your store looks great though. Stay strong and it will all work out. Trust me the joy is more than worth the headache. Best of luck to you.
What Iâm curious about is realistically, how much was startup stock? I was thinking about a shop about 1000-1200 sqft with gaming tables. I speak to owners in other towns about business but everyone is tight lipped. Theyâre afraid that I would compete with them even though Iâm over 50 mi away.
@@Abbeville_Kid I own a store. All in was about 100k US. This of course doesn't count recurring costs such as payroll, rent, utilities, insurance etc.
@@ellisonhoracek2106 this was with 1000-1200 sq ft?
@@Abbeville_Kid yes. 1500sqft. Have since grown to 5,000
@@ellisonhoracek2106 at 1.5K sqft, Iâm sure you were tripping over 100K worth of stock.
You and Ciara are absolute gems! I hope I can visit the store someday. Thanks for the peek behind the scenes! â€ïž
I hope everything goes well for you mate! Best of luck on this adventure!
Dude you got this! You are a cool dude and your passion for the hobby is truly awesome! Keep on keeping on man it'll all work out!
Great video, really authentic and genuine and that shines through. Wishing the Broadsword team all the best for the future.
That was a very brave video to make. I can only imagine having all of those stressors in such a rapid fire tidal wave. I definitely respect you both even more for it...and just know that your channel has made a huge impact on my introduction and enjoyment of the hobby. So I know its tough but just know all your hard work is absolutely paying dividends even if you aren't always able to witness it
Starting your own business, in the wargaming sphere or not, is always a HUGE undertaking and challenge. Hang in there man. Always remember what made you started it. Don't feel ashamed to seek out support on bad days (in any aspect), even from unconventional sources. Never forget to innovate and learn new things! I know these sounds evergreen but sometimes, a revisit of it can help get back on track.
This is my first time knowing this channel exist and also my first view. After seeing your subscriber count, you are definitely doing something right!
Thanks for the name check. So glad you're having a great time with your hobby store. Best of luck for the future.
love this video, certainly put me off starting a shop if you need a day job as well!
Thanks for the honesty. Very insightful. You've got a great store there! I wish you guys all the best of luck with the shop and hope it gets easier.
thank you so much! :)
You were very Brave. God Bless you and your Family Sir.
This was great to watch. A small shop space went up for let in my neighbourhood and I've been fantasizing about having my own wee art/hobby shop because there isn't anything like that here unless you travel into town. Fantastic to get a perspective from someone who has taken the leap!
Thanks for such a candid video sharing a major part of your life! Wishing you all the best in developing the business and loving the videos. "Broadsword Forever" =D. Love from Melbourne Australia
Keep up the hard work!!! Everything looks great. You two rock!!!!
Great video = appreciate the honesty of what a shop looks like and how it affects the family and honestly health. Being in Canada is tough to shop with you but love both your content â€
This is the first time I see one of your videos, and wow! I appreciate that speech of honesty. So interesting.
As a longtime freelancer and also a hobbyist, I can only say I feel you. Subscribed!
Support your local stores guys!! â€
Cheers from Barcelona.
Hope everything goes great with your shop and your work! YOu look like a passionate man,, I loved the video and the main objectives of your project, so good luck from Spain mate!!
Yes! Thank you for this video! I am also self-employed in another creator field and have thought about going deeper into the model / hobbying world. This is some great perspective and also helps to hear another's feelings on self-employment in general.
Thank you for this vid! It's always great seeing honest opinions on financial and career decisions. You both are awesome and it's been super cool seeing your growth!
I appreciate the content. Grass is always greener but ultimately it comes down to putting the time in and finding what you're passionate about
I wish you luck on your path. Thank you for sharing in an honest and real way.
I will do my best to support you and buy from you. All the best and thank you for what you do
A very interesting watch as a small business owner myself, I can heavily relate... We opened a online store selling GW during the lockdown as I got back into the hobby, I found GW mis-sold a dream of these amazing margins (in fact, some stuff was under 10% when taking into account online prices), and unrivalled support from them (which was weekly or monthly check ins, and a small marketing budget of ÂŁ100 a year). Whereas we actually got a range which we had to keep stocked up, which was apparently the "best sellers", which sat on our shelves up until we closed this side of our business down early 2023 and then sold off at trade prices across Facebook & eBay.
I fully respect you for being able to make it work!
Whole hearted video, best of luck my friend. Subscribed
i really enjoyed this look behind the curtain, i hope it all gets a little easier and you have more of those good days than bad.
Great vid, totally in the same boat so this hits home! Keep being awesome you guys đȘđđ€
I have the biggest of respects for you as a business man, youtuber and hobbiest. I hope you are able to manage the stress and continue to grow the store. I hope the business takes off increadibly well and you get compensated in the way that you and your family deserve. Keep it up man
As someone who is trying to setup a side hustle in order to eventually leave my current employment situation this was an inspiring video I have stumbled upon. Thanks for sharing your story and insights.
Powerful video that I honestly wasnât expecting to be. Stay awesome and best of luck in everything you do fella.
Iâve been eyeing broadsword shop for a while and realizing I donât have to pay customs fees from Ireland Iâll order some stuff soon surely ;-) the both of you make very enjoyable, informative and wholesome content and I wish the best of luck to your family and business!
It's so refreshing to have such an honest take on this, thank you so much. I had the pleasure of visiting your store last week while I was on holiday and was blown away by how nice it was and how well stocked it was. Whenever i come back from a holiday I always think 'ah i'd love to live there but where would I play 40k?' ... time to put the house up for sale đ. You guys are awesome and your community is so lucky to have you.
I did the same and set up monstrous light games during the lockdown, weve been in ashton for 2 years now and this video touched me so hard cos im in your exact situation and i feel you so much. Thank you for this video. I love this and i appreciate you so much for this. I needed it right now.
Thank you so much for your courage and honesty. This is an excellent video. I am in the early stages of this journey with both a CZcams channel and a soon to be launched online store (selling miniatures painted by myself!). As a one-person band I already feel everything you talk about including the constant pressure to produce content, the lack of time to actually hobby for yourself as well as the huge financial pressures. It is a lot of stress and learning how to deal with it all and still function like a human being is the main challenge for me. I had to take a short break from CZcams to recalibrate and focus on improving my time, stress and energy management so I can sustain myself for the long run (any tips would be great). Thanks again for the super content. I have always watched your videos and love the energy you both bring to the hobby.
Thanks for sharing, itâs easy to see all the good bits but you miss all the hard work behind the scenes. Congratulations and best of luck for the future
thankyou for sharing Ollie and Ciara, really appreciate your honesty about the experience! I'm in England but hoping to visit your place in Ireland someday
Just to add to this that I've had several friendships and even a new job come out of connections made at this store! You guys are making a real difference in the community by giving us somewhere to enjoy the hobby.
Castlebar? My wifes family is in Balina, been that way may times. Next time we are visiting i will look you up!
Just up the road! Welcome to pop in and roll some dice whenever. đ
Brilliant video. What an honest and insightful approach.
Great vid. Hope everything goes from strength to strength and gives you both lots of pleasure
I love the shaking table in the part of Demo games :D
A very interesting video, thanks! I can definitely understand where you're coming from with your supply chain problems. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to that!
Running your own business is hard, no doubt. Long hours, having all your energy split 10 different ways every moment, and always second guessing yourself are not even the worst of it - admin is. I don't know about Ireland, but in the US, the paperwork is soul crushing. The dream is of running your own business that you're passionate about. The nightmare is all the 'business' end that takes you out of the passion, and often, the passion out of you.
If the gaming community there can support you, then you'll probably do well. You're both smart and ambitious. If you can keep your chins up in the rough days, there will be the good days, too. I wish you the best of luck, and hope to see a future video about how much better things have gotten - more employees, more shop space, more customers, and, most importantly, more time to relax and enjoy... :)
Fairly new to the channel but just wanna say I have really been enjoying the videos and this one in particular - love the honesty and the reality you've brought here with your perspective - and its something that is touching close to me atm since I'm in the process of losing my job and considering what roads I wanna explore. Anyways, love this channel, and I'm rooting for you, and Ciara!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video guys. This was brutally honest, emotional and must have been quite something to record. As artists, we could relate to a lot of the hardships⊠beside that we met each other and lived in Ireland for a few đ years. It might be hard at times now but with that passion, you two are bound to succeed. Love from Paris
Thanks for your input! I appreciate what you do
Good luck to you, it's not easy but it can be done, you have to continually improve every little aspect of the business, keep tweaking until it works.