Starting a games business is exciting. Choosing software usually isn't.
It is also one of the areas where getting things right early can save an enormous amount of work later.
A small games seller can start with a spreadsheet, handwritten records or even a simple list of stock. That may work when you have 50 products. It becomes a very different proposition when you have hundreds or thousands of games, consoles and accessories being sold through several different channels.
The answer isn't to buy every system available. It is to understand what each part of your business needs to do.
Ecommerce Platform
If you're selling online, you need somewhere customers can actually buy from you.
Platforms such as Shopify can provide your website, checkout, product catalogue and order management. Depending on the platform and integrations you choose, it can also become an important part of your wider retail operation.
Think beyond how the website looks.
Ask whether the platform can handle the number of products you expect to carry and whether it can connect with the other systems and sales channels you may need later.
Point of Sale
If you sell face-to-face, whether from a shop or at gaming events, you need a reliable way to process sales.
A good POS system should do more than produce a receipt. Ideally, a sale should also reduce the correct product from your inventory so that your stock records remain accurate.
Games retail can introduce additional requirements such as trade-ins, customer credit and large quantities of pre-owned products, so consider what your business will actually need before choosing a system.
Inventory Management
This is where many growing retailers eventually encounter problems.
Your inventory system should help answer some very basic questions:
What do I own? How many do I have? Where is it? What did I pay for it? Where is it currently listed for sale?
SKU and barcode structures become increasingly important as the catalogue grows. Building a sensible system early is considerably easier than trying to reorganise thousands of products later.
Accounting
Your sales system and your accounting system do different jobs.
Accounting software helps you understand the financial side of the business: income, expenditure, suppliers, tax and overall performance.
Where appropriate, connecting systems can reduce duplicate data entry, but automation should never become an excuse for not understanding what information is being transferred.
Hardware
Don't forget the physical tools.
Barcode scanners, thermal label printers, receipt printers, card terminals and suitable computers or tablets can dramatically improve everyday processes.
Buy hardware because it solves a problem, not because somebody tells you a "professional" store must have it.
Build a System, Not a Collection of Apps
The objective is not to have the most technology. It is to create a business where your systems work together.
A well-designed operation can save hours of administration, reduce stock errors and make future growth considerably easier.
Starting from scratch? Explore the Start a Game Store sessions at YourGameStore and build the foundations before your stock and systems become complicated.
Already trading but your systems aren't keeping up? Explore the Grow Your Game Store sessions and look at how your existing operation could work smarter.
YourGameStore — Learn. Build. Grow.