I can start off with a big thanks to everybody who showed up for our event on Saturday! The beginner friendly tournament tied our record of 22 entries and Roadkill ran a great event as usual. It was a lot of fun, and made a big difference as we take care of some one time expenses that landed in April.
Thank you all for taking the time to read the last blog post, it saves me a lot of time explaining things over and over again when people read this stuff. Before we start a mass panic about the prices, I think you will see that I have done my best to make it fair and the cost of buying a single mission will be going down significantly for members and non-members alike. We will be doing away with the advance purchase of mission packages which should allow me to cook up some more creative discounts and hopefully shake things up a little bit. Obviously any missions you have already purchased are still good.
I have identified a few problems with the old pricing system in our new location. People are avoiding The Airlock in some cases because it is not the night they can get the REALLY good deal. I needed something a little bit more flexible.
As I mentioned in the last post, we are crossing two and a half years since I set the prices for The Airlock. Everything costs me just a little more now. If you haven't noticed, we have been hanging by a thread anyway, It is time to rethink things a little bit.
If we were still in the old location we would probably be looking at bumping the prices up across the board, but I am noticing that the new location has a different rhythm to it than the old one. People are using the new space in new ways and the old system of pricing doesn't make sense anymore. It is becoming cumbersome to track individual missions, and yet people are for the most part only showing up for pass days, or some other type of discount. So the current system has become a complicated solution to a non-existent problem.
So effective immediately these will be the new prices (unless I insert a typo here and have to backpedal later... which I of course have been known to do). You will see that the price of an individual mission has gone down significantly, the number of missions you get for a given amount of money will be down a little bit (but as I said there will be some new options for special discounts coming soon).
Non-members
$4.50 + tax per mission, per pilot
I am still working on some other discounts for beginners night, and perhaps some other options, stay tuned!
Members
$3.50 + tax per mission, per pilot
$25 INCLUDING tax for a members night pass
$15 INCLUDING tax for a second members night pass in the same week (non-transferable)
(currently members passes are available Tuesday for BattleTech and Thursday for RedPlanet)
%10 off private events (corporate events excluded)
Members paying for the $100 a month package (see previous blog post for details)
$2.50 + tax per mission, per pilot
$10 INCLUDING tax to add an extra members pass to your month
%20 off private events (corporate events excluded, not usable with other discounts)
After thinking about it long and hard I have decided that we will change the membership requirements from 50 missions to 40. At this point we are so much more efficient at training new players than we used to be. A person who has played 40 missions will fit right in on Advanced BattleTech night.
If anybody in the $100 a month group have missions in the bank they paid more than $2.50 for feel free to talk to me and we can work it out somehow, that situation should only effect a handful of people I think.
Feel free to drop me an email if you have any concerns about the new pricing.
Stay tuned for announcements about this week's mega pass option because the Denver guys will be here this weekend. For now, I am out of time and you are bored so I will sign off.
Thanks for all of the support!
--ugh
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
New monthly membership package! BattleTech Board Game Fridays!
Hello Pilots,
We have, for the most part, survived the most expensive month we are likely to encounter this year. After the move, and the extra expenses this month and in the previous couple of months we are, for the most part caught up on bills for the first time in a very long time. That said, some of the money that needs to go out this week is not in the bank yet, we are very very close but cannot afford a dead week right now. We have had very slow weeknights lately. I am working on a fundraiser deal that will hopefully put a few dollars back in the emergency fund. More on that in a future post.
To get the move done I burned up the very last of my business and personal resources, perhaps this was foolish, perhaps not. The financial situation of the company has improved steadily since the move, and we are booking a lot of private events. In fact we are booking more private events now than I thought we could ever do, and this is where the hope for the future lies. I want to keep the pods in the Seattle area, in good working order for years to come, as well as bring in some other fun stuff for us to play with here. Right now the company is so cash poor we really can't afford anything to go wrong, and if there is one thing we have learned in the past couple of years... it is that things always go wrong. So I will continue to roll out some new stuff and hopefully some of it will make a big difference!
BattleTech Board Game Fridays!
We will be starting BattleTech Board Game Fridays tomorrow night for those who are interested, simple pickup games, hex maps, nothing crazy. I will not be charging a fee for this, it is free to play for anyone who plays at least two missions in the pods (Hint: Members get 1 free mission on Friday). This doesn't help us pay the rent, and I cannot monetize this event the same way a board game shop does, that sells books and minis, so it is appreciated if you play MORE than 2 games in the pods, but for now we will set that as the minimum and see how it goes. I can't promise to keep this going, especially without charging something for it, but if we get a lot of support, and it isn't disrupting other business we will try! I cannot at this point provide much for this, but hopefully over the coming months we will be able to provide a nice table for this (working on something very cool!) and some other help. For now bring your own stuff for some simple fun games, or hopefully people will have some extra pieces to share. As we get this rolling I will see what I can do to make sure some experienced players are around and maybe some extra books. Figure most people can't show up before 7pm or so.
New Monthly Package Available!
I am very sorry to say that it is now time to raise our prices on some things. After two and a half years it is really out of my control. We have slipped below reasonable minimum margins on some items. My choices are to close up shop, or raise prices. There is actually very good news for those who want to be regulars here, as I am putting together a new monthly members package that can actually be MORE pod time for your money! I am working on the details of the new price sheet. The new prices will start the first day of May. The system we have had, has served us well up until this point, but now we have a better idea how the space gets used, and we see the different pattern that the business shows us in the new location. People are pretty much using the pass nights at the new location, and for the most part avoiding the other nights.
Members pass nights have been slow since the beginning of the year. We have some people that are out right now for reasons ranging from health to school. With less people it is admittedly less fun and people make less effort to be here. I am often hearing people say things like "I can't make it to BattleTech tonight, so I will see you next week!"... Our pricing was designed to make sure that the members knew when to run into each other and have fun nights of all they could play. Instead it has become a reason NOT to show up other nights. People have some sort of idea that 7 games for a member's $20 is not a good deal, I would like to point out that this is some of the cheapest pricing that has EVER been offered on pod missions in a place like this.
I have noticed that there are lots of players who think if they aren't playing from 5pm to 4am for $20 it isn't a good deal. Well that price will increase a little bit next month, but they are right, it is, even still, a very good deal. But what about the players that drive by here every night? They sit in traffic on 405 waiting to get home, but they don't want to spend the whole night if it is a pass night, and they don't expect to see other players if it is not. What about the players who cannot spend 11 hours on a weeknight and still make it to work on time the next day? I am putting an unfortunate burden on them to make a decision between a good deal and sleep. If sleep wins they have no reason to show up until next week, and then sacrifice more sleep. I recognize that our schedule around here has put a strain on some people's lifestyle that is not sustainable.
We will still have lots of late long nights here, but I needed an option for people who want to play on a weeknight but can only afford the late nights on the weekend. So here is what I would like to try. We will see how it goes in May. Hopefully I have this right, but until I see how people use it I can't be sure. I may have to make some adjustments in the future. This package will be available to members only at this point. If you are not a member, but are close and want to get in on this, come talk to me, we might be able to work something out.
For $100 + tax per month a member will receive:
Any 5 members pass nights (currently Tuesday BT or Thursday RP) in any combination you like
(note that all night members passes will be going up in price next month, but this package gets you approximately the old price PLUS a bunch of other benefits)
You may give one of those passes to a non member friend per month
(non members may only be given one of these per month)
2 missions per day, no additional charge on any non event day we are open!
(you will still get the usual extra mission on Friday)
$5 off tournament entry fees
%20 off private events instead of the usual %10 members get
(Corporate events excluded)
Please note that members who purchase this package automatically qualify for the Friday board game night at no extra charge because they are getting 3 free missions anyway!
These benefits do not accumulate from month to month.
I have tried to provide the best value possible with this deal for those members who support us the most. We will be doing another one week megapass the first week of May, like we did when Deadeye and Thunderbear visited. Anybody who buys this package between now and May 1st will have the option to buy that pass for half price! Also, as an added value, anybody who purchases this package by the end of this week can immediately start to use their May benefits and I will throw in an extra transferable members pass for May!
If you would like to make this purchase tonight but don't have time to stop by, I will be doing my best to answer the phones after 5pm at 425-823-9999 and can accept payment over the phone by card.
Thank you all for your support!
--ugh
We have, for the most part, survived the most expensive month we are likely to encounter this year. After the move, and the extra expenses this month and in the previous couple of months we are, for the most part caught up on bills for the first time in a very long time. That said, some of the money that needs to go out this week is not in the bank yet, we are very very close but cannot afford a dead week right now. We have had very slow weeknights lately. I am working on a fundraiser deal that will hopefully put a few dollars back in the emergency fund. More on that in a future post.
To get the move done I burned up the very last of my business and personal resources, perhaps this was foolish, perhaps not. The financial situation of the company has improved steadily since the move, and we are booking a lot of private events. In fact we are booking more private events now than I thought we could ever do, and this is where the hope for the future lies. I want to keep the pods in the Seattle area, in good working order for years to come, as well as bring in some other fun stuff for us to play with here. Right now the company is so cash poor we really can't afford anything to go wrong, and if there is one thing we have learned in the past couple of years... it is that things always go wrong. So I will continue to roll out some new stuff and hopefully some of it will make a big difference!
BattleTech Board Game Fridays!
We will be starting BattleTech Board Game Fridays tomorrow night for those who are interested, simple pickup games, hex maps, nothing crazy. I will not be charging a fee for this, it is free to play for anyone who plays at least two missions in the pods (Hint: Members get 1 free mission on Friday). This doesn't help us pay the rent, and I cannot monetize this event the same way a board game shop does, that sells books and minis, so it is appreciated if you play MORE than 2 games in the pods, but for now we will set that as the minimum and see how it goes. I can't promise to keep this going, especially without charging something for it, but if we get a lot of support, and it isn't disrupting other business we will try! I cannot at this point provide much for this, but hopefully over the coming months we will be able to provide a nice table for this (working on something very cool!) and some other help. For now bring your own stuff for some simple fun games, or hopefully people will have some extra pieces to share. As we get this rolling I will see what I can do to make sure some experienced players are around and maybe some extra books. Figure most people can't show up before 7pm or so.
New Monthly Package Available!
I am very sorry to say that it is now time to raise our prices on some things. After two and a half years it is really out of my control. We have slipped below reasonable minimum margins on some items. My choices are to close up shop, or raise prices. There is actually very good news for those who want to be regulars here, as I am putting together a new monthly members package that can actually be MORE pod time for your money! I am working on the details of the new price sheet. The new prices will start the first day of May. The system we have had, has served us well up until this point, but now we have a better idea how the space gets used, and we see the different pattern that the business shows us in the new location. People are pretty much using the pass nights at the new location, and for the most part avoiding the other nights.
Members pass nights have been slow since the beginning of the year. We have some people that are out right now for reasons ranging from health to school. With less people it is admittedly less fun and people make less effort to be here. I am often hearing people say things like "I can't make it to BattleTech tonight, so I will see you next week!"... Our pricing was designed to make sure that the members knew when to run into each other and have fun nights of all they could play. Instead it has become a reason NOT to show up other nights. People have some sort of idea that 7 games for a member's $20 is not a good deal, I would like to point out that this is some of the cheapest pricing that has EVER been offered on pod missions in a place like this.
I have noticed that there are lots of players who think if they aren't playing from 5pm to 4am for $20 it isn't a good deal. Well that price will increase a little bit next month, but they are right, it is, even still, a very good deal. But what about the players that drive by here every night? They sit in traffic on 405 waiting to get home, but they don't want to spend the whole night if it is a pass night, and they don't expect to see other players if it is not. What about the players who cannot spend 11 hours on a weeknight and still make it to work on time the next day? I am putting an unfortunate burden on them to make a decision between a good deal and sleep. If sleep wins they have no reason to show up until next week, and then sacrifice more sleep. I recognize that our schedule around here has put a strain on some people's lifestyle that is not sustainable.
We will still have lots of late long nights here, but I needed an option for people who want to play on a weeknight but can only afford the late nights on the weekend. So here is what I would like to try. We will see how it goes in May. Hopefully I have this right, but until I see how people use it I can't be sure. I may have to make some adjustments in the future. This package will be available to members only at this point. If you are not a member, but are close and want to get in on this, come talk to me, we might be able to work something out.
For $100 + tax per month a member will receive:
Any 5 members pass nights (currently Tuesday BT or Thursday RP) in any combination you like
(note that all night members passes will be going up in price next month, but this package gets you approximately the old price PLUS a bunch of other benefits)
You may give one of those passes to a non member friend per month
(non members may only be given one of these per month)
2 missions per day, no additional charge on any non event day we are open!
(you will still get the usual extra mission on Friday)
$5 off tournament entry fees
%20 off private events instead of the usual %10 members get
(Corporate events excluded)
Please note that members who purchase this package automatically qualify for the Friday board game night at no extra charge because they are getting 3 free missions anyway!
These benefits do not accumulate from month to month.
I have tried to provide the best value possible with this deal for those members who support us the most. We will be doing another one week megapass the first week of May, like we did when Deadeye and Thunderbear visited. Anybody who buys this package between now and May 1st will have the option to buy that pass for half price! Also, as an added value, anybody who purchases this package by the end of this week can immediately start to use their May benefits and I will throw in an extra transferable members pass for May!
If you would like to make this purchase tonight but don't have time to stop by, I will be doing my best to answer the phones after 5pm at 425-823-9999 and can accept payment over the phone by card.
Thank you all for your support!
--ugh
Thursday, April 12, 2012
New Private Event Options!
Hello everybody,
I am very happy to see so many new followers out there. I have been preparing some new pricing which I will be rolling out over the next month or so. As we come out of the slow season our private events calendar is filling up fast, thanks to all who have been suggesting The Airlock for team-building/moral events and for birthday parties and bachelor parties. Because the calendar is so busy, we will be ending the slow season promotional rates soon. I keep extending them because I was seeing a lot of blank time slots on the calendars but that is not true anymore and with the additional expense of heating and lighting our new location we really need to make the adjustment soon.
I promise to continue to try to deliver good value for these events, I do not expect a big change. I have been getting a lot of inquiries lately about doing private events during our normal business hours. It seems that our new space is much better suited to this type of activity as we no longer need to cater to the walk by strip mall business. It seems that by the time people make it to our new location they are more tuned in and know what is going on. I hope that you will all pay attention to announcements of closures. I hate to turn people away after they make the trip, but it is very important that we start to sell more of this type of event.
We are not out of the woods yet, although things are somewhat better than they were a few months ago. We have caught up on the bills for the most part, for the first time in over a year. There have been significant expenses setting up the new place. Catching up has mostly been due to the fact that we got some cheap rent on the front end of the new lease. In a couple of weeks rent will go back to full price AND we must deal with a large deposit for the new space. This is obviously the most important thing right now. We must raise the money and pay that bill on time if we are going to continue here. We have had so much fun at the new space and I can't wait to see the new ways we can take advantage of our new location as the weather gets better. I have worked some very extreme hours to make this happen and I am afraid I am wearing a little thin. My resources are completely exhausted at this point. The Airlock cannot continue without an increase in sales. The good news is that we are headed into the busy season and in our previous two years sales naturally got better this time of year.
It needs to be a big increase this year, we need everybody to help spread the word, bring new people, and most importantly just bring yourself down and play some games! I will be announcing some new pricing and fundraising efforts over the weekend, I am working very hard to finalize the plans now. I am ready to announce the new prices for the new mega party option so I will include those below. Basically any night is for sale now, but we still need to avoid selling partial nights.
If you have special needs for an event that doesn't quite fit our schedule let me know, I will always do my best to work with you.
For up to 32 people, private event, 5pm to midnight pricing is as follows:
Tuesday-Thursday: $1000 + tax
Friday: $1200 + tax
Saturday: $1500 + tax
No alcohol, but you are welcome to bring in whatever food and non-alcoholic drink you would like. To reserve a night for this type of event we need 2/3rd down payment due to the risk of announcing that we will be closed. Once we announce a closure it is almost impossible to change that announcement and expect normal sales for the night.
Pricing for events outside our business hours will stay the same for the time being, the new prices will be rolled out soon. Thanks for all of your support! Please continue to use the Amazon link, it really does help.
I hope to see you all soon!
--ugh
I am very happy to see so many new followers out there. I have been preparing some new pricing which I will be rolling out over the next month or so. As we come out of the slow season our private events calendar is filling up fast, thanks to all who have been suggesting The Airlock for team-building/moral events and for birthday parties and bachelor parties. Because the calendar is so busy, we will be ending the slow season promotional rates soon. I keep extending them because I was seeing a lot of blank time slots on the calendars but that is not true anymore and with the additional expense of heating and lighting our new location we really need to make the adjustment soon.
I promise to continue to try to deliver good value for these events, I do not expect a big change. I have been getting a lot of inquiries lately about doing private events during our normal business hours. It seems that our new space is much better suited to this type of activity as we no longer need to cater to the walk by strip mall business. It seems that by the time people make it to our new location they are more tuned in and know what is going on. I hope that you will all pay attention to announcements of closures. I hate to turn people away after they make the trip, but it is very important that we start to sell more of this type of event.
We are not out of the woods yet, although things are somewhat better than they were a few months ago. We have caught up on the bills for the most part, for the first time in over a year. There have been significant expenses setting up the new place. Catching up has mostly been due to the fact that we got some cheap rent on the front end of the new lease. In a couple of weeks rent will go back to full price AND we must deal with a large deposit for the new space. This is obviously the most important thing right now. We must raise the money and pay that bill on time if we are going to continue here. We have had so much fun at the new space and I can't wait to see the new ways we can take advantage of our new location as the weather gets better. I have worked some very extreme hours to make this happen and I am afraid I am wearing a little thin. My resources are completely exhausted at this point. The Airlock cannot continue without an increase in sales. The good news is that we are headed into the busy season and in our previous two years sales naturally got better this time of year.
It needs to be a big increase this year, we need everybody to help spread the word, bring new people, and most importantly just bring yourself down and play some games! I will be announcing some new pricing and fundraising efforts over the weekend, I am working very hard to finalize the plans now. I am ready to announce the new prices for the new mega party option so I will include those below. Basically any night is for sale now, but we still need to avoid selling partial nights.
If you have special needs for an event that doesn't quite fit our schedule let me know, I will always do my best to work with you.
For up to 32 people, private event, 5pm to midnight pricing is as follows:
Tuesday-Thursday: $1000 + tax
Friday: $1200 + tax
Saturday: $1500 + tax
No alcohol, but you are welcome to bring in whatever food and non-alcoholic drink you would like. To reserve a night for this type of event we need 2/3rd down payment due to the risk of announcing that we will be closed. Once we announce a closure it is almost impossible to change that announcement and expect normal sales for the night.
Pricing for events outside our business hours will stay the same for the time being, the new prices will be rolled out soon. Thanks for all of your support! Please continue to use the Amazon link, it really does help.
I hope to see you all soon!
--ugh
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)