Diana Nguyen

Granite Technical Institute

Business Management
Mrs. Paulsen
16 December 2015

Game Haven SWOT Analysis

Introduction
When Shawn Rhoades decided to go buy some games at a game store, he found that they
were half an hour late to opening. It was the towns only game store at the time, presenting him
with the idea of opening a game store of his own. He and two of his business partners, Shawn
Guy and Geoff Dearing, started planning right away. Upon the startup of Game Haven in
November of 2010, the soon-to-be owners figured they wanted to differentiate themselves from
other game stores. They saw that other game stores were known for their themed, dungeon-like
appearances, which did not appeal to the younger age group. They wanted to establish an
environment that people would feel comfortable coming to that would encourage guests to bring
their family and friends.
Game Haven is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). There are currently five locations:
St. George, Bountiful, West Jordan, Sandy, and Toole, although we worked more closely with the
Sandy and West Jordan locations. The Sandy Location is located at 9860 S 700 E, while the West
Jordan location is sighted at 1609 W 9000 S. Game Haven specializes in table-top games. They
gain a lot of their profit through selling board games, card games, collectibles, miniatures, and
game accessories. Not only can customers purchase goods in-store, they can also browse the
numerous selections on Game Havens online store. When the thought of board games and card
games come to mind, we often think of the classics. For example, Sorry, Life, Apples to Apples,
etc. seems to be more of the common ones. This is where Game Haven really stands out. They
sell unique games that the public might not even be aware of. Same of the game options include
Magic, Dungeons & Dragons, and Pathfinder. Contributing to the profit, tournaments and events
are held where new customers and existing members can pay to participate and gain a bigger
prize if they win.

Game Haven is one of the many game stores in Utah. Oasis Games, which is located at
145 E 200 S, is considered one of their most biggest competitors. Mystic Hobby Games (10259
1300 E, Sandy) is a relatively new and smaller game store. Other competitors include Fongo
Bongo Games (1751 12600 S, Riverton), Hastur Games & Comics (6831 State Street, Midvale),
and other non-game retail stores.

Research
Our group came up with questions targeting areas in terms of strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. The employee and customer surveys each contained 15 questions. The
surveys consisted of multiple choice, rating, yes/no, and free response questions. After printing
them, we were able to get permission (via phone call) to go to Game Haven and pass out the
surveys. We noticed that during the day, there werent as many customers. We came back several
times during the weekends and on days where theyd host their tournaments. It was somewhat
difficult getting surveys filled out mainly because when the tournament starts, many people
would wave us off or ignore us, or the fact that we did not want to bother them prolonged the
retrieving process. However before the start of the tournaments, we were able to talk and
associate more with the people there. Upon arriving at the location, we made sure to notice the
attitudes of both the employees and customers (i.e. moods, activities, etc.) Our group also looked
at the kind of merchandise sold there. Getting the employees to fill out the surveys proved to be a
bit tricky. Since they only had 10 employees, all of them worked different days. It was difficult to
make time and track down each employee. Some of the employees offered to take the stack of
surveys and ask the others to fill them out at their meetings, but when we came to pick them up,
only about 3 of them were filled. In total, we accumulated 35 customer surveys and 10 employee
surveys. After looking at the results, we saw that a lot of the answers given were very short and
general. We decided to come up with questions to interview with. I was able to interview two of
the more experienced employees who have been there the longest. One of them used to be an
Assisstant Manager. The other employee used to be a manager, but is now in charge of
Marketing. I was also able to interview one of the current managers as well. After retrieving and
analyzing all of our data, we converted some of them into charts and graphs. Additional

extensive research was done via yelp and their home website. We have also looked into some of
their competitors.
Chart

Strengths
Strong Player Base
Atmosphere and Environment
Events
Friendly Staff
Location (Proximity)
Products
Rewards Program
Coffee/Tea Section
Opportunities
Location (near busy road & freeway)
Seasonal: Summer
Vendors looking for buyers

Weaknesses
Unclear Procedures
Short Staffed
Low Funds/Small Budget
Little Market Presence
Employee Training and Service
Cleanliness
Variety of Products

Threats
Abundance of game stores in Utah
Non-Game Store Competition
Video Game Release

Strengths
We asked customers what made Game Haven better than other game stores. Out of all the
positive feedback received, 21% mentioned the people who come and participate in the events.
Tournaments are held about 4-5 days a week. Each of those days, a tournament is hosted for a
specific game (ex. Yugioh Wednesday Night). People with similar interests attend the events on
the same day. Customers have said that it is a great opportunity to meet new players and potential
friends. Game Haven has a very strong player base. Evidence based on survey results indicate
that 83% of the customers come to Game Haven weekly, that is, on a specific day to play a
particular game. Their customers are considered extra regulars as opposed to other stores who
have customers that stop by whenever, purchase something, and then leave (not routinely). A
portion of the customers have also brought up the point that the crowd at Game Haven consist of
nicer, skillful people as opposed to other game stores.
20% of the positive feedback included the atmosphere and environment of Game Haven.
Positive things said about the environment include that it has a very welcoming and comfortable
atmosphere (as opposed to dungeon-like themes). One customers said that the atmosphere is

friendly. Others have said that the place itself is very nice, spacious, and that there are lots of
tables and chairs for events, etc. Another Responses has stated that the store is laid out well and
doesnt feel cramped. It is clearly shown that the company makes great effort in making others
feel comfortable, as the environment is not cramped and decorated appropriately. 57% of the
customers agreed, and 23% of them strongly agreed that the store atmosphere and dcor are
appealing.
The events and tournaments held are another strength. 16% of the good things said about
Game Haven were on the events. The events are well attended (mentioned by a customer).
Another guest stated that the events at Game Haven are organized a lot better than the events at
other locations. They have a variety of events like the modern Win A Box tournament, Pokemon
Nights, Battle Grounds, and etc. These events provided more things and hobbies that customers
could get into.
While attending the game tournaments, I saw a lot of employee and customer interaction.
When asked, the customers said they knew the employees very well and that they are very
friendly. I was astonished that the employees knew most of their customers names, despite the
amount of people there. 15% of the strengths people considered about gamer Haven were the
employees. The friendly staff can be seen as vital to the imposed welcoming and cheerful
atmosphere and environment.
10% of the strengths customers mentioned were of the location. Customer free response
answers have expressed that it is a good place to have a business, as it acts as a great central
location that works well for customers. Based on survey results, the farthest/longest it takes the
customers to get to Game Haven is approximately 30 minutes. The average time it takes
someone to get there is about 15 minutes. Some of the customers even live within 3 blocks of the
business.
The merchandise and products sold also act as a strength. 91% of the customers either
agree or strongly agree that a good selection of products was present. Additionally 77% of the
customers either agree or strongly agree that the products are sold at a reasonable price. 29% of
the customers gave the products a rating of very high in terms of quality, while 63% rated the
products as high. Out of all the strengths considered by customers, 10% were of the products.
This indicates that management is very attentive to the quality and selection of products.

Game Haven also offers a rewards program that encourages customers to come back
more often. Out of all the strengths, the rewards program was mentions 4% of the time.
Additionally, Game Haven is partnered with a local coffee shop titled Caff Ibis. Game Haven
sells their coffee in a caf section in their Sandy location. In their caf, they serve refreshments
such as coffee and tea. This benefits both businesses, as the caf accounted for 3% of the
strengths mentioned by customers.
Weaknesses
While surveying the employees, 50% of them stated that one of their weaknesses would
be the lack of structure and management. In an in-depth interview with Disney, an employee of
about 2 years (ex-manager, in charge of marketing), said, the inner workings and procedures are
unclear. Employees who have worked here for a while will know what to do, but new employees
have trouble because there arent any written procedures. Indeed, without written procedures, it
is difficult to organize work and train new hires. There could be several potential or occurring
problems that can result from this. Unclear procedures can cause communication failure,
especially to new employees that are still learning the ropes. I also had the chance to interview
Van, who has been working at Game Haven since the beginning (4 years). She used to be an
assistant manager, but is now just an employee. In correspondence to Disneys statement, Van
states, Lots of things are done on the fly Procedures can be more stream-lined and set.
Examples she stated were things including day-to-day business, the accountability system,
money, and cleaning. She also stated that it is tough to train new employees. As with unclear
procedures, employees will do certain tasks in their own way. If a new employee were to join,
they would be taught how to do something in many different ways, which could confuse them.
Another weakness would be the companys amount of employees. They are short staffed
in that they only have 10 employees. In another statement, Disney mentions that if someone gets
sick or decides to leave the company, it can create problems. Employees would have to take
more time off and work longer shifts. Busy nights can also be difficult to operate when there is a
shortage of employees. 20% of the employees have mentioned this as a problem.
Low funding and small budgets can act as an impediment. 7 out of the 10 employees are
not satisfied with their current hourly wage. It is difficult for Game Haven to pay their staff
more, consider hiring new workers, or find new ways to advertise. Disney mentioned that

newspaper companies would approach Game Haven and offer to promote their business, but
theyd have to turn them down, due to the fact they couldnt afford it. When asked about what
methods of advertising the company has executed, Disney states that they hand out flyers for
events in-stores. They also have a Facebook page. Jordan (Manager) expresses that most of the
advertising done is through verbal communications. When asked how they heard about Game
Haven, 60% of the customers said that they were recommended, either by friends, family, and
other customers. 34% of the customers encountered it by either driving by or advertised by other
events. The other 6% was through online advertisement. This lack of advertisement has led to the
little market presence in the industry. 10% of the weaknesses mentioned that they needed work
on advertisement. With the low funds, Van states that one of their weaknesses it that Game
Haven is trying to expand too fast, especially when resources are too thin.
Lack of knowledgeable staff is also an evident issue, as it accounts for 31% of the
weaknesses mentioned by customers. Customers stated that employees do not have adequate
training and should work on customer service. This corresponds more with the unclear
procedures. Store cleanliness accounts for 19% of the weaknesses. Customers have also stated
that the variety of products are not big enough. This accounts for 29% of the weaknesses.
Opportunities
Location can be taken into considerations as one of the opportunities. They are located on
a busy road and near a freeway (I-15). This provides the chance for them to be more noticed by
others, especially in times of rush hour when there is a lot of traffic. Additionally, many of the
customers have noted that they live in close proximity to the store.
In her interview, Van communicated that in many external factors affect their business
flow. For example, Game Haven tends to get more customers in the summer, or when school is
out. Disney also mentioned that when a new card set comes out, more people will come. These
are external factors that Game Haven cannot control.
Another opportunity is that vendors are always in search for buyers. Game makers and
distributors are constantly looking for companies to sell their products. This is a great
opportunity that can boost Game Havens business.
Threats

Throughout all three of the employee interviews, Disney, Van, and Jordan have all
mentioned that the Utah Valley is oversaturated and dominated by game stores. This creates a
threat in that it is hard for Game Haven to stand out and compete with the abundance of other
stores. This pressure to be better than other stores can align with the expansion of Game Haven.
As I have mentioned, there are five locations. However, they will be opening another location in
West Jordan and are planning to close the current West Jordan location. As mentioned earlier, in
weaknesses, expanding too fast without the necessary resources can be a hindrance to the
business. Non-Game Stores could also pose as a threat. Companies like Amazon, Target, and
Walmart (as mentioned by Jordan), will often sell the products they have for cheaper. This could
take away some of their business. All 3 of the employees/manager have additionally mentioned
seeing a trend with video games. When a highly popular video game comes out, they tend to see
less people at their tournaments.
Recommendations
As Jordan says, the stores are mainly run by one person. This could make it difficult for
the company to stay organized and confuse employees. For this, they should take into
consideration of hiring a secretary of some sort. In addition, I would highly recommend hiring an
accountant or a financial advisor. This could be beneficial in that a financial advisor can help
create budgets and decide and allocate how much money can go towards more forms of
advertising, employee wages, and help decide if they can hire more employees.
Game Haven should also develop clearly defined steps and procedures. This can make
them more organized and open the chance for better and thorough training for employees. They
should find better ways to train their employees. Instead of having the new employees train by
taking half shifts for three days and being tested on it later, I would recommend that they should
divide and spread their training within multiple days or even weeks. Training is essential to
working a job, so it should not be rushed. They should be trained more thoroughly with working
and knowing how to use the equipment and quality customer service. It can also provide a sense
of security for employees. If they are confused or in need of help, they can consult with the
procedures.
Based on surveys, customers think that Game Haven can improve on the appearance of
the store. They have made comments about the interior being too white, and needing more color.

Other customers have suggested getting more comfortable and even padded chairs. I feel that
Game Haven could attract more customers if they renovate and upgrade some of their
equipment.