Monday, December 15, 2003
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Mixing Business With Pleasure
An interview with the founders of Time Well Spent, Inc. -- An Internet Game Seller
 A couple of weeks ago, I saw a text ad on Board Game Geek for a new online Game Store with really low prices. Intrigued, I visited their site. Since I had an impending game purchase, I gave them a try. Indeed, their price was quite low.
And the customer service I received was quite personal and friendly. There was a bit of confusion on the date of delivery (which was cleared up quickly), and that prompted email correspondence with Dave Jones, owner and founder -- along with his wife Pamela -- of Time Well Spent, Inc., probably the newest kid on the block in regards to selling European-style strategy games on the web.
Curious that I am, and eager for new content on my website [I think I last updated this page in the summer], I asked Dave and Pamela if they'd mind answering a few questions to profile their new venture, and give us a glimpse into the hobby and the trade.
Bert: What gateway game(s) got you hooked on the 'German strategy' genre?
Dave and Pamela: It was a lot of the Ravensburger Games, especially Wildlife Adventure (Abenteuer Tierwelt). Others include Undercover, Hare and Tortoise, Dorado, Explore Europe, and Flying Carpet. Besides the wonderful strategy going on in each game, we also really enjoyed the beautiful boards, the quality pieces, and the storage of the pieces. Of course, when Settlers of Catan came out it was icing on the cake, and we have forever been hooked!
Bert: What were your occupations before starting this company?
Dave: From 1985 to 1994, I was a Computer Programmer & Systems Analyst for a couple of large corporations. Our first child was born in April of 1994 and I became a full-time stay-at-home dad from 1994 until September of 2003 (we had two more babies: one in 1995 and one in 1997!). That, by far, has been and will always be the greatest 'job' I will ever have. But now that our youngest is in 1st grade this year, it has allowed us to pursue this current venture.
Pamela: I am a research scientist at the University of Colorado. For the 9 years that Dave was "Mr. Mom," I was on a diligent career path, working 60+ hours a week in the field of human cardiovascular physiology. After some deep soul-searching and lots of prayers for guidance, I finally made the decision to change my focus and pursue a more family-friendly lifestyle. I'm still working part-time at CU, but my primary roles now are mom/wife, and assisting Dave with our business.
Bert: With such low prices on your games [which is what initially drew me to order from your website], how are you able to stay profitable? Do either of you work at another job to supplement your income?
Dave: As far as profits go, we will not be profitable in the 1st year, with website design costs, initial set-up, equipment, computers, etc.
One reason our prices are so low is because that is what I looked for when I was shopping for games. Then, if the company had good customer service, I would be hooked with them even if the prices fluctuated a bit. Of course, a wide variety and selection are important, and we are working on that. When we started up in early October, we had only 75 or so games from which to choose. Currently, we are at 450+ and hope to be at 1000 by the end of our 1st year.
Pamela: Because I am still half-time at the University of Colorado, we have a steady (but smaller!) income with benefits. It's enough to support our important bills like mortgage, food, heat, etc. We're living a little leaner now, but having more time together as a family and less work-related stress is worth it. Our ultimate goal is that Time Well Spent, Inc. will become profitable enough to support us.
Bert: When recommending games to 'newbies,' typically what games do you suggest to start with?
Dave and Pamela: If they have elementary age children and they are wanting advice on good games to introduce to their children, we usually suggest games like Rat-a-tat Cat (Gamewright), Rivers, Roads, & Rails (Ravensburger), Set (Set Enterprises), Pig Pile (R&R games), TransAmerica, King's Breakfast and Mamma Mia (Rio Grande).
If we have new adult or teen-age guests coming to our gaming nights, we like to introduce them to games like Wildlife Adventure, Show Manager, Traumfabrik, Bohnanza, Cartegena, Crokinole, or Medici. Unfortunately, some of these games are out of print, but we still love to play them. On their second gaming night, we might then introduce them to more involved strategy games like Settlers of Catan, Puerto Rico, Ra, or Union Pacific.
If they seem a little tentative when we tell them about the above games we usually try some fun, light games or party games like Pit, 25 Words or Less, Barbarossa, Ghost Party, Pass the Bomb, Take it Easy, Can't Stop, or Call My Bluff (Liar's Dice). Younger kids enjoy some of these too.
Of course, in the 2 person variety you can't go wrong with Lost Cites, Balloon Cup, or Crokinole. [Bert and Meg agree]
Bert: You mention on your website that you have three children. Being a new father myself, I am interested to know how you approach the challenge of shuffling parenthood and this new business venture.
Dave: Actually, that is the best part about doing this online company. Though the hours at start-up have been long, we can be very flexible with those work hours. We can take the kids to school, pick them up, coach the kids, help out with scouts, brownies, church activities, help in the kids classroom, etc. If a child is sick we are home, if the kids are off of school because of 'teacher development days,' we don't need to make special arrangements.
Pamela: As I mentioned above, the primary reason for changing my career path was to spend more time with my family. This start-up phase of our business has been tough because it requires long hours. But because we work from home and we're our own boss, we have the flexibility to be there when our children need us (24/7). For the first time this year, I'm actually getting my kids off to school, volunteering in their classrooms, seeing their sweet little faces when I meet them after school, and carpooling to their various activities. It's a whole new world for me, and I love that I have the opportunity to do it. I do miss my husband when he works 12-14 hours a day (even though he's in the same house, he's very busy!), but we expect the hours to be more reasonable when we get settled in with this business. And I can interrupt him when I need to!
Bert: From your experience in starting your own business, what advice would you offer to first time entrepreneurs?
Dave: Whatever excess cash you planned on needing to meet the 'unplanned items' at start up, double that amount. Because no matter how great your planning is, there are things you could not anticipate or plan for, but are items important and necessary for your business to succeed. With now stating that, we are a long way from making this a success.
More important than that is that you should pursue something you are passionate about and will enjoy. Even when the work load is heavy and difficult situations arise, the love of what you are doing will pull you through those times. Just as important is your service to the customer. It is especially important in the online business. The large majority of customers never get to meet you in person, so it is important to do that 'little extra' something to make sure they know that they are an important customer and you want to make them happy.
Pamela: Be patient and don't give up. Seek help and advice from friends, family, and experts. Our friends and family (some of whom are also experts in various areas we've needed!) have been extremely valuable to us. They've provided excellent advice and support. And I ditto Dave's comment: pursue something you are passionate about and will enjoy! Our first and foremost goal is to provide a customer-oriented, friendly business. We hope we can convey that even though we're doing business on-line, which removes some of the "personal" feel of who we are. We've tried to add some personal information in the "about us" section of our web site. We'll eventually have a picture of our family there, and we'll constantly update the "friendly" touches to the site.
Thanks to Dave and Pamela for taking the time out of their very busy schedules to be interviewed. We wish them the best for their family and their new business!
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