Help w/ statistics
 

As some of you know, I am in the early stages of attempting to start my own business (a used DVD store). What I am looking for is anything that would help me out as far as presenting numbers that would help lend credence to my idealistic notion that this will succeed. Documented numbers showing things such as the growth of home entertainment, success of similar businesses (video game staores), etc.
<P>Could anybody point me in the right direction?

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Open your shop in a place where there is no pre-existing competition. If there is a Blockbuster or the like in town, forget it.

i agree with FT. although it's obviously something you'd want to look into, if it means you have to drive a little bit farther to find a prime location, it'll be worth it.

i don't think people would want to drive a bit farther to a blockbuster or hollywood video if they know of a "good" video store with a person who KNOWS their movies behind the counter closer by them.

You MIGHT find some useful info here....
http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp

Yeah, Video Business has stats regarding the growth of DVD sales in the past seven years - also search the New York Times for stories about DVD's explosive growth.

I'll assume that you want these stats to add to your business plan for investors.

Oh yeah, make sure you know what a business plan is, and know how to write one. Remember, investors are only interested in their exit strategy, not any details about how cool the store will be.

And if you're looking for investors, e-mail me with some details.

Thanks for the link MrE. I've received their magazine in past positions and have been meaning to get a home subscription. Hopefully I can find some of what I'm looking for!

Jough -- I'm in the early early stages (learning what I need for the business plan, etc.). Dropping you an e-mail for any help you can offer -- thank you!

Actually, one location I'm starting to research is across the street from a Hollywood and down the street from Family Video. I'm not looking to open a rental store (yet . . . that's down the line). But I actually would benefit greatly from rental stores being nearby, particularly high traffic ones.

Only if you can offer everything they do plus some, which can be tough.

You can carry more obscure titles, but that won't keep you in business I'd garner that hardcore movie buffs that are in to obscure art films probably buy more than they rent.

You can probably offer cheaper rentals, that's a plus.

But it will be tough to match other things, like guaranteed in stock titles as it's costly to buy that many copies of every big new release.

Point being, I'd think a more isolated location would be better. For instance, I rent from a little mom and pop place, even though the prices are about the same, and the selection/quantities not as good as the chains, because I can walk to it. And this place is always busy as it's near a huge apartment complex, and a ton of town homes.

I went to college in a town with only a single video store. They were always very busy and luckily they stocked a lot of mainland chinese titles and other obscure stuff that pretty much only a handful of people rented, so I always had things to watch.

Still, a small college town without a video store is a good bet. A friend and former business partner just opened a CD store (he also sells some DVDs) in such a town and has had a hard time keeping inventory on the shelves (such a problem!).

I'm not intending to offer rentals. This will a DVD store along the same concept as a Game eXchange/Stop/Crazy (whatever you have near by). And since the chains don't buy or trade movies (save BB's limited deal) I think it is a wide open market.
<P>I would, one day, like to own a rental store however this is not intended to be it. This will hopefully lead to that -- but an entirely different marketing strategy and location would be needed.