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Yottaquest- an American small business success story!

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YottaQuest Fantasy Gaming Let’s start by saying thanks to Matthew Fay, the owner of Yottaquest, for his time in answering some questions about his shop and his success story.

YottaQuest, LLC
7607 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
45231
513-923-1985

1)Today we hear a lot of economic gloom and doom, and most of it frankly has good reasoning behind it; However, America is still the land of opportunity even for small retailing stores for owners who work both hard and smart. One of these in the Cincinnati area is Matt Fay owner of Yottaquest, a specialty retailer, dealing mostly in games.

Matthew Fay: Our store is a specialty retail store, but it is also very much a service business. Our customers actually refer to Yottaquest as” their” game store; they have taken “ownership” of the experience here. This is a community where they belong.

2)Tell about some of your store’s prestigious awards:

Matthew Fay: Yottaquest won Goodman Games award of being
“America’s Favorite Game Store.” The City of Mount Healthy has declared a Matthew Fay day.

3)What was your idea for the store?

Matthew Fay: One day I just wanted a game store-How hard can it be? I made many mistakes, but I learned from each one of them very quickly; I had no choice. . I talked to all sorts of people, other game store owners, distributors, game designers, and gamers/customers. I asked, “What did they like about a store.” I also drew on my prior experience. I worked at a White Castle and I learned about customer service there. From my time in the US Navy, I learned how to lead people.

4)Let’s go back to the beginning; one thing every prospective new business owner wants to know is how did you raise the initial cash to launch the store?

Matthew Fay: I used a home equity loan to raise the initial capital, but that went pretty fast. I also had signature loans and things like that to help get me through. Mostly, I had help from my family, my parents, who helped me when I was at the store a great deal of the time and my children who began as “unpaid labor.” Yottaquest truly is a family store.

5)The first 6 months to a year is vital when did you know that “Hey, I think we’re off and running?

Matthew Fay: Part of the success is when I learned to say no. Some times I said no to things repeatedly. If I wanted or needed something, then I did the research, and then went out to purchase game lines or equipment, anything.
I really think our 5 year anniversary was the day that I thought,” we are up and running.” Our sales tripled our best day ever, but I put all that money back into the business.

6)How important is networking for your business?

Matthew Fay: Well, I am President of the Mount Healthy Business Association, President of the Northwest Kiwanis, Active in American Legion, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Free Masons, A mentor in GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) , and Co-Leader of Celebrate Mount Healthy, and a member of the Better Business Bureau. Being a member of these groups is like taking a college class in business, I have learned a lot and continue to learn.

6)You seem to have a specialized clientele, what is your approach to customer service?

Matthew Fay: This business is a service industry. You are servicing the gaming community. Another group I sponsor through meetup.com is the local gaming community in our area. This store provides a place for like minded people to meet, and meet and play, that’s what this is all about. One of the biggest hurdles in playing games is finding people to play with, Yottaquest fills that need.

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Guide to Choosing Passwords for Your SMB

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Guide to Choosing Passwords for Your SMB
Security is becoming more and more important these days, especially when it comes to protecting your business. Good passwords can make or break your computer systems, but how do you know what a good password is? And one you do, what else can you do to take further steps to protect your passwords from hackers, untrustworthy employees, and others who are up to no good? Here are a few easy guidelines that SMB owners can use to protect their companies, employees, and their own personal information:

  • Password Length – According to David Campbell, a security consultant, passwords should be made up of 12 characters. It would cost a criminal approximately $1.5 million of hacking with an application to successfully break a a 12-character password. Some recommend using a mnemonic device so you can easily remember a longer password, even repeating one if need be.

  • Don’t Mix Business & Pleasure – You don’t want your entire company to know your dog’s name is your password for your work email system, as well as your Facebook account. This could cause all sorts of problems. Chances are, no one in your company will ever need to know your passwords, but if they are able to uncover them, do you want them snooping around your personal life, as well as your professional life?

  • Never Write Your Password Down – If you keep a log of all of your passwords at your desk, or the information is stuck on sticky notes all around your cubicle, it wouldn’t be hard for a an employee to sneak over and glance at your information. As a matter of fact, most SMBs tend to have employees located in close quarters, making this an easier way for someone to get a hold of your password information.

  • Never Give Your Password to Anyone – No one in your company should ever ask for your password. Administrators should be able to reset your password without knowing what it is. If someone from your IT department asks for your password, no matter how small your company is, something is probably up.

  • Remind your employees – They may get tired of hearing you tell them to “be careful” but ultimately it is your duty to protect your business. Remind your employees of these tips and any others you cant think of, often. One wrong move and it could cost your company thousands of dollars.