BCA Insider - 2018 Holiday Edition

BCA Holiday Issue | November 1, 2018

UNWRAPPING THE TRADE WARS THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA DURING THE HOLIDAYS THE 12 TIPS OF CHRISTMAS BCA Insider – A BCA Member Publication Dedicated to Businesses in the Billiard and Home Leisure Industry.

Anthony Stoeckert

The Twelve Tips of Christmas

20 John Tuttle

The Power of Social Media During the Holidays

26 Michael Bodley

Unwrapping the Trade Wars

40 2 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

08 12 16 30 34 48 50 54 58 62

Billiards’ Top Youngsters Ready For Battle

By Keith Loria Goettlicher and Lee Honored by BCA

By Ron Winkler Tis the Season for Temporary Employees

By Anthony Stoeckert BCA Awards Products of the Year

By Charles S. Donnavan His Life’s Work

By Anthony Stoeckert BCA Partners with Synchrony Financial

By BCA Insider Staff The Expo Shines in the Big Easy

By Keith Loria Get Your Marketing in High Gear

By Lynn Switanowski BCA Welcomes Two to HOF

By Keith Loria 4 Tips to Improve Sales

By Brian Offenberger

BCA Expo Booth 625

The Winning Combination

OPENING LETTER EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keith Loria billiardskeith@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Lynn Switanowski

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Bodley Charles S. Donnavan Brian Offenberger Anthony Stoeckert Lynn Switanowski John Tuttle RonWinkler

ADVERTISING MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Shane Tyree shane@bca-pool.com (303) 243-5070 x23

DESIGN/LAYOUT ART DIRECTOR

Is it already the holiday season? I guess it is, but it feels like just yesterday I was sitting at Café Du Monde in the French Quarter sneaking in a few beignets for my second lunch of the day before I headed back to wrap up the 2018 BCA Expo!

For me, the annual BCA Expo is always a whirlwind of an event. Everyone is in constant motion, from networking and making deals, to enjoying the social events and the sights of the city. Even in a city as spread out as New Orleans is, every time I turned a corner I ran into another member wanting to talk about business, the state of the industry, or what all they were doing in The Big Easy. And, while I might crawl in a dark room for a few days after the Expo to decompress and collect my thoughts, the information I get from talking to so many members is invaluable for the BCA and me.

During the Expo in New Orleans, one of the hot-button topics being discussed was how the potentially new tariffs and trade wars are going to impact the billiard and home leisure industry. The more people I spoke with, the more it became apparent there is a lot of confusion on this topic. Nobody seems to really understand how much of a threat this is to our industry.

So, while we will still provide you with tips to increase your holiday traffic in this Holiday Edition of the BCA Insider, we also dig deeper to find out what’s really going on with these new tariffs and how they could directly impact our industry. We also have a great article on managing your social media presence during the holidays – one thing is constant with social media marketing and that’s that you need to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing tactics.

Let the sleigh bells and cash registers ring! Happy Holidays!

Julie Snee julie.snee@gmail.com

BCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Brian Igielski, GLD Products

VICE-CHAIRMAN Wes Bond, Cue & Case Sales

SECRETARY Dan Pucci, American Heritage Billiards

SHANE TYREE,

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

TREASURER Brian Rosselli, Olhausen Mfg

BOARD MEMBERS Ivan Lee, Iwan Simonis Kim Morrison-Murdock, International Billiards Chance Pack, Champion Shuffleboard David Piha, Greater Southern Home Recreation Ozzy Reynolds, Cuesports International

4 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

PS – Included in this magazine is your 2019 BCA membership dues invoice and a return envelope. However, if you like saving money, you can go online to BCAPool.com, log in to your membership profile and renew online immediately. To receive a $10 discount, simply put BCAInsider2019 in the promocode box.

BCA Insider is published by Billiard Congress of America © 2018 bcainsider.com

8

Perfect for cut-throat!

Two is company.

Three is tri-ball.

8

www.triball.global

+1 866 990 4440

feedback@triball.global

"Quality and Value…Redefined." w w w.TOLTECLTG.com Tel: 800-722-0601 • Fax: 800-875-9526 • sales@toltecltg.com

BILLIARDS’ TOP YOUNGSTERS READY FOR BATTLE AT THE ACC

By Keith Loria The fourth annual Atlantic Challenge Cup will be held Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with some of the world’s top young players competing and showing the future of the sport is strong.

More than 100 people were nominated this year, and while the selection process wasn’t easy, Johnson says the selection committee did their due diligence and has chosen a great team to compete against Team Europe.

“The ACC provides an additional platform to showcase top junior pool players from both the United States and Europe,” says Rob Johnson, the Billiard Congress of America’s CEO. “The future of the game lies in our ability to develop tomorrow’s players. The prestige of competing in an event of this magnitude will further promote the game to today’s youth.

Our sport needs positive exposure, and this is the ideal vehicle to meet such a need.”

“When both teams finally do get together and compete, it’s very special,” Johnson says. “The sportsmanship, and the composure in which these junior players hold themselves is nothing short of world class. These are amazing athletes who practice, train and take this event and the game very seriously. For those who do take the opportunity to see and experience this event, whether it’s live or on the livestream, they get to witness an event they’ll never forget.”

The ACC is done in a Mosconi Cup-style event. Six players on each team, four boys and two girls, battle it out on an annual basis to see who has bragging rights across the Atlantic.

The event is the result of a joint venture between the BCA and the European Pocket Billiard Federation.

The legendary Allison Fisher will serve as captain for Team USA this year, and she will guide a squad that is led by Atlantic Challenge Cup veterans Shane Wolford and April Larson.

All the league systems, instructors, individuals or companies that work with junior competitors can nominate a player they believe worthy of consideration to be on Team USA. The ACC team selection committee then researches and reviews all nominees in order to select the best team possible.

8 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“I personally think it’s a great addition to a team when there is experience among the players,” Fisher says. “Both April and Shane have been ACC players over the last few years and will aid in sharing their experience and knowledge with the new players on the team who are here for the first time. The fact that Shane and April compete every chance they get is an asset in this event. They are used to tough competition and competing against great players from all over the world.”

The U.S. team also includes Junior National 9-Ball Champions Kaiden Hunkins (U16), Joey Tate (U14), and Michelle Jiang (U18), as well as longtime junior standout Justin Martin.

“I am extremely excited to see what these players can do,” Fisher says. “Kaiden won the U16 division at the BEF championship and I was extremely impressed with the way he carried himself throughout the time I was there. He is a mature player for 16 and I’m hoping for great things in his pool career.”

While 13-year-old Tate is on the younger side of competitors, Fisher calls him a fierce competitor who has already competed at a world level in Russia last year.

“His father has spent a lot of time teaching him and he is like a sponge for knowledge,” she says. “I believe he is ready to do some damage in this competition.”

Fisher calls Jiang a no-brainer for this year’s ACC following a U18 victory over Larson earlier this year.

“She has a nice even temperament and will partner well with April,” Fisher says. “The final pick is Justin Martin who didn’t compete at this year’s BEF Championship because he is too old. Justin is 19 and has been competing for three years reaching an extremely high standard with his game. I like the fact we have Shane and Justin as our older team members especially when all of the European team are 18 years old.We have a team for now and are building a team for the future.”

Tomas Brikmanis, the European Pocket Billiard Federation’s youth sports director, will lead Team Europe, which has won each of the first three ACC cups.

The 2018 European team consists of Russia’s Fedor Gorst, Poland’s Wiktor Zielinski, Netherland’s Jan van Lierop, and Germany’s Patrick Hofmann. On the girls’ side are Russia’s Valeriia Trushevskaya and Poland’s Weronika Karwik. Zielinski and Hofman have qualified for the European team for the second year in a row and both played key roles in last year’s victory, with Zielinski pocketing the last 9-Ball for the team win and Hofman returning as the 2017 MVP. Fisher feels the U.S. squad is not just a great team of individual players, but a cohesive team who will inspire and push each other to achieve a great result.

“This team was chosen for their abilities to compete at this level, as they are all champions, and because they have demonstrated a genuine respect and passion for the game.

They are well mannered, disciplined and respectful,” she says.

“They will be great representatives of Team USA as well as themselves and I really hope other juniors will be inspired by what they see.”

10 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

Joey Tate

Michelle Jiang

Kaiden Hunkins

April Larson

Shane Wolford

Justin Martin

BCAINSIDER.COM | 11

GOETTLICHER AND LEE HONORED BY BCA

By RonWinkler Last year, when the Professional Billiard Instruction Association presented its inaugural Instructor of the Year Award, it was given to Jerry Briesath. Then the PBIA named the award in Briesath’s honor.

“It started out a year ago with Jerry Briesath,” says Gary Nelson, PBIA Instructor Committee Chair. “Jerry was responsible for getting the PBIA off the ground, and at that time, of course, it wasn’t the PBIA, it was the BCA Instructors Program. Jerry Briesath has probably done more than anybody else to get this thing organized, professionalized and certainly recognized within the BCA world and the pool world as professional instructors who are available to the public.”

Briesath was the man behind creating the program, and he has dedicated his life to educating others about the sport.

“Nothing brings a player back to a billiard room or a bar more than improvement,” Briesath says. “It’s no different than golf.

You give someone some good basics and they start improving, and they can’t wait to play again and it builds the industry. The more players we get, the more others will want to get involved.”

That makes it most fitting that the second PBIA Instructor of the Year Award, now known as the Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year Award, was presented to one of Briesath’s protégés, Randy Goettlicher.

the most honest, forward, caring person and sets such a good example for all of us.”

Goettlicher is one of the original four Master Instructors who were certified by the Billiard of Congress of America, along with Briesath, Leslie Rogers and Richard Rohr, and he remains a steadfast supporter of the sport of pool.

Known as Randy G., Goettlicher runs his own school, RandyG’s Pool School in Dallas, and graduates hundreds of students and certified instructors. The school offers lessons to experienced players who want to improve their game, and also to people who are just starting out and want to accelerate their skills. Lessons are offered in Dallas, or at locations near the students.

“Randy’s been around a long time, 20, 30 years, Nelson says.

“And in addition to having a very successful pool school in Fort Worth-Dallas, Texas, Randy has got one of the most recognized traveling schools throughout the United States.”

Other highlights of Goettlicher’s career including establishing the Southwest Eight Ball League, one of the largest BCA-sanctioned leagues in the world, in 1983.

“Randy enjoys a good reputation,” Nelson adds. “I’ve been around a while, not as long as Randy, but everywhere I go, everybody knows Randy, and has a very good opinion of him.”

“I was just overjoyed. This is a great award – the equivalent to the players Hall of Fame since we are not eligible,” he says.

“Many of the pro players came over and sat with me after and told me it was well deserved and I was really happy, even more so a couple of hours later when it really steeped in.”

Goettlicher served a three-year term on the BCA Board of Directors. During that time, he was the chairperson of the League and Program Committee. During Goettlicher’s tenure, membership in the BCA league system increased from 20,000 to 50,000 pool players.

And of course, he credits Briesath with being a big part of his accomplishments.

He also has served on the BCA Rules Committee, and ran a league system in the Southwest. He is one of the founders of the Texas Express Promotions group, and he traveled the country for a decade, running up to 25 tournaments a year.

“If it wasn’t for Jerry, I would not be here. In 1965, I taught my first student but after meeting with Jerry, I learned I still had a lot to learn and do,” Goettlicher says. “He’s not only my mentor, but my good friend and golf companion. Jerry is 12 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

Goettlicher and his wife, Karen, developed the Scotch-Doubles team play format that is now popular world-wide.

An ambassador of the game, Goettlicher traveled to China a few years ago to develop teaching and league strategies for the Chinese government.

“It’s important for other instructors to know, ‘Hey look what somebody else has achieved, and this can set goals and standards for which I can set my own progress by,’” Nelson says.

“It was a great honor. I got the instructors ready in their universities to do a program and spent a lot of time in the government and discussed my feelings on league system operates and how I envisioned it operating. I’ve been all over the world teaching – Australia, New Zealand, etc. – China was a special trip.”

Reflecting on his career so far, Goettlicher’s most proud of the fact that of the 260 instructors currently working worldwide, approximately 90 percent of them were his students.

Nelson says Goettlicher exhibits the qualities the PBIA is looking for in recipients of the award.

“I think, first of all, you have to show a lot of dedication to the youth program as well as the general public and instruction of pool and billiards,” he says. “Randy has certainly exhibited that.

Randy has a great personality that fits the profile of somebody who’s deserving of an award like this. Randy is a part of our group where he has a background working with children.”

He adds that the award gives other teachers something to strive for, not just the award itself, but in meeting its standards as well.

“I know others will catch up with me, but I had a big head start,” he says. “I did not know how big this was going to be when I was 30 years old. As the time rolled on, I saw this as a way to make a very lucrative living, satisfy my ego and stay in the pool world at a very productive level.This is an important program and one that Jerry and I have worked hard to keep from faltering.”

IVAN LEE RECIPIENT OF PRESIDENT’S AWARD The BCA also awarded the 2017 President’s Award to Ivan Lee. Every year, the BCA’s chairman of the board of directors recognizes an outstanding individual who has made a positive impact on the industry, recognizing those that go above and beyond for the betterment of the industry. BCA Chairman Chance Pack chose Lee. “I awarded Ivan the President’s Award because of all he has given to the industry,” Pack says. “His personal and professional commitment to the industry is unmatched, which made him an easy choice for the award. He has given countless hours of volunteer work for the industry and he is a huge supporter of all aspects of the industry from the play side to the business side.”

Lee has been part of the billiard industry for more than 25 years, as president of Iwan Simonis North America, serving on the BCA Board of Directors for more than 13 years and being BCA board chairman five times.

“When I got on the board, there were many issues that needed to be dealt with,” Lee says. “In 2006, we had a complete transition of the BCA structure and then the economy collapsed in 2007. I was able to assist in guiding the BCA to calmer waters as the economy steadied and we have worked ever since to keep the BCA relevant to the membership as well as grow the services and support we offer to our members and the billiard industry as a whole.”

One of his greatest accomplishments, he says, was being part of the selection committee that found Rob Johnson to be the leader of the BCA.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 13

Lee’s industry contributions reach far beyond the BCA, including being a board member for the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) and the World-Pool Billiard Association (WPA).

Lee next moved to become the division manager of Atlas Billiard Supply in 2001 before becoming the president of Iwan Simonis North America in 2004.

“To me, this means that my peers see the integrity that I bring to the table,” Lee says. “It means that all of the years I have spent working for the betterment of the industry and the association have not gone unnoticed.”

“Ivan was our first general manager at Atlas Billiard Supplies, back in the pre-internet era,” says Richard Welch, owner of Atlas Billiard Supplies. “He was instrumental in getting our first website off the ground and expanding our presence in the cue-making fraternity. He introduced us to new materials and suppliers, and his personal friendships with many custom cue-makers helped us grow to be the premier supplier to the industry. As a long-standing member of the BCA, we congratulate him as a worthy recipient of the BCA President’s Award.”

Lee was honored to win the award and hopes to be remembered as a person of integrity and conviction who helped to move things forward.

“I am proud of the way that I do business,” Lee says. “I have worked for and run businesses that are invested in the sport and have not tried to con people to get them to buy my products. I have never had to feel uncomfortable for anything I have done or feel guilty that I gained at other’s expense.”

Lee began his billiard career working for Ray Schuler Custom Cues in 1991.

“Ivan hired me at Schuler Cues in 1995. He was always really fun to work with, and he knew just about everyone and everything in the billiard industry,” says Noel Mendoza, owner of P&L Custom Cues. “Ivan is a huge asset for the billiard industry, and I hope he will stay in the sport for many years to come as he still has a lot to contribute.”

14 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

In his role as president of Iwan Simonis North America, Lee has also positioned the company as one of the top sponsors and financial supporters in the industry. Simonis is involved with a host of national and local events, including several amateur leagues and their national events, the BCA Hall of Fame, the Professional Billiard Instructor Association (PBIA), the Mosconi Cup, Atlantic Challenge Cup (ACC), Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA), United States Billiard Association (USBA) and the BEF. “My business grows by educating the users, meaning players and sellers,” Lee says. “Our products are best-in-class our customer service is second to none. By focusing on our promise of superior value, we continue to grow.”

Visit Valley-Dynamo.com to experience our full product line

TIS THE SEASON FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

By Anthony Stoeckert During the busy holiday season, billiard store owners are likely to find themselves in need of additional staff in order to keep the shelves stocked and organized, the store clean, the phones answered, and the lines at the registers moving.

us to have more staff during the often busy holiday season.”

It’s a process that can be challenging.

When you hire regular staff at other, less busy, times of the year, you can be more deliberate in the hiring process and there’s also ample time to train employees.

“From the sales floor to the warehouse, additional staff during the holiday season provides more bodies on deck to support our team and our customers,” McIntire says. “Also, redundancy is key during these prime selling months.”

Ciarra McIntire, president of Universal Billiards, Inc., says hiring temporary employees for the holiday season is part of the process of getting ready for this very profitable, and sometimes chaotic, time of the year.

“We may not always be able to control the ups and downs of retail store traffic, but we can certainly control how prepared we are when there’s growth,” McIntire says. “As part of this preparation, it’s always been a good idea for 16 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

She adds that productive temporary employees can help all aspects of your store’s operations.

Patrick Murphy, co-owner of Kinney Billiard Sales, a family-owned business in Springfield, Missouri under the umbrella of Kinney Amusement andVending Company, says 2018 will be the first year the company is hiring seasonal employees.

“We have added a second location during this holiday season and the seasonal staff will help assist customers, merchandise the stores, clean and do data entry,” he says. “During

the interview process, we let all potential staff know that the positions are just seasonal and we plan on bringing them in mid-October for training, and their jobs will go until about mid-January.”

SET CLEAR TERMS Steve Miller, a Chicago-based attorney with the labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips, says one of the most important things to keep in mind is that temporary workers are employees, not independent contractors, and they need to be treated like any other member of your staff.

“You want to be sure that when you’re hiring your seasonal folks, that they are being properly classified as employees,” Miller says.

He adds that there are some situations where someone you bring on for the

holiday season could be classified as an independent contractor. One potential example is if you hired people to play Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves at a Santa’s Workshop-like setting. That’s because people playing those characters aren’t handling the same responsibilities as your regulars employees.

“Even then, you want to go through the usual hoops and have a signed agreement acknowledging that they are independent contractors,” Miller says.

Properly designating seasonal employees is important because with independent contractors, you may not have to pay payroll taxes, provide benefits, or pay for overtime.

“If somebody is found to be improperly classified as an independent contractor, the employer can be liable for those taxes and not paying overtime,” Miller says. “It’s very important to get the classifications correct. If you’re a retail store and you’re hiring more bodies to unpack boxes, stock shelves or ring people at the register, and they’re working alongside the regular employees and doing the same thing they’re doing, you’re probably not going to win the argument that these are independent contractors.”

DO YOUR PAPERWORK It’s also important that the hiring practice for temporary seasonal employees be the same as for your regular employees.

“Another thing you have to remember is that when you’re hiring your extra seasonal help, the same issues apply as to your regular employees with respect to documentation,” Miller says.

For example, temporary employees need to provide proof of their authorization to work in the United States.

You also want to inform them of any personnel policies, such as anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.

“You want to make sure that they are subject to, know about and are complying with, the same personnel policies that your regular employees are required to adhere to,” Miller says.

Another important step is to establish in writing the start and end dates of these workers’ employment.

“Make sure that you set those expectations in writing and that employees acknowledge they are being hired for a very limited window of time,” Miller says.

Also, be sure to acknowledge and establish that these employees’ statuses are at-will. This way, if you need to fire someone because of incompetence, lateness, or violation of any policies, they can’t claim they’re guaranteed to work until the agreed-upon end date.

FROM SEASONAL TO PERMANENT One great thing about hiring seasonal staff is that it becomes a talent pool for potential permanent employees. Let’s say you hire a temporary staffer who does such a good job that you want to add him or her to your staff of regulars.

This is something that McIntire says often happens.

“We use temporary job classifications with some of our holiday staff, but often those temporary positions

turn into permanent part-time and/ or full-time positions starting in the new year,” she says. “We communicate these terms clearly up front, and most of our holiday staff are excited to get their foot in the door. The best way to get a full-time position is to get in the door any way possible to show the company your worth.”

Miller says switching an employee’s status from seasonal to regular is pretty easy, just a matter of noting in their file that the seasonal period ended and that they’re being kept on as an employee.

Keep in mind that those weeks or months the employee worked for you during a temporary stint count toward their service to the company. So for example, if you offer benefits such as sick days or paid vacation time to employees who have worked for you for six months, and a temporary employee worked for a month and is brought on full time, he or she is entitled to those benefits after five more months.

Another option is to extend a temporary employment gig, but not make the employee a permanent staffer. But you need to know how long it takes before a temporary employee is legally considered a regular member of your staff.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS The growing economy has been in the news, and that’s a good thing for your business for lots of reasons. One negative you may hear about, though, is that with low unemployment, it’s going to be harder to find quality candidates for temporary jobs.

But there are plenty of excellent people who are looking for work, especially at this time of the year. Consider hiring people with full-time jobs who are looking to make some extra money during the holiday season. Someone who has been at a job a while, and who can provide references from an employer, is likely to make for a good adBCAINSIDER.COM | 17

dition to your staff. One potential negative is that these employees won’t be available to work for you when they’re at their full-time job, so make sure your schedules jibe.

BRING BACK FORMER EMPLOYEES Remember that great worker who left your ranks a year ago and moved on to other things? Well, they might be looking for some extra money during the Christmas season. It’s a great situation because you’ll be adding someone to your staff who doesn’t need a lot of training and who has a proven track record of success.

HIRE PEOPLE WHO CAN COME BACK There’s always a chance you’ll need temporary employees in the future.

Of course, you’ll need people during the 2019 holiday season, but there also could be times when regular employees take vacations, get sick, or have to deal with a family emergency.

Hire people who are open to returning to your staff in the future. Homemakers who want to earn some extra cash are one option, and so are college students, who likely can work for you

during spring break, the summer and next year at holiday time.

GET STARTED EARLY

BE PROPERLY STAFFED

This year’s holiday rush is upon us, but when future circumstances that call for temporary employees arise, it’s best to get started early. This allows for diligence in the hiring process and also gives you more time to train these new employees.

You very well may not need to bring in temporary employees to get you through the Christmas rush, but you should be certain that you have all the workers you need during this crucial time of year.

“While I haven’t added seasonal employees before, I do make sure that if I’ve been running short, that I get back to normal before Christmas,” says Kim Morrison Murdock of International Billiards. “However, everyone I hire is on a 90-day probation period. I know that not every employee is a good fit.

We are lucky in that we have a low turnover rate. Our most frequent employee loss is due to them finishing school and pursuing their obtained degree profession.”

ASSIGN TASKS THEY CAN HANDLE Regular employees often start off doing one thing, and then you add to their duties as they show more responsibility.

Slower times of the year also allow you to really keep an eye on new staffers.

There’s less room for error and supervision at holiday season, so temporary employees need to get right to work.

Give them specific tasks that are easy but important – stocking shelves, organizing a warehouse or keeping a showroom clean and organized.

Also be sure to keep an eye on these employees’ progress so that you can determine what other tasks they can do well. And of course, you can hire people with retail experience to lower the learning curve.

18 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“Every year is like riding a different wave,” McIntire says. “Sometimes the rush starts as early as September, other years it can be November. We start looking at the top of Q4, and then we rush the process if store traffic is beginning to pick up.”

SET EXPECTATIONS Just like any employee, seasonal workers need to know exactly what your goals for them are. Obviously, you need to make clear what their responsibilities are, but also important is establishing how many hours you’ll need them to work, and which days you need them.

If, for example, a candidate isn’t able to work weekends, that’s likely not a good fit at this time of year. Let candidates know which days they are expected to work, then if they join your staff, but then can’t work those days, you have reason to sit down with them and make a change if necessary.

SET UP AN EXIT INTERVIEW After the holiday season is over, sit down with your temporary people who are moving on, and talk with them about their experience. This not only can help you keep a file of candidates for future temporary gigs, but also gives you a chance to learn what these employees liked and didn’t like about working for you, which will lead to you making smart hiring decisions, for both temporary and regular workers, in the future.

TWELVE TIPS CHRISTMAS

By Anthony Stoeckert

Attention all billiard retailers, you better be prepared for the holiday rush, because it’s on its way.

It is the busiest, most vital time of the year in the retail industry.

Starting on Black Friday and continuing right up until Christmas Eve, you can expect lots of customers shopping at your store, and also clicking away on their keyboards as they fill their virtual shopping carts with goods they order from your website.

20 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

Studies show that the holiday shopping season accounts for 20 percent of retail sales annually. And all signs point to this season being very busy, indeed. The weeks leading up to Christmas last year saw the most robust spending in years, with a 5.5 percent increase over 2016.That represented the largest improvement since 2010 and its 5.2 percent increase compared to 2009. Boosted by an improving economy, low unemployment and high consumer confidence, consumers spent $691.9 bil-

lion last year, including $138 billion spent online, an increase of 11.5 percent in virtual shopping compared to 2017.

opportunity to sell billiard lights or even another game, like foosball or shuffleboard.

This year could be even bigger. Increased consumer spending, an unemployment rate under 4 percent and a strong stock market all point to a very merry holiday season for business owners.

A different approach is needed for someone who’s looking for a gift for someone who already owns a table. Try to get a sense of how serious a player the gift receiver is and what accessories they might need. And of course, a different approach is needed for experienced players who know about the game and the latest equipment.

But no matter how good the economy is, billiard retailers can’t just sit back and wait for the customers to come to them. If consumers are spending more, that means there will be fierce competition for shoppers’ dollars – from other billiard retailers, big chain stores, and online outlets.

Then there’s the matter of making sales to people who don’t know much about billiards, and are looking for a present for a friend or relative. Getting the most out of the holidays is a challenge, and these tips can help you have a very happy holiday.

TRAIN YOUR STAFF Hiring the right employees is one of the best steps you can take to keep your cash register ringing throughout the holiday season. Make sure everyone is knowledgeable about your merchandise, especially the hot new items people are looking for.

Your employees should create a friendly, welcoming and helpful atmosphere. It’s not enough for your salespeople to know the merchandise, they also have to be patient and know how to explain things to customers. One great way to keep employees productive and helpful is to make sure they’re happy. Buying everyone coffee or treating them to lunch on a particularly busy day can go a long way. Bonuses are sure to be appreciated, and so is a party.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS Get a sense of what shoppers want.

If someone is looking to buy a table for their spouse, it’s a great opportunity that can’t be wasted. Get an idea of what their budget is, and don’t try to sell them a table that’s out of their range. Not everyone is looking for a tournament-quality table, and showing someone a $4,000 table when they’re looking to spend less might scare them off. Do they simply want a table that’s going into a basement or a spare room, or are they looking to create a game room? There could be an

GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT Decorating your store during the holidays is a must. A tastefully decorated Christmas tree always creates a festive scene. Hang lights and put out fun decorations: Santa, reindeer, elves, snowy scenes. Candy canes are very affordable, so buy a bunch of them and offer them to all customers – especially kids. Offering snacks like cookies, candy, coffee and hot cider is not only friendly, it can curb appetites of customers who are hungry, and keep them in the store longer because a snack can take their minds off lunch or dinner for a while. Also add decorations for other holidays, a menorah for Hanukkah, a baby NewYear, and decorations for other holidays. Play Christmas songs over your sound system, whether it’s via CDs or a local radio station that plays holiday music during the season.

GET FLASHY WITH YOUR SALES Flash sales are a terrific way to move merchandise, especially online. Promote items at the best possible price for a few hours, and limit the number you’re willing to sell at that price if you need to. Send the message that these next few hours are the only opportunity to buy that great cue, rack, lighting system, or ball set at this amazing price. If you have a table on your display floor that isn’t selling, consider offering it at a bargain price for a few hours.You may not sell it at the ideal price, but a sale is a sale, and selling a table to someone creates an opportunity to establish a long-term relationship with a customer.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 21

PROMOTE GREAT PRODUCTS This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised to learn how many stores don’t seize the opportunity to get the word out about their best and most popular products. If there’s a hot item on the market, like a new pool cue or set of balls, make sure your customers know you have it in stock. Run ads, post it on social media complete with pictures, and display it prominently in the store. If your stock in a particular product is running low, spread the word on your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so that people are motivated to get to your store. Focus your promotions on quality and what people want to buy. Don’t get obsessed with selling merchandise that isn’t moving or items that are particularly expensive. The best way to make sales is to sell people what they want.

PROMOTE COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS A great opportunity exists when stores have a popular item in stock. For example, when selling pool cues, promote a popular, innovative bridge, or a stylish rack to go with it. If a customer is buying new cloth, promote your other pool-table repair services, or even new chalk in a color that matches the cloth. It’s not a major transaction, but small sales can add up, especially at this time of year. Promote items big and small, customers are likely to buy inexpensive accessories as stocking stuffers for billiard players on their list, and letting them know about costlier items plants the seeds for future purchases.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA Keep your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram platforms busy. Obviously, you’re going to post details about sales and new products that are coming in, but there are lots of ways to promote your business, and share a little holiday spirit while you’re at it. Post pictures of your decorated store before opening on Black Friday. Ask customers if you can take pictures of them holding up their purchases and use a hashtag like #weloveourcustomers. Get your followers involved with your social media 22 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

through polls, and asking them what’s the best gift they ever received, or gave, their favorite kind of Christmas cookie, or what’s their favorite Christmas song or holiday special. Get creative and have fun.

DON’T FORGET YOUR WEBSITE Today’s most popular technologies are phones and tablets, which utilize social media and apps more than websites, but there are still plenty of people who will shop via your website, or look up information about products on an old-fashioned computer. Keep your site current and festive, but simple and easy to use. Update the homepage with a countdown to various holidays, not just Christmas but Hanukkah and New Year’s as well. Make it easy for people who visit your site to find your address, directions, phone number, and hours. Your website is especially important for Cyber Monday, which this year is set for November 26. Competing with the major online retailers is going to be a challenge on that day, but with smart sales strategies and the right promotion, there’s potential for some big sales.

OFFER GIFT CARDS OR GIFT CERTIFICATES You’re likely to get customers who are shopping for a pool-playing friend, but who ultimately can’t come to a decision on what to buy.

They aren’t confident that they’re picking out the right gift, and a gift card or certificate can easily solve that problem.

Promote your gift cards as something that allows billiard players to find the exact right accessory they’re looking for.

Gift cards are also a great option for customers who are late on their shopping, and didn’t get to your store until you sold out of what they were looking for.

HOLD A HOLIDAY PARTY Not for your staff, but for your customers. Arrange an event with food and music, but also showcase your merchandise through demonstrations. Have employees

set up stations where they can answer questions about different subjects. One station about tables and other games, one about sticks, balls, racks, and other accessories, one about pool table services, etc. Consider hiring a pro to make an appearance, and hold giveaways where you offer products, discounts, and other prizes.

STRATEGIZE WITH OTHER BUSINESSES IN YOUR AREA When people head outside to do their holiday shopping, they usually make a day of it (often, more than one day). This presents a terrific opportunity for businesses in the same community to team up and increase sales for everyone. Offer promotions and discounts for other businesses at your store, and have them promote your store at their establishment. Team up with area restaurants, where customers get a discount or free drink with a receipt from your store. Have a block party-type event in which businesses in the area offer a day of sales and discounts, treats and family-fun, like face painting. This makes your block, strip mall or neighborhood a destination to draw in new customers. Another important date to note is November 24. That’s small-business Saturday, and it’s an ideal day to team up with other independent retailers in your neighborhood.

STAY IN TOUCH WITH CUSTOMERS AFTER THE HOLIDAYS Adding new customers to your mailing list is a great way to add to your customer base. If someone buys a gift for a friend or relative from your store, follow up with an email highlighting new and popular items or whatever you have on sale. It’s also great to send out a personal email after the holidays, to ask if the recipient liked their gift, that you value their business and that you’re available to answer any questions or provide any information they’re looking for.

And once you’ve adopted these strategies to make the most out of the 2018 Christmas season, you can start planning on maintaining those relationships in 2019. The holiday shopping season marks the end of the year, but it can be the start of a new era for your billiard retail business.

poker tables... a winning hand!

MADE IN THE

U.S.A

Featuring

• Folding leg or pedestal-based • Furniture-quality northern hardwood • Kestell’s own Sur-Loc leg mechanism for safety and stability • “Tough-As-Nails” top coat for durability • Billiard cloth or vinyl upholstery in a variety of colors • Quality matching folding chairs to boost accessory sales

Phone: 920.898.4251 Fax: 920.898.4253

www.kestell-furniture.com sales@kestell-furniture.com

BCAINSIDER.COM | 23

The RackRack Most

Innovative Lorem ipsum

WHAT IS IT? It’s a rack....for your rack! The RackRack uses powerful neodymium magnets and an attractive steel plate to hang your triangle on the table.

They

make

a

Product of the Year

great gift.

Order now to ensure you have them in stock for the holiday gifting season!

Lorem ipsum

For ordering information, email us at MojoPoolUS@gmail.com, or call the number below. Additional product information can be found on our website, MojoPool.US.

Mojo www.MojoPool.US

Pool 512.731.3790

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA DURING THE HOLIDAYS

By John Tuttle By now, most billiard retailers understand the importance of social media for attracting new customers and keeping current customers up to date about all that’s happening in the store. But social media takes on even greater importance during the holidays, when savvy retailers are working to stay top-ofmind for consumers in an increasingly chaotic and crowded industry.

Not only should retailers be posting season-specific promotions and coupons to deal out on social media, but they also need to get out their brand messages in an effort to carry on a more long-term relationship with their customers. That means creating holiday-themed tweets, hashtags and Facebook posts that people will want to read.

26 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

Some ideas for success include asking your customers to share holiday-themed photos on Instagram with the store’s hashtag, promoting special deals or offering coupons across all social media and posting holiday giveaway contests on Facebook or Twitter.

Alex Membrillo, CEO of Cardinal Digital Marketing, says social media marketing can be a great way to generate customers into a brick-and-mortar retail location and he has several suggestions for those working in the billiard industry.

“Facebook offers ad promotions that are designed for non-online retailers,” he says. “These can target potential customers, showcase products with content and graphics, offer coupons to be

redeemed in-store and market special sales or offers.”

The ads can be set up to display based on factors including location, gender, and interest. And be sure to include “offer codes” so you can track where your sale generated from. For example, you could run promotions that are geared toward people who have listed billiards or pool as an interest.

“For holiday sales, you’re not necessarily targeting the end-user, but the person purchasing the product and that could include a parent, spouse, family member or friend,” Membrillo says. “Think of Facebook or Instagram ads as a digital billboard. They’re displaying to people in a certain loca-

tion who may have an interest in your product. You can set-up retargeting ads to continue to show to people who clicked on your ad. That helps keep your brand top-of-mind to potential consumers.”

THE RETAILERS SPEAK Stefanie Howard, owner of Kornerpocket Billiardz, Inc., Bothell, Washington, notes the store uses social media on a daily basis as a way to connect with people locally who might not otherwise be searching for a billiard store.

“They might see that their friends like us, so it gives us more credibility,” she says. “That’s important come holiday time when people are looking for gift ideas. The holiday season is a great time for utilizing social media as it helps us sell products quickly and be more accessible with live chats.”

Kim Morrison Murdock of Houston, Texas-based International Billiards, Inc., finds putting out closeout and floor model items on social media is a great way to move product – both during the holidays and other times during the year.

“We also sponsor a monthly workshop. We post it as well as promote it as an event on social media,” she says.

“While the workshop has only resulted in a few cue sales, I feel that it is more of a good will service. We do it every month, but we hope it will lead to some Christmas business.”

HANDLING THE ACCOUNTS Kornerpocket Billiardz handles all of its social media in-house. Howard did try out an independent social media company to help at one point, but felt doing it at the store made them more connected to their customers than the outside party could offer.

“Social media brings a closer interaction with our customers,” she says. “We have a weekly schedule of things that we post – deal of the week, related memes, history lessons, new products and special jobs we did. Customers can see that we are not only a store but real live people too, and we are not just out to get their money.”

Audra DelConte, owner of Royal Billiard & Recreation in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, understands how important social media can be to the business, which is why she hired outside help to handle the store’s accounts.

“We hired a twenty-something to keep us active on all the sites, because we just didn’t have the time to do it properly ourselves,” she says. “We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Pinterest, Houzz and others. These are all essential to be active on and I hired someone because I knew that I would fall behind in posting.”

At International Billiards, Murdock says the social media accounts are a team effort, and the store regularly engages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“I do most of the posts, but Eliza Cox, who is on our staff, does the picture layouts,” she says. “I have an outside person who also posts a few times a month, plus I have an analytics guru who watches that for me.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 27

TIPS FOR SUCCESS Social media can be used to promote and spread the awareness of any holiday-themed events, and retailers can share videos about billiards – be it people playing, tips and tricks or news from the industry.

One way to generate traffic in the store is to promote an event, such as a billiard tournament organized around holiday time. Offer free entry into the competition for anyone who screenshots and shares your post on their social media, and hype the event through that form of viral social sharing.

Hariraj Rathod, social media analyst at Numbertank, says social media is the perfect way to drive people into the store for some holiday shopping. He suggests starting with a content calendar wherein you list out all the possible contents that can be used to showcase various products available within the store.

“Use anywhere from six to 12 hashtags for an Instagram post and make sure all images are visually appealing,” he says. “Also, be active in terms of global

28 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

thought process when it comes to billiards. Make and prepare content for all crowds alike – professional, intermediate, entry and new players. Share and create a social media community regarding billiards.”

For example, he says a store should do a special social media post aimed at customers, asking them to describe their favorite billiard memory, and then post it on social media with captions and text. This will be read by family and friends and the post will reach more of your target audience who are looking for gift ideas.

Vlad Calus, co-founder of Planable, feels Facebook is the best site to drive people to the stores in December for holiday shopping.

“You can utilize Facebook ads to target specific people with the interests

specific to your store,” he says. “You should prepare social media content two weeks in advance of and anything related to your event. Also, I would organize a Facebook event and promote it heavily in my region and to my current audience on Facebook.”

Tim Absalikov, co-founder, and CEO of Lasting Trend, a digital marketing agency in New York, says local social media advertising should also be used.

“Use hashtags on Instagram and Twitter related to your local area,” he says.

“Also, make sure to tag your location in your posts and promote exclusive holiday specials through Instagram stories.”

For example, every follower who screenshots your exclusive Instagram story can get 20 percent off their next purchase.

“And make sure to utilize user-generated content,” Absalikov says. “Encourage people who visit your store to take pictures while there. You can use an exclusive promo to incentivize them to do it. This is especially great during the holidays.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 29

BCA AWARDS PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

By Charles S. Donnavan After the successful launch of the Innovative Product of the Year at last year’s BCA Billiard & Home Leisure Expo, the BCA once again invited companies to participate in a competition and showcase of their latest ideas at this year’s Expo.

To be eligible, products had to be introduced during the past 12 months.

Judging took place by a panel of leading retailers prior to the 2018 BCA Expo, and the products were judged on criteria focusing on innovation and potential success in the marketplace.

The RackRack by Mojo Pool took home top honors this year, winning first place.

Martin Burgess, of Mojo Pool, notes the RackRack is the only product of its kind on the market.

“Currently if you want to hang a triangle on your table you have two options, a hook or the RackRack,” he says. “Hooks are ugly and require putting a hole in the bottom of your table. The RackRack is virtually invisible so people don’t know it’s there, and if you use the included adhesive tape, it does not require drilling any holes into your table. It also holds the triangle firmly to the table so it’s always parallel to the rail.”

of it is the logo plate, which affixes to your triangle, but even then you’re only seeing it while you rack the balls.

3. It’s more convenient than wall racks because you can keep the triangle handy, right where you need it. With wall racks, people tend to get lazy and toss the triangle on the floor or on a table or chair somewhere.

“The accessory market in the billiards industry is flooded with all kinds of products already. So we want to stand out from the crowd with unique products that people have not seen before,” Burgess says. “We also want to create products that fill a void in the market. The RackRack was conceived from my need for a solution, and an inability to find anything that filled that need.”

Winning the top honor not only meant great exposure for the RackRack, but it kickstarted sales considerably. After the announcement was made on the first day of the Expo, Burgess had lots of visitors to the booth wanting to know what the product was all about. And the judges were great about bringing people over as well.

1. You don’t have to put any holes in your table.

“It has also meant a lot to me to know that fellow billiard enthusiasts liked the idea and understood it,” Burgess says.

“I had showed my idea to a number of stores locally and the response was not as positive as I had hoped. So, this award really affirmed my belief that I had a great idea and a product that people would want.”

2. It’s a more attractive option than hooks, as it’s hidden on the underside of the table. In fact, the only visible portion

Also receiving honors at this year’s competition was the Flipout! by American Heritage Billiards and McDermott

Hanging the triangle on the table provides multiple benefits.

30 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

H-Series Cues by McDermott Handcrafted Custom Cues.

“FlipOut! is a brand-new game that’s been described as a mix between Hungry, Hungry Hippos, pinball, and Crossfire,” says Dan Pucci, director of sales for American Heritage Billiards. “We really wanted to take elements of a few popular games that we all know and love and create something brand-new for everyone to enjoy. The game was designed purely for the intention to help friends and family share great memories together in a quick, fun, game that lends itself to friendly competition.”

Pucci says that as an industry leader, American Heritage Billiards feels a responsibility to its retail partners and mutual end-consumers to bring new, exciting products to the market that help reach and entertain customers.

Greg Knight, CEO of McDermott Handcrafted Custom Cues, says to his knowledge, the McDermott H-Series Cues are the first cues that allow the player to position the weight bolt in the butt of the cue at any point between the bumper and joint, which allows for a perfectly weighted and balanced cue.

“With traditional cue construction methods, you can add or remove weight through the bumper end of the cue to achieve either the desired weight or the desired balance point but not both,” he says. “This weight system, which we call our Variable Balance Point (VBP) system, lets the player have complete control over the cue’s weight and balance point.”

Therefore, a player who likes a forward-weighted cue can slide the weight up all the way to the joint if that’s what he or she wants. Someone who prefers to have the balance point further back can slide the weight all the way to the butt.

“Players can also put the weight anywhere in between those two points; that unlimited control is what the H-Series gives them,” Knight says. “A perfectly balanced cue will feel like it is floating in a player’s hand. This pro-

motes proper stroke mechanics and enhanced feedback.”

Last year, the top prize went to American Heritage for its Duel Height Stools (Ashley and Brandon models). The Ashley retails at $129.95 and the Brandon retails at $149.95. The company also took home second-place honors in 2017, for its American Heritage Orbit 4-Player Eliminator Air Hockey Table.

“It’s had a terrific positive impact on those specific products and our company as a whole,” Pucci says. “We’re honored to be associated with these awards and in general, being known as an innovative company. We want to continue to push the envelope on game room products whether it be on design, colors, or in this case new game concepts.”

Pucci loves the competition and feels it’s a great addition to the Expo.

“Any time you can get so many great companies together with the goal of creating better products for our retail partners and end-consumers, everybody wins,” he says. “We need to continue to promote and reward innovation in the industry in an effort to grow our businesses and influence, and to better compete with all of the other ways people can spend their time at home.”

petition as an annual event and looks forward to introducing more products in the future.

“The competition exposes new products to all of the attendees that may have been otherwise overlooked,” he says. “I had dozens of people approach my booth saying they saw this in the magazine and wanted to know what it was about. I don’t think I would have received nearly as much interest had I not been entered in the competition.

Additionally, I think it motivates people to challenge old ways and to come up with new and exciting ideas.”

Knight says that innovation is important to every sport and if you look at the sports that are doing very well, like golf or cycling, the amount and speed of innovation is incredible.

“It’s a sign of a healthy sport, and people will be attracted to it,” he says. “Too little innovation, and the sport appears stagnant or worse, dying off, which discourages potential new players from getting into it. This is especially true of younger generations, who have grown up in times of massive innovation.

Something which appears old simply won’t hold their interest. Everybody enjoys a sport when they can do well at it. By innovating and helping a player do better, we feel they will gain more enjoyment from participation.”

Burgess is glad that the BCA Expo has added the innovative products comBCAINSIDER.COM | 31

HIS LIFE’S WORK JIM LEBOLD NEVER TAKES A DAY OFF FROM DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THE CUE BALL ONE OF THE BEST POOL ROOMS IN THE COUNTRY

By Anthony Stoeckert The Cue Ball in Salem, Oregon, has been a favorite destination for billiard players for 55 years, and if you want to know the secret to its success, all you have to do is look at the work ethic of its owner.

Jim Lebold opened The Cue Ball in 1963 and, Christmas Eves aside, he hasn’t taken a day off since.

“You don’t take off Christmas Day, or Thanksgiving?” he’s asked.

“No, I don’t,” he responds.

34 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“Do you ever plan to take them off?”

“Nope,” he says, “I never think about it?”

“Have you ever taken a week off?”

“No.”

lem, work, and keep The Cue Ball rolling after more than half a century. And that’s probably for the best.

“I’d go nuts sitting at home all day long,” he says.

“Never?” he’s asked with amazement.

A GOOD BUY

“Maybe, when I got married,” Lebold says. “But it wasn’t a week.”

The story of The Cue Ball begins with Lebold’s talent for a different sport.

His wife and children have traveled the world, but Lebold prefers to stay in Sa-

“When I was young, I was a very good bowler, and all the bowling alleys in

town had pool tables, so it was a natural to pick up pool while I was there,” he says. “And I got very good at it; I was very, very good at snooker.”

He played throughout the ’50s and ’60s, and then his father and uncles inherited some buildings that were owned by Lebold’s grandfather.

“Back in ’63, I asked them if they’d remodel one of the buildings and let me put in a pool room and they agreed to that,” Lebold says. “Later on, two or three years later, when things started going pretty good, I bought the buildings.”

He says that decision was vital to The Cue Ball’s success and longevity.

“That’s really what kind of saved me, not having rent all these years,” Lebold says. “That’s just ruined a lot of businesses, rent increases.”

GETTING STARTED He says he was lucky to get the opportunity to buy his buildings, but luck isn’t worth anything without some hard work to go with it. Lebold prepared for the opening of his new pool room by remodeling the space and purchasing Brunswick Anniversary tables.

“Later on, I expanded The Cue Ball and put a room in the back area of another building and I got lucky and bought all the nine-foot Centennials from the University of Oregon when they closed their billiard room, so that was a good buy,” Lebold says. “I think I’ve got the best equipment you can buy for a pool hall, and I keep them in nice shape. They’re all nice, leveled, with nice claws. So, it’s something I’ve always done.”

BUILDING THE BUSINESS Lebold then got into the business of selling tables, and teamed up with Olhausen because he knew Marty Bloom. And soon Bloom, and Butch and Don Olhausen were bringing tables to The Cue Ball.

Lebold’s start in the recreation business began when he and his brother, Don, worked in a bowling alley, which was right around the corner from where The Cue Ball is now. This was before automatic pin setters.

“I set pins quite a bit back then,” he says. “That was a dangerous job, you really had to be on your toes.”

Don Lebold is a former professional bowler, and he owns a bowling alley that’s just a few miles from The Cue Ball. That job setting pins was the start of both brothers’ careers in recreation.

“I enjoyed pool and bowling, so when my parents had this property, it was undeveloped, so they had to do quite a bit of remodeling and adding on to the building,” Lebold says. “I got lucky because my parents were involved, then The Cue Ball started doing well.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 35

“They all drove up to Salem from California with a bunch of tables on a truck,” Lebold says.

The next step was expansion after Lebold purchased more buildings near The Cue Ball. Lebold knew the owners of those properties because they were the parents of a friend of his.

“I called and told them, ‘If you ever want to sell, I’d sure like a crack at buying them,’” he says.

A bit later, they gave him a price.

“The banker was a friend of mine. He said, ‘You don’t even need an appraisal, that’s an absolute steal,’” Lebold says.

The billiard room was very successful, but it did take a hit in 2000 when smoking was banned in all buildings in Oregon.

“That really affected my business because I would probably say way over 50 percent of my business were smokers,” Lebold says. “In fact, the first year that I went non-smoking, the billiard room took in $40,000 less than the previous years.”

He survived in part because of the lack of rent and because he was doing well selling tables and servicing tables. The Cue Ball offers service and repair, and also sells table felt. Also for sale are cues and cases.

36 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“I have a full-time crew that moves and covers tables,” Lebold says. “Then I have a large warehouse where I store all my tables and I also store a lot of tables for people who want their tables moved or stored.”

He also deals with a lot of used tables now. “There’s just a lot of very good buys out there,” he says.

KEEPING THE CUE BALL STRONG It’s an incredible success story, but Lebold says he didn’t have a grand plan in creating his billiard empire. It happened step by step as opportunities arose, and he was smart enough to seize those opportunities.

“It just fell into place, it worked out perfect,” he says. “I hired some really good people to do my work for me on installs and covering. I did my own work for years and then I had to hire a full-time crew.”

But there have been challenges, the biggest being that pool isn’t as popular as it once was.

“The thing that has hurt pool is electronics,” he says. “Everybody who walks or does anything, they’re carrying one

of these devices and they come, and instead of playing pool, they sit with this stupid toy they have.”

But no matter how attached people get to their gadgets, there is still a need to interact with actual human beings, playing a real, tangible game, not a virtual one. And Lebold always makes sure The Cue Ball is in tip-top shape. Keeping the red carpeting clean, the tables in good condition, and every spot of The Cue Ball looking its best is easy to do, and very important.

“The thing with a big billiard room, the secret of success, is keeping the damn thing clean,” Lebold says. “Very few billiard rooms are kept clean.

I’ve been to a lot of billiard rooms that are just filthy and their cloths are bad. You’ll never see that at The Cue Ball, I keep it immaculate. I’ve done a lot of work in billiard rooms and it’s amazing just how lazy an owner can get in keeping the tables brushed and keeping the cloths in nice shape.

It can get embarrassing.”

Even though Lebold is devoted to his work, so devoted he takes off just one day a year, he has other interests. He’s a big jazz fan, and says his collection of vinyl jazz records numbers in the thousands. But it isn’t jazz you’ll hear at The Cue Ball, Lebold plays popular hits over the sound system.

And while he was once a great pool player, he says he put down his own personal cue a few years ago.

“I don’t have time, I’m busy all day long, shipping cloth, putting rubber on rails and covering rails, meeting people down at the warehouse,” he says. “With pool, as you get older, you lose your ability and you don’t enjoy it as much.”

THE BEST VALUE IN TOWN Plenty of people enjoy shooting pool at The Cue Ball, and Lebold is proud to offer terrific prices for playing time.

The Cue Ball’s website promises that the establishment offers “the best entertainment value in Salem” in “the best room in the country.”

Friends can spend hours shooting pool in a great environment at $6 an hour for two players, $7.50 for three, and $10 for four. That’s more economical than any movie or dinner.

And that deal is available seven days a week, 16 hours a day. And Jim Lebold has dedicated his life to making The Cue Ball a place that welcomes players of all skill levels to get together, enjoy some fun competition and socialize face-toface – while putting their phones away for a few hours.

“It’s just a hell of a lot of work but it’s something I enjoy,” Lebold says.

Hard work and a lot of dedication have paid off for Lebold. And aside from a passion for pool and a work ethic that would put Cal Ripken, Jr. to shame, you wonder what else it’s taken to make The Cue Ball the success it has been for more than half a century.

“A good wife who puts up with me,” Lebold says with a laugh.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 37

Take advantage of better payroll, compliance, and HR solutions with ADP®

We are excited to offer your business the opportunity to use ADP’s trusted, turnkey solution for all your payroll, compliance, and HR needs. You get to focus less on administrative tasks and more on growing your business.

Through your alliance with ADP, Billiard’s Congress of America members are eligible to receive special offers and discounts:

ADP offers: • Payroll and Tax Filing

• Retirement Services

• Human Resources Solutions

• Workers’ Compensation

• ADP Payment Solutions

• Employee Handbook

With 50+ years as a payroll, compliance, and HR leader,

20% discount on payroll processing costs

ADP has partnered with thousands of businesses to help them better manage their cash, their people, their risk, and

their time.

For more information on ADP’s solutions, please reach out to your dedicated Billiard Congress of America representative to see how ADP can provide a more human resource for your

Free months of payroll processing or ADP’s current promotion

business.

Christopher Sall

Waived implementation fees

(o) 970.672.0999 (e) Christopher.Sall@ADP.com

The ADP logo and ADP are registered trademarks of ADP, LLC. ADP A more human resource. is a service mark of ADP, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2017 ADP, LLC.

California House . Phone: 1-800-251-3597 . info@californiahouse.com . www.californiahouse.com

UNWRAPPING THE

TRADE

By Michael

The billiard business has morphed into a microcosm of the global economy, an interconnected landscape where pool balls come from Belgium and cues from China, with slate sourced from Brazil and table cloth from Mexico.

Manufacturers have long faced a complicated calculus in sourcing all that goes into a table before it shows up in a bar or someone’s game room. The recent tariffs and trade wars driven by President Donald Trump have made it increasingly more so, with suppliers, dealers and retailers facing the prospect of diminished bottom lines – which will ratchet up prices for consumers if left unchecked.

“

to 25 percent Jan. 1. The measure affects some $200 billion in Chinese goods, or about half of all products imported from the Asian country.

In a statement, Trump defended the tariffs, the first round went into effect Sept. 24, as necessary to contest “numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property” by China.

...HE EXPECTS A GREATER RELIANCE BY RETAILERS ON SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES.”

“Literally, it is a completely globally sourced product,” says John Kazik, vice president of Brunswick Billiards, located in Bristol,Wisconsin. “All that stuff all comes to the U.S. in separate boxes, and gets inventoried here and goes out to our customers. What it’s going to do is hurt the U.S. consumer.

We don’t make enough margin on our product to say, ‘OK, we can eat that whole thing.’”

Trump announced a fresh wave of Chinese tariffs Sept. 17, levying a 10-percent tax on Chinese imports that is set to rise 40 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“These practices plainly constitute a grave threat to the longterm health and prosperity of the United States economy,” he said.

A bulk of billiard manufacturers, brokers and retailers have protested the measure, saying – like many other American businesses across industries – they will lead to price increases for buyers.

NAFTA NEWS The president has also taken a hard line against Canada, a major wood exporter, and Mexico, often the source of the cloth that covers pool tables, threatening to oust them from the longstanding North American Free Trade Agreement

WARS

Bodley

(NAFTA) if the neighboring countries don’t acquiesce to a host of trade demands. In late September,Trump offered a revised trade agreement between the U.S., and North America neighbors Canada and Mexico, rebranding NAFTA to USMCA (U.S. Mexico-Canada Agreement), which still must be ratified by all three countries. But pool manufacturers and retailers said the talks have yet to affect them, though they’re staying abreast of the situation.

Still, John Haddock of Ontario-based Mr. Billiards International, says anything like the Chinese tariffs that could be levied against Canada would be “devastating” for his country’s economy.

But he expects lingering backroom negotiations between the two countries to ultimately be fruitful – even if Canada has to make concessions – and won’t result in tariffs.

“Canadians can stand strong and demand everything we want and basically back away, but ultimately we’ll starve in the process,” Haddock says. “Unfortunately, there is no mightier might than the U.S. influence.”

Mr. Billiards imports less than 10 percent of its parts from China, with the remaining 90 percent of its wares split between Vietnam, Malaysia and Nicaragua. Haddock notes he expects

a greater reliance by retailers on South American countries – which generally have been immune from the trade debate, save Mexico – to increase as companies look to diversify their sourcing streams and not “put all our eggs in one basket.”

DEALING WITH ASIA When it comes to Asia, Joe Pucci of America Heritage Billiards, which imports about 45 percent of its pool parts from China, said he expects to see more of a shift toward other foreign countries if the tariffs remain intact for long – especially Vietnam, which already commands a sizeable chunk of the international billiard trade.

“This is only the beginning,” Pucci says. “We all know how this goes with demand. If this stays with China for a long time, it’s not like Vietnam is going to say, ‘All right, I’ll hold tight.’ They’re not going to wait for China.”

Yves Bilquin, chief operating officer of Belgium-based Saluc S.A., the largest manufacturer of pool balls, says the taxes were “not good for the worldwide economy,” noting likely decreases among international currencies against the surging U.S. dollar, driven up by speculators confident in the administration’s emerging isolationist ideology.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 41

Though Saluc conducts its operations out of Belgium, the company buys and sells in U.S. dollars, like most of its industry peers worldwide – sparking concern that demand could dampen from buyers in more nascent economies.

“The probable consequence is that the products – across the board and therefore also in the billiard industry – will cost more for the U.S. consumers,” Bilquin says. “Definitely not good news.”

Consumers, though, don’t always notice modest upticks in pricing, which often increase year-to-year, anyway, as businesses strive to keep up with inflation.

Kim Murdock of International Billiards, based in Houston, Teaxas, says the impact should be minimal from a pool retailer’s point of view.

“People who want to buy a pool cue are still going to buy a pool cue,” Murdock says. “They won’t notice that the cue they could have bought last year for $150 is now $175.”

As the U.S. economy has boomed, sporting its lowest unemployment rate since 2000 and a stock market chasing record highs, its Chinese counterpart has run into its fair share of challenges.

“

THOUGH SOME COMPANIES SOURCE THEIR SLATE FROM BRAZIL, MANY HAVE TURNED TO CHINA...”

Trump has said the time is right to launch a trade offensive while China is weak, asserting that the country has long imposed policies that harm American workers who produce products in the United States.

“China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns,” Trump says. “Once again, I urge China’s leaders to take swift action to end their country’s unfair trade practices.”

The president has maintained a careful practice of refraining from criticizing directly Chinese President Xi Jinping of China, saying he has “great respect and affection” for his Chinese counterpart and occasional adversary.

Xi’s administration struck back in early August, not long after the first round of tariffs were announced, imposing a 25-percent tax on some $16 billion in goods spread over 333 products that the United States exports to China. But the Asian country is limited in what it can do; U.S. exports pale in comparison to what the United States imports from the country.

42 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

And the pool industry does little reverse business in terms of selling in China, preferring to deal with other countries on the continent such as Vietnam with more stringent copyright laws.

China, which generally does not enforce copyright laws that have been on the books since 1979, offers a particular challenge for billiards manufacturers: businesses, many shell manufacturers lacking names and without clear ownership, time and time again create knock-offs of their products.

Imitation pool tables. Counterfeit cues. Parallel pool balls.

All will be exported to businesses willing to buy them – some without knowing they’re purchasing cheap imitations of higher-quality products.

Kazik says the lawlessness of China has led Brunswick to decline invitations to trade shows in the country, turning instead to Asian neighbors like Vietnam, because Chinese counterfeiters will strike at the first opportunity to copy one of their products.

Steve Orner, the co-owner of Indianapolis-based Orner Billiards, along with his brother, Tom Orner, says he received a shipment from a U.S. manufacturer of pool tables – which he declined to identify – that didn’t feel quite right. It started with the box that felt much too light.

When Orner opened it up, the stench of formaldehyde, a preservation agent used in some billiards tables, invaded his nostrils. Holding his nose, his eyes took in what should have been solid oak or mahogany. Instead, a cheap knockoff was nestled inside the packaging – an Ikea-like piece of particle wood that should have been akin to the kind of furniture made with care in a mom-and-pop shop.

Word in the business where everyone knows each other travels fast. Within a matter of minutes, an irate Orner blasted out an email to 300 dealers. And 20 of the top 50 dealers severed ties with the deceptive company within six months, he says.

“Behind everyone’s back, they took the operation to China,” Orner says. “They did not tell anyone … That’s just the wrong way to do business.”

Orner, who estimated that 80 percent of his pool tables are made in the United States, with 20 percent sourced internationally, including from China, echoed others in saying the cost of the tariffs will have to in some capacity be pushed along to American consumers. Margins are just too tight, he said, profits too thin.

A veteran of the family company founded by his grandfather in 1939 who has been in the industry most all his life, Orner pointed to past economic setbacks as an indicator that the industry had faced challenges of similar scale before – though of a different stripe.

Good merchant processing can unlock the potential with every swipe.

Let us show you how.

Interchange + 0.07% & $0.07

Billiard Congress of America and First Data have teamed up to help you save money and worry less on payment processing, so you can focus more on your business.

With over 40 years of payment processing experience with POS and on-the-go payments, First Data has helped millions of businesses like yours bring fast, secure and effortless payments to their customers.

First Data offers Billiard Congress of America members quick, secure, reliable and affordable payment processing solutions, plus: • Accept more forms of payment — Visa , MasterCard , Diners Club , American Express , Discover Network and JCB , plus debit, gift cards and more. ®

®

®

®

®

• Trusted Global Payments Leader ... We help businesses around the world with simple solutions that drive success.

®

• 24/7 Customer service ... Your Business never stops, so neither does our support.

• Clover Business Solutions help you simplify running your business, discover new revenue opportunities and build loyalty.

• Easily access and manage key data — Business Track reporting available in a consolidated, user-friendly web tool. ®

• Security and Reliability ... Help your business be EMV and PCI ready with industry-leading security. ®

Find out how we can help your business grow.

Call us at 866-965-7875 to learn more.

© 2018 First Data Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The First Data® name, logo and related trademarks and service marks are owned by First Data Corporation and are registered or used in the U.S. and many foreign countries. All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners.

425542 2018-02

He recalls the American economic slump of the 1980s, when inflation ran rampant and consumers didn’t have the disposable income to purchase pricey pool tables en masse.

“You just deal with it,” Orner says. “You know what, you just buckle down a little, and you don’t get all crazy, and you just ride this stuff out.”

He left open that possibility that Orner Billiards, if the tariffs aren’t abated – which could be hastened by rampant pressure in Congress, though the president has the authority to levy taxes against foreign imports via executive orders – could even further bolster its business with American-based companies.

“We are very pro USA-made product,” he says.

“If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have much import at all. We do a decent job with it. We could do better if we have to.”

Tariffs aside, Orner said the pro-business Trump has done wonders for the U.S. economy and his industry, saying that pool tables in recent years have generally sold in the neighborhood of $3,000 and are now flying off the shelves at prices approaching $5,000 to $6,000.

“The economy’s never been better,” he says. “The business side’s booming. It’s like the boom days in the (early) ’80s when everyone was selling tables left and right.”

Even so, further complicating matters for American importers of pool products is a developing arms race to get their purchases across the Atlantic Ocean before the tariffs go into effect. As long as the Chinese wares were in international waters by the time the new round of American taxes hit Sept. 24. they won’t be subject to the tariffs.

nia, has in recent years fetched about $3,500 for the oceanic journey. Shortly after the tariffs were announced, that price – already “not insignificant,” Dimotta says – jumped by some $500 to $600, cutting into the margins of companies like his that rely on shipping at the very core of their business.

Billiards executives have been following the latest developments like hawks, poring through the pages of the likes of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post in a bid to out-fox their competition. It’s a business where seconds matter, and a quick reaction to a proposed policy can make all the difference in losing or gaining millions of dollars.

That 40-foot container, he notes, could hold 40 to 60 pool tables, depending on their size, which may lead to a price increase of $30 to $40 dollars each for their buyer. It’s all about the margins.

The blossoming demand for expedient exports has led to a boon for a particular type of business: the shipping companies who haul crates containing thousands of pool tables and parts across the Atlantic into eagerly awaiting U.S. arms.

Long before the tariffs, the shipping companies that contract with retailers had shrunk their business, a reflection of how the industry as a whole has been diminished substantially in recent years, having never quite recovered from 2008 and the ensuing recession.

Zach Dimotta, the president of Imperial International, says he’s seen shipping rates surge in recent weeks. An average 40foot container shipped from China to Long Beach, Califor44 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“There is a concern, obviously, that we’re going to have to pass that (price increase) along,” Dimotta says. “China’s not paying those fees.”

“The container problem is an enormous problem for a lot of different reasons,” Pucci says. “It’s kind of a perfect storm.

Before the tariffs started to become reality in the last 90 days, it was a real challenge to get containers, because they’ve taken so many ships off the market. This has been so bad for so long, no one was ready to ramp this up to get it ready to go as soon as business started to uptick.”

purchase a commodity at a set price for a certain number of months.

Dimotta says his company is considering revamping its prices mid-year, though the business prefers to evaluate its sales only once a year. Though it’s happened occasionally before, such as when a natural disaster has wiped out a major stock of wood, driving prices up because of a lack of supply, he said he can’t remember the last time Imperial was forced to adjust its asking price in the middle of the year.

It’s a common misconception among consumers that the countries on which tariffs are imposed are slapped with the taxes and must pay them themselves. But U.S. tariffs actually work by placing the burden of the tax on the American companies that import the foreign products in a bid to get them to source instead from domestic businesses that may be cheaper as a result.

On the other side, Kazik of Brunswick Billiards notes his company aims to stockpile three to four months of parts at a time. That, plus the time it takes from order to delivery of a product, means potential price hikes won’t really affect business until after the busy holiday season.

The taxes are paid directly to the federal government, a boon to the U.S. Treasury.

Manufacturers often enter into hedged programs with suppliers, contractual agreements that give them the right to

BURDEN ON U.S.

“In summary, the only winner in this is the U.S. Treasury,” says Mark Gehrke, director of operations for billiards. com. “The losers are the U.S. retail customers that will be paying the higher prices that will be passed on eventually to them.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 45

Manufacturing products of all varieties in the U.S., though, is often prohibitively expensive for the kinds of companies that rely on cheaper international labor and less costly materials in order to produce a more affordable product. Minimum wage laws in the United States, along with other costs such as healthcare, generally render American-made products more costly to produce.

The Trump administration’s argument for the tariffs, though, posits that American goods, even if more expensive, are of a higher quality and boost the domestic economy enough to justify the corresponding price bumps.

The list of goods covered under the tariffs is evolving, leading billiards manufacturers stuck in a limbo of sorts as they wait to see what might come next. Slate, the all-important material that makes up the level surface of the table, usually covered by cloth from Mexico, is not yet included, but manufactures are concerned it could join the list.

Though some companies source their slate from Brazil, many have turned to China to get their hands on the fine-grained rock. There are loopholes. Constructed pool tables are presently excluded. Less clear is whether slate might have a tax levied against it in the future.

“It’s a bit of a loophole at the moment,” Gehrke says. “Who knows if it’ll close?”

He adds that the Chinese government, which maintains broad jurisdiction over the operations of supposedly private businesses, shuttered most all of the slate mines in the country when the tariffs were first announced – though some have since re-opened.

“There is no (current) discussion of tariffs on slate,” Gehrke says. “It’s a raw material that is unavailable from the U.S. I do not think this was unrelated. I believe it was punishment for the U.S. stance on tariffs.”

It all boils down to dollars and sense. If the tariffs against China increase to 25 percent, and even though slate from China tends to run on the cheaper side compared to Brazil, it may well be less expensive on the whole to buy from the South American country.

Shipping, of course, is an issue, too. The proximity of Brazil to major, southern American ports – say Houston – means the cost of each container tends to be about $1,000 less than an identical shipment coming from China, thousands of miles farther away.

“It all comes down to a numbers game, whether you pay the tariff or not,” Dimotta says. “That’s all it’s really going to come down to.”

AVA I L A B L E N O W

Three vivid color options

DARTS AND ACCESSORIES NOT INCLUDED

T H E U LT I M AT E D A R T W A L L E T S For both soft tip and steel tip dar ts

S E N T RY

SENTI NEL

WA RDEN

• Holds two sets of dar ts • Six perfect-fit accessor y slots

• Holds two sets of dar ts • Six perfect-fit accessor y slots • One perfect-fit zip pocket

• Holds one set of dar ts • One perfect-fit zip pocket

#36-0601 Black | Red | Blue Case Size: 7¾”L × 3¾”W × 2⅛”H

NEW PRODUCTS

#36-0602 Black | Red | Blue Case Size: 7¾”L × 5¼”W × 1⅞”H

1-800-225-7593 • gldproducts.com •

#36-0600 Black | Red | Blue Case Size: 7¾”L × 3¾”W × 1⅞”H

BCAINSIDER.COM | 47

by GLD PRODUCTS

BCA PARTNERS WITH

By BCA Insider Staff The Billiard Congress of America works hard to ensure it offers its members plenty of great benefits and services, and recently, it teamed with Synchrony Financial, a consumer financial services company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, to provide something new.

Bill Paulson, Synchrony Financial’s AVP, relationship manager – lifestyle markets, takes some time to explain the service and how BCA members can make the most of it.

BCA INSIDER: TELL US ABOUT SYNCHRONY AND THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES. PAULSON: Synchrony is one of the nation’s premier consumer financial services companies. Our roots in consumer finance trace back to 1932, and today we are the largest provider of private label credit cards in the United States based on volume and receivables.

We provide a range of credit products through programs we have established with a diverse group of national and regional retailers, local merchants, manufacturers, buying groups, industry associations and healthcare service providers to help generate growth for our partners and offer financial flexibility to our customers.

Through our partners’ more than 380,000 locations across the United States and Canada, and their websites and mobile applications, we offer our customers a variety of credit products to finance the purchases of goods and services.

48 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

BCA INSIDER: CHARACTERIZE THE RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL NOW HAVE WITH THE BCA. PAULSON: Synchrony and the BCA will work together to educate and help BCA member retailers leverage Synchrony’s products and services, which can provide BCA member retailers the ability to increase sales opportunities and earn greater margin.

BCA INSIDER: WHY IS THIS SOMETHING THAT OUR MEMBERS SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT? PAULSON: BCA member retailers who leverage Synchrony’s consumer finance program will have a competitive advantage in their respective market by being able to draw more customers to their showrooms, and in providing an attractive and easy solution for their customers to purchase the products they desire. The potential increase in sales and margin by leveraging Synchrony’s consumer finance program can help you grow your business.

BCA INSIDER: WHAT ARE THE CHIEF BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS? PAULSON: Synchrony’s consumer finance program provides a turn-key solution which can help drive traffic to your show floor. The program is quick and easy to use, with simple online processing. It provides a range of promotional financing options which can help bring customers to you, as well as help you close more sales.

Responsive credit lines provide your

customers with the ability to buy the products they want, with the ability to return in the future to buy additional products from your store.

Synchrony supports its retailer partners by providing education and training, simple online transaction processing with live servicing and support, free point-of-purchase material and customizable advertising collateral, and a range of promotional finance options to help you create more sales.

BCA INSIDER: WHAT IS THE COST INVOLVED? HOW DOES ONE GET INVOLVED? PAULSON: There is no cost to enroll and no minimum monthly servicing fee for BCA member retailers who enroll on the Synchrony Sport card program. A reasonable one-time merchant charge is incurred when a promotional financing sale transaction is run. BCA member retailers can call Synchrony at 1-866-209-4457 (option 3) to discuss the Synchrony Sport card program further and to initiate the program enrollment process.

BCA INSIDER: WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER FOR GETTING STARTED? PAULSON: If you do not offer your customers promotional financing today, now is the time to start. Call Synchrony’s enrollment group at 1-866-2094457 (option 3). We will help you every step of the way.

NEW FOR 2018

Sanibel Billiards Table

Brooklyn Billiards Table

Merrimack Foosball Table

Premier Air Hockey Table

Gold Crown VI Billiards Table

CONNECTING GENERATIONS SINCE 1845

THE EXPO SHINES IN THE BIG EASY

By Keith Loria The BCA Billiard & Home Leisure Expo, held this summer at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, once again offered plenty of value for exhibitors, attendees and everyone involved in the billiard industry.

For more than 30 years, the Expo’s mix of speakers, exhibitors, tournaments and events has helped people stay up to date on the latest products and buzz-worthy trends, so that their businesses can better compete.

“New Orleans provided a great backdrop for the 2018 BCA Expo,” says Rob Johnson, BCA’s CEO. “We know this is a great opportunity for the entire industry to gather once a year. For those who exhibited and attended the 2018 BCA Expo, we thank you and hope you had a great and successful show and a good time in the Big Easy.”

With 74 exhibitors, 282 booths and 850 registered buyers, the show was buzzing all week long.

“Our survey results indicate our attendees were purchasing and taking 50 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

advantage of deals on the exhibit floor,” Johnson says. “Our exhibitors also reported higher sales from the BCA Expo than they have in more than five years.

We’ve already begun working on new initiatives for 2019 in Las Vegas – we can always make the show better and plan to introduce some new concepts in 2019 that will appeal to buyers and exhibitors, alike.”

thing that has remained constant is the importance of the conference.

Shane Bouchard, owner of Maine Home Recreation, notes New Orleans was the site of his first BCA show so he was excited to go back.

Selden liked the setting in New Orleans this year and was impressed with the accommodations at the hotel.

“I think the show was great, with more new products than I’ve seen in the last few years, which is a great sign for our industry,” he says. “Innovation is alive and well. It was really great to have Synchrony Financial on board too. I have to applaud the BCA for continuing to listen to retailers and provide great benefits.”

Bill Selden, president of the C.P. Dean Company, Richmond, Virginia, has been going to the BCA Expo for more than four decades, and says while many things have changed through the years, the one

“The value of talking face to face with suppliers and getting feedback on what’s selling and where they’re feeling the market is moving is always very helpful,” he says. “Seeing new products and taking advantage of show special pricing is also a great thing about it.”

“This year’s show had a strong positive vibe,” he says. “The best part for me is always reconnecting with fellow dealers and sharing successes and solutions to any problem.”

After years of the Expo being elsewhere, Stefanie Howard, vice president of Kornerpocket Billiardz, Inc., Bothell, Washington, says New Orleans presented a different mood for the Expo.

“It was nice having the Expo in a new place since we personally had never been to New Orleans before,” she

says. However, she would have liked to have seen more people make the trip.

“There seemed to be a smaller turnout of vendors than in Vegas.”

Still, being in New Orleans did provide the opportunity to see some vendors who normally don’t make the trip to the Sin City.

“I liked seeing vendors that do not normally go to Vegas,” Howard says. “The Expo is important to us so that we can stay on top of the newest models being put on the market so that we can offer it to our designers and customers before the trend begins. The more vendors we meet with, the better.”

That’s why Howard would like to see more vendors show more of their products at the Expo in the future. She would also like to see a larger social event for those in the industry.

“There needs to be more that just a quick hour to go over the BCA members and award winners; I would like more of a social evening,” she says. “I know that a lot of people do their own thing but this is a great time to network

52 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

with other people in the business and learn better procedures.”

Many of the attendees even took some time to explore all that New Orleans has to offer.

“I liked experiencing the different culture and seeing some of the different historic sites of New Orleans,” says Brad Quenneville, founder of Ac-Cue-Rate Billiards, Pelham, New Hampshire.

As always, he was thrilled with the overall show.

“One of my favorite things about the Expo is getting to see many of my longtime industry friends and contacts face-to-face, and share experiences,” Quenneville says. “I also like to see new product offerings up close, instead of in a catalog or on a computer screen.”

The Expo, he says, is important to the company because in these challenging economic times in what seems to be a shrinking industry, it’s important to be one of the stalwarts that is always there to show support and help drive business forward.

“From a purchasing standpoint, we probably don’t need to attend to accomplish what we need to for the upcoming selling season,” he says. “In fact, this year we had considered skipping it for budgetary reasons. However, we feel if longstanding businesses like ours don’t show our continued support, then the industry could be in real trouble.”

Quenneville believes that for the billiard industry to survive and flourish, there needs to be a way to develop a professional tour to showcase the game.

“The growing participation in the coinciding junior event is encouraging, but those prospective players need something to aspire to, i.e. a respected professional tour,” he says. “The Expo used to have pro players throughout the convention area, endorsing products and creating excitement and interest among fans and amateurs. Now, their presence is hardly felt.”

Next year, the BCA Expo will be held in Las Vegas at the South Point Casino, Hotel and Convention Center July 24-26. For details or to register, visit www.BCAExpo.com.

Las Vegas South Point Casino Hotel and Convention Center

BCAExpo.com #BCAExpo

BCA

Billiard & Home Leisure Expo

GET YOUR MARKETING IN HIGH GEAR WITH LOW COST MARKETING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

By Lynn Switanowski It doesn’t take thousands of dollars to create holiday marketing that delivers messages your billiard business customers will respond to. What it does take is a solid plan, tied to your seasonal financial goals, which is implemented over time and adjusted if necessary in order meet customers, create sales and drive profits.

Marketing to your customers today isn’t about spending the most money – it’s about engaging with your customers where they are delivering strong callsto-action across all your marketing channels every chance you get.

Here are five ways to generate interest in your billiard business and drive sales this holiday season: 54 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

1. STEP UP YOUR 2. USE SOCIAL MESOCIAL MEDIA DIA ADVERTISING TO ENGAGEMENT – TODAY REACH CUSTOMERS Just because you want your customers WHERE THEY ARE to engage during the holiday season, it doesn’t mean you can be silent until then. Begin posting two to three times per day right away and mix in pictures, text, videos, contests and educational information that will help potential customers make their purchase decisions easier. Create a plan on a calendar for what these daily posts will say – and use scheduling services so that when you’re busy, you will still post multiple times per day.

In addition to creating daily posts on Facebook and/or Instagram, create an advertising strategy which is low cost – but high payoff – by using advertising via your social media sites.

You can use targeted ads with a specific audience (i.e. men 35-55 or people who live within a certain distance from your store/pool room). Use keywords that match the customers you are try-

ing to reach such as billiards, pool tables, holiday family gatherings, holiday parties, leagues, etc.

Another quick way to create a productive ad is to boost a post that gets immediate attention on its own. If you produce a funny video or hold a contest and you’re getting lots of likes and shares – immediately go in and boost that ad to keep it running for the next 3-5 days which further spreads your message.

3. CROSS PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES Reach out to other non-competing businesses and create holiday activities to drive traffic to both of your locations. For instance, if you are a store, partner with a restaurant and do an open house night with demos and/or open tables. If you are a pool room, partner with local fitness facilities and offer free hours of play and/or discounts to generate visits from customers who may not be used to coming into your establishment.

4. USE BUZZ MARKETING TO CREATE VIRAL EVENTS This can be done with a large outdoor light display, engaging window displays with live models or perhaps a horse and carriage led by reindeer that lead to your front door as you host your holiday open house. Send announcements to local papers/blogs to get photographers to show up (and take pictures yourself) to share on social media. Have fun and be authentic with your customers, and the buzz will happen!

5. ASK FOR REFERRALS This is the most overlooked no-cost marketing activity for your billiard business. Happy customers want to share their happiness with like-minded friends and family, including how much fun the experience was at your billiard store.

When is the last time you sent a request from your prior customers for a list of people that you could offer a demo or some sort of activity or a discount because they were a friend of a current customer? Most businesses forget this marketing tool and it is very easy to do.

As you can see, these low-cost marketing ideas won’t break the bank, but they will help put your billiard business in front of customers at a critical time of year. Most of the ideas are easy to plan and quick to implement, which means you can get them in place for this holiday season!

LYNN SWITANOWSKI Lynn Switanowski knows billiard retail. As an international consultant and keynote speaker, Lynn shares her experience with billiard audiences world-wide, helping solve business issues that lead to more sales and profit for her clients. Lynn is a published author and a contributing editor to numerous billiard industry publications.

For more information, please contact: lynn@cbc-group.net.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 55

Corner pocket, realized.

Fulfilling customers’ ambitions moves you closer to yours.

A competitor needs the right equipment to perform at their best, and you want to get them what they need. Our promotional financing, tools and technologies make it easy to offer customers more purchasing power. They’ll also help you increase store traffic, raise average transaction size and build repeat business. Just right for your future.

Find out how we can help you realize your ambitions.

Visit synchronybusiness.com/sport or call us at 866-209-4457.

Credit extended by Synchrony Bank. ©2018 All Rights Reserved.

What are you working forward to?

GATHER THE FAMILY ‘ROUND THE

TABLE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! THE TRILLIUM 8ft table with a Charcoal finish

THE DAUPHINE

THE DRUMMOND

8ft table with a Raven finish

8ft table with a Weathered Dark Chestnut finish

DESIGNED FOR FUN. CRAFTED FOR LIFE. info@imperialusa.com | www.imperialusa.com | (800) 526-6261

BCA WELCOMES DAVENPORT AND GREGERSON TO HOF

By Keith Loria Two of the sport’s top players of the ’90s – Austrian import Gerda Hofstatter Gregerson and “California Kim” Davenport – have earned induction to the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, joining 70 other members already enshrined in this prestigious club.

The 47-year-old Hofstatter Gregerson will enter the Greatest Players wing of the BCA Hall of Fame, while Davenport, 62, will be enshrined among the veteran players.

A native of Friesach, Austria, Hofstatter Gregerson’s name has been part of numerous Hall of Fame discussions over the years and she is thrilled that she is part of the 2018 HOF class, after narrowly missing the past few years.

“It’s a huge honor for me to even be considered and accepted into the Hall of Fame, and I’m extremely happy and excited about it,” she says. “I knew I was nominated seven times, but I never believed it would happen.”

The woman known as “G-Force” was named on more than 70 percent of the ballots in 2018, outpacing first-time nominees Niels Feijen and Corey Deuel, each of whom recorded 36 percent of the ballots.

One look at her career accomplishments, and it’s easy to see why she was. She won her first European Championship at the age of 18, and collected 10 European Championship gold medals overall.

In 1993, Hofstatter Gregerson relocated to the U.S. to join the new Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour and won the very first event. Over the next seven years, she added seven more Classic Tour titles, as well as the 1995 WPA World 9-Ball Championship, the 1997 WPBA National Championship and the 2000 BCA Open 9-Ball Championship. She added her ninth Classic Tour title in 2010 at the San Diego Classic.

“The world championship means a great deal to me. To have a legitimate world championship is a huge achievement especially since Allison (Fisher) was in the tournament,” she says.

58 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“All the European championships meant a lot, winning the first gold medal for my home country in Austria will always be a huge memory for me.”

Hofstatter Gregerson first became interested in billiards at 15, after seeing her older sister Ingrid playing.

“I went to watch her, and I fell in love with the game,” she says. “It was hard in the beginning because my father was not in favor of me playing because pool tables were just in bars and I had to sneak into the rooms to practice. I started competing in the leagues and was successful early on. During my first Corinthian championship, the officials talked some sense into my father and he let me have a chance. He ended up being my biggest fan at the end of it.”

She won numerous local tournaments and really started to make a name for herself when she moved to Sweden and became more serious about pool and then came to America to Gerda Hofstatter Gregerson

Give a gift that doesn’t suck.

The patented Simonis X-1® chalk dust removal tool

U.S. Patent # D644,704

®

www.simoniscloth.com

w w w . a r a m i t h . c o m

measure up against the pros. Those early accomplishments were recognized when her hometown awarded her an honorary gold medal and “Key to the City.”

Kim Davenport

Although she hasn’t played professionally for a while, Hofstatter Gregerson says that she’s considering coming out of retirement this year.

“The level of play is really amazing and I would have to put in a much greater effort, but I am enjoying my practicing now and am leaving the idea open,” she says.

As for her legacy in the sport, she hopes that people look back on her as someone who loved the game.

“I always lacked self-confidence and am amazed I still achieved so many things,” she says. “I’ve always been friendly and nice to everyone in the pool world and hope that’s what people remember me by.”

As for Davenport, he had been recommended for consideration by the Hall of Fame Veteran Players Committee after failing to garner enough votes for election on the general ballot prior to turning 60.

“This was the last act for me to be enshrined, and I think it’s a pretty important thing. It’s an accomplishment for a life’s work,” he says. “It’s one of the greatest honors a guy can get in the sport.”

As he was prepping his words for the day of enshrinement, Davenport says the full weight of entering the Hall of Fame hadn’t sunk in yet, but he was looking forward to the day immensely.

Eastern States 9-Ball Championship in 1988. After three more titles came the following year, Davenport put in a Player of the Year performance in 1990, winning the Brunswick Challenge Cup in Sweden, the Sands Regency Open and the B.C. Open.

“I will thank a lot of people – every promotor to my best friends. There’s a long list,” he says. “You meet an awful lot of people along the way up the ladder.”

He would win eight more pro tour titles before an injury to his left eye for all practical purposes ended his pool-playing career.

Born in Oklahoma, Davenport was 10 when he discovered he had a talent for pool.

“My uncle had a pool table in his garage, but it was all warped so he gave it to my dad, and we put it on our patio. I had to hit the balls hard or if I didn’t, they would roll back to the center.

I always did that in my career, so it probably helped,” he says.

“I was a natural and was beating people who had played for years within a week. I quit as a teen, but picked it up again at 18 and decided to give the tour a try and was fortunate enough to win my first tournament.”

Davenport relocated to Modesto, California in the early ’80s and it wasn’t long before the billiard world took notice of his play. After wins at the Bowling Green Open and Tar Heel Classic, he was the victor at the highly regarded Japan Cup and 60 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

“I haven’t hit a ball in four years. I miss it, miss when I was playing great,” he says.

Always a competitor, Davenport now lives in Acworth, Georgia and is out on the golf course 5-6 times a week.

One of his fondest memories from his career was winning the 1990 PPPA World Nine-ball Championship, besting defending champion Mike Sigel. He also looks back with great pride on playing in the Mosconi Cup three times, winning each time.

“I was someone who always competed and reached the finals about 33 times, giving my all every time. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but I always grinded and never gave up,” Davenport says. “I want to be remembered as somebody who gave it his all, played hard for America, and was a fairly nice guy.”

American Heritage Billiards

Savannah Foosball Table

Ellipse 6 Player Air Hockey w/ Bluetooth Speaker

Buy 5 Get 1 Free Order 5 of the featured tables on this page in any combination and choose a 6th table FREE

Email sales@ahbilliards.com or call 330 626 3710 for additional details.

Marvel Air Hockey Table AmericanHeritageBilliards.com

4 TIPS TO IMPROVE SALES

By Brian Offenberger At the 2018 BCA Expo, I had lots of opportunities to speak with retailers throughout the country. Although many have their own unique challenges, one thing everyone wanted was more sales.

Here are four things industry retailers can use to drive more sales:

1.

HARVEST DEMAND, DON’T TRY TO CREATE IT

Some retailers showed me beautiful websites. They’d take me to their page about Brunswick tables. The pages told all about the history of Brunswick and their quality. The pages did a great job selling me on a Brunswick table.

62 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018

What they didn’t do was a good job of selling me on buying a Brunswick table FROM THEM. See, most of you have competitors that sell Brunswick tables too. If all you do is sell the value of the Brunswick brand, and fail to sell the value of buying it from YOU, then you are going to lose out on a lot of sales.

Think of yourself like a car dealer. Other dealers sell the same brands you do. Why should the customer buy from you instead of a competitor?

Your webpages must clearly tell the customer why to buy from YOU instead of someone else. Do you have three times as many Brunswick tables in stock than the other guy? Do you offer financing? Delivery and set up? Free cue and chalk with purchase? How do you bring value to a Brunswick shopper in ways that your competitors don’t?

Talk about why people should buy from you. Let Brunswick do the heavy lifting to create demand for their tables. A retailer’s job is to harvest that demand in a way that makes sales for them.

2.

GET CUSTOMER REVIEWS

One of the best ways to grow your business is through a steady stream of customer reviews on sites like Google, Facebook,Yelp and others.

Search engines consider reviews as popularity votes. A steady stream of reviews (new reviews each week and month) means higher search engine rankings. Higher rankings mean more website and in-store traffic.

Customers love reviews. You probably use them yourself. If you have more reviews than your competitors, and are getting reviews regularly, studies show you’ll make more sales.

You’ll get more traffic. Review sites offer people more opportunities to learn of your business. This results in more traffic and more opportunities.

There are automated solutions on the market to help you get reviews, but you must make sure they are compliant with review site policies. Use the wrong one and you could be banned by review sites and that could be catastrophic to your business.

3.

4.

HAVE AN UPSELL STRATEGY

As a guy, any time I go to my local men’s clothing store, I see an upsell strategy in action.

Once I select a sport coat, they now have a pair of slacks for me to buy to go with it. I select the slacks and of course they have the perfect shirt. I get the shirt and its time for a belt that I can add at 30 percent off.

Do you see a pattern there? My men’s clothing store has a clear pathway to sell me more based upon my behaviors.

Have you outlined such a process in your store? Do you and your employees know what to sell next? Remember, if you don’t show it, they most likely won’t buy it. If they don’t know of it, how can they buy it?

One more point I want to make – customers will buy more if they think they are getting a deal with the upsell item (s).

Just today I went to my local car wash. I bought the wash and then bought the premium floor mat cleaning upgrade for $3 a mat, a whopping $2 savings off the regular price. What a deal for me!

GREET PEOPLE AS THEY COME INTO YOUR STORE

Walking into a store for the first time can be like entering a foreign country to some people.The way you and your employees greet walk-ins can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Welcome walk-ins with a smile and a sincere greeting. Six out of 10 retail employees use the greeting, “Can I help you?” which nearly always results in, “No thanks, just looking.” Instead, ask walk-ins if they’ve been in before. Michael Gerber found that retailers that switched from, “Can I help you?” to this greeting showed a 16 percent lift in sales.You can also ask about the weather, or compliment appropriately.

Whatever you do, greet them with a sincere welcoming smile and greeting as soon as they come in your store.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 63

IMPROVE YOUR SALES & PROFITS THIS YEAR!

15%

BCA Members take

OFF

ALL SERVICES

through the end of 2018!

creativebusiness

consulting group

lynn@cbc-group.net www.cbc-group.net creativebusiness BCA 617.437.9191 c o n s u l t i n g gSpeaker roup

Since 2012 – We KNOW Billiards!

2018 FREE Holiday Specials

Includes D040 Dart Holder

D042 Single Deluxe - Buy 12 get 1 FREE Holds 1 set of darts

Large storage pocket

Flight pockets

Includes Quarter / Tip Tube

FREE Shipping on orders over $250

The Original Premier Dart Cases 3188 Bowling Green Lane Suamico, WI 54173 1-800-876-1368 www.metrolineproducts.com

True American Made Quality