BCA Insider - 2019 Spring Edition

Spring Issue | May 1, 2019

ROLL YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS WITH

SKEE-BALL

SUCCESS THROUGH

DIVERSIFICATION

UNDERSTANDING THE

MOBILE WALLET BCA Insider – A BCA Member Publication Dedicated to Businesses in the Billiard and Home Leisure Industry.

Keith Loria

Success Through Diversification

7 Anthony Stoeckert

Roll Your Way to Success with Skee-Ball

16 Keith Loria

Understanding the Mobile Wallet

18 2 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

IN THIS ISSUE 22 32 38 40 44

Member Profile: BumperNets

By Anthony Stoeckert The Power of Instagram

By Charles S. Donnavan Get Ready for 2019 Expo

By BCA Insider Staff Keybridge Web Partners with BCA

By Keith Loria 3 Reasons You Need Reviews

By Brian Offenberger

OPENING LETTER

How’s business? It’s a question I try to ask every time I speak with a BCA member.

Working in this industry for almost a decade, the answers I receive fall all over the spectrum from “business is great,” “business is about what I expect” to “business is terrible” and everything in between.

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Charles S. Donnavan Brian Offenberger Anthony Stoeckert

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

DESIGN/LAYOUT ART DIRECTOR Julie Snee julie.snee@gmail.com

I’ve also been hung up on when asking the question and (to my surprise) I’ve also been asked for advice.

In a recent conversation with a BCA member, we discussed how buying a pool table is like buying a Picasso; everybody wants one, nobody needs one. We finished the discussion by agreeing that in order to succeed in this industry, you have to have a few aces up your sleeve because you must have the skills to influence someone to purchase something they want, but don’t necessarily need.

For four years now, BCA Insider has aimed to provide information that will help our members continue with their success – including offering tips on how to sell a desire not a necessity. We’ve covered all kinds of topics with the sole intention of providing you content that is relevant and useful for your business.

In this edition of BCA Insider, we take a closer look at BCA retailers finding success with diversification; using Instagram to market your business; the pros and cons of accepting mobile payments; provide a preview of this summer’s BCA Expo; plus offer many more tips, tidbits, and tangible takeaways that will perhaps give you a couple of aces that you can pull out at just the right moment.

Have a great Spring!

BCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Brian Igielski, GLD Products

VICE-CHAIRMAN Wes Bond, Cue & Case Sales

SECRETARY Dan Pucci, American Heritage Billiards

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

4 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

SHANE TYREE,

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER P.S. We are anticipating the host hotel to be sold out during the BCA Expo. So, please make your reservations at BCAExpo.com as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute issues in Las Vegas. Unless already sold out, remember our exclusive discount at South Point is valid through June 27. If you need assistance, feel free to call me at (303) 243-5070 x23 anytime.

BCA Insider is published by Billiard Congress of America © 2019 bcainsider.com

SUCCESS THROUGH

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR RETAIL By

In any business, diversification means branching out into other product categories, industries or marketplaces. While this strategy does present some risks for a business, diversification is often viewed as a safety net against downturns in a single industry, or a way to grow your business.

That’s something that many billiard retailers have learned through decades of experience. When recessions happen and people stop buying tables, having other products that are smaller or not seen as “luxury” items can help a business stay afloat.

Master Z’s was founded in 1992 by Ken and Tracy Zettelmeier, and the store had just $50 worth of dart supplies and nothing more than a vision. Today, that foresight has turned into one of the largest volume rec room and outdoor living retail store in Wisconsin. In fact, there’s two stores now and a heavy ecommerce platform.

6 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

In 1994, Rob Kahler joined the Master Z’s team as its first full-time employee and 24 years later, he owns the retail stores along with investors Scott Stollenwerk and Michael Baudo.

“During the last 24 years, it’s became apparent to us that our brand of customers would buy other things from us if we offered them in our store,” he says. “We then added billiards to our lineup, bringing in pool tables and billiard supplies.”

Along the way, Master Z’s slowly added poker tables, bars, barstools, air hockey, ping-pong, foosball, arcade machines, shuffleboard tables, artwork, sports memorabilia, pool table lights, and more.

“We then realized that our demographic was too small. We believed we could find maybe one pool table per square block in our area, but realized that every one of those homes had a patio in their backyard,” Kahler says.

DIVERSIFICATION

ERS TO OFFER A VARIETY OF ITEMS Keith Loria When families slowed down on basement remodels and finished lower levels due to the economy, the company moved towards the patio areas that were already there.

“If you aren’t going to finish the basement, then you can ‘deck out’ your outdoor entertainment,” he says. “We knew again it was time to diversify. Same homes, same customers. We then added casual outdoor living furniture and accessories.”

The philosophy and strategy the business has employed is a simple one: your customers will buy more from you if they don’t have to go to multiple places to get what they want.

“The home has many ‘wants’ that we can provide,” Kahler says. “We believe that there is an ever-growing need to stay relevant with today’s shopping experience. We wanted to become a one-stop shop for our clients.”

Another reason to diversify with different product offerings is to serve a segment of customers that isn’t being catered to currently. If your store starts offering items that aren’t sold in the area, you can increase your customer base and establish yourself as a top provider of different products.

Audra DelConte, owner of Royal Billiard and Recreation, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, says her store uses diversification as a sales tool all the time.

“Letting customers, designers and architects know that we can be very diverse in our offerings of products and types of styles is important. It’s basically saying that we will cater to anyone’s needs,” she says. “We also use it in our product offerings to cover different seasons of selling.

Along with all of our game room products, we sell hot tubs and grills.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 7

Although these two lines are not big-time sellers for the store, they do create a steady line of traffic that would not otherwise visit Royal Billiard and Recreation, which DelConte says often leads to sales of other items.

horseshoes. I want to stay focused on home recreation and do it well. I know a lot of other companies sell play sets, hot tubs, grills etc. We are busy enough on the home rec side, I don’t want to take away from that.”

“They also offer an opportunity for fun spring, summer, and fall promotional events such as cookouts, hot tubs in the parking lot and more,” she says.

Not that there aren’t risks. As important and valuable as diversification is, it does have drawbacks. When you expand, you potentially lose focus on what your best products or offerings are. That’s why it’s important to spread out your business investments and costs, which may prevent you from putting too much money in cash-cow sectors or products. By devoting enough time and resources to the billiard products you know best, you can ensure that you will see value from other avenues as well.

Kim Morrison Murdock of International Billiards, Houston, Texas, says the store carries billiard items, shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball, poker and darts. It also started bringing in the multi-cades a few years back.

Still, there are other areas she would like to invest in but just can’t due to certain constraints and challenges.

“Because there are so many billiard dealers who also sell patio, spa, and other products makes me know that that is something that I would like to do,” she says. “However, I am so limited to space that I’m unable to bring new large products in. We tried expanding our barstool presence but found out that our limited space – both showroom and warehouse – made it difficult to compete with companies that could show 50 different stools and stock 20 models.”

One category she does have room for and may consider going into soon is the selling of paper products.

While she originally joked about doing this, Murdock says between napkins, paper towels and toilet paper, there’s a need that she can supply her customers without having to devote much space to it. It’s creative thinking like this that has kept the store thriving for decades.

The one big lesson Kahler has learned from his almost quarter century in the business when it comes to diversification is that you must know your customer.

“If you sell high-end products already and people love them, sell something else that is high end that you know they can afford,” he says.

“It’s never a price issue from your brand of customer. If they want it, they will buy it. If your customer is family-based homes, sell family-based products that complement the home experience that they want.”

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Her biggest piece of advice: “Know who your customers are and what they want.”

Shane Bouchard, owner of Maine Home Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, says the store sells all of the staples of a home game room store, but recently added some puzzles, board games and dice games to its product mix.

“They make great add-on items for game rooms,” he says. “This year, we are looking to add a few outdoor games like Bocce and 8 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

Finally, he adds, set a mission and plan about who you are trying to capture and why. Once you do, your diversification will pay off in big ways.

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ROLL YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS WITH

SKEEBALL

By Anthony Stoeckert

12 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

The term “Skee-Ball” brings to mind arcades and people rolling small, fairly heavy balls up a ramp. At the top of the ramp, the balls are launched into an area where they land in holes, and the player is awarded points based on which hole the ball lands.

The Skee-Ball 1908 offers appeal for many reasons, and retailers and consumers are taking notice.

The reward for playing? Tickets that can be redeemed for prizes, starting with smaller items like erasers, figures, handheld games, stuffed animals, and – if you save up your tickets, lots of tickets – maybe even a radio or cool technological gadget.

“People love the authenticity of it and the look of it,” Harrison says. “It’s nice when you can have a retro and genuine piece that fits well in your modern home. The favorites are the flip display and pull lever – those make it feel more vintage than the lanes you’d find in an arcade or game room.”

This classic of the arcade is making its way into the home market. Companies are manufacturing Skee-Ball models and similar games that can add some family fun to your customers’ game rooms.

The Skee-Ball 1908 is even authentic in its color palette, and it’s contemporary and chic, making it the perfect fit for any home décor. It has a gray wood-look cabinet, and its metal side rails are a sleek black.

“Skee-Ball is becoming more and more popular! With the growing popularity of bar arcades that feature retro titles like Pac-Man and pinball, Skee-Ball is becoming even more of a beloved and nostalgic brand,” says Sammy Harrison, marketing manager for Bay Tek Entertainment, which manufacturers the Skee-Ball 1908.

Keeping the original design in mind, the front cage has been removed, allowing for the nostalgic playfield. It comes with nine balls, and it doesn’t feature the pockets found in the upper right and left corners of modern games, as those weren’t part of the original Skee-Ball design.

Harrison notes that there are even Skee-Ball leagues.

“We love seeing teams rally behind their Skee-Ball lanes,” she says.

LET’S PLAY AT HOME Bay Tek launched the Skee-Ball 1908 earlier this year, but the company isn’t new to the game.

THE REAL DEAL

“The 1908 is a great entertainment piece for friends and families to gather around and enjoy,” says Jeff Hudson, account manager at Bay Tek Entertainment. “It’s designed to not only be a fun activity, but also to enhance the interior design of a home. This timeless alley will be something for folks to enjoy for many, many years to come.”

Skee-Ball 1908

“It’s not our first home Skee-Ball product,” Harrison says. “Previously, we were selling the Centennial. The Centennial was aptly named because it was launched on the 100th anniversary of Skee-Ball – in 2008 – and commemorated the original design of the Skee-Ball lane, including the pull handle lever, flip display, audio package, and decal flourishing.”

That model also was 13 feet in length, again to commemorate that original alley created in 1908.

“However, that product, while authentic in nature, lacked some modern enhancements that homeowners were looking for,” Harrison says. “That’s why we developed the 1908.

The 1908 is really an elevated, more refined evolution of the Centennial. It has the same flip display, pull handle lever and audio package. But the lane is shorter (10 feet) to better fit in homes, and the colors and decals were simplified and neutralized to be more of a piece of furniture for any upscale home.”

BCAINSIDER.COM | 13

A VARIETY OF MODELS

Another popular game, Mantini notes, is a table bowling game that has elements similar to Skee-Ball.

Medal Games serves two Skee-Ball-type games. It’s original 108 Inch Roll and Score Game Table is made from solid construction with thick wood grain lamination for smooth ball rolling and an elegant look. It also features an electronic scorer with LED light and a built-in ball return system for fast-paced playing.

Playcraft offers a game called Bulls Eye Ball Deluxe. It features a metal target cage, sturdy MDF construction, automatic ball return and LED target lighting. It has seven scoring targets and two-player scoring as well.

The model retails for about $500 and its success led to a higher-end model that sells for $1,000 and sports a deluxe look, a smooth and certificated MDF material-made playfield, electronic scoring and sound effects, and built-in ball-return system.

“

MARKET FOR ...A LOT OF PEOPLE THE SKEE-BALL REMEMBER GROWING Skee-ball isn’t just a fun game, it’s UP AND PLAYING IN one that takes skill and offers lots of especially when master players CHUCK E. CHEESE.” thrills, face off against each other. Videos on YouTube show experts scoring perfect

“I think the reason it’s done so well is that if you look at the market today, it’s really challenging to find these items, especially under a $2,000 or $3,000 price point,” says Mike Mantini, vice president of marketing for Medal Sports. “So there was an opportunity and a gap in the market for the $500 to $1,000 price point, which is where we’ve seen success.”

14 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

games, usually by sinking ball after ball into the hole at the top left of the scoring area by using the wall the way basketball players use the backboard. One shows a player scoring a perfecto to win a title, and then celebrating as if he’d just won the Super Bowl.

But the market for Skee-Ball goes beyond those expert players.

“The home Skee-Ball is perfect for Skee-Ball enthusiast homeowners,” says Harrison. “Our primary target market is the Gen X population, both male and female. These are the folks that remember Skee-Ball as it became mainstream in family entertainment centers. It’s for the people who appreciate the nostalgic nature of Skee-Ball, who welcome the ability to unplug and enjoy quality time interacting with family and friends, who care about authenticity as Skee-Ball is the first and original alley game.”

Mantini suggests a simple way to get the word out about Skee-Ball games.

“I think you can sell more just by having them on your floor.

There’s a void in the market that these games fill,” he says.

“And once they understand that market opportunity, they can think about promotions.”

Another selling point is that homeowners don’t need an elaborate game room to find space for the Skee-Ball 1908.

“Any lounge or living areas works,” Harrison says.

SUCCESS WITH SKEE-BALL SALES Audra DelConte, owner of Royal Billiard and Recreation in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, says her store offers Bay Tek Skee-Ball games, but that sales were far from brisk at first.

“After having it on our floor for over three months and not selling one unit, I thought that perhaps we made a mistake giving up showroom space to it,” DelConte says. “Then we steadily started selling units, I believe we are at four in the last few months.”

She adds that sales depend largely on making people aware that they can buy a Skee-Ball game for their homes.

“The trick to selling them is to market them – people have no idea that you can actually go to a store and purchase the fun game they grew up playing in the arcades,” DelConte says.

“Once we put it into a few ads and ran a Facebook campaign, the sales increased.”

gic, and a great add-on for the customers who have more disposable income.”

One key selling point for Skee-Ball is that parents see it as a game the family can play together. Adults and kids have busy schedules, so bringing home a fun and cool game is sure to get everyone to set aside some time for family fun.

“I do believe these are really used by families. There’s a nostalgic appeal, a lot of people remember growing up and playing in Chuck E. Cheese, and I think it’s fun for the whole family,” Mantini says. “And parents like it because it gets kids away from the X-Box or the PlayStation and gets them active.”

Another factor is that parents have fond memories of playing Skee-Ball and want to share the experience with their kids.

“It’s nostalgic for parents,” Harrison says. “Makes them remember when they were young, playing with their parents and entices them to create the same memories with their kids.”

Harrison touched upon another selling point.

“People love the authenticity and the look of it! It’s nice when you can have a retro and genuine piece that fits well in your modern home,” she says. “The favorites are the flip display and pull lever – those make it feel more vintage than the lanes you’d find an arcade or game room.”

And don’t be surprised if more Skee-Ball innovations make their way into stores.

“We’re always looking for ways to bring the Skee-Ball brand to the forefront of consumers,” Harrison says. “Stay tuned for what’s next!”

Ciarra McIntire of Universal Billiards, Inc., with stores in Dallas and Plano, Texas, also has seen some good sales for Skee-Ball.

“We’ve been selling Skee-Ball for a few years, and it’s a fun game to add to our stores and repertoire,” she says.

“Since there is a fairly high price tag on this unit, this type of product won’t generate a super-high volume of sales. However, it’s fun, nostal16 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

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UNDERSTANDING THE MOBILE WALLET

A LOOK AT WHY BILLIARD RETAILERS SHOULD CONSIDER OFFERING MOBILE APP PAYMENTS

By Keith Loria

It used to be that “cash was king,” but many consumers today – especially millennials – rarely carry paper money, and even the idea of using credit cards is an archaic concept to some. In the 21st-century world that we live in, mobile payment apps are the way more and more people like to purchase things.

In fact, a recent study by Javelin, a California-based digital research advisory firm, projected mobile payments would increase to $410.5 billion by 2020. That's a numbers that billiard retailers should be taking seriously.

After all, “the mobile wallet” is more convenient, charge less in fees than credit cards and take seconds to process. Security on these apps is also very strong.

They are also simple to use. All one needs to do is download a free app, upload the numbers of their major credit and debit cards and “tap to pay” with a phone at any billiard retailer who accepts the service.

18 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

“These days, we want to be able to pay when, where and how we want, and mobile phones are making that happen,” says Zahir Khoja, SVP of global acceptance at MasterCard, which has started to roll out its own mobile payment app. “They have become an essential, ever-present part of our daily life.

According to eMarketer , a New York-based digital research company, American adults were expected to spend an average of three hours, 35 minutes a day on their mobile device, and many of us are choosing the convenience, simplicity and speed of paying with our digital wallets.”

Many cities are even turning to mobile payments for transit, making “tap and go” second nature to millions who are coming to expect the same simple payment experience wherever they pay.

Still, many billiard retailers have been slow to embrace the technology.

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“Every retailer wants his or her customer to leave happy and look forward to shopping there again – and for specialty store owners who want to thrive in the face of growing online competition, giving customers a quick and safe way to pay is one way to stay competitive,” Khoja says. “Millennials are also much more likely to use mobile payments, and as their buying power grows, so will the need for retailers to give them the flexibility they seek.”

Alex Tran, a digital marketing strategist at Hollingsworth, a Dearborn, Michigan-based supply chain company, works with more than 300 vendors that use various payment software and apps to process their transactions. He notes that, since they first took off in 2010, mobile payment apps have revolutionized how people buy and sell items.

“Mobile payment options increase sales, and there are numerous studies showing this, and it’s technology that is only growing,” he says. “The pros for a retailer are there is

less cash to handle and thus less money lost if your store were to get robbed or if you lose your cash somehow. Plus, it’s convenient and you are receiving sales that would have been lost had you only accepted cash.”

HOW IT WORKS The most popular mobile payment apps are Apple Pay, Google Pay (formerly Android Pay), Square and Samsung Pay. Then there’s PayPal, which acquired Venmo six years ago, and last year alone saw more than $50 billion in transactions from the app. That one though, is more about peer-to-peer money sharing, though it does work at some stores as well.

Tran explains that these all work similarly. Mobile payments are processed on the phone or a tablet and the app is usually used with a credit card swiper.

“Nowadays, consumers can use NFC (the technology that allows two devices to talk to each other when nearby), a picture can be taken of a credit card, or the seller can manually enter the card details into the app,” he says. “A retailer would enter their product codes/inventory into the app. When someone makes a purchase, the retailer will find the item in the app and then total up the sale. The retailer will then process the payment by swiping the card and then a digital receipt will be sent to the buyer. It can also be printed if the retailer has a printer that works with the app.”

Mobile phones and other connected devices that house digital wallets use radio-frequency technology to “talk” to a similarly enabled store reader.

“You load your payment card information into the digital wallet of your choice on the device of your choice, from mobile phones to fitness bands to smartwatches,” Khoja says. “Then you simply tap your device on the store’s reader, and the payment information stored in the digital wallet is transmitted instantly and securely.”

In the case of MasterCard, the company leverages tokenization technology called MDES (MasterCard Digital Enablement Service), which replaces the consumers’ payment details with a randomly generated “token” so the actual account information is never shared.

Retailers are charged a fee each time a consumer uses a credit card at checkout, but the mobile payment apps have lower payment processing fees in most cases, according to the experts at Javelin.

PayPal and Square will offer their square card readers for free, but there is a fee with every sales transaction. PayPal charges a percentage (around 4 percent) and Square charges a fee per

20 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

transaction plus a percentage of the sale. Meanwhile Apple Pay, Google Pay and Android Pay all require stores to install a contactless payment-capable point-of-sale terminal (usually around $500) but none charge any fees per transaction.

THE RETAILERS SPEAK Ciarra McIntire, president of Universal Billiards, Inc., accepts Apple Pay at both her Dallas- and Plano, Texas-based stores.

Tran also believes that if customers know they can pay with a mobile payment app, they will be more inclined to purchase due to the convenience.

“It offers a convenience to the customer shopping,” he says.

“Plus, eventually a brick-and-mortar store can transition into an e-commerce store and both PayPal and Square can easily be integrated into a platform of your choosing.”

In fact, one of the biggest arguments against offering mobile payments at a store is retailers don’t feel like people who are buying high-ticket items are going to use these type of services.

But Tran says that is the wrong mindset. For one, many stores sell accessories that those with pool tables are going to need to pick up, and it’s much easier to pay for a cue or a small billiard add-on with mobile pay. Plus, younger generations are carrying credit cards less and less, and when they buy something – regardless of how expensive it is – they will be turning to their mobile apps.

Audra DelConte, owner of Royal Billiard and Recreation, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, accepts multiple forms of mobile payments at her store. And her team utilizes the Payanywhere mobile reader to safely accept credit cards while on the road.

“We also accept PayPal, Stripe and one or two others for online transactions,” she says. “Our card processor in the showroom accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay. It’s all about offering convenience these days. People want to be able to use their payment apps and do it quickly – you need to be up with the times.”

Shane Bouchard, owner of Maine Home Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, says the store started accepting both credit cards and mobile payments through phones and PayPal accounts about five years ago.

“The ability to accept this on site has really helped boost business and we find PayPal to be much less expensive than traditional credit card processing companies,” he says. “With our new card readers, we can now accept chip cards and Apple, Google pay.”

MARKETING MATTERS An important thing for billiard retailers to keep in mind is that they need to advertise that they accept these form of payments. That means signs throughout the aisles and by the register. Bouchard notes this is important because it lets his customers know that they can easily pay for what they find and it encourages more purchases.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 21

Left to Right: Adam Brown, Jacob Long, Emily Scott, Homer Brown.

AT YOUR SERVICE BUMPERNETS IN ALABAMA IS A DREAM DESTINATION FOR TABLE SPORT DEVOTEES

By Anthony Stoeckert For two decades, BumperNets has been the place in Birmingham, Alabama, for people who love table sports.

knowledge to create the best possible customer experience at every level of his business.

Whether it’s people who want to buy a beautiful billiard table, table tennis setup, or other game, or folks who want to spend time with family or friends playing pool, ping-pong, pinball, or an arcade game, BumperNets has everything.

“Being retail tough and consistent is so important in our business,” Brown says.

“I always remind my staff that ‘retail is detail’ almost every day.”

And Homer Brown, the founder and owner of BumperNets, has a long track record of making his store all about his customers. Brown discovered his love of retail at an early age, and he uses all of his experience and 22 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

His story begins almost 50 years ago, in a different industry, and it’s a story that has seen his idea for the nation’s first table tennis store grow from a booth to a mini-empire with three different locations – each of which offers different services related to table sports – in the same mall.

“It’s been a fast ride,” Brown says.

A START IN THE OIL BUSINESS Before getting in the home recreation business, Brown had a career in a different sector. During his last year at Covenant College near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, he took a job at a service station. He fell in love with the oil industry, mainly because of the service aspect, and after graduating, he became a manager of a Shell station.

Then he bought a Gulf Service Station

a year later at the young age of 21.

“That’s back when we had about six or seven service stations off the Interstate,” Brown says.

That meant a lot of competition, and Brown got an early education into the importance of customer satisfaction.

“I could tell right then and there, I was going to have to have good service,” he says. “I’ll never forget that first day, opening the door at 6 a.m., and I waited and waited, and I didn’t get my first customer until a quarter to 10 in the morning.You can imagine that they got great service. I realized that taking care of the customer is mighty important and I better do everything I can to exceed their expectations if I wanted to stay in business.”

One day, a man came to the station and was so impressed with how he was treated, that he asked Brown if he offered the same level of service and accommodation to all of his customers.

“I said, ‘Yep we do,’” Brown says. “It turned out he was going to be the new vice president of Gulf Oil, and I didn’t know it.”

Brown was considering opening other dealerships, but a few days later he got a call from Gulf’s human resources department asking if he wanted to interview for the job of retail marketer, where he’d be working with other dealers.

He faced a tough decision. Brown had built up a business and wanted to grow it further, but the offer was too tempting to turn down, and he figured he could always go back to running his own station one day. He took the job, assisting dealers on retail training and running classes and helping new dealers establish their businesses. Over the course of 24 years, he worked for Gulf, Chevron, and BP. It was a career that involved a lot of moving – 10 times in 27 years – and

his last job in the oil industry brought him to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1996, working as COO of an oil distribution company. He used his customer service expertise and marketing savvy to help turn the company around. When his contract ended in 1999, Brown was 50 years old.

TURNING THE TABLES His other passion was table tennis. An exceptional competitor, Brown played in his first U.S. Open in 1969, and he recently set a record by playing in his 50th consecutive Open. He has also participated in numerous other tournaments and coached throughout his career in the oil business.

“In the back of my mind, I always thought about opening America’s first table tennis store,” Brown says.

His vision was for a store in a mall, a place where people could rent playing time for table tennis and billiards and also buy everything they need to play their favorite games at home.

So in early 1999, Brown tested his idea by setting up a booth in a mall near a food court. He drew a lot of attention by setting up a ping-pong robot and inviting visitors to test their skills against “The Champ.”

He found out there was a market for his concept.

“It was kind of a large booth in the mall,” Brown says. “And I kept listening to customers and they were asking, ‘Where can I play ping-pong? Where can I get a lesson? Where can I buy a table?’”

The mall’s marketing manager told him it was time to open a store. And Brown already had his name – BumperNets, “bumper” for pool, “nets” for table tennis.

“I knew coming from the oil industry that I had to have a cool name and a cool brand,” Brown says.

He tried out his concept in a 5,300-square-foot space, and BumperNets opened on Aug. 13, 1999. In addition to offering rental time for table tennis and billiards, the store also had high-end table sports like air hockey, Tornado foosball, and shuffleboard.

“You could come in and rent a table, buy your accessories, get a custom table tennis racket, buy a cue stick, and get any accessory you wanted for your table sport,” Brown says.

He set up air hockey in front of one window, and a ping-pong robot in another window.

“Just to grab people’s attention,” Brown says. “I wanted people to see action in the store. I was creating a place for the beginner to the pro, to play or buy.”

One important aspect of BumperNets’ success is Brown’s knack for marketing, which he put to good use.

“I’ve always been kind of a guy who liked to market and sell,” he says.

Even dating back to high school, Brown got involved in Amway and had 27 people working under him.

“I really fell in love with it when I was in high school,” he says. “I love giving customers good service and making things happen. And also, making a little bit of money. Money’s not everything to me, I think taking care of customers and seeing them come back is a big thrill.

I always have felt that the money will follow if you’re doing things rights.”

MOVING AND GROWING Once up and running, Brown’s idea was a hit; BumperNets was a success, and after a year and a half, the opportunity came to move to a bigger, regional mall. The Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 23

26 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

“It is a beautiful mall, it’s got skylights throughout the whole mall,” Brown says.

“It’s one of the best malls in the country.”

He started out small, with a pro shop, then moved into a 2,200-square-foot store that offered everything his first store did, and he added more arcade games, darts and pinball.

“Pinball is a big table sport, and we’re one of the biggest retail venues for pinball in the U.S.,” Brown says. “We’ve got 37 pinballs between our three stores.”

BumperNets also established a presence in the community, hosting exhibitions at schools, including during halftime of basketball games, and sponsoring the Alabama State School Table Tennis Championships.

“Getting involved with the community is important, finding a niche where you can get involved,” Brown says.

By 2007, BumperNets had outgrown its spot, so the mall management wanted Brown to move into a bigger location. It was a 6,700-square-foot space across the hall from his then-current location. One big draw for Brown was that the new space had an outside entrance. It was a big jump, but Brown and BumperNets were ready.

“We took the opportunity and featured three beautiful pool tables and three ping-pong tables in the back of the main store, and we continued our table rentals for customers and we were able to add more things,” Brown says.

Those new things included nostalgic, classic arcade games and old pinball machines, with everything for sale. But the focus was always on table tennis and pool.

fact, before long Brown saw the need to grow even bigger because customers were waiting to rent a table or to take a lesson. So he expanded by setting up BumperNets Arcade in the space he left, just across the hall.

“The store was a lucky store for me, even though it was the worst store location in the mall, because that was the best location I could get for the rent, behind an escalator,” Brown says. “It was a store that the national chains didn’t really want, but I wanted to be in a mall because of the central location and safety and all of that.”

Eventually, BumperNets expanded yet again when Brown opened BumperNets for Kids, where he offered basketball, small air hockey tables, and Dance Dance Revolution.

DEDICATED TO THE CUSTOMER Speaking of Dance Dance Revolution, that was actually the first arcade game Brown offered, when his store was focusing on pool and table tennis. And that story shows how Brown pays attention to all of his customers.

“A little girl came up to me and said, ‘Can you put in Dance Dance Revolution?’” Brown says. “And I thought, That’s a good idea, it’s good for footwork for ping-pong. We put it in the back of the main store, so we had music in the store, and promoted it as being good for footwork.”

EXPANDING BY GOING BACK HOME

Another aspect of BumperNets’ business is hosting parties. Kids and adults can celebrate birthdays with unlimited play. BumperNets also hosts parties for other occasions, and also is a popular site for team-building events for businesses both small and big.

BumperNets quickly proved that it could handle the new, bigger space. In

BumperNets has been in business for so long that over the years, Brown has BCAINSIDER.COM | 27

seen some customers grow up right in front of his eyes.

“These kids see everything going on at BumperNets and what we’re all about, so eventually they’re in high school and bringing their girlfriends to BumperNets to play ping-pong or pool or some arcades,” he says. “Before long, they’re married and they’re coming in and buying a pool table or bringing their kids in to play.”

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS Excellent customer service starts with selling quality products, from high-end tables to the smallest of accessories, and providing playing time on beautiful tables in a nice setting.

28 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

But Brown and his employees also keep customers happy by offering the little things, a free game, or a free table tennis lesson, or a free Coke or water as they’re shopping.

“If you make the customer the focus and make the experience fun for them, people will come back,” Brown says.

“We exceed the customer’s expectations whenever possible.”

Today, BumperNets has three stores in The Riverchase Galleria Mall, and Brown’s business is celebrating its 20th anniversary. At the age of 70, Brown is still working 80 hours a week, and he still enjoys running his business and being on stage every day, seven days a week when he can.

And he has done an outstanding job of running those stores. Remarkably, BumperNets has grown every year

since Brown opened that booth in 1999, with the exception of 2008, the height of the economic crisis, and even then the drop wasn’t huge.

MODERN-DAY MARKETING Just as important as offering the best in quality service is embracing new technology. BumperNets maintains a strong social media presence on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook the store has more than 14,000 followers. Its website is informative, useful, and easy to navigate. It also features a blog that is updated regularly.

“I have always liked to advertise and promote and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to get back into the retail business, because I love promoting,” Brown says.

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out national chains like Dick’s Sporting Goods. It also earned the 2004 Verizon Award, a national honor for innovation in retailing from the National Sporting Goods Association.

PROMOTING TABLE TENNIS BumperNets began with Brown’s passion for table tennis, and promoting the sport is something he takes great joy in.

He used to do that through newspapers and radio and television ads. Now, in addition to social media, he’s participated in an episode of Extreme Makeover by working on the game room of a house in Birmingham.

Brown also has embraced Amazon and what it can do for sales.

“That’s a good part of our business, volume-wise,” he says. “We ship tables and accessories all over the country through Amazon, that’s a big part of our business.”

Jacob Long, sales manager at BumperNets handles the Amazon sales. And that leads to another ingredient of Brown’s recipe for success – hiring the right employees, and keeping them happy.

“One of the important things is picking the right people to hire,” Brown says.

“One of the ways I’ve picked my people is that I’ve seen them grow up coming into my store and I’ll know a lot about them. The key is keeping employees as long as possible.”

Indeed, Long has been with BumperNets for 16 years, and Brown says most of his employees stay with him for the long haul.

Brown’s son, Adam, is the store manager and vice president. Adam started work30 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

ing at BumperNets when he was in college at Auburn, and after he graduated, Homer asked him to join the business.

“It’s nice to have a son involved in the business,” Brown says. “I coached him at a young age and got him involved at 3 years old and he went on to become a Junior Olympian table tennis player and eventually won the U.S. Open National Table Tennis Championships in 1987. He was the youngest ever to win the 10 and under boys and girls title, and he’s a five-time men’s single Alabama State champion.”

His daughter, Janell, also played the game and participated in the Junior Olympics. “And my wife Judy has been very understanding and supportive, and she’s the one I really love to share the success of the business with when I come home,” Brown says.

Other staffers include Executive Assistant Emily Scott, Assistant Store Manager Barnabas Gonzales, Account Executive Christopher Tickell, and Duke Stogner, who is the operations manager and runs tournaments and leagues.

Their efforts have been recognized with the Alabama Retailer of the Year Award a few times. BumperNets also has been awarded the Innovative Retailer of the Year Award by the National Sporting Goods Association, beating

“I realized that table tennis is one of the best participation sports,” he says.

“Around the world table tennis is pretty big. I believe in it because it’s a lifetime sport and it’s been good to me.”

In addition to playing in his 50th U.S. Open Championships, which set a record, he also coaches. A year ago. he added Keith Evans, a national Jamaican champion, as a head coach to the BumperNets team.

Brown had a chance to go to the World Championships in Japan in 1971, but he had just opened his Gulf Service Station, so he passed. But in 2006, he was able to visit China when he was invited by the president of the USATT to travel with the National Team during a 10-day tour of the nation.

“It’s huge around the world, really,” Brown says of table tennis. “I always felt that as we become more international here in the U.S. that table tennis would continue to grow.”

He also encourages new players to try the game through spring break clinics, where people learn about table tennis from BumperNets’ staffers.

It’s a lot of work, but Brown shows no signs of slowing down. He takes the occasion break, but he always looks forward to getting back to the business he built, and finding new ways to satisfy his customers.

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THE POWER OF INSTAGRAM

By Charles S. Donnavan

In today’s world, with the ease of connecting to the internet by phone, tablet or computer, there’s no longer any excuse for not having an Instagram account for your store. It’s simple to create, easy to add photos and videos, and it’s been proven again and again that eyes on a social media page will bring customers into your store.

Instagram is one of the most utilized social networks in the retail industry and due to its visual nature and high user engagement rate, the site is a valuable social media marketing platform that benefits all retailers, regardless of what your inventory consists of.

According to TechCrunch, Instagram surpassed 1 billion monthly active users last summer. Additionally, Hootsuite’s Instagram for business statistics revealed 80 percent of Instagram users follow at least one business, 60 percent of users discover products on Instagram, 75 percent of users take action, and 70 percent are more likely to buy via mobile. Those are numbers that billiard retailers can’t ignore.

FINDING SUCCESS Ciarra McIntire, president of Universal Billiards, Inc., with stores in Dallas and Plano, Texas, says that since the platform is photo-based, Instagram is an important component to a comprehen32 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

sive social media strategy for any type of furniture or game room store.

“We use Instagram to share product photos, install photos, inspiration ideas, and the smiling faces of our team,” she says. “It’s an easy platform to gain audience using appropriate hashtags, which allows for a wider net than other platforms. It’s also fun to use Insta Stories to share more about how game room furniture is designed and built and to share more about our team.”

Monarch Billiards in Crum Lynne, Pennsylvania, uses its Instagram account to post photos of new items, installation jobs and games, among other things.

“That's led to more people coming into the store, which has led to increases in sales,” says owner John Carzo.

ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS One doesn’t need to be an expert on technology to set up an active Instagram account. You can do a quick Google search for “growing your business using Instagram” and you’ll come across thousands of articles with advice. However, if you’re looking for one quick tip that will make a huge difference, it’s this: content is king. In the simplest of terms, the best way to succeed on Instagram (or any social platform) is to consistently create content that brings the viewer value, and makes them want to share it.

Audra DelConte, owner of Royal Billiard and Recreation, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, started using Instagram in conjunction with the store's popular Facebook page not too long ago and found that people seemed to be spending more time looking at the Instagram page.

If you’re a company operating in the billiard space, this can come in a number of different forms. One example would be to create a series of instructional videos for beginners to learn the fundamentals of the sport in 60-second chunks. Everyone has that friend who saw their table and said they’d love to learn to play, or tags along from time to time to the billiard hall just to watch.

“More recently, we’ve put more of an emphasis on the Instagram page as our reports show that it is leading people back to our store or site,” she says. “I actually have an in-house web and social media person on staff who handles all of this so we know we’re providing great content.”

By creating content that billiard fans want to share with that learner, and the learner wants to watch, you provide value and increase the shareability of your content. When someone who’s interested sees it, they’re likely to follow you, and trust your opinions on the subject as an expert.

Similarly, you can provide value to the viewer in the form of entertainment. If you have someone at your shop who is really talented at trick shots, why not create a video collage of their trick shots to share on Instagram? This is fascinating content with a wow factor that has a ton of viral potential. They could also choose a specific trick shot and explain the mechanics and how it’s done – like a peek behind the curtain of how a magician works their magic.You can even end each video with your business address, inviting viewers to come show you their favorite trick shot, and hold a prize each month for the best customer trick shot, and offer a gift card or other incentive.

Don’t be afraid to get creative.

Stacy Caprio, founder of Accelerated Growth Marketing, helps retailers grow through savvy marketing ideas. She says that a billiard retailer can use their Instagram page to promote an event in the store and bring in more traffic.

For example, she suggests holding a billiard tournament or bringing in a special guest tied to the industry, and making your Instagram page all about that for a week.

“Offer free entry into the competition for anyone who screenshots and shares your post or story on their own Instagram account, and hype the event through that form of viral social sharing,” she says. “This can help raise awareness about the store and drive visits and new customers that will likely become recurring if they enjoy the experience.”

At the end of the day, the best way to grow your business on Instagram or social media is to build your brand by consistently posting interesting, relevant content that inspires your consumers to share it. How you do that is up to you, but there’s almost no better way to get the word out on your expertise and your business than with well-executed content.

Also, don’t give up immediately just because your follower count doesn’t jump within the first month (or even year!) of posting content.This is a longterm brand-building game and eventually you will see numbers start to rise.

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GET READY FOR 2019 EXPO

By BCA Insider Staff With the Billiard Congress of America’s annual International Billiard & Home Leisure Expo taking place at the South Point Casino, Hotel and Convention in Las Vegas, July 24-26, exhibitors and attendees are already planning for an exciting few days of events.

As always, the BCA Expo is the ideal event for anyone in the industry looking to learn about the latest products – billiards and barstools, cues, ping pong, shuffleboard, poker, casual furniture and more – and hoping to seek out future trends in the industry.

The Expo is a business-to-business event, and is open to qualified professionals of the billiard and home leisure industries only, so it’s ideal for our members.

This year, the BCA Expo will continue its successful Product Innovation Awards, which we introduced just two years ago. For this third contest, we have expanded the prize pool and will now will feature prizes for three new categories: Best Design, Most Innovative and Best In Show. We invite you to immerse yourself in the BCA show floor, where you’ll experience products in these categories that push the billiard and home leisure markets forward. Don’t miss your chance to experience these innovations before anyone else.

As an attendee, the BCA Product of the Year program will display the commitment to advancing the billiard and home leisure industry and provide you with an exclusive look at cutting-edge products all in one place on the show floor.

Another thing retailers can take advantage of on the show floor is the BCA Expo Retailer Rebate Program, where attendees can visit exhibitors on the show floor and cover the cost of attendance by participating in the 2019 BCA Rebate Program.

Participating exhibitors will provide you with a BCA Retailer Rebate Order Form when you visit their booth and you’ll have the opportunity to receive cash rebates for your show floor purchases. When you make a cumulative purchase of $500 or more, the BCA will reward YOU with money back.

Last year in New Orleans, 74 exhibitors, 282 booths and 850 registered buyers made the Expo an exciting place to be and one that many took advantage of.

38 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

“New Orleans provided a great backdrop for the 2018 BCA Expo. Our survey results indicated our attendees were purchasing and taking advantage of deals on the exhibit floor,” says Rob Johnson, BCA’s CEO. “We know we can always make the show better and plan to introduce some new concepts in 2019 that will appeal to buyers and exhibitors, alike.”

The South Point Casino, Hotel and Convention is located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Some of its many amenities include a 16-screen Century Theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and a handful of restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes.

For attendees looking for some casino fun after the Expo day concludes, the South Point casino boasts a large selection of table games and the latest slot and video poker machines.

Attendees always look forward to the BCA Expo’s social, and this year’s fun networking event is back and better than ever. For the first time, the event will run 90 minutes and will feature complimentary, heavy appetizers and the ever popular open bar. So be sure to stop by the Silverado Lounge after 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 26 to enjoy a nightcap and network with your fellow attendees.

To register for the Expo, visit bcaexpo. com or contact the BCA at BCAReg@ meetingexpectations.com or call 404760-8125 (Toll-Free: 866-479-6437).

If you would like information about BCA membership, contact Shane Tyree at 303-243-5070, ext. 23.

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BCAINSIDER.COM | 39

KEYBRIDGE WEB PARTNERS WITH BCA

By Keith Loria

Keybridge Web is a leading Washington D.C. web design company specializing in development of high-quality custom WordPress websites starting at $7,500, and now BCA members have a chance to get special rates on the company’s services.

The company has built hundreds of sites and has extensive expertise, project-management systems, quality control measures, and a long list of happy clients.

BCA Insider recently spoke with Mike McElhaney, Keybridge Web’s director of web development, about how the company will benefit our members.

BCA Insider: First, please give us a little detail of who the company is and its experience in the billiard space.

McElhaney: We specialize in web design development for businesses and associations. We have experience in various retail and manufacturing, but specifically in the gaming industry. We’ve done a couple of sites for BCA members, including the California House 40 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

website for the past five years and the Maine Home Recreation website.

BCA Insider: How can a BCA member get started?

BCA Insider: How is Keybridge Web unique?

McElhaney: The first thing they should do is just pick up the phone and give us a call or send us an email. We can provide all types of web services. Our core project is a website redesign but we also provide minor updates to sites.

If you have a page or two you want to update, we can help with that. Or we can provide a free audit on the website, including SEO and other statistics.

McElhaney: One of the big things that differentiates us from some others is that when we build a site, we really want to give you the tools so you can update it yourself if you want. As an example, California House has a couple of finish options and fabric options that are constantly changing out, so we made it easy for them to add a new item that they want to display or put a new news item on their home page. We build the website then hand you the keys, but we’re always here for support.

BCA Insider: There are some in the billiard industry who consider themselves “old school” and aren’t very tech savvy.

How can you make this easier for them?

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McElhaney: We understand that people may shy away from this.You don’t need to know coding, you just need to know how to get in touch with us and we can hold your hand through the rest.

We provide custom-designed development and really personalized service, so you’re working directly with me and our design team. We build it for you.

You just let us know what you like.

BCA Insider: Why will a strong website help a business?

RE TO GIS DA TE Y! R

McElhaney: The obvious answer is to drive more business to the site. It’s also a legitimizer for you. We hear people say that they have a website but their business is more word-of-mouth. Or they rely on print marketing for sales.

That’s all great, but anyone who hears about you is then going to go to your website to check you out. It might not be the thing that drives sales, but it’s really your storefront these days and it’s an opportunity to present a polished, professional image and create a

strong first impression. A website that was built 10 years ago may still have all the relevant information on it, but just because it looks dated, someone could choose another company.

we send a site to you or put it out for the public. We’re all based in the U.S., and we’re here to help as best we can.

BCA Insider: What sort of benefits do BCA members get through this new partnership?

McElhaney: Everybody gets high-quality, personalized service, but as a member you’ll get a 10 percent discount across the board. And that’s not just your first purchase, that’s anything you do from us – from a website audit to a hosting to a website redesign.

BCA Insider: What else is important for prospective clients to know?

FOR MORE INFORMATION

McElhaney: We put a high emphasis on quality control. In billiard and home leisure industry, it’s a high-end feel and you don’t want to have typos or spacing errors on your website.We have checklist after checklist after checklist before

visit www.keybridgeweb.com or call 1-877-302-2185

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3 REASONS YOU NEED REVIEWS FOR YOUR COMPANY AND PRODUCT

By Brian Offenberger The way people shop has really changed over the years. From tables to game room furniture, customer buying habits are much different than they used to be.

Your business has grown through wordof-mouth recommendations and you’ve used customer testimonials and references in your selling practices for years.

Today, when customers look for and evaluate equipment and products, they turn to the internet. In fact, that’s where 97 percent of people go to find local companies.

Now, these recommendations and testimonials are on the internet for all to see. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

And when they look online, you can bet they look for one thing nearly every time: reviews.

When you think about it, you already know that.

44 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

No matter what size your company, today’s reality is that you need a solid review marketing strategy to reach more buyers and sell more stuff.

Here are three ways online reviews can lead to more sales:

ONLINE REVIEWS GENERATE SALES LEADS Here’s how…

You get higher organic search engine rankings. Studies at the University of California Irvine, in conjunction with Local SEO Guide and PlacesScout, show online reviews, and the words used within them, impact organic local market search engine rankings more than any other factor. The higher your

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organic search engine rankings, the more website traffic you’ll receive. If your website is good at converting visitors into leads and sales, more website traffic means more leads and sales.

Your reviews on popular review sites will help people find you. Many consumers today bypass search engines entirely and go right to review sites to find what they are looking for. It’s very common when people are looking for a place to eat.

They go right to Yelp, look for top-rated restaurants in their area, and make a selection.They bypass Google entirely and go to a review site. People do that for your business and products too.

A study involving more than 30,000 businesses found that adding user reviews on their websites increased search engine traffic 45 percent.

It’s clear that online reviews lead to more sales opportunities.

ONLINE REVIEWS MAKE SALES

Make it

A study by a researcher at the Harvard Business School found that a one-star improvement onYelp can mean a 5 percent to 9 percent increase in restaurant revenue. And although the research focused only on restaurants, our personal experience has shown the same impact on other businesses.

PROSPECTS TRUST REVIEWS No one will ever buy from you if they don’t trust you. And what better way for people to trust you than through the experiences of others?

Your customers trust online reviews. In fact, 85 percent of them say they trust online reviews just as much as word-ofmouth recommendations from friends and family.

A University of Colorado study shows a direct correlation between consumer perception of quality and the quantity of online reviews.

CONCLUSION Generating leads and making sales involves lots of things – websites, social media, paid advertising, local search marketing.

If you haven’t been working on your review generation and marketing strategy however, you’ll miss out on many people who could have been customers.

Northwestern University’s Spiegel Research Center found that reviews boost conversions a whopping 270 percent, with larger ticket items seeing a boost in conversions up to 380 percent!

Studies also show that more than 67 percent consider reviews a highly influential factor in their buying decisions.

juliesnee.design (703) 951-3107 46 | BCA INSIDER • SPRING ISSUE 2019

Testimonials and word-of-mouth recommendations have been an important part of selling for decades. Now this process happens on the internet, without your involvement, on review sites.

BRIAN OFFENBERGER Brian Offenberger helps companies just like yours make more sales with digital marketing.  brian@righton-nobull.com

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