How to Run a Tavern in 12 Easy Steps!

[LordVreeg]

Sorry.  I was typing while taking 2 calls.  Something had to give.

[blockquote=the immaculate Stargate fivehundered and twenty five]As for capitol improvements, what do you mean? If you're going to improve the place, it should show up in either a quality bump or some other bonus. I don't see why it need be its own bonus.[/blockquote]

2 ways.

First off, after rent/purchase of a business, I have always taken 20%-30% of the total gross of a business and charged it weekly to the owners as 'weekly expenditures', ie, salary, bribes, training costs, unexpected trips to the store for lemons and Vneersberry syrup, wetc.  Then I adjust for a a few other factors.  But I have never told the characters that capitol expenditures will reduce costs.  In other words, buying a bigger iceroom reduces spoilage, buying a case of wine glasses in bulk saves from having to buy them in an emergency, having a bard that can actually detect enchantments to watch for malfesance,etc.
So capitol expenditures reduce costs...but are costs in and of themselves.

However, they also improve the customer experience, and can bring back clients.  And I don't know how many of you have tracked the effectiveness of different advertising mediums through source codes, etc, but a good business can do 80% through repeat/referal business.  

[Naryt]

Thanks for the clarifications, great information all around.

Adding in fixed costs would be a grand addition as LordVreeg mentions.

I'm trying to fit all of this into a spreadsheet for a bit more ease of use and will share it here when/if I can make it work.

Thanks, that will be added.

The irony is since I don't have excel, the system's creator won't be able to use it!

While I am writing the spreadsheet in Excel, I am also using it as an exercise in learning OpenOffice Basic and will also post the converted OpenOffice spreadsheet here...when it's done.

[Stargate525]

2 ways.

First off, after rent/purchase of a business, I have always taken 20%-30% of the total gross of a business and charged it weekly to the owners as 'weekly expenditures', ie, salary, bribes, training costs, unexpected trips to the store for lemons and Vneersberry syrup, wetc.  Then I adjust for a a few other factors.  But I have never told the characters that capitol expenditures will reduce costs.  In other words, buying a bigger iceroom reduces spoilage, buying a case of wine glasses in bulk saves from having to buy them in an emergency, having a bard that can actually detect enchantments to watch for malfesance,etc.
So capitol expenditures reduce costs...but are costs in and of themselves.

Aha. I see what you mean. I'm not sure how to implement that into a handy chart, but I'll give it some thought. Suggestions welcome.

I was thinking doing payroll as its own cost.

However, they also improve the customer experience, and can bring back clients.  And I don't know how many of you have tracked the effectiveness of different advertising mediums through source codes, etc, but a good business can do 80% through repeat/referal business.  

There's truth in that.

While I am writing the spreadsheet in Excel, I am also using it as an exercise in learning OpenOffice Basic and will also post the converted OpenOffice spreadsheet here...when it's done.

:D

[Sado Oddfoot]

Sorry.  I was typing while taking 2 calls.  Something had to give.

[blockquote=the immaculate Stargate fivehundered and twenty five]As for capitol improvements, what do you mean? If you're going to improve the place, it should show up in either a quality bump or some other bonus. I don't see why it need be its own bonus.[/blockquote]

2 ways.

First off, after rent/purchase of a business, I have always taken 20%-30% of the total gross of a business and charged it weekly to the owners as 'weekly expenditures', ie, salary, bribes, training costs, unexpected trips to the store for lemons and Vneersberry syrup, wetc.  Then I adjust for a a few other factors.  But I have never told the characters that capitol expenditures will reduce costs.  In other words, buying a bigger iceroom reduces spoilage, buying a case of wine glasses in bulk saves from having to buy them in an emergency, having a bard that can actually detect enchantments to watch for malfesance,etc.
So capitol expenditures reduce costs...but are costs in and of themselves.

You have to, of course, have to have HIRED people before you put that in, but there is an exact cost of everything in the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook.

[Dark Lotus]

i already have a spread sheet made in excel.... cuz im in stargates campaigne.... and our tavern rocks....

[Stargate525]

i already have a spread sheet made in excel.... cuz im in stargates campaigne.... and our tavern rocks....

Hello Josh. :)

That spreadsheet only does subtraction of inventory and addition of alcohol. I think the above is talking about adding in a function to hit a button and get all the information spat out at you, right?

You have to, of course, have to have HIRED people before you put that in, but there is an exact cost of everything in the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook.

And hello Colton.  

You will be getting hired people. Unless you want to have to make and clean up 6+ rooms every day. I'll be getting the prices from the guidebook.

[Sado Oddfoot]

Oh, and Nathaniel, because I'm an ass :P On the "Non-Seating Modifiers" Table you put Music/Entertainment 10-20 twice.

Just thought that you should know =]

[Stargate525]

Oh, and Nathaniel, because I'm an ass :P On the "Non-Seating Modifiers" Table you put Music/Entertainment 10-20 twice.

Just thought that you should know =]

fascinating. I have no CLUE what that was supposed to be...

[Dark Lotus]

it calculates all total profit in exact change

[Sado Oddfoot]

What about a modifier for a newly renevated tavern?

What about a modifier for an older Tavern? [Perhaps like 1d6 per month (or maybe a standard d10 per year) of ownership or something]

And you'll have to make a modifer for the Inns... afterall, I'm sure not EVERY room is filled up per night.

[Stargate525]

And you'll have to make a modifer for the Inns... afterall, I'm sure not EVERY room is filled up per night.

That'll be under 'How to Run an Inn in Twelve Easy steps!' I'm planning on a DVD series, you see.

It'll probably be a percentage roll, with modifiers.

[LordVreeg]

for inn, population vs traffic have a lot to do with it.  Don't we all have those towns that used to be really thriving, that now have the 2 beat up inns, and aren't aging the wine so much as going through it really slowly...

[Stargate525]

for inn, population vs traffic have a lot to do with it.  Don't we all have those towns that used to be really thriving, that now have the 2 beat up inns, and aren't aging the wine so much as going through it really slowly...

oh yeah. It'll be affected by the number of people in the tavern, and that's affected by the traffic.

[Naryt]

i already have a spread sheet made in excel.... cuz im in stargates campaigne.... and our tavern rocks....

Hello Josh. :)

That spreadsheet only does subtraction of inventory and addition of alcohol. I think the above is talking about adding in a function to hit a button and get all the information spat out at you, right?

Yes, so far the thing allows you to enter the number of tables available, indicate which of the non-seating modifiers are in effect and set the quality of the tavern.  Once all of these are set, just run the macro and it spits out all of the data for one full week of business.

Now that I have a basic model in Excel, I'll convert it to OO today and see about posting the file.

[Naryt]

OK...first run of the spreadsheet in  OpenOffice format.  There is one macro embedded in the spreadsheet called DiceRolls.  One modification that I made was to remove the Banquet Hall from the Seating table as it has no effect on every day operation.  Feel free to email me (use the link below) with questions or problems.  Once it's finalized, I'll look at converting the spreadsheet into Excel format.

File: 1183836472_376_FT33502_tavern_generator.zip