Willie Mobley

Atlanta, GA (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal

Maniac Toys, LLC

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Location: Atlanta
Industry: Retail/Clothing
Year Founded: 2011
Number Employees: 1-10 people
Business Stage: Creation/Idea
Entity Type: Limited Liability Company
Description: Pop culture has made a major impact on the toy industry in the past 20 years; pop culture phenomenon's such as GI Joe, Japanese Anime, the almost heroic worship of sport figures and even rap music have greatly influenced new and inventive toy lines. As more and more product lines are introduced in the industry, retailers are finding it difficult to supply the typical toy buying public (children ages 0-14) and also satisfy the needs of adult "toy" consumers. Adult toy enthusiasts seek out products geared not for amusement and imagination, but for collection and wonderment. In the Oct 2, 2002 edition of "DSN Retailing Today," Molly Prior noted, in her article, Collectibles industry soars thanks to adult consumers, "Old habits die hard, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the popularity of today's toy products among adult consumers. Most of today's adult toy consumers are carrying on with the habits they started during childhood." Product lines geared for these more "serious" toy consumers are often shelved in the back of comic book stores or small sections of larger, corporate toy stores. Both generally lack the knowledge and diverse product inventory to satisfy the need of adult toy consumers. Websites are currently available to view products from many different viewpoints, but consumers are finding it difficult to get actual "hands on" knowledge of products. Maniac Toys intends to bring to Atlanta a venue where serious toy enthusiasts can appreciate a multitude of action figures made available by quality toy manufacturers, utilizing a new level of multi-marketing specifically geared towards adults. 1.1 Objectives 1. To make Maniac Toys, LLC. the number one destination for customers to acquire action figures and accessories in Atlanta and to achieve the largest market share in the region for action figures. 2. Modify the Maniac Toys website. An increased web presence will result in an increase of foot traffic into the Brick and Mortar store resulting in greater sales numbers. 3. To build a relationship with various toy manufactures to develop local celebrity and iconic toys that would appeal to the surrounding areas. 4. To create a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere where children and adults can come and enjoy game play, also to see, and purchase hard to find High-End toys and games. 1.2 Mission Maniac Toys' mission is to provide quality toys, action figures, and video game play, to a specific target market of toy enthusiasts in an atmosphere designed specifically for this purpose. 1.3 Keys to Success To succeed in this venture, we must: 1. Location: Providing an easily accessible location for guests. 2. Environment: Providing an environment conducive to enjoying the shopping experience. 3. Convenience: Offering guest with a wide assortment of products and games one location, and convenient hours. 4. Reputation: Utilize a staff knowledgeable across a wide selection of products, and maintain this image with customers. 5. Effective advertising: Market using the surrounding established businesses, and guerilla marketing tactics to reach our target market. 6. Products: Establish excellent vendor relations that will facilitate good communication for new product announcements, up to date shipments of new "Hot Toys", and a reputation with our vendors that can flow over to our target market and not sacrifice quality or customer service. 2.0 Company Summary Maniac Toys, LLC. is a start-up company, with creative and inspired owners, Maniac Toys will find its home in the metro Atlanta area among hip and popular retail establishments. It will aim to secure its place among the favorite shopping spots of "older" toy enthusiasts, with a target market of males 18-35. Maniac Toys will maintain a firm core customer base by providing customers with a one-stop shop for their entire action figure needs. Maniac Toys will establish close vendor relationships, conduct extensive market research utilizing the internet and trade magazines, as well as use relationships made through toy trade association memberships and trade shows to continually improve on and keep their inventory geared to the target market. 2.1 Company Ownership Antonio Mobley is the Managing Partner of Maniac Toys, LLC. Mr. Mobley has extensive leadership skills, developed after 20 years in the workforce. He has been awarded many awards and merits for his leadership and sales skills. Mr. Mobley spent 4 years in the US Army as a squad leader and instructor and the last 12 years in the business-to-business sales force, including Restaurant Management in the last 4 years. Mr. Mobley has a degree from the Chubb Institute in Web Design and Computer Programming. 2.2 Start-up Summary Our start-up cost come to $49,835, which is mostly inventory, rental space, and expenses opening the first office. The building will be leased with a monthly payment of approximately $3,150 per month. Inventory to be purchased will be in the range of $15,000. Start-up costs will be financed through a combination of owner investment and short-term loans. The start-up chart shows the distribution of financing. Other miscellaneous expenses include: • Entertainment expenses for video game terminals and initial gaming fees of $1,000. • Interior Design and layout of store and buying area of $6,400. • Web and Graphic Design services of $70 Maniac Toys, LLC will concentrate on the sale of high-end toys and providing a "cybercafe" style video game service. Maniac Toys will sell high-quality action figures and accessories. The majority of Maniac Toys' product lines will be purchased directly from wellknown manufacturers such as McFarlane Toys, Hasbro, and Art Asylum as well as other international and domestic manufacturers. The company will also build relationships and purchase inventory through domestic distributors, such as Diamond Select Toys, and International dealers. Maniac Toys will rely heavily on customer-staff relationships to shorten the feedback loop in product and service offerings; the same staff that deals directly with customers will be consulted regarding inventory purchases and the changing of product lines. Maniac Toys' product offering will be based on customer interest, market trends, and research and will establish the company as the area's premier place for a diverse and extensive collection of toys. Maniac Toys will offer the 2 popular video game consoles to people in the area that wish to test and try out new games and products. Through the development of a diverse collection of games, we will provide an area to come and play new trendy games for a low price and still help to build foot traffic for the higher end retail toys. 4.0 Market Analysis Summary In its Collectibles Industry Report 2000, Unity Marketing indicated that the market of adult collectors had swollen to the impressive number of 40 million by 1999 and according to DSN Retailing Today; the $10.4 billion retail collectors market continues to grow steadily. Patrick Feely, Chairman, Toy Industry Association, stated in his February 2002 State of the Industry address, "The largest category increase in 2001 was action figures & accessories, showing a dramatic 36.2% increase over 2001 sales. . . With a healthy and prosperous demographic audience, with such characteristics as dual income families, higher educational backgrounds, and a preference for shopping in specialty stores, it's no wonder this market is getting noticed by industry and consumers alike." (Feely, 2002) According to the US Census Bureau, Fulton and DeKalb counties have experienced extreme growth in the past 10 years, 25.8% and 21.9%, respectively. With a population exceeding 500,000 metro Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. With this influx of young adults into the metro Atlanta area, pop culture has taken a strong hold on everyday life n the community - and where pop culture takes hold, interest in toys and collectibles increases. Currently, only large retail chain stores are offering extensive selections of action figures yet the focus of these chain stores remains on the mainstream marketing demographic for children's toys, ages 0-14. Large chain stores generally do not carry specialty toys because manufacturers tend to prefer smaller, specialty stores to which they have a close, direct relationship. Consequently, Atlanta's adults don't have access to a retail outlet specifically targeted to their specific taste for specialty action figures, accessories and collectibles. Maniac Toys' plan is to bring new alternative toys and action figures to Atlanta's core target market. 4.1 Market Segmentation Maniac Toys hopes to capitalize on the following characteristics of young adults:  Subculture Affiliation: Though rebellious, young males between the ages of 18 and 35 want to blend in and be accepted by peers. They seek a community of peers to welcome them, as well as help them stand out.  Attitude: Young adults wear their attitude like a uniform to give definition to their identity. This extends to clothing, hairstyle and the type of music they listen to. It is Maniac Toys' plan to create a business identity that will capitalize on the subculture affiliation and attitude of our target customers. As Pam Danzinger commented in, The New Collectors, adult collectors "Use their collections as a means of self-expression. This means that the collectors seek out new pieces that express their value systems, ideals, and identities. They seek to acquire collections that make a particular statement to their friends and families. The collection is an integral part (URL removed)ntity and an expression of his or her personality." Maniac Toys will focus on three significant customer groups:  Rockers: This group is a pivotal customer group for Maniac Toys. Rockers are deeply influenced by pop culture, especially in music, movies, and television. Distinctive style is an important component of the "Rockers" culture.  "Yuppies:" This group is important for the sustained growth of the business. They represent a wide range of young people who identify themselves as part of the "young movers and shakers". They represent the majority of young adults and have the most money to spend on products.  College Students: Emory University has an enrollment of 11,300 students, Georgia Tech, 15,000, and Georgia State University, 2,300. In many ways, it is the college population that sustains the pop culture in Atlanta. In keeping with the idea that adult collectors are not just in it to buy "toys" but rather to establish a sense of identity and associate with others, Maniac Toys will be staffed with people who are not only knowledgeable of product lines, but who are also "peers" of its target market groups. Customers will relate to the staff on levels other than just an interest in toys, and therefore Maniac Toys will succeed in creating the social environment that collectors will want to come back to again and again.