Board games are a great form of entertainment, but they also do more than entertain. Fun board games can be a way to bring people together or help students learn the fundamentals of a difficult subject, such as banking via a business board game.

There are many options available. If you are a business looking to offer board games to your clients or your employees, you must consider players' ages and interests. If you are a business that wants to use board games for marketing, make sure you work with a company that can meet all of your needs.

Cost is always an issue. In order to get the most for your money, keep the following information in mind when buying board games:

1. Buy a variety of board games that will appeal to all ages.
2. Use free trial periods.
3. If you are ordering custom board games, request a sample before placing an order.
4. Only work with companies that have return or refund policies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy wholesale board games to save money

Wholesale is a great idea for companies that want to buy cheap board games in bulk. Although each board game wholesaler may offer different packages and pricing, most offer the option to buy more for less money.

I recommend: Wholesale Board Games offers a large selection of board games. The more items you order, the lower your cost per unit price. BoardGamesExpress offers a variety of games and the option to buy board games in bulk. Entertainment Earth (EE) Distribution requires you to provide your company information by opening up a wholesale account. Once you have done this, you will have access to wholesale board games.

Offer a variety: from fun games to classic board games to board games for adults

You want to satisfy the needs of all clients, regardless of age. Make sure your products will do just that.

I recommend: BoardGames.com, Inc. lets you choose the types of games you are interested in from the menu on the left side of the page. Endless Games lets you search by age or category to find the best board games for you business.

Find free board games

Whether you are a hospital that needs to provide games for your waiting room or a school that needs to stock games in the library, you need games at discounted rates. One option to consider is offering free online board games.

I recommend: Yahoo! and AOL both offer free trial versions of online board games. Pogo.com offers free backgammon, chess, checkers, dominoes, and cribbage. If you have specific games you want to purchase, consider buying them used from a website like Amazon.com.

Offer custom board games

One way to attract clients is to have a board games manufacturer design a game for your company. It is a unique way to show clients what your company has to offer.

I recommend: Board game customization is available though Game Design Center (marketing and promotional games) and MJS Creations (any type of game you need for your business).

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If computers are available, offer online board games.
• •  When ordering used board games, make sure there is a return policy if items are missing.