The UK government held a referendum to decide whether United Kingdom should remain within the European Union. The refererendum result was 52% in favour of leaving the EU (so-called Brexit). The UK will remain part of the EU for at least two more years, and that clock starts ticking when the Prime Minister gives notice to the EU that we are leaving.
How does this affect Pelgrane Press, and our customers?
We’ve had a lot of experience over many years of economic downturns and crises. The first and most important thing to say is that, financially, we have been barely affected by such crises. Other factors such as the release of new editions of D&D or the d20 glut have a much stronger effect (the first positive, the second, negative). My view is that the RPG companies are like Dominos Pizza – their products are in demand in recessions, as an alternative to more expensive options.
Or, to put it another way, there has never been a better time to enter a world of fantasy!
We trade mainly in the United States, so the immediate impact of the vote was to increase the net value of our cash reserve and stock. Sales over the past few days are unaffected, and we hope that this will continue. Our expenses are mainly in US dollars; our income is mainly in US dollars, so we might see a modest increase in GBP revenue if our sales remain steady, counteracted possibly by lower sales in the EU. Much further in the future, it might become more difficult to trade with the EU. However, we are a flexible company and have the option of moving into the EU if we need to – co-owner Cat Tobin is based in Ireland. In fact, we can run Pelgrane Press from anywhere with a good internet connection.
I can foresee no delays in production or our release schedule as a result of the vote.
The only possible effect it might have on our customers is that we might increase our GBP prices or non-US shipping costs. I can’t see that being a possibility for a while, though.
Our company connects with colleagues, customers and friends all over the world, including the EU. We value diversity, and enjoy working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and nations. Last year, for example, we had customers in 85 countries and freelancers in at least eight.
We will continue to work with, and support, gamers and creators all over the world, and do our best to overcome any barriers between us, however they arise.