Merry Merchant Challenge (OFB)
Do your Sims have the business skills needed to sustain a successful family business? The Merry Merchant Challenge is designed to test your Sims’ business skills.
The first goal is to have one shop open with ten (10) business stars (rank) so you can have perks to use to advance the shop. The ultimate goal is to have ten shops open with a minimum of ten (10) business rank stars at the end of two (2) generations. Nine shops also have Master Guild Goals for the shop owner which require that a related item be baked, caught, or crafted.
(Download the pdf for easier reading -
Google Doc for MM Challenge
Set-Up:
At a minimum, you will need the Open for Business Expansion Pack for Sims 2. Other EPs are needed for the master guild goals since each EP created related shop options and rewards. Adapt the master guild goals based on what you have.
Create your family and settle them into a base neighborhood. You can use the motherlode cheat to set family’s funds to $70,000 so they can buy their first home and their first business. (I incorporated the Merry Merchant Challenge into my existing Test of Time Challenge so I already had ten Barons I wanted to make into merchants. If your Sims already own a home, use the familyfunds cheat to set the funding to $35,000 before your Sims buy their first shop)
In a Downtown or Shopping District, build your shop or buy one of the existing shops. If you want an extra challenge, build ten (10) shops on small community lots. (Since I incorporated the Merry Merchant in a legacy challenge I had a potter, baker, candlestick maker, tailor, blacksmith, apothecary, florist, fishmonger, toymaker, and grocer. I found great medieval custom content hobby tools and supplies. You can set up your own kinds of shops. Keep the total cost for each shop around $30,000). Remember each family’s $70,000 startup has to buy a home, buy a shop, and buy items to sell while still having money left for feudal tithes, food and other home needs.
Use the following checklist to help you set up and furnish your shops:
Cash register on a counter (registers won’t work on tables)
Shelves and/or display areas
Telephone (there is a community phone outside for transportation, but you will need one inside to hire employees and to invite other Sims)
An open/closed sign
Toilets for customers (may add another one for employees that locks)
A lockable work area. Based on shop include tools to build, bake, or create
Seating and dining table for customers and employees to use during breaks
Food prep: add a grill, an empty counter and a sink
Have your family buy a shop. (Since I was in a medieval age, the men bought the shops, except the apothecary which was bought by a witch). At this point, don’t increase your funds with any cheats. Your Sims must make do with their $70,000 start up cash. You can always decrease funds if you want a harder challenge.
Remember the highest priority is customer loyalty and master craftsmanship. The owner must be willing to sacrifice family members’ wants to make their shop a success.
The Challenge Playing Guide:
Your family’s task is to live their daily life in the neighborhood while managing a community lot business. (Repeat these steps for each family if you have taken on the extra challenge of opening ten shops)
Send the owner (and other family members if desired) to visit their shop at least once every other day.
Craft, bake, fish, or farm items to sell. Stock shelves with crafted items or buy items from the catalog. Click on the items to set their prices.
Open the shop. Have the owner (and family) work to sell items and serve customers. As the business grows hire employees, gain perks, get good ratings and make some money.
The shop owner must visit and work at the shop at least every other day for a minimum of one hour. The only exception is when the owner has hired a manager for the shop then the owner must call to check on the shop daily.
No matter what, you cannot use any cheats to increase family funds after buying shop.
If any shop gets to a negative five (-5) in business rank points, the family must sell that shop and start over with a new shop.
Before the first generation shop owner dies be sure to pass on their perks to their heirs. This will help the shops to grow and thrive.
If your family becomes very successful, they can build/buy a second shop.
If all family members die, their shop will be sold and you have failed the challenge.
Start young to develop your shop heirs’ needed skills.
Work to achieve your shop related Master Guild Goal. Each shop has a progression of things that can be made or caught as your owners earn badges. [Chocolate requires the cooking career reward so your bakers will need a job in the cooking career in addition to running their shop. Apothecary requires the owner to be a witch/wizard with a cauldron).
I created a chart to help me track each shop. The top list is repeated for each type of merchant.
Shop Type
Novice
Apprentice
Journeyman
Master
Guild Goal
Baker
Berry Pies
Layer Cake
Cheesecake
Baked Alaska
Chocolate
Toymaker
Fire Truck
Clown Box
Kites
Twirl & Spin
Wiggler
Florist
Daisy
Wildflower
Tulip
Roses
Snapdragon
Potter
Vase
Tea Set
Pot
Pitcher
Amphora
Tailor
Teddy Bear
Curtains
Quilt
Clothes
Custom Item
Blacksmith
Hydro Bot
Hover Bot
Sentry Bot
Munchie Bot
Servo
Grocer
Strawberries
Cucumbers
Peppers
Pole Beans
Eggplants
Fishmonger
Large Bass
Jumbo Bass
Catfish
Rainbow Trout
Golden Trout
Apothecary
Plantophic
Witchbegone
Cure Tails
Love Potion
ReNuYu
Perks Used
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
Year awarded 10 Stars Business Rank
Employee # and Badges that they have
Who was hired as the manager?
Other Awards (Best of Best, Badges, etc)
I couldn't stay away from my Sims, they help my creative side come out! Taking a break from my RV life to take care of family issues, so Sims helps me to unwind. Let me know what you are up to with your Sims so I can check it out!