Owning A Bookstore: The Essential Planning Guide

$189 Buy Now
When you purchase Owning a Bookstore: The Essential Planning Guide, you are guaranteed that you’ll receive up-to-date information about the industry and its lessons for success. Others who mass produce business start-up guides cannot make that claim. FREE with registration for Owning a Bookstore: Online Training & Workshop Retreat. If you’ve purchased a copy of the Guide within one year of registering for both parts of the Owning a Bookstore program, you’ll receive full credit toward your tuition. What bookstore model works best in this age of online shopping and e-books? If writing a business plan is your next step, what are the important details about owning and managing a bookstore that you’ll want to build into your financial projections? If you’ve never managed a bookstore, worked retail, or owned your own small business, there are many important things to learn before you sign a lease or buy an existing bookstore. If you want to make a profit and run your bookstore professionally, don’t under-estimate the importance of training for your new career. There’s a lot to learn ... With thousands of dollars at stake, it’s in your best interest to learn about the intricacies of the bookstore business and what it takes to succeed. Unlike boilerplate “how-to” guides for opening a business, this is the only publication that is produced by dedicated book industry professionals with ongoing direct contact with new bookstore owners and those who have been in the bookstore business for decades. With the Guide, you’ll gain an overview of the book industry, understand the financial dynamics, learn about everything from leases to buying books, bookstore computerized management systems to grand opening celebrations in this detailed, bookstore-specific guide that is the premiere resource for anyone opening a bookstore or buying an existing bookstore. With exercises and lists of vendors and contacts, plus a list of our favorite vendors for non-book merchandise (cards, reading accessories, toys and games, gifts and more), you’ll be on your way to learning what’s involved when you own your own bookstore and you’ll make progress with your plans as well! ABA member? Click here to order at discounted rate.

What you’ll discover in Owning A Bookstore: The Essential Planning Guide:

  • The Book Industry
    - Learn about the book industry, the trends and statistics, glossary of bookstore and book industry jargon, and book industry publications for the latest industry news
  • Decision-Reaching Process
    - What skills are required when you own and manage a bookstore and the activities involved in daily operations, profiles of bookstores who have recently won the U.S. “Bookstore of the Year” award
  • Vision
    - Ideas and information about choosing a name and logo and developing an independent bookstore with tangible competitive advantages, a strong foundation for a successful launch
  • Financial Dynamics
    - Learn how much it will cost to open a bookstore, how to use industry averages to project your sales and expenses, and the essential elements for a business plan for an independent bookstore
  • Location
    - The language of a lease is a whole different language altogether and this chapter, written by veteran lease negotiator Gerry DeWulf, spells out the details and provides a sample lease
  • Store Design
    - Learn about the importance of creating a special sense of place and work through planning exercises designed to help you develop your bookstore’s unique character
  • Fixtures
    - Bookstore fixtures need strength and flexibility and you’ll see a number of common fixtures used in bookstores
  • Inventory
    - We’ll demystify how you put together your opening order, how much it will cost, and the resources to help you create a selection with thousands and thousands of books ... and fun non-book merchandise too
  • Computerizing
    - Do not purchase an off-the-shelf POS software package! It simply does not work for the complexity of the bookstore world where you need to be able to import data from databases of millions of titles. Your computer system is not only your cash register, but your primary tool for buying and inventory management ... and is key to your ability to make a profit.
  • Human Resources
    - Learn about staffing requirements, your payroll budget, and the important characteristics to look for when recruiting booksellers. Prior bookstore experience shouldn’t necessarily top the list!
  • Marketing
    - Bookstore marketing budgets are small, so you want to get the mileage out of everything you do or pay for to help drive traffic to your website and make your cash register ring.
  • Operations
    - There are soft openings and grand openings, theft and inventory ‘shrink’ plus many other elements of managing a retail business.
$189 plus shipping & handling; ABA members, please call us at 904.277.2664 to order with the special member rate. Buy Now or Register for the Workshop