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I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

I've spent nearly two decades in the book business as a bookseller, librarian, and author. I sell used books online and vintage specfic at antique and vintage markets. I live in a town without an indy used bookstore. It's a college town. Despite the large non-english-speaking population, the library doesn't carry non-english materials. Other than the vinyl seller I see at some of the same pop-up venues, there isn't a place around here that sells used media.

I'm depressed because I didn't get into grad school. A friend of mine tried to cheer me up by suggesting I take my business to the next level and get a storefront and sell new and used media and geek frippery. I must have lost my mind because it sounds too doable. So please give me a large reality check. What am I not considering? Why shouldn't I do this?

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No Butt Stuff
Jun 10, 2004

You will never sell enough to be comfortable or maybe stay open. The location you'd need to get passers-by and foot traffic will cost more than you'll be able to afford selling books.

It is a dying model and there is no reason anyone should buy from you when they can get on Amazon or download a book.

Sure, there are some people that "just like books" but it's not enough.

You will die alone and unloved if you do this.

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax
Can you test the waters by doing in-person sales with some kind of longer-term but temporary booth setup, like a kiosk at a mall? Book sales aren't doing as badly as everybody thinks: Print Book Sales Rose in 2016

Do you speak any of the non-english languages you'd like to serve, or know people who do (i.e. would you be able to source good product)?
Do you have money to live on for the first year or so?
What kind of retail spaces are available in your town? Have you priced them or researched foot traffic?
Where do your current local customers buy the rest of their media and geek poo poo?
Is your town's college dorm-focused or mostly commuters? (i.e. how much of a center of retail gravity is the campus in reality?)

Put a business plan together in here, it'll be fun.

Knyteguy
Jul 6, 2005

YES to love
NO to shirts


Toilet Rascal
This place seems to do really well in our city, and they're fairly new (~5 years I'd guess): http://www.grassrootsbooks.com/home/

They have a huge volume of books, and sometimes it's like go in and every book in their big unsorted warehouse is $0.25 (they have new books in their storefront as well). They're not just old paperbacks either they have some bigger older books - I picked up a "Our Dumb World: The Onion" for I think it was $0.25. Kids books used are usually really cheap too which is the main reason we go in there.

From what I see they mostly rely on donations and book exchanges for their inventory.

They have outstanding reviews, which is probably the reason they're doing well: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grassroots-books-reno https://www.facebook.com/grassrootsbooksinc/

e: for dissuasion: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0620223/

Knyteguy fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Mar 2, 2017

VendaGoat
Nov 1, 2005
Why do you hate money, op?

Centrist Dad
Nov 13, 2007

When I see your posting
College Slice
I would encourage you to do it if it's feasible, if only because I am a big fan of used book stores, and I credit them with helping me find authors I now love. But that being said, nothing depresses me more than hearing about a bookstore that's going out of business. So think about these things first:

1) what is the rent?
2) how much do you expect to make in a month? Is that an amount greater than rent that will allow you to survive?
3) how will people find you?
4) will you sell stuff other than books?
5) is this college town a hipster town, or is it an "angry townie" town?

Trillian
Sep 14, 2003

The obvious question that follows from "I'm considering this because I didn't get into grad school" is, how much money do you have to invest?

Because if the answer is none, the rest of it is moot. (Unless you can pull off crowdsourcing a bookstore like that lady in the Bronx, somehow.)

Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004


follow your dreams, OP


... except for the grad school thing, I guess

Sundae
Dec 1, 2005

queserasera posted:

I'm depressed because I didn't get into grad school. [...] sounds too doable. What am I not considering? Why shouldn't I do this?

quote:

I'm depressed because I didn't get into grad school.

quote:

It's a college town.

What books can you possibly sell in enough volume and at a high enough price that you'll reliably make rent on your brick & mortar store that a college student can't get for way loving cheaper on Amazon? College towns are the central locations of all ridiculous "indie" business ideas and the book industry is an ancient one. If nobody has an indie book store open in your town already, it's because it can't stay open.

BAE OF PIGS
Nov 28, 2016

Tup
I don't really know how it works, but would you be able to carry some books that classes require the students to get? I took a few classes where I had to go to certain bookstores just off campus to get the book. I don't know if the professors were friends with the owners or something, or if there is some other kind of connection between the book store and campus, but I'm sure that's something that would help out.



How big is this town? How big is the campus?

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
only do it if you really want to hate books eventually

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

Can you test the waters by doing in-person sales with some kind of longer-term but temporary booth setup, like a kiosk at a mall?
Do you speak any of the non-english languages you'd like to serve, or know people who do (i.e. would you be able to source good product)?
Do you have money to live on for the first year or so?
What kind of retail spaces are available in your town? Have you priced them or researched foot traffic?
Where do your current local customers buy the rest of their media and geek poo poo?
Is your town's college dorm-focused or mostly commuters? (i.e. how much of a center of retail gravity is the campus in reality?)

The mall is pretty much dead. Not a lot of foot traffic. No local flea markets or consignment shops for the kind of setup you're talking about. I tried asking the committee that runs the local farmers' market about selling there but they got all snotty about their "locally produced" rule.

I don't speak the languages I want to sell but I can source materials. I still have contacts and vendors from my time doing library collection development.

I'm not too worried about my living situation. I have about 2K in savings on top of other arrangements I've made.

The college is apartment-focused. If the campus itself is the core, there's a mix of apartment buildings and small shops that makes up the mantle.

I'm not sure where the locals get their geek and media poo poo. I should put my MLIS to good use and make a research survey.

Oyak posted:

1) what is the rent?
2) how much do you expect to make in a month? Is that an amount greater than rent that will allow you to survive?
3) how will people find you?
4) will you sell stuff other than books?
5) is this college town a hipster town, or is it an "angry townie" town?

The ideal place I'd want to set up shop is a fairly new development with a couple restaurants and ample parking that's across from one of the main arteries into campus. It's also $38 per square foot, and the smallest space they offer is 1600 ft. I don't know if I can pull down 5K+ a month to stay in business. Another spot is a similar development a bit farther from campus but on the main highway. There was a Books-A-Million there but lack of advertising and the B&N five miles away caused it to close. Since BAM moved out, other restaurants have moved in as well as a chocolatier and upscale theater. Rent is $30/sqft and their smallest space is 1400. $3500 in rent per month is more doable.

There are plenty of places in this hipster town to advertise and, unlike every library administration I've dealt with around here, I know that you need to spend money to get quality business and free advertising tends to be ineffective or worse, negative.

Trillian posted:

The obvious question that follows from "I'm considering this because I didn't get into grad school" is, how much money do you have to invest?

Because if the answer is none, the rest of it is moot. (Unless you can pull off crowdsourcing a bookstore like that lady in the Bronx, somehow.)

Thesaurus posted:

follow your dreams, OP


... except for the grad school thing, I guess

I mostly wanted to get into grad school to learn how to teach. While I have savings, the program I wanted to get into paid tuition and a stipend in exchange for teaching. Kinda moot now. Other than ~$400 on a credit card (medical bills) I don't have debt and my previous degrees are paid for. I have about $2K liquid. I need to research what financial assistance is available for women small business owners as well as local options. I'm good at research. I like research.

Sundae posted:

What books can you possibly sell in enough volume and at a high enough price that you'll reliably make rent on your brick & mortar store that a college student can't get for way loving cheaper on Amazon? College towns are the central locations of all ridiculous "indie" business ideas and the book industry is an ancient one. If nobody has an indie book store open in your town already, it's because it can't stay open.

Preliminary research has shown me that the only two indie book stores that tried to hack it here went under quickly because they sold rare books and only rare books. And it turns out there IS a local used bookstore that relies on the business model Modest Mouse cover band mentioned. They don't advertise and they don't have a website--I learned of their existence through a Facebook page. I need to visit this place.

There are several textbook stores and about a dozen pop-up buyback sites at semester's end. That market's knitted up well and good. Back during my retail bookstore days, I was one of the people canvassing the local schools for summer reading lists, so that's covered at least.

Rather than market a bookstore as an Amazon/B&N alternative, I'd prefer to market it as the literary counterpart of a similar local business: a paint-your-own-thingy place that is a pillar of the town's shop local movement and supports the local visual arts through gallery shows and artist workshops. The town council, being all town council-y in its town councilness, has formed a committee to research the development opportunities for literary arts growth. I can move faster than that.

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

Put a business plan together in here, it'll be fun.

I've been stickied. :ohdear:

There's a business plan maker on the SBA website. Made an account, starting the document work.

FYI: My background is in English literature, library and information science, and public administration. I have never taken a business class; fwiw I've taken a couple budgeting workshops for public sector work and leadership conferences and the like. :downs:

I want to sell gently used books and A/V materials, select new books by local authors, and select new books in non-English languages in a retail storefront and online through Amazon and Better World Books as well as geek-minded impulse items (bookmarks and bookplates, bumper stickers, magnets, posters, etc.)

My target customers are the local supporters of the arts, the folks who frequent the vintage/antique/consignment markets, and local college students who can't find a local source for reading materials in their own language. The "target customers" part of the SBA document is troublesome. I can't just say "people like me who enjoy the thrill of the chase that a used bookstore provides."

Likewise, I've been in enough bookstores and libraries to know what doesn't work but I don't know the business language to describe it. I want to encourage repeat business with throughput. What drives me bananas about used bookstores is when nothing's displayed like the owner wants to sell it. Nothing's organized, poo poo's still in boxes all over the floor, etc. Or it's full of 20-year-old library discards. I want to stock nice-looking books in subjects that locals actually read (or collect, in the case of military history and trains) and be able to have enough new-to-me things for a browser who comes in maybe once a week. I also want to hook into the arts community by partnering up with the local authors' group and host readings and signings.

My biggest competitor would be Amazon of course. I'd need to do what Amazon can't because of its size: more services tailored to the person like recommendations and book searches. I'd need to do enough to have someone weigh the option of getting a used book from Amazon for about five bucks versus buying from my store. There's also a Barnes and Noble in the next town over. I'd need to stock what they don't (local authors in particular) but not sure what else to do on that front. There used to be a Books-A-Million here but its location, lack of advertising, and proximity to the big B drove it out of business. There are at least four textbook-only stores around here. The Goodwill bookstore was turned into a Goodwill career development center. The library has a little used book shop and people rarely use it because the selection blows.

I'll keep plugging away at this business plan.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
I'd just go ahead and read back over what you wrote with a critical eye. Pretend it's someone else's half-baked scheme. What do you see as the issues with your plan? What questions do you need to answer in a concrete manner before you can move ahead?

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax
My favorite local bookstore, Chevalier's Books doesn't sell used books, but they're targeting the exact kinds of customers you're talking about. The space is small but well-organized, with clearly-labeled shelves, and they do a couple things that make me go "oh, something new!" every time I visit even though I'm in there at least once a week.

First off they make great use of their storefront window. They always display 6-8 books on a theme that they change frequently, and it's always something specific, not just generic "what's the nearest holiday again?" stuff. They aren't afraid to be political - they did a BLM display of black political writers and philosophers, for instance.

Right by the door they have their local authors shelf, and they host author readings and signings at least once a month and advertise them extensively. Their new releases section is well curated too, with handwritten cards introducing patrons to the book. And behind the cash registers there are shelves with special staff picks on esoteric subjects.

They key is they are intentionally being the exact opposite of Books-A-Million and B&N. They barely sell any of the mass-market stuff and the books they feature are ones I'm convinced the staff has actually read, not just whatever's zeitgeisty.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
The first thing I see wrong with your plan is that in order to pay yourself:

1) you need to clear $3,500 in gross margin every month to cover your rent
2) Your initial inventory is going to be financed, and this note will need to be serviced from your gross margin.
3)You will have a very sizable note to install equipment in the location before the lights go on which will have to be serviced, again from your profits.
3) Not sure if the rent includes utilities, etc, but that needs to be paid from your gross margin
4) unless you plan on doing 100% of the existing work yourself, you can also add along some staff who will need to be paid before you get paid
5) you need to buy more inventory to replace what you've sold (more of a cashflow impact but you need to do this before you pay yourself too)

How much gross revenue are you going to need to make every single month to pay yourself? Then work backwards from that number - can you hit it? What do you need to do to hit it? If you can't get a viable plan to get to that number, you're done.

goodnight mooned
Aug 2, 2007

I don't know about bookstores specifically, but in retail your occupancy cost should be 12-14% of revenues.

Ie for your rent of $3600/month you'd want to turn over $30000.


Look at this pallet. You would have to sell this many books x 2.5 every month (assuming 0.5 kg and $10/book)

You'll also need to find the cash for $50000 in inventory, so the store can operate, and at least a year of expenses. Let's call it $100k all up.

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax
I don't think he's going to be paying retail prices for his own inventory, duder.

goodnight mooned
Aug 2, 2007

No, $50000 would be the cost price.

Adar
Jul 27, 2001

goodnight mooned posted:

I don't know about bookstores specifically, but in retail your occupancy cost should be 12-14% of revenues.

Ie for your rent of $3600/month you'd want to turn over $30000.


Look at this pallet. You would have to sell this many books x 2.5 every month (assuming 0.5 kg and $10/book)

You'll also need to find the cash for $50000 in inventory, so the store can operate, and at least a year of expenses. Let's call it $100k all up.

http://www.bizstats.com/reports/rent-sales-ratio.php

Sporting Goods-Hobby-Books-Music 3.30%

Make that 300k all up

Sekenr
Dec 12, 2013




If you REALLY want to be dissuaded open a thread soliciting goons to fund your venture. Although it would make a nice change from terrible fast-food stalls kickstarts that we normally have here and sounds so charmingly bound to fail I would probably throw 3-4 dollars into your kickstarter.

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

goodnight mooned posted:

No, $50000 would be the cost price.

I know I'm not going to be dropping 50K on inventory. For my piddly little 99% online book selling business, I never pay more than $1 for a book. I go to yard sales to make closing time deals, estate sales to bid on boxes, and library book sales to glean the good stuff.

I'm not sure how much I would spend on intentionally buying used inventory. I'm still trying to price a good starter collection of non-English books and local authors. 10K at the very most. EDIT: I wouldn't rely on B2B liquidators for inventory, based on experiences I've had purchasing for libraries. Good source for mass market children's books and some fiction and not much else. I would be investigating publisher remainder services for specific nonfiction. Non-English will take more research.)

At the vintage market, I sell 50-cent paperbacks and dollar hardcovers. My "booth" (a spot on the sidewalk big enough for a folding card table) is $20 for four hours. The card table was maybe thirty bucks (got it from a Kmart going out of business) and I have a chair. I borrow a canopy if the weather's bad. I've done it three times and made $77, $159, and $104 respectively, cash only. Started raining the first day and the people vanished, even though most of the market was under the covered walk and the rest of us had canopies. I could probably get more buyers if I took credit cards but I can't enforce a minimum purchase to justify the fees.

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

My favorite local bookstore, Chevalier's Books doesn't sell used books, but they're targeting the exact kinds of customers you're talking about. The space is small but well-organized, with clearly-labeled shelves, and they do a couple things that make me go "oh, something new!" every time I visit even though I'm in there at least once a week.

My favorite kind of used bookstore has the atmosphere and selection of Riverby's and the organization of McKay's. I'd weight nonfiction and throw in some popular fiction because it's hard to find mystery and speculative fiction used around here.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

The first thing I see wrong with your plan is that in order to pay yourself:

1) you need to clear $3,500 in gross margin every month to cover your rent
2) Your initial inventory is going to be financed, and this note will need to be serviced from your gross margin.
3)You will have a very sizable note to install equipment in the location before the lights go on which will have to be serviced, again from your profits.
3) Not sure if the rent includes utilities, etc, but that needs to be paid from your gross margin
4) unless you plan on doing 100% of the existing work yourself, you can also add along some staff who will need to be paid before you get paid
5) you need to buy more inventory to replace what you've sold (more of a cashflow impact but you need to do this before you pay yourself too)

How much gross revenue are you going to need to make every single month to pay yourself? Then work backwards from that number - can you hit it? What do you need to do to hit it? If you can't get a viable plan to get to that number, you're done.

And I'm stalled out on the projected expenses part of the sba.gov fill-in-the-blank business plan. Looks like I'm going to have to make two: the ideal plan where I buy everything new and off the rack and rent the ideal place and the more realistic plan where I buy everything secondhand. (Still renting the ideal place. After studying the government-issued local impact statements, if I want to make a destination sort of place, it needs to be in one of the campus hubs with bus access, which means $25-40/sqft places.)

I brought my Drake fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Mar 2, 2017

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax
You're interested in the kind of socially-worthy gentrifying cultural business civic boosters like to support. Are there any small business grants you might be eligible for? If you are a minority or woman there are sometimes specialized ones for entrepreneurship. You might be able to get advantageous rates on small business loans for the same reasons.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

queserasera posted:

I know I'm not going to be dropping 50K on inventory. For my piddly little 99% online book selling business, I never pay more than $1 for a book. I go to yard sales to make closing time deals, estate sales to bid on boxes, and library book sales to glean the good stuff.

How are you going to have time to do this and run front of house 8+ hours a day?

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

How are you going to have time to do this and run front of house 8+ hours a day?

I edited my post with more thoughts. I'm pretty sure what I'm doing now for sourcing isn't stable for the long haul. Though I'd be a fool to pass up the biannual library book sales around here.

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

You're interested in the kind of socially-worthy gentrifying cultural business civic boosters like to support. Are there any small business grants you might be eligible for? If you are a minority or woman there are sometimes specialized ones for entrepreneurship. You might be able to get advantageous rates on small business loans for the same reasons.

Probably? I qualify for the ones available to women. There's also a local angel investors group that several people told me to go visit, but the thought of giving them this pile of papers in progress and asking for money makes giggle like I should be in a straitjacket.

I brought my Drake fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Mar 2, 2017

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax

queserasera posted:

I edited my post with more thoughts. I'm pretty sure what I'm doing now for sourcing isn't stable for the long haul. Though I'd be a fool to pass up the biannual library book sales around here.


Probably? I qualify for the ones available to women. There's also a local angel investors group that several people told me to go visit, but the thought of giving them this pile of papers in progress and asking for money makes giggle like I should be in a straitjacket.

Haha yeah, don't rush that. Only one chance to make a first impression, etc.

Can you talk more about what equipment you think you need? Bookshelves, payment processing, places to sit... I'm sure I'm missing stuff.

Sundae
Dec 1, 2005

quote:

Can you talk more about what equipment you think you need? Bookshelves, payment processing, places to sit... I'm sure I'm missing stuff.

If she decides to do any food or drink stuff, this is just a placeholder reminder: food service permits. Pretty sure you're stuck with at least some kind of application even if it's just tea and cookies.

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

Sundae posted:

If she decides to do any food or drink stuff, this is just a placeholder reminder: food service permits. Pretty sure you're stuck with at least some kind of application even if it's just tea and cookies.

Yep, even if it's just a Keurig.

As for other stuff, storage and display shelving for books and A/V as well as inventory control software like Basil are the big things. I'm in love with chest-high library checkout counters but the used ones are a pain in the rear end to refinish and the new ones are 5K at least. Booktrucks as well as a dolly. I can do like the other local shops and have the decorations available for purchase. Tchochke displays, already have a bunch of those.

Far and away the biggest cost is going to be shelving, whether I buy it new and assemble it or buy the parts and build it. I'm looking at $300-$500 for every double-sided 32 x 96 inch shelving unit. And then there's wall units, kid-friendly shelving, endcaps, etc. Start with used library shelving (cuts price by a third) and maybe plan on getting nicer stuff in the future?

Should I have wifi access?

I'm at (library) work now and I have access to government surplus.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Cost of furnishings won't make or break your business plan. Of course saving money helps quite a bit, but until you figure out the revenue side of the joint, the variances in cost are so small as to be negligible.

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax

queserasera posted:

Yep, even if it's just a Keurig.

As for other stuff, storage and display shelving for books and A/V as well as inventory control software like Basil are the big things. I'm in love with chest-high library checkout counters but the used ones are a pain in the rear end to refinish and the new ones are 5K at least. Booktrucks as well as a dolly. I can do like the other local shops and have the decorations available for purchase. Tchochke displays, already have a bunch of those.

Far and away the biggest cost is going to be shelving, whether I buy it new and assemble it or buy the parts and build it. I'm looking at $300-$500 for every double-sided 32 x 96 inch shelving unit. And then there's wall units, kid-friendly shelving, endcaps, etc. Start with used library shelving (cuts price by a third) and maybe plan on getting nicer stuff in the future?

Should I have wifi access?

I'm at (library) work now and I have access to government surplus.

Wifi access sounds like a question of whether you can afford enough space to house loiterers, and it sounds like for now you can't.

Evil SpongeBob
Dec 1, 2005

Not the other one, couldn't stand the other one. Nope nope nope. Here, enjoy this bird.
You have 2k in capital.

Is that all your cash? Or is this your "play money" after your emergency fund, cash reserves, fully funded IRA?

potatoducks
Jan 26, 2006
This is a horrible idea. You have no savings ($2k is pretty much nothing) and $400 of credit card debt. You want to open a new, very risky business while holding credit card debt. Insanity. You do actually want to be dissuaded right?

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax
I still think putting a business plan together here would be informative and interesting. It's okay to think something through and have the conclusion of that thinking be "I shouldn't do this right now."

potatoducks
Jan 26, 2006
Sure but the best business plan in the world isn't going to make a difference with $1600 in liquid cash. You don't have to take the time to think it through. The conclusion will still be "I shouldn't do this right now."

If coming up with a potential business plan is a fun, recreational activity, then sure I guess, go ahead.

Leon Trotsky 2012
Aug 27, 2009

YOU CAN TRUST ME!*


*Israeli Government-affiliated poster
If you can develop a grift/business plan that successfully gets someone else to pay for all of the start-up costs, labor, and lets you draw a salary, then you should definitely do it.

Juanito
Jan 20, 2004

I wasn't paying attention
to what you just said.

Can you repeat yourself
in a more interesting way?
Hell Gem
Used bookstores are awesome, but you need a cheap location, with parking. People who want used books will find you. Don't pay a premium to be next to a chocolatier and upscale theater. I doubt it'll be worth it.

Tiny Brontosaurus
Aug 1, 2013

by Lowtax

potatoducks posted:

Sure but the best business plan in the world isn't going to make a difference with $1600 in liquid cash. You don't have to take the time to think it through. The conclusion will still be "I shouldn't do this right now."

If coming up with a potential business plan is a fun, recreational activity, then sure I guess, go ahead.

There are benefits to doing a thing besides reaching the conclusion. Building a business is a massive undertaking that you can never start planning too soon. queserasera's background says she would be good at running a bookstore someday, it just has to be the right place and time. And this isn't the post-at-potatoducks-too-late-he-already-knows-everything forum, so other people reading this thread could learn a lot from seeing a breakdown of exactly what goes into putting together a business plan, especially for the kind of quaint and quiet small-town business a lot of people might find themselves daydreaming about opening at one point or another.

This forum is choked to stagnation with megathreads and you're throwing a fit that some actual new content showed up. Unclench.

potatoducks
Jan 26, 2006
I don't care enough about anything on these forums to throw a fit. If OP wants to do it, sure go ahead. Just trying to save them some effort and time.

mike-
Jul 9, 2004

Phillipians 1:21
It would be much more productive to come up with a business plan for your online business, rather than spending your time on trying to figure out how all the ways the retail location isn't going to work. You simply do not have the capital to open a retail store, and it would be irresponsible to take money from your friends and family to do it.

pig slut lisa
Mar 5, 2012

irl is good


Thank you for posting this thread, queserasera! And thanks to everyone who has participated so far. I'm trying a new thing in BFC where the megathreads will largely remain unstickied but I'll sticky interesting smaller threads to give them a signal boost.

I'm unstickying now but I hope this keeps rolling along. Good work BFC :respek:

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Elephanthead
Sep 11, 2008


Toilet Rascal
Is it possible to come up with a combination of two more rapidly declining industries? Have you considered opening a VHS rental shop?

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