|
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.
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2017 21:29
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 06:06 |
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2017 18:40
|
|
|
I don't think he's going to be paying retail prices for his own inventory, duder.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2017 19:27
|
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2017 20:16
|
|
|
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. 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.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2017 20:29
|
|
|
queserasera posted:Yep, even if it's just a Keurig. 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.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2017 23:11
|
|
|
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."
|
|
#
¿
Mar 3, 2017 07:18
|
|
|
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." 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.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 3, 2017 18:56
|
|
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:You should try camgirling for a year or two wtf is wrong with you
|
|
#
¿
Mar 13, 2017 20:19
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 06:06 |
|
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:1) Assess their current financial state and feasibility of project Pick a less creepy fuckboy basement troll way to do your rhetorical masturbation exercises, Socrates
|
|
#
¿
Mar 13, 2017 20:30
|
|