Opening a Bookstore

So You Want to Open a Bookstore

Do you really want to open a bookstore?

A love of books can lead down many career paths and hobbies: Editor, Literary Agent, Proofreader, Copyeditor, Book Designer, Beta Reader, Librarian, English Teacher, Book Conservator, Book Reviewer, Book Blogger, Bookstagrammer, Book Podcaster, Book Festival Coordinator, Literary Events Manager, Little Free Library Curator, Book Club Member, and/or Reader.

A love of books can also lead to many jobs working in a bookstore: Book Receiver, Bookseller, Cashier, Events Coordinator, Buyer, Operations Manager, and more.

Owning a bookstore may seem like a dream job for people who love books but it’s important to consider some of the realities owning a bookstore entails before opening one: dealing with the public; working weekends and holidays; drilling down in to budgets, cash flow projections, and profit and loss statements; handling security issues and free expression challenges; addressing HR concerns; hiring and training staff; staying on top of administrative deadlines and compliance; dealing with social media trolls; managing thin margins; and worrying about money. In addition, there’s the risk: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that 20% of new businesses fail within their first year, with rates increasing to about 50% after five years.

There are two sayings in the industry that speak to some of this: “How do you make a small fortune in bookselling? Start with a large fortune.” and “It’s a great life, but not a great living.”

So before you decide to open a bookstore, learn as much as you can about bookselling, and talk to a bookstore owner to find out what their day-to-day life and challenges are like.

There is magic to owning a bookstore! But there are also significant challenges, risks, and sacrifices worth considering. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] to learn more.

Provisional members have access to a wealth of information, tools, and expertise. From the Book Buyer's Handbook (directory of publisher terms, specials, and co-op offers) to educational events, the bookseller-to-bookseller forums, networking opportunities, and the ABACUS financial benchmarking survey results, ABA has what you need to prepare yourself for bookstore ownership.

Provide your name, email address, mailing address, potential store location and name, if applicable, and where you are in the process (are you on the verge of opening a bookstore? Halfway there? Or just thinking about it for now?). ABA will send you a digital kit including an Opening a Bookstore checklist.

Facilitated by The Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates. This information-packed bookselling experience features workshops on finances, store design, inventory management, marketing, technology, and more. ABA members receive discounts for workshop tuition and guidebooks. ABA members receive a discount on tuition for the Owning a Bookstore workshop, and a discount on the Opening a Bookstore Essential Planning Guide.

This valuable document is a critical overview of creating a business plan for a bookstore and supplements more general information provided by the Small Business Administration on its website. From business plans to legal concerns, this is a wonderful stop for an overview and resources.

ABA offers a powerful bookstore-specific, enterprise-level e-commerce platform. Check out IndieCommerce.com to learn more.

Check out this valuable resource to learn How to Avoid the Top 20 Mistakes Made When Opening A Bookstore.