indie bookstore entrepreneur
Winter 2010
Paz Logo


Thinking of opening a bookstore?


Join us for a round-table discussion with prospective booksellers at ABA's
Winter Institute 5
in San Jose, CA
Feb. 3-5, 2010.

Click here for
Wi5 details.


Grad photo spring 2009

Next workshop retreat

Opening A Bookstore:
The Business
Essentials

March 15-19, 2010
Amelia Island,
Florida

Click here for details.

What a great
bookstore!


From store design
and marketing
to coaching during
your first year and providing business valuations, we're here to help your business become even more successful.

Pooh's Corner

Click here to visit us online.


Quick Links
Winter trees
Winter's stillness.

When we heard yet another media segment about the proliferation of e-books leading to the demise of neighborhood bookstores, we needed to be still ... and remember to breathe. Maybe you have felt the same way lately.

It's so easy to get caught up in such limited thinking ... either/or, yes/no, black/white, print/electronic. Instead, we can be addressing the co-existence of e-books and (not or) community bookstores? Booksellers are already accustomed to offering customers a variety of formats. In essence, you ask:

How would you like your book today?

Two things will keep indie bookstores relevant as things continue to change and develop:
1) High levels of personal service and in-depth knowledge of all formats and all books
2) A fabulous sense of place that feeds our souls as well as our local economies

In winter, we see in nature a lot of resilience and adaptation to the changing environment, only to emerge as new growth in spring. What an appropriate parallel for this season in bookselling.
co-op remains strong in 2010.

People in StreetPublishers have announced their policies, and there's more than $10,000 in newsletter co-op for bookstore marketing this year. If you have a direct account, newsletter co-op (usually $50/title) is available to any size bookstore -- above and beyond your pool allowance -- so you have the opportunity to promote books all year long.

Think about all of the people in your community who aren't your customers ... but should be. Newsletter co-op allows you to stretch your marketing dollars and go out there and convince them to stop by and do business with you.


On our site, you'll also find a video on outreach marketing plus a sample Bookstore Marketing Plan (excel spreadsheet) you can download and use to plan your year.

go claim your market.

 

peaceful, easy feeling.

Bookstore Entrance
We have a wonderful opportunity to inspire an 'Ahhh' experience with every customer who walks into the store. There is no way to achieve a full sensory experience online, but you sure can in person.

How will you create or refresh the experience? Little things can make all the difference...
  • An impressive front entrance that exudes with character and the implicit message, 'You've got to come in here'
  • Colorful walls, murals, art
  • Section names that relate to every-day life
  • Mixed merchandising in displays
  • Unique items not found elsewhere
  • Organization over clutter
  • Comfortable seating and quiet corners
  • A kids play area that is safe, clean, and fun
  • Pleasant background music
  • Aroma (tea, brewed coffee, candles)
  • Freshness and signs of life - flowers, plants, pets
  • Friendly signage
  • Spirited selections & genuine recommendations
  • Saying 'Thank You' at the cash wrap
  • Promotional literature that inspires a return visit
The more technology encroaches on our lives, the more people will want to balance their time with peaceful, easy places to escape from the crazy pace, even just for a little while.

be the great escape.

go-to place for gifts.

Birthday Cake There's a niche market that will always be grateful for brick-and-mortar stores ... those of us who buy gifts and need them right away. If I'm on my way to meet a friend for her birthday, I need something fast ... and ready to present.

How well do you promote your store as the go-to place for gifts all year long? If a customer walks in, do gift items call out and make themselves obvious? Do you have a card to go along with the gift? Is it clear that you gift wrap? Do they know you'll handle the shipping?

In addition to a heck of a lot more shelf-talkers and display spaces (fixtures & shelves), here are some other items on our bookstore wish list:
  • Cards that are labeled & fully stocked
  • Beautifully wrapped gifts on display at the cash wrap (to show wrap choices)
  • A wonderful bookstore logo on shopping bags and totes
  • Signage that lets me know you can both wrap and ship my gift
  • Lists of books for kids, by age group
  • Plush displayed with companion books
  • Books in a variety of price ranges from small tokens of love and appreciation to impressive volumes for life's grand celebrations
Convenience beats cheap in many of these gift-giving circumstances. What the customer wants is a place she can count on.

What jewels are lost spine-out in sections throughout the store that could be a top-selling gift? From baby showers to birthdays, retirement parties to weddings, there's a huge market out there. Books always make great gifts.
   
become the go-to place for gifts.


  trends for a new decade.

Jim Wallis Jim Wallis is a big picture guy who identifies major shifts in society and is able to make them personally relevant. In his new book, Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street and Your Street (S&S), Wallis sees that we can use this time of economic crisis to learn from mistakes and reclaim our moral compass. He suggest this is a time not to go back to how things were, but an opportunity to create a "new normal."

How are we changing as a result of the economic crisis?  Let these topics inspire displays, selection, and events ...
  • Money - Purposeful investing and spending replaces 'get rich quick' hopes and buying what we can't pay for
  • Family - Defining values that counter those in pop culture messages
  • Keeping up with the Joneses - Place greater emphasis on making sure the Joneses are okay
  • Interconnectedness - The markets, government, and our communities all play a role in a healthy society
  • Resources - Remind everyone that there is enough to share  
For many, this is a time of deep reflection ... on conscious and sub-conscious levels. Worries and concerns can be seen as opportunities for positive personal and cultural change.

invite thought. sponsor dialogue.
inspire positive change.

passion. purpose.

Gary Vaynerchuk Gary Vaynerchuck believes indie booksellers have every opportunity to be wildly successful. After turning his family's liquor store into a hugely successful wine business, he's proven himself ... and now has shared his greatest insights in Why Now is the Time to Crush It!: Cash In On Your Passion (HarperStudio).

Vaynerchuk was the opening speaker for the Southeast Social Networking Summit sponsored by the Southeast Independent Booksellers Alliance and was the perfect jump start for the conference. Vaynerchuk, an  immigrant from Belarus, is extremely grateful for the opportunities in the U.S. With a passion for the family business, a strong work ethic, and a belief in telling your story, Vaynerchuk tells how he's used social media to become a leading wine expert ... and thanks social media for the tremendous exposure.

What's it really all about? Sharing your passion and creating community ... isn't that independent bookselling in a nutshell? Blog, tweet, post. Be yourself. Be the expert. Earn trust. Build your following. Multiply that by the number of people on your staff, and you'll multiply the energy permeating the various niche markets in your community.

From Why Now Is The Time to Crush It!:

"... my popularity stems from the fact that
I know what the hell I'm talking about,
and that I'm honest ."

stretch your skills.
keep proclaiming your passion.


we hope to see you.

At Winter Institute and BEA, online on Twitter and Facebook too. We're now working on a blog for another forum to be public champions of indie bookstores. Stay tuned. And if you like what you see here, please be sure to pass it on.
Mark & Donna Paz Kaufman
Paz & Associates