Whether you're testing the waters or already a new owner, learning the business of bookselling - the art as well as the science - is critical for your personal and financial investment.

Retail bookselling is a low-margin business compared to other forms of retail. Many different aspects of the start-up process and ongoing operations demand your attention if you hope to achieve financial sustainability. With increased pressure from online outlets and e-books, it's more important than ever to understand and focus on the most critical aspects of the business and to establish a tangible competitive advantage.

"Owning a Bookstore: The Business Essentials" will be held Monday through Friday, May 5-9, at Amelia Island, Florida. Participants will learn the many aspects of the business - how to create a profit in retail bookselling, gauging your community's ability to support a bookstore, how to assess the strength of a location, understanding the key elements of store design and how much space you need, how to buy books and non-book merchandise, the disciplines of managing inventory, how to effectively use your bookstore computer system to manage the store, effective and low cost marketing strategies, developing an exceptional staff and more. Attendees will learn best practices and finely-tuned strategies of the most successful independent bookstores as they learn both the art and science of a career in retail bookselling.

Co-sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, this workshop is facilitated by Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of The Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates, with guest booksellers and trainers to share frontline expertise. Association members are eligible for discounted tuition. For details, visit PazBookBiz.com or call 904/277-2664.