Books are wellloved by millions of people across the globe. Even as technological advances are developed each year and people are becoming increasingly attached to their computers and mobile devices like smartphones and tablet PCs, little can compare to the thrill, anticipation and cosy feeling that comes from opening a book for the first time and then turning one page at a time to discover what happens next in a story.
And as any book lover will know, closing the book after reading the last word on the last page can leave you satisfied, puzzled, challenged, or motivated to perform an action — this is one positive effect of reading that people often seek.
For people who are truly passionate about books and reading, opening their own bookshop can be the logical next step — it's the best way to immerse themselves in the business of sourcing books, setting them up in a good location, and helping fellow book lovers discover new authors, find new stories to love, and cultivate their enthusiasm for the written word with the rest of the community.
If opening a book shop is in your plans, here are simple tips to get you started on your new endeavour:
1. Decide on the kind of books you want to sell — your niche. You may want to specialise in selling books of all kinds, or you may prefer to sell books on only one specific field (school textbooks, cookbooks, sports books, travel guides, young adult fiction, poetry, classic literature, used books of all kinds, or books from local authors).
2. Look for a suitable location. You need a place to sell your books, so pick a spot where you think you can reach out to more interested buyers. This could be a conventional brickandmortar store, if you can find a good spot and can negotiate a workable lease. Maybe you'd thrive more from setting up a stall at the local flea markets or bazaars. If you're online most of the time, selling your books online could be the better option — you can set up an ecommerce site where you can post all the books you're selling and interact with Web users for sales.
3. Secure all the necessary permits. You will need to obtain permits, registrations, approvals or licences if you wish to run a legitimate retail business, so it's best to take care of this matter as promptly as possible so your business can take off and operate without any obstacles. You can visit the website of the Australian Business Licence and Information Service to learn about the permits that apply to your book selling business.
4. Maintain an organised storage facility for your stock, as well as a properly arranged display at your physical store. Because you'll be selling books, which are actual items, you'll need a place to keep your products and extra stocks in an area of the shop or in a different location. It's best to keep the books organised in boxes or shelves so that you can easily find something you're looking for.
Likewise, you'll want to arrange the books in a certain order at the shop so that customers can have a pleasant experience when browsing through your books. Group books from the same genres together and provide ample space for people to maneouvre your shelves or tables as they take a look around the shop.
5. Be creative about promoting your book shop so more people can come, visit, and find books they like. Like any business, you'll need to spread the word about your shop to create a following. Putting up posters at your local establishments, organising poetry reading sessions, getting local authors to sign copies of their books at your store, creating a website for your shop, and making accounts for the business on various social media networks will help you reach out better to your target audience. Make your marketing campaign fun, inviting and interesting so you can pique people's curiosity and get them all excited to visit your book store.