ABACUS: Stop. Look. Learn. Benefit.

"ABACUS is an incredibly useful tool for our business," says Allison Hill, the president and COO of Vroman's Bookshop in Pasadena, California. "It helps us establish goals, determine areas for potential improvement, and monitor our progress. It offers us valuable information and a broader context. We've used ABACUS results to help negotiate with landlords, to set benchmarks for payroll, and to identify overlooked areas, such as utilities, where we could improve profitability. In the midst of all the business, ABACUS gives us the opportunity to stop and look at how we're doing. For the relatively small amount of effort it takes to participate, it's a big benefit."

The future of the ABACUS financial survey of independent bookstore operations is uncertain, however, due to sharp declines in ABA member participation during the past two years. The American Booksellers Association will only be able to compile a 2009 study if enough booksellers submit their 2008 financial data -- via a completely secure and confidential electronic form -- before the August 15 deadline.

In return, participating stores will receive a customized report analyzing their financial results, including comparisons with other businesses based on multiple criteria (such as sales level, store size, and community type) in addition to year-to-year trending information. Data collected via ABACUS also helps ABA formulate educational programming offered to members at BookExpo America, the Winter Institute, and other venues.

Completing the easy-to-use ABACUS Survey form takes about an hour. An Excel spreadsheet allows booksellers to organize the information from their financial statements so that it matches the categories on the ABACUS form. All information provided to the ABACUS study is kept strictly confidential. Former ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz will oversee the 2009 ABACUS project and will be the only person who will see any individual store's numbers.

Questions, suggestions, comments, and other feedback relating to ABACUS may be submitted here.