Booksellers School at BEA to Offer Strategies for Understanding & Growing a Profitable Business

At a time when more retail space is devoted to selling books than ever before and an increasing number of consumers are turning to Internet retailers, sustaining and growing a profitable bookstore business requires that each person in a management role fully understand the fundamentals of running a business. To help booksellers gain a competitive edge, the American Booksellers Association is sponsoring "Fundamentals of Independent Bookselling -- Strategies for Understanding and Growing a Profitable Business," a booksellers school facilitated by Donna Paz and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates, at the 2003 BookExpo America in Los Angeles.

Registration includes three days of educational sessions, from Wednesday, May 28 to Friday, May 30, plus free admission to BookExpo, the largest book industry trade show in the U.S. (For more on the three-day workshop schedule, see below.) In addition, there will be many opportunities to network with other booksellers at ABA's Opening Reception, Celebration of Bookselling, Annual Meeting, and Book Sense Lounge.

School programming is designed to enhance the skills of anyone who is considering opening a bookstore or buying an existing store; booksellers who still feel new to the business or who are new to management and leadership roles; booksellers aspiring to management positions; and industry professionals who want a better understanding of book retailing.

Coleen Harty, who will be opening Invest in Yourself, a bookstore in Middleton, Wisconsin, this spring, said of her attendance at a Booksellers School: "I went to Donna and Mark's school last year in North Carolina. I learned so much there, and they have been a wonderful resource for me."

The registration fee is $350, and advanced registration is required. To register, contact Kristen Gilligan at (914) 591-2665 or (800) 637-0037, ext. 1286; or by e-mail at kristen@bookweb.org.

For a downloadable PDF registration form for Booksellers School, click here.

Wednesday, May 28
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon: (Optional) Welcome to Bookselling: Strategies for Opening a New Bookstore
1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.: Bookselling in Today's Business Environment; Marketing in Today's Retail Climate: Developing & Communicating a Tangible Competitive Advantage; Let's Do the Numbers: Improving Bookstore Profitability

Thursday, May 29
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon: Choose from Financial Management; Strategic Marketing; Time Management; Technology
1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Inventory: The Lifeblood of the Business; Creating an Exciting Place to Shop

Friday, May 30
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon: Growing a Successful Bookstore Business