Prospective Booksellers Workshop Begins September 13

The last full-week workshop of 2004 for prospective booksellers, sponsored by the Paz & Associates Bookstore Training & Consulting Group in conjunction with the American Booksellers Association, will be held from Monday, September 13, through Friday, September 17, at The Reserve at Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado. "Opening a Bookstore: The Business Essentials" will feature hands-on work that provides participants with an understanding of the steps every bookseller needs to take before and after opening a bookstore to achieve an effective and prosperous business venture.

"After visiting some stores recently opened by graduates of the workshop, we're thrilled to see how successful independent booksellers can be," Donna Paz Kaufman told BTW. "The stores have quickly become focal points of their communities, understanding that bookselling in today's retail environment involves a whole lot more than simply stocking books."

The workshop is for anyone interested in opening a new bookstore; those in the process of buying an existing bookstore; anyone interested in investing in a retail bookstore; and partners, spouses, bookstore managers and supervisors, or anyone who will assist a bookstore operation in any leadership capacity. Class sizes are small (up to 20 people) so attendees receive individual time in addition to time in class.

Workshop sessions will examine how the book industry works and how it differs from other retail industries; what's involved in opening your own store and how much it will cost; what bookstore owners and managers must do every day to be successful; the management disciplines of financial success; what to look for in a computerized management system; the essential resources every store should have to be able to assist customers with finding the books they need; the importance of signage -- beyond the store entrance and section signs; core elements of a bookstore marketing plan; and much more.

On Friday, workshop participants will join the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association's convention and trade show at the Marriott Denver Tech Center, where they will have the opportunity to see the book industry in action.

For the workshop agenda, list of trainers, and registration form, visit the "New Store" page at www.pazbookbiz.com or call (800) 260-8605.