Seminar Offers Introduction to the Bookstore Business

ABA Provisional members and employees of Regular member stores can now register [1] for “How to Succeed at Retail Bookselling: Introduction to the Bookstore Business,” a full-day seminar to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, February 22, 2013, the day before the American Bookseller Association’s eighth annual Winter Institute (Wi8) [2] begins.

The introductory workshop, sponsored by ABA and facilitated by Mark and Donna Paz Kaufman of the Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates, costs $100 and includes lunch and two coffee breaks. Attendance will be capped at 20 participants, and if fewer than 10 members register, the workshop will not be offered. All attendees will be able to register for Wi8, which has its opening reception on Friday, February 22, and runs through Monday, February 25.

The workshop content is comparable to Session One of Paz & Associates’ intensive workshop retreat, “Opening a Bookstore: The Business Essentials.” For the full agenda, visit PazBookBiz.com [3]. The workshop fee of $100 reflects a special rate for ABA members. 

The intensive day of training will provide those who are exploring the possibility of opening or buying a bookstore, as well as new owners, with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals and best practices of independent bookstore retailing. The program will cover such key topics as the capital needed for opening a bookstore; the realities of bookstore profit margins and why they are more challenging than other forms of retail; realistic benchmarks for bottom-line earnings; and key indicators for successful site selection.

Current ABA members can sign up for the one-day intensive workshop here [1]. Please be sure to indicate on the form whether you would also like to attend Winter Institute 8 and whether you will need hotel reservations. Both are currently sold out; however, ABA Education Manager Lisa Winn will follow up with seminar registrants to facilitate their Wi8 registration and hotel reservations. Questions regarding the workshop should be e-mailed to Winn [4].

Non-ABA members can join the association [5]and then sign up to participate in the workshop.  Questions about ABA membership should be directed to Member Relationship Managers Kaitlin Pitcher and Nathan Halter [6].