Bookstore Japao

Archive for the ‘family bookstore’ Category

With the retail chain stores for books came a drastic decline in the number of small family-owned bookstores. Be it good, bad, or indifferent, it is a fact. Those that still pursue their dream of owning one are many times shocked when they start out and learn just how much time and money are involved in just getting started. There is a building to pay for, utilities, employee salaries, unemployment insurance, health/dental/vision care insurance for employees, property insurance, liability insurance, casualty insurance, phones, Internet access charges, website development and maintenance costs, taxes, and a host of other less significant costs. That neglects the cost of stocking their shelves to have something to sell!

Assume that you are able to get beyond this and survive the first six months in business. Now you will have to start the training of new employees because some of your initial crew will be moving on to other jobs, but you will get accustomed to this because it is something you will find yourself dealing with from now on. You will probably have experienced employee theft and/or shoplifting by now too, another expense you may have considered but thought you could control by one means or another.

Are you having second thoughts yet? You should be. Opening a brick and mortar bookstore is expensive, high risk, time consuming, and returns only a moderate profit considering both the time and money investments, and even then, only a small percentage of start-ups will ever show a profit.

Consider the alternative of selling books online. It requires a small initial investment, the risk is low, the profits are high, there are no employee costs to consider, if you do it from your home you already have the inventory storage building, and comparatively speaking, it doesn’t require any more time. Other than a time investment, everything about these two scenarios favors online bookselling. When you consider that you can put your online inventory on vacation any time you want and not be paying employees or worrying about what might happen in your absence, it would seem there is only one practical choice you could make.

Family meetings provide opportunities for feelings to be aired and validated. They also allow younger children to feel they are an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to family vacations and other major and minor family functions.

Before the first meeting commences, set a few ground rules such as:

Speak in a calm tone. Avoid name-calling, finger-pointing, and sarcasm. Turn off the TV, radio and telephones. Allow each person to voice his or her concerns and ideas. Listen to all opinions before making a decision. If a person voices a complaint, they must also bring to the table at least one possible remedy to the situation.

Locations for future family meetings may also be brainstormed at the first meeting. Here are a few examples:

Circle Time Very simply, sit on the floor together, in a circle. Designate an object as a “talking token”. This can be a small stuffed animal, a necklace to be worn, a hat, or any other item that will be passed around. Whoever holds the talking token may speak. Once they are finished, they must pass the token to the next person. Restaurant Rendezvous Take turns choosing a favorite restaurant to host your family meetings. For this option, choose an afternoon or evening in the middle of the week, or at off-peak times, to avoid heavy crowds. End the meeting before dessert arrives, so everyone can indulge their sweet tooth happily. Hobby Haven I know of several families who hold their meetings at places that cater to their favorite hobbies. For instance, one family conducts their meeting at a bowling alley. Once the meeting is over, they enjoy bowling together. Another family combines their gathering with their love of books, by meeting at a caf