How to Open a Retail Christian Book Store
If you love books, then at one point in your life or another you have likely thought about owning your own bookstore. If you are a Christian, or if Christianity appeals to you, then you may have thought about opening your own Christian bookstore. Assuming you have either enough money to cover operating expenses or a line of credit with your local bank, then I would encourage you to pursue your dream. With hard work and a little thought, you can start your own retail Christian bookstore!
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Things You'll Need
- Operating expenses Line of credit Furniture Name and logo Books Leased building/your own building
Instructions
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How to Open a Retail Christian Bookstore
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Find a building for lease or purchase. I would recommend one with window space that is easily accessible to consumers and in plain view of the road. Either sign a lease agreement or purchase the building. Make sure you have enough credit to do so before entering into negotiations. If it isn't in your price range, then find another building!
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Pick a creative name. Be creative and memorable without being cheesy, and avoid generic names. You want your customers to remember the name of your business. Have a graphic designer put together an appropriate logo for your business following the name selection.
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Purchase bookshelves, chairs, tables, cash registers and decorations. I would recommend finding a wholesale retailer of furniture for the bookshelves, chairs and tables. Chairs can be placed around the store to invite people to sit down and browse your selection. Sure, some may just read a book and leave--but at the end of the day they will come back, and eventually they'll buy something. Cash registers can be purchased from enterprise companies. Decorations should be store appropriate and can be picked up at a variety of locations.
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Purchase books. You will need to establish a contact with various book publishing companies to order the books you need. Examine the charts to see what books are selling and what books are not. Also, talk to people who know the publishing industry to get a feel for what books are popular or will be popular. Do not overstock!
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Begin marketing your store once everything is in place. You may wish to hire employees, if you have the money to do so. You will likely need help--although you may find that friends and family members are willing to volunteer while you get the store off the ground. If you do not need to market for potential employees, begin reaching out to local churches, religious organizations and people of faith. Give yourself 2 to 3 weeks, at least, to promote the store before opening. You don't have to spend much money--just get yourself in front of Christians, hand out fliers and hope that word of mouth spreads!
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Open the store! You will probably want to have an event on opening day providing free food and entertainment in an attempt to get people out to your new business. One possibility--have a launch party a few days before with prominent pastors, choir directors, friends and family from the area to show them the place and entertain them one on one. They can spread the word further!
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that you have enough money/a large enough line of credit for operating expenses for 2 to 3 months to provide yourself with a buffer as the business grows.
Always make sure to insure your store and property in case of fire or theft.
