Equipment & Supply Expenses

$66

$1,200

Retail Business Expenses

$1,250

$11,650

Inventory Expenses

$350

$14,750

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$75

$9,636

Software Expenses

$0

$425

Website Costs

$13

$215

Total Startup Costs

$1,754

$37,876

Barnes & Noble

barnesandnoble.com

2,266

Indigo

indigo.ca

9,993

store.bg

store.bg

84,587

《Книжарници Хеликон》| Книжарници Хеликон

helikon.bg

205,820

The Word Among Us

wau.org

258,609

Bookstores.com

bookstores.com

561,378

BookPeople

bookpeople.com

599,945

CWU Wildcat Shop

wildcatshop.net

697,415

UVA Bookstores

uvabookstores.com

744,258

Bauman Rare Books / First Editions, Signed and Inscribed Rare Book Dealers in New York, Las Vegas and Philadelphia

baumanrarebooks.com

787,305

UC San Diego Bookstore

ucsandiegobookstore.com

811,782

Rewarding work

Starting a book store can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Meaningful business connections

You never know who you will meet as a book store. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity!

Daily physical activity

Book Store's typically involve a much greater degree of movement than other lines of work. Most days, you will spend your day walking, running errands for your business, and performing a multitude of tasks. This can have a positive impact on energy levels and your overall health.

Amazing perks and discounts

Working in the book store comes with its perks! As a seller for these products/services, you typically also get to enjoy industry perks and discounts.

You are your own boss!

With starting a book store, you are the one to make decisions for almost all of the operations. Calling the shots can be empowering and liberating!

Local Community

One of the best parts of starting a book store is that you can develop a local following by selling your products at craft shows, farmers' markets, or even local storefront businesses! This gives you access to additional revenue streams and loyal customers.

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your book store, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Finding The Right Supplier

Most businesses in this space go the supplier/manufacturer route, which isn't a bad thing! However, finding the right supplier can take a lot of time, energy and trial/error. If done properly, this process can save you months (if not years) of time and energy. More on this below in the "finding a supplier" section.

Motivation of employees

If you plan to have a sales/content team on board, finding creative ways to motivate them can be a challenge. It's important that you're able to offer great incentives and a good work environment for your employees.

Low margins

The gross margins for your book store are typically around 43%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.

High employee turnover

In the book store, employee turnover is often high, which can be quite costly and time consuming for your business. It's important to try and avoid this as much as possible by offering competitive pay, benefits, and a positive work environment.

Taxes

As a book store, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.