own a bookstore

I want it to be big, yet comforting. With comfy couches, and a little coffee/muffin corner. &downstairs, i want it to be like the Middle East in cambridge. for local shows.

& maybe a becca-has-too-much-time-&-makes-random-crafty-things corner :]

I am an totally burned-out Information Technology guy who wants to really do something else, something that I really love to do. I love books. I spend a lot of my off hours in bookstores…they have a such a calming effect on me. In college, I worked in the school library and I loved helping people in their research. I could see myself owning and running a bookstore. So how to get there from here to there? Do I need to get a MBA degree to learn business? Purchase a franchise? Someone has any suggestion?

I’d like to open one one day and I think now would be the time to start learning how. Would anyone like to give me some information on how to go about opening one?

this also means making it part of the collective, so I suppose it should read ‘coffee shop/bookstore’. But really, selling coffee isn’t of much consequence to me.

My dream store sells both second hand and new, but the new is focused on small print runs, emerging writers, or just books that are good.

I love reading. I love going to the bookshop. So why not combine the two? I think I would love to own a bookstore, and I am inclined to make it a life goal. It would be great to be able to have access to all of the latest reads, help other people find what they want to read, and occasionally meet the authors. It would be like having a huge personal library.

I’m moving this to the backburner for now. Several reasons: I love my current job, Philly city taxes are outrageous, and I’d like to focus my attention on my kids for now. However, this could still be in the cards down the road.

A dream that I’ve had floating around my head for many, many years is to open my own bookshop. My Mum owned one for a few years before I was born. For me I’d like a nice old building on, or just off of, a busy street with lots of foot traffic. A cozy little affair with a small cafe inside (a suitable business partner or someone willing to rent space off of me would be ideal here), lots of overstuffed chairs and couches, floor to ceiling bookshelves, lots of big windows to let in the light and the slight scent of white sage incense. It would be new and used of course, but specialise in esoteric or “Pagan-esque” books. Oh, and a sizable room out back for hosting workshops, tarot readings and other gatherings. An online presence would be essential as I know this particular market isn’t exactly going to make me millions. sigh

so a while ago i was in my favorite used bookstore (great inventory, organization and free coffee :)) and i asked one of the workers “do you have anything by chuck palahniuk, you know, the fight club guy?”

now, am i crazy in thinking that people should know who palahniuk is? i mean he’s a pretty popular author and he’s contemporary. at least shouldn’t someone who works with books be familiar with the fact that in addition to being a movie starring brad pitt, fight club is a novel? regardless, the girl i spoke to seemed annoyed that i even asked her a question and sadly now my impression of the store is lowered a bit.

if/when i ever get my own bookstore, i am going to make sure i hire people that are as enthusiastic and knowledgeable about books as i am and as i hope all my customers will be.

I’ve always wanted to do this. Have a little coffee/book store.. Not a big franchise like Books A Million.. but a nice little quiet place.. where you can sit down and read the entire book if you’d like.. but I’d rather you buy it first..

I’ve always wanted to own a little corner bookstore that serve free coffee and you could always find a smiling face. I dont know if this will ever happen, but we all have dreams.