On Demand Education Sessions

This Coffee Break has been reprogrammed to focus on IndieCommerce and IndieLite, ABA’s e-commerce platforms for bookstores. For this special session, ABA IndieCommerce Director Phil Davies and Senior Manager Geetha Nathan will be available to discuss the IndieCommerce/IndieLite services and answer questions pertaining to the two. Booksellers currently using either of the services and booksellers interested in either service are encouraged to come prepared with questions.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This is a special session of the ABA’s Coffee Break series that features ABA CFO PK Sindwani answering finance questions and also includes an Open Forum. The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session looks at services and tools that are helping booksellers manage the new ways of doing business that many are having to adjust to.

Guest speakers include:

Broche Fabian of River Dog Book Co., Portland, Oregon
Ariana Paliobagis of Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, Montana
Bryan Loar of Cover to Cover Children’s Books, Columbus, Ohio
Dave Lucey of Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, North Carolina

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

The session will follow the format of an Open Forum, with attendees welcome to share what they need, ask questions of ABA and fellow booksellers, and just see some friendly faces.

Jorge Portillo and Donna Kumar from Eventbrite provide information on postponing/canceling events through Eventbrite.

One minute of planning can save you 10 minutes in execution. But when you are one of the only booksellers on staff, finding that one minute can be tough. Panelists will provide useful tools for fighting distraction and tracking time so you can create those efficiencies that lead to improved productivity. Panelists: Dan Cullen, ABA (White Plains, NY), Bel McNeil, Bel & Bunna's Books (Lafayette, CA), Angela Maria Spring, Duende District Bookstore (Washington, D.C.), Kathy Burnette, The Brain Lair (South Bend, IN)

Events draw foot traffic, residual sales, and often media coverage for our stores. What they don't always draw is profit. But even in today's economic climate of rising minimum wages and other costs, we can produce events that serve both our communities and our profitability. In this session, we'll look at how to execute successful events through planning, budget creation, profit-and-loss analyses, and other tools professional event planners use to help manage the workload and the bottom line. We'll also discuss one of the most important aspects of all—valuing your time and expertise and then charging accordingly, even for authorless events. This session will be presented by Cindy Dach, CEO of Changing Hands Bookstore and is part of the store's professional development series. Panelists: Cindy Dach, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)

Batch for Books is a new electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service, based on the version used in the U.K., helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. CEO Fraser Tanner will moderate a panel of UK users and US booksellers who have been part of the US Batch for Books beta test. Panelists include: Nic Bottomley, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights (Bath, UK); David Prescott, Blackwell’s (Oxford, UK); Antonia Squire, The Bookshop (Bridport, UK); Fraser Tanner, Managing Director, Batch LTD (London, UK); Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, WA); Ron Tucker, Politics & Prose Bookstore (Washington, DC)

Optimize your bookstore search and reordering process by implementing tags and keywords for categories and sub-categories in your point-of-sale system, Edelweiss, and in staff reference documents. Attendees of this session will learn:

• The benefits of using tags and keywords
• Tag and keyword suggestions
• Best practices for implementing tags and keywords
• How to get staff involved

There’s nothing like walking into your favorite bookstore and being on a first-name basis with the staff. Why not say, “Thank you for being a friend,” and reward customers’ loyalty with a frequent buyer card, membership subscription, or other benefit program that will keep them coming back over and over again? A panel of booksellers with robust customer loyalty programs will share:

• Background on their store’s customer loyalty programs
• How to create a program that rewards the customer but also the store
• How to onboard customers
• How to market the program
• How to integrate a new program into your store’s culture

The ability to stay in business for decades—and longer—means weathering change by staying adaptable and flexible. Customer relationships and sales are just part of the equation that can ensure the longevity of a business and even turn it into a celebrated, longstanding institution. Careful planning and understanding of your store’s resources, a flexible business plan, continuously improving operations, and a culture that willingly embraces change in order to adapt and improve are all factors that influence where your business will be around in 5, 10, or 20 years—or more. A a panel of longtime booksellers will lead this not-to-be-missed conversation.

If you have been in business for five years or fewer, this is the session for you. Hear from booksellers who will look back over those first critical years and share tips for making it through the next five.

Independent bookstores are champions of innovation when it comes to business models. For the last few years, many bookstores have added bars to their business model by blending books with booze. This session will feature booksellers from both small and large stores who have experienced the successes and challenges of this business model.

If you are thinking about opening a second location -- or if you have recently done so -- this session is for you. A panel of experts who have been through the process will share tips and provide insight on how to know if opening a second store is the correct decision for your business, and if so, how to navigate the process. The topics discussed will include:

• Review: Make sure your business is currently financially stable
• Resources: monetary, staffing, and current owner responsibilities
• Financing: Accessing traditional financing and other options

Market research: Ensuring your choice for the second location is sound

One minute of planning can save you ten minutes in execution. Planning skills can make you a more effective bookseller and help prevent burnout because planning creates efficiency and leads to improved productivity. Cindy Dach, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstores (Tempe, AZ), will teach booksellers techniques for time management, planning and organizing daily tasks, all with an eye toward completing the big-picture projects. This session is part of Changing Hands' professional development program.