Workshop Draws 15 Prospective Booksellers

Fifteen prospective independent bookstore owners sought training in retail bookselling last week during an intensive workshop held at Amelia Island, Florida. Trainees came from across the U.S., from Victoria, Canada, and from as far away as the Kingdom of Bahrain, to learn what it takes to compete in today’s retail marketplace, make decisions about personal goals, and develop their business concepts.

“The prospect of owning a bookstore continues to attract people who are not only passionate about the written word, they also articulate the importance of a sense of place, want to offer their communities an indie bookstore where customers feel welcome to browse and discover great books, and contribute to their local economies in ways that bring personal meaning and fulfillment,” said Donna Paz Kaufman, trainer and founder of The Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates. “Whether their backgrounds were in business, education, technology, or human resources, everyone learned that retail is a specialty within business and bookselling is a unique form within retail.”

Twelve trainers at last week’s program offered detailed insights and guidance. The professional training team included a career banker affiliated with the Small Business Administration; Rona Brinlee, owner of The Bookmark in Neptune Beach, Florida, who just moved her shop to a new location; a nationally renowned professional lease negotiator; an architect specializing in bookstores, cafes, and environmentally sound construction; representatives from book wholesalers and bookstore computer management systems; Len Vlahos, ABA’s chief operating officer; and facilitators Mark Kaufman and Donna Paz Kaufman.

The next full-week workshop, co-sponsored by ABA, will take place March 21 - 25, 2011, on Amelia Island, Florida.

Managers and booksellers seeking to develop management and leadership skills will have an opportunity to gain an overview of bookstore operations later this fall during Paz’s two-day workshop retreat “Managing for Love and Profit: The Art & Science of Retail Bookselling.” The retreat will be held from November 2 - 3 in Franklin, Massachusetts. Details are available at PazBookBiz.com or by calling (800) 260-8605.