| With the retail chain stores for books came a drastic | | | | employee theft and/or shoplifting by now too, |
| decline in the number of small family-owned | | | | another expense you may have considered but |
| bookstores. Be it good, bad, or indifferent, it is a fact. | | | | thought you could control by one means or another. |
| Those that still pursue their dream of owning one are | | | | Are you having second thoughts yet? You should be. |
| many times shocked when they start out and learn | | | | Opening a brick and mortar bookstore is expensive, |
| just how much time and money are involved in just | | | | high risk, time consuming, and returns only a |
| getting started. There is a building to pay for, utilities, | | | | moderate profit considering both the time and money |
| employee salaries, unemployment insurance, health | | | | investments, and even then, only a small percentage |
| dental/vision care insurance for employees, property | | | | of start-ups will ever show a profit. |
| insurance, liability insurance, casualty insurance, | | | | Consider the alternative of selling books online. It |
| phones, Internet access charges, website | | | | requires a small initial investment, the risk is low, the |
| development and maintenance costs, taxes, and a | | | | profits are high, there are no employee costs to |
| host of other less significant costs. That neglects the | | | | consider, if you do it from your home you already |
| cost of stocking their shelves to have something to | | | | have the inventory storage building, and |
| sell! | | | | comparatively speaking, it doesn't require any more |
| Assume that you are able to get beyond this and | | | | time. Other than a time investment, everything about |
| survive the first six months in business. Now you will | | | | these two scenarios favors online bookselling. When |
| have to start the training of new employees because | | | | you consider that you can put your online inventory |
| some of your initial crew will be moving on to other | | | | on vacation any time you want and not be paying |
| jobs, but you will get accustomed to this because it | | | | employees or worrying about what might happen in |
| is something you will find yourself dealing with from | | | | your absence, it would seem there is only one |
| now on. You will probably have experienced | | | | practical choice you could make. |