I’m going to check out a promising lead on a storefront today, wish me luck! You can also order some used books I have in stock online at Amazon. I just started listing books and I’m adding 10 books a day or so. I have around 3 copies of each book so I figure I’ll list one online and keep two for the store.
20
Jul 07
Renting a Storefront: Vibe Me Please!!
I have been trying to open a bookstore for over a year now…I’ve had 2 places lined up including partnering with a couple who wanted to open a cafe. The two storefronts opened into each other but the owner was willing to rent them separate or together. Anyway that fell through because they are now on the verge of divorce, and I can’t afford to lease it by myself.
So I am looking today at a spot that is just perfect for my indie bookstore. It’s right next to a piercing place and a thrift store and an indie jewelry/bead store. I would fit right in. Vibe me please, I surely appreciate it!!
*Update*
The storefront guy was really cool, he’s in my age group and has sleeve tattoos and seemed all alternative and indie. He liked the idea of a bookstore there, it was a hair/beauty store before. The rent is just $450 a month incl. utilities! Upfront I just need 1st month’s rent and a deposit of $900 of course more stock and shelves and stuff. He’s willing to hold it until end of August, it’s a 2-year lease, and he has cash registers and stuff I can use. I’ve got my money back from the other place but alas have to pay on my huge gas bill (from winter) with it. I’m working on a money plan to get this together, because I am going to rent this store!! Vibe vibe vibe me! 
21
May 07
Rescheduled
No news to report about the storefront. Our look-see got rescheduled to Wednesday because the storefront owner had an emergency with his kid. Like I don’t have enough to do without shufflinf my schedule around to go look at this place. I hope it’s not a dump because I will be pissed! Just kidding. I am going to choose to believe that he really had an emergency (Why would he lie about something to do with his kid?) and choose to switch my schedule around (after all, isn’t that the beauty of being self-employed; the ability to have a flexible schedule?) and I’m going to choose to go look at this place with a positive attitude and open mind. There, I feel better already.
16
May 07
The Joy of Store Location Hunting
I say joy tongue-in-cheek; it’s really sorta bringing me down. When I initially decided to open a used bookstore I thought it would be a fairly simple process to rent a storefront. It’s not, it’s a lot of work and effort just finding an available location and renting or leasing it. I have looked at over 30 properties in the last 15 months and only 6 of them were even listed in the paper. Interestingly enough 7 I found by looking through listings online, which means online advertising outranked traditional newspaper ads, hmmmmmm.
The last location I looked at I thought would really be the one. It was in an old building that was well-maintained and bordered by other interesting stores. It would have been a co-lease with a coffee shop as there were open spaces between the two storefronts. Long story short, the owner sold us out for rich developers. I can’t say I blame him, it was a lot of money for property he inherited and had gotten into debt to maintain and pay taxes on. The developers bought up the whole block and plan to put a little strip mall. bleh.
The search is back on. Wish me luck! I am determined to make this happen.
