- 1). Visit other college bookstores, if any, in the area. Note aspects of their operations that you'd like to emulate and those you'll want to do differently.
- 2). Write job descriptions that identify the duties and responsibilities of each staff member. Meet with each employee privately to review the job description. Give her a copy and put another in her file to use for reference when you do a performance appraisal.
- 3). Survey professors and instructors to find out which textbooks and supplementary reading materials they will use for their courses. Order all required books well in advance of the start of classes.
- 4). Devise a system to organize and categorize the books by subjects, authors and disciplines. Arrange focus displays to draw customers' attention to current new titles or special values.
- 5). Order the supplies you wish to stock in addition to the books, such as pens, T-shirts, notepads, binders, college rings and campus postcards. Decide whether to keep them in a separate area or mix them in among the books.
- 6). Decide whether you will sell books outright, buy back used books or offer credits against future purchases in exchange for used-book returns.
- 7). Calculate whether you have enough space for a coffee bar. You may be able to attract more customers, and make more sales, by giving them an area where they can relax and peruse their potential purchases over a leisurely cop of coffee and perhaps a snack to go with it.
- 8). Organize special events. Host book launches. Put up a prize for a winning bookstore logo design. Invite customers to stop by on Halloween for a slice of pumpkin pie.
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