Profitability Master Class
Coming in March 2026!
The next project at the Professional Booksellers School is an 8-session master class on Profitability, led by Erin Matthews of The Last Word in Mt. Airy, MD. Booksellers will learn new strategies for increasing income, decreasing expenses, and improving margin. This workshop is hands-on; each class will include actionable weekly steps designed to be implemented and measured over the eight weeks of the course. Students will be working on changes within their stores, then returning to reflect and discuss with peers and instructors.
Each meeting is 90 minutes and contains a mix of instruction and independent work time (aka study hall) to allow students to put what they learn to immediate action.
Download the Syllabus
Classes will be Mondays at 12:00 pm ET / 11:00 am CT / 9:00 am PT starting March 23rd. The cost will be $400, with discount codes available from most Regionals.
Registration will open Monday, January 26 at 1:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm CT / 10:00 am PT.
Schedule
Class 01 / March 23 - Introduction to Profitability Terms, Tools & Resources
Class 02 / March 30 - Increasing Income Part One: Passive Income, Inventory Mix, Increasing Impulse Sales
Class 03 / April 6 - Decreasing Expenses Part One: Calculating Your Break Even Number, Negotiating Rates and Discounts
Class 04 / April 13 - Improving Margins Part One: Returns, Ordering Direct
No class April 20 or 27
Class 05 / May 4 - Increasing Income Part Two: Review of Strategies, Novel Income Streams
Class 06 / May 11 - Decreasing Expenses Part Two: Review of Strategies, Bulk/Pre-Pay Accounts, Outsourcing, Profit First
Class 07 / May 18 - Improving Margins Part Two: Review of Strategies, Using Promos, Co-op, Diversifying Inventory
No class May 25
Class 08 / June 1 - Review/Reflect: What's Working?, Creating and Planning for Long-Term Goals, Building Safety Nets