Store & Operations Management
The next course will begin March 2, 2023. Classes are on Thursdays from 4:30-6 pm ET / 3:30-5 pm CT / 1:30-3 pm PT. The cost is $375. The last class is June 29, 2023.
The course and waitlist are currently at capacity.
The course and waitlist are currently at capacity.
Store & Operations Management is designed to cover all of the day-to-day and long-term operational and other business-related needs of an independent bookstore, considering both high-level management topics and the daily tasks assigned to individual booksellers. Registration is limited to 30 students, with one person per store in each course.
2023 Store Operations & Management Student Resource Page
2023 Course Instructors
Dean Anna Thorn, Independent Bookstore Consultant, Washington, D.C.
Lisa Swayze, General Manager and Buyer, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, NY
Candice Huber, Owner, Tubby & Coo’s, New Orleans, LA
Tim Smith, Operations Manager, Schuler Books and Nicola’s Books, Grand Rapids, MI
DeAndra Beard, Owner, Beyond Barcodes Bookstore, Kokomo/Indianapolis, IN
Sarah Rettger, Co-owner, Porter Square Books, Boston, MA
Membership
Being an active member of the bookselling industry is a critical step in growing a bookstore and shows commitment to your chosen profession. Stores with students in all Professional Booksellers School courses are required to be current members of their regional trade association and/or the American Booksellers Association. Students must also be enrolled in PBS, which is free.
Course Objective
Course Components & Cost
This course consists of live classes via Zoom, office hours, and assignments that contribute to course takeaways.. Discord is used for course communication, office hours, and to upload homework. Homework is assigned for each class. Students are expected to attend the live classes and finish and pass all homework to be certified. The course is $375, with discounts available for members of NAIBA, CALIBA, and MPIBA. Some regional trade associations provide grants or scholarships for certification courses; please contact your regional association for details.
Major Project Deliverables
By the end of the course, students will have completed projects that help them create:
- a store mission statement
- a monthly budget folder with a cash flow analysis
- P&L for the month, P&L for the year to date, and a balance Sheet;
- a staff handbook
- an emergency handbook
- a marketing plan
Classes
Class 1 – Welcome to Class and Syllabus Overview
Class 2 – Define Your Store
Class 3 – Store Systems
First Round of Office Hours
Class 4 – Your Financial Dashboard
Class 5 – Create and Manage Your Own Budget
Second Round of Office Hours
Class 6 – Budget Analysis & Forecasting
Class 7 – Staff Management
Class 8 – Human Resources
Class 9 – Creating Your Own Staff Handbook
Third Round of Office Hours
Class 10 – Emergency Preparedness
Class 11 - Inventory Decisions and Store Layout
Class 12 - Websites, Merchandising and Supply Ordering
Fourth Round of Office Hours
Class 13 - Marketing Overview
Class 14 - Create Your Own Marketing Plan
Class 15 - Leadership Discussion
Learning Outcomes
This course will provide a thorough overview of the systems, plans and processes for running an independent bookstore. At the end of this course, students will have relevant documents in place, including:
- Store operations manual, including store systems and policies
- Budget management systems
- Staff handbook
- Staff management systems
- Emergency preparedness plan
- Inventory and store layout plans
- Merchandising plan
- Supply ordering management plan
- Promotions and marketing plan
- Leadership tools
Why we do this:
I'm really glad that I took the course. It was a lot of time and work, but, even after being a store owner for almost 10 years, I learned a ton. We've implemented several changes/improvements already that have made a big difference, with more to come.
Serena Wyckoff Co-Owner
Copperfish Books Punta Gorda, FL