ABA to Offer Two Bookstore Finance Seminars This Fall

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This October, the American Booksellers Association will once again offer booksellers the opportunity to attend its popular Principles of Bookstore Finance seminar.

“Having a focused financial seminar with professionals who really understand the bookstore business is a godsend!” said Laurie Gillman, owner of East City Bookshop in Washington, D.C., who attended the recent finance seminar at Children’s Institute. “East City Bookshop is now in its third year, and while I’ve learned a lot, I know there is so much more I can learn to make my business viable and financially sound. I especially loved the emphasis on choosing three things to focus on in the near future, and just one area to start with. That’s helped me focus on a goal amidst the many distractions that come with owning a small business. I highly recommend the seminar.”

The 101-level seminar, to be led by ABA CFO Robyn DesHotel and a local independent bookseller, will cover the fundamentals of budgeting, understanding cash flow, business financing, bookkeeping, and financial statements. The workshop will include a segment on strategies for achieving higher profits and improving cash flow and will conclude with an interactive group discussion in which attendees will work through an example of how to use their store’s financial information to make sound business decisions.

The seminar will concentrate on bookstore finances as opposed to bookstore accounting, and though it will be helpful for attendees to be familiar with basic bookstore finances, deep financial experience is not required.

The Principles of Bookstore Finance seminars will take place as follows:

  • Wednesday, October 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in conjunction with the Midwest and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Associations’ Heartland Fall Forum (October 3–5). This session will be co-led by Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Zionsville, Indiana.
  • Wednesday, October 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel in Denver, Colorado, in conjunction with the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Fall Discovery Show (October 11–13). This session will be co-led by Len Vlahos of Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

Booksellers from all regions are invited to attend the seminars; pre-registration is required, but walk-ins are also welcome (subject to space limitations). The registration fee is $79, and lunch is included. Register now on BookWeb.