Turn Tax Prep Into a Positive: Join the ABACUS Survey

Gathering your business' financial data for tax time? Well, then, now's also the perfect time to provide 2007 financial data to the 2008 ABACUS Survey.

Using a secure, confidential electronic survey form on BookWeb.org, ABA member bookstores can become a vital part of this year's study in just about one hour's time. In return, each participant will receive a customized analysis of the business' financial results that can be used to evaluate and improve store performance. Individual store reports include comparisons with other businesses based on more than 20 different criteria; an executive summary of the study's key findings; key insights into the drivers of independent bookstore profitability; year-to-year trends data; and opportunities to participate in ancillary studies.

Data from all ABACUS participants is also used in the aggregate to produce a yearly Review that is available to all ABA member stores. Insight into average industry spending-per-store across multiple categories -- such as cost of goods, rent, and staffing -- provides booksellers with a better chance of making sound financial decisions that can help increase the bottom line. Past participants, such as Allison Hill of Vroman's, Tony Hill of Barrington Books, and Brian Sweet of Trail's End Bookstore, have found the ABACUS data extremely helpful in providing a context for important business decisions.

ABACUS findings are also invaluable in helping ABA formulate the association's education curriculum, offered free to member booksellers at BookExpo America, the Winter Institute, and other venues.

As an added bonus, participating stores also receive a $50 rebate.

For most booksellers, completing the easy-to-use ABACUS Survey form will take about an hour. An Excel spreadsheet allows booksellers to organize the information from their financial statements so that it matches the categories on the ABACUS form. All information provided to the ABACUS study is kept strictly confidential.

The deadline for submission of data for the 2008 study is Friday, August 15. Booksellers with questions about the survey should contact ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz at [email protected].