ABACUS

ABA member booksellers attending next week's BookExpo America can get help filling out the 2006 ABACUS survey from ABA Director of Special Projects David Walker. To set up an appointment, booksellers should contact Walker as soon as possible as time slots are filling up.

Booksellers who would like to learn more about the ABACUS Study or who would like help filling out the 2006 survey form, can contact the American Booksellers Association's Director of Special Projects, David Walker, to set up one-on-one appointments for BookExpo America.

The Canadian Booksellers Association (CBA) recently announced that it will soon be launching a Canadian version of ABACUS, "the financial study of the independent bookselling community pioneered by ABA," as reported by Canadian Bookseller, CBA's bimonthly trade magazine.

ABA member booksellers can turn the approach of the April 15 tax deadline into a positive by making this the time that they submit their store financial data to the 2006 ABACUS study.

The American Booksellers Association is encouraging booksellers to send their 2005 financial data to the 2006 ABACUS survey.

Now, as booksellers gather their financial data for tax season, is the perfect time to submit data to the 2006 ABACUS study through a newly designed and easier-to-use Web form. Completing the survey takes approximately an hour and in return ABA member booksellers receive valuable data that can help them build a more profitable business.

Looking to build on the success of last year's ABACUS study, this week the American Booksellers Association started collecting data from member booksellers for the 2006 ABACUS study through a newly designed and easier-to-use Web form.

For the past three years, in an effort to help booksellers increase their profit margins, the American Booksellers Association has been gathering data on the financial operations of its member bookstores. Each year, these results have been published in a new ABACUS Study and participants have been sent customized store reports, which compare their financial performance with the performance of other stores based on more than 20 different criteria.

Collection of 2004 data from ABA member bookstores for the 2005 ABACUS Study ended this week with an unprecedented number of participating stores having submitted their financial information.

Booksellers should note that -- with ABA's offices closed from Friday, June 24, through Monday, July 4 (re-opening Tuesday, July 5), while the association moves to its new address at 200 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591 -- the deadline for submission to the ABACUS survey is extended from June 30 to July 31. As an added incentive, booksellers who submit completed surveys by July 31 will receive a $50 coupon good toward their next ABA dues renewal.

For booksellers looking for a silver lining in the hard work of tax season, the 2005 ABACUS Study may provide the answer.

Booksellers looking for ways to increase their profit margin are encouraged to submit their financial figures to the 2005 ABACUS Study.

While it may sometimes be challenging for a business owner to find anything positive in the involved job of doing their yearly taxes, for those looking for a silver lining to the hard work of tax season, the 2005 ABACUS Study may provide the answer by helping storeowners increase the bottom line.

This week, the American Booksellers Association published the results of the 2004 ABACUS study on BookWeb.org. Accessible to ABA bookstore members only, this year's study, which achieved a participation rate of 11 percent with 181 bookstores submitting financial data, focused on providing participating businesses, and the independent bookselling community at large, with year-to-year trends, based on the results of bookstores participating in both the 2003 and 2004 studies.

Booksellers who participated in this year's 2004 ABACUS study are now receiving their full ABACUS report and personalized store comparison. Repeating the study's first year's success, ABACUS 2004 achieved a participation rate of 11 percent, with 181 bookstores submitting financial data to the study. The result is a detailed analysis that provides key insights into the drivers of store profitability.