Q&A
Me: What was your response when you heard that B. Dalton was closing? Were you a regular customer?
Eddie: When I heard that B. Dalton was closing, I thought, Well that's too bad, but it probably opens up an opportunity for someone else. I have been living in Indianapolis recently and I bought books mostly from Half-Price books and Books-A-Million.
Me: When did you know that opening a used bookstore was going to be a serious endeavor, versus just a dream?
Eddie: I was actually working on opening a bakery, having just graduated from pastry school, but I ran across some research I did in 2003 when I had dared to dream that I could open up a bookstore and decided to go for it this time.
Me: Why did you opt to open a used bookstore rather than a general bookstore?
Eddie: I had a shoestring budget to work with and felt that a used bookstore would help me get my foot in the door for something bigger later on.
Me: What was, and is, your vision for the store? What types of books do you hope to stock most of? Who is your target customer?
Eddie: If things go well, I will probably open a branch in south Laredo and start offering new books as well. At the same time, I will be investigating starting up a bigger bookstore with all the amenities, like a Books-A-Million type store.
Me: Will the store host any type of events for the community?
Eddie: Maybe, I haven't given it much thought. I have thought once in a while that I would like to have a group form up that reads books out loud. Guest readers would help get that started.
Me: How did you acquire the store's opening inventory (donations, etc.)? How many titles, approximately, will the store carry at once? What will pricing be?
Eddie: I bought the inventory from a used bookstore in Dallas that offers up books and advice to people wanting to start up a used bookstore. I will have a lot of titles, somwhere between 4,500 and 5,000. They will be Mysteries, Adventure, Sci-Fi, General Fiction, Horror, and Romance, as well as a couple shelves of non-fiction and westerns
Me: How/why did you choose Calton Rd. as the store's location?
Eddie: I thought [it] was centrally located enough to attract customers from all over the city. There's plenty of traffic going through and a lot of traffic from the HEB, Luby's and the Emperor Garden.
Me: How do you think opening a used bookstore will affect/change your life?
Eddie: I have lived in 4 different cities and moved 7 times between those cities in the past 9 years. I hope the bookstore grounds me and brings more people into my life.
Me: What has the response been like so far from family, friends, community members?
Eddie: I love the reactions I get from people when I tell them I'm opening a bookstore. Everyone, from family and friends to the lady that took my telephone hook-up order, to the accountants I interviewed, to the city inspectors that I dealt with and all the bank people I have talked to--all are excited about the prospect. Sometimes it seems that I'm not excited enough the way people react.
Me: Have you hired employees, or will you be the at the bookstore each day?
Eddie: I will be at the bookstore myself and will eventually hire help so I can take a day or two off during the week.
Me: What was your career before you decided to embark on this journey?
Eddie: I've been working as an International customer service rep for International Paper for the past 10 years and I studied to be a Pastry Chef for the last year of those ten. I actually moved to Laredo to open a pastry/bakery shop. I felt that the bookstore was a more viable option and tabled the bakery idea. For now.
Me: What is your favorite book and why?
Eddie: One of my favorite authors is Alan Dean Foster. I love his sense of humor and can read just about anything he writes. Incidentally, he also wrote a couple of Star Wars stories and I can't ever get enough of the Star Wars world.
There you have it! Show your support to Eddie by visiting Escape Again when it opens--I'll let you know when the date becomes certain. Any comments or other questions for Eddie? Post them below!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
There's No News Like Good News
Oh, dear . . . With only four posts in the last month, no wonder my Google Analytics are dismal for March. Thanks to those of you who are still with me!
The last three weeks have been filled with the stress and tedium of moving: bubble-wrapping wedding china, cleaning neglected areas of the house, driving to and from Goodwill with new loads of old stuff, garage sale, brutal cardboard cuts, meals standing around the kitchen island, exhausted, sore sleeps, and so it goes. There's a sort of haze that surrounds a move, isn't there? It becomes isolated almost completely from other aspects of your life until you forget that, once, you wore high heels, talked to clients, BLOGGED. In any case, the worst of it is over. Though our new home is mostly empty and its garage is filled to frightening capacity with boxes, we're in and we have Internet. And where there's Internet, there's life to be lived.
Enough about that. I'm happy to inform you all that there's been another development in the Laredo bookstore saga. A couple of days ago, I received an e-mail from Eddie Cardenas, a fellow Laredoan who has been working toward opening a used bookstore. And he's worked quickly! The store, which will be called Escape Again, is slated to open this week!
And fortunately, thanks to a homeward bound trip for Easter, I'll be able to check it out and meet Eddie in person. Additionally, Eddie has agreed to let me interview him for the blog, so be looking forward to a Q&A with him--tomorrow, I hope. Escape Again is located on 608 W Calton Road, Laredo, TX 78045. Call (956) 568-1609 if you'd like to know how to support Eddie's efforts.
More coming soon. In the meantime, tell me what's new with you! What books are you reading? Have you visited any indie bookstores lately? For those of you in Laredo, are you excited to visit Escape Again when it opens?
The last three weeks have been filled with the stress and tedium of moving: bubble-wrapping wedding china, cleaning neglected areas of the house, driving to and from Goodwill with new loads of old stuff, garage sale, brutal cardboard cuts, meals standing around the kitchen island, exhausted, sore sleeps, and so it goes. There's a sort of haze that surrounds a move, isn't there? It becomes isolated almost completely from other aspects of your life until you forget that, once, you wore high heels, talked to clients, BLOGGED. In any case, the worst of it is over. Though our new home is mostly empty and its garage is filled to frightening capacity with boxes, we're in and we have Internet. And where there's Internet, there's life to be lived.
Enough about that. I'm happy to inform you all that there's been another development in the Laredo bookstore saga. A couple of days ago, I received an e-mail from Eddie Cardenas, a fellow Laredoan who has been working toward opening a used bookstore. And he's worked quickly! The store, which will be called Escape Again, is slated to open this week!
And fortunately, thanks to a homeward bound trip for Easter, I'll be able to check it out and meet Eddie in person. Additionally, Eddie has agreed to let me interview him for the blog, so be looking forward to a Q&A with him--tomorrow, I hope. Escape Again is located on 608 W Calton Road, Laredo, TX 78045. Call (956) 568-1609 if you'd like to know how to support Eddie's efforts.
More coming soon. In the meantime, tell me what's new with you! What books are you reading? Have you visited any indie bookstores lately? For those of you in Laredo, are you excited to visit Escape Again when it opens?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Secondhand Bookstore Opens in Laredo!
Have you all heard about this? Nonprofit organization Laredo Center for the Arts is opening a small, used bookstore called LC4A. The store is actually opening today, right next to the center's main building. Its stock comes entirely, I believe, from donations, and will be very affordable: Prices will range from 25 cents to $5.00.
Local news station KGNS posted the story online earlier this morning. Watch the video here.
Can I just say--I'm really proud of Laredo. I think the community has been showing, in different ways and ever since news of B. Dalton closing hit, how important having local access to a bookstore is to it. The public library has stepped up in a big way, local businesses are donating books, and so much more.
Want to donate books or volunteer your time to work at LC4A? Call LC4A at (956) 725-1715. And, if you're local, stop by and show your support. It's located at 500 San Agustin Avenue.
What are your thoughts on this new development? Laredoans, will you start shopping for books there?
Monday, March 8, 2010
I'm Still Alive!
After not posting on the blog for a week, all I can do is take one from my grandma's mouth and say que verguenza! Some of you who know me in person know that I've spent the last week pretty under the weather. I missed most of my MFA classes, which was upsetting, and could burst into bitter sobs at any moment, like an exhausted child. (My poor husband.) Clearly, it was not the most productive week for me, and I'm sorry to say that posting fell by the wayside along with everything else.
But I'm back! I'm thrilled to say that my Facebook Page has more than 160 fans, some of whom have been interacting with me and one another on my Wall. And it's humbling that, when I review the fan list, I see that many have been, up to now, complete strangers to me. So thank you to everyone who is taking part in this journey with me.
I mentioned in a recent post that my sister, Amanda, has the opportunity to work with a project plan expert, and she's chosen the bookstore as her project. The development of the plan began last week, and she called me with a few well-edited questions to get things going.
"I know you're going for financing through grants and loans," she said, "but how much money do you think you'll need?"
It's a good question, and one whose answer I thought I would share with you all. By my estimates, I will need approximately $1.7 million to get the bookstore up and running. I have two favorite locations in mind, one of which would require the purchase of land and new construction, and the other which would be leased. If I go with the first, I expect to pay $750K for the land. Then I believe construction of a 6,000 square-foot store will cost between $250K and $300K. Based on my research, I can expect to pay up to $300K for initial fixtures and inventory. The rest of the funds will go toward interior design, advertising, payroll, and other expenses.
It's a lot of money; there's no doubt about that. But if I can raise half the funds through grants, I'll feel comfortable achieving the rest through a small business loan. This week, I'll post a list of grants I'm planning to apply for. And if you all know of any you think are appropriate, by all means, throw them at me!
Other stuff to come this week:
* How are booksellers adapting to the digital age?
* Part I in a series of posts I'll be calling, "But How Will You Make Money?"
* Commentary on an article enticingly called, "An Idea Every Independent Bookstore Should Steal"
* Commentary on a Slate article called, "What Are Independent Bookstores Really Good For? Not Much"
* The blog's first book review, which I'm excited about!
* Updates on the business plan, grant applications, and blog and Facebook analytics
And maybe a personal lamentation or two about the pains of moving--and the excitement of Colin and I buying our first house together :)
What else would you like to see on the blog?
But I'm back! I'm thrilled to say that my Facebook Page has more than 160 fans, some of whom have been interacting with me and one another on my Wall. And it's humbling that, when I review the fan list, I see that many have been, up to now, complete strangers to me. So thank you to everyone who is taking part in this journey with me.
I mentioned in a recent post that my sister, Amanda, has the opportunity to work with a project plan expert, and she's chosen the bookstore as her project. The development of the plan began last week, and she called me with a few well-edited questions to get things going.
"I know you're going for financing through grants and loans," she said, "but how much money do you think you'll need?"
It's a good question, and one whose answer I thought I would share with you all. By my estimates, I will need approximately $1.7 million to get the bookstore up and running. I have two favorite locations in mind, one of which would require the purchase of land and new construction, and the other which would be leased. If I go with the first, I expect to pay $750K for the land. Then I believe construction of a 6,000 square-foot store will cost between $250K and $300K. Based on my research, I can expect to pay up to $300K for initial fixtures and inventory. The rest of the funds will go toward interior design, advertising, payroll, and other expenses.
It's a lot of money; there's no doubt about that. But if I can raise half the funds through grants, I'll feel comfortable achieving the rest through a small business loan. This week, I'll post a list of grants I'm planning to apply for. And if you all know of any you think are appropriate, by all means, throw them at me!
Other stuff to come this week:
* How are booksellers adapting to the digital age?
* Part I in a series of posts I'll be calling, "But How Will You Make Money?"
* Commentary on an article enticingly called, "An Idea Every Independent Bookstore Should Steal"
* Commentary on a Slate article called, "What Are Independent Bookstores Really Good For? Not Much"
* The blog's first book review, which I'm excited about!
* Updates on the business plan, grant applications, and blog and Facebook analytics
And maybe a personal lamentation or two about the pains of moving--and the excitement of Colin and I buying our first house together :)
What else would you like to see on the blog?
Monday, March 1, 2010
It's True--Pepsi Refresh Reached March Application Quota
So, I spent all last night in a deep but confusing sleep in which I dreamed of my Pepsi Refresh grant application for what seemed like hours. I woke with a headache--and purpose. I needed to find out what was going on. But alas, what I feared last night is true: In about 20 minutes, Pepsi received more than 1,000 applications for grants. I'm in disbelief, but I also feel angry at myself. I should have known to try submitting in the first minutes--but that's not a mistake I'll make next month.
So what's the plan for the next 30 days?
I'm going to use the time to my advantage. I plan to write at least the majority of my business plan this month and use those specifics to further hone my grant application. I also saw a fantastic video made by my new friend Janet Geddis, who is opening a bookstore in Athens, Georgia late this year. She also tried applying for a Pepsi grant this month, but she had the additional frustration of her application being LOST! In any case, Janet made a really lovely video using iMovie, which has inspired me to try and do the same. (Anyone out there want to tutor me??) I'll also use this month to research other grants, which I'll be able to apply for once the business plan is done. And finally, an extra 30 days will give me even more time to build a community on this blog and on my Facebook Page--a community that will, I hope, help me get out the vote once the application is up and running.
Have any of you ever applied for grants? What have your experiences been?
So what's the plan for the next 30 days?
I'm going to use the time to my advantage. I plan to write at least the majority of my business plan this month and use those specifics to further hone my grant application. I also saw a fantastic video made by my new friend Janet Geddis, who is opening a bookstore in Athens, Georgia late this year. She also tried applying for a Pepsi grant this month, but she had the additional frustration of her application being LOST! In any case, Janet made a really lovely video using iMovie, which has inspired me to try and do the same. (Anyone out there want to tutor me??) I'll also use this month to research other grants, which I'll be able to apply for once the business plan is done. And finally, an extra 30 days will give me even more time to build a community on this blog and on my Facebook Page--a community that will, I hope, help me get out the vote once the application is up and running.
Have any of you ever applied for grants? What have your experiences been?
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