The Margins

Opening a used bookstore: Stef completes business registration, develops SKU and pricing systems, redoes her P&L, and explains why growing up in small business gives her confidence—plus a magical evening with Kate DiCamillo and Ann Patchett.

In this episode, it's paperwork time. EIN, Seller's Permit, city registration—all done and I'm thrilled to actually have my ducks in a row this time.

But the work didn't stop there. I realized I couldn't keep inventorying books without SKUs, which meant I needed a SKU algorithm, which meant I needed a pricing strategy, which meant redoing my entire P&L. The truth? The numbers work, but I have to sell a lot of books. My number one priority is finding affordable rent—everything else is flexible.

I also share why I feel confident opening a bookstore despite never running one. The answer: I grew up in small business. My family owned five childcare centers—a brutally low-margin business with government ratios, healthy snack requirements, and yes, cat poop in sandboxes. I was the cheap labor who learned to find space in tight margins. Between that and my peek into bookstore finances from the failed acquisition, I'm ready for Year 1 mistakes and all.

I picked up How to Start and Run a Used Bookstore by Stephanie Chandler for the operational shortcuts, and had an incredible night at the Charles M. Schulz Museum with Kate DiCamillo and Ann Patchett. They signed books for the store, and I got a photo with Ann Patchett that's going up in the shop.

Current Book Count: 2,000+ (inventory paused until systems are finalized)

🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

Links mentioned:

• How to Start and Run a Used Bookstore by Stephanie Chandler
• Kate DiCamillo | Ann Patchett
• Charles M. Schulz Museum