Would you like a bookstore with all this in it?

[dizzyjam]

Hi everybody.

My name is David. I've been talking with Jeff about something and he's given me permission to put this idea and request on his message board. He told me that fairly soon after I post this I should find a follow-up from him to verify my authenticity for you all.

What I want to talk to you about today is something that has been building within me for over a decade and recently it's been burning inside of me. That is the idea to have a cross-cultural bookstore which includes the many speculative Christian novels that Christian stores usually ignore (and the ones they don't ignore as well), the harder edge music they also tend to ignore (and the ones they don't there too), along with comic books (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, etc.) and games (RPGs, CCGs, Computer, etc.), movies and soundtracks. And that's just to get started with the first store.

In my vision of what I want to accomplish I see a chain of stores all over the country and having much more than what I just called off even though these will always be the backbone of the store. I see figurines, t-shirts, hats, toys, etc. as well as things that I can't imagine now because they haven't been invented yet. I see a store that will meet a unique niche market that taps into several niche markets at once to create a special shopping experience and provide just what people want in a way to help the markets either grow or bounce back (depending on the specific niche market).

At this point I was planning on putting some of my personal and financial history here, but it got too long. If you're interested in my complete (as complete as I've typed it up currently) testimony, just send me a message and I'll e-mail it to you; Jeff's already seen it.

In short for my financial history, I've recently learned a lot of things as the economy has gone downhill and learned all of that after I had already made a mess of things for myself through sheer ignorance. Now that I have knowledge my goal is to do things that fix my mess as I become a success story to God's glory beyond my other successes. More info will be included with my testimony.

So, my idea for the book store I propose may not seem too unusual to you, it may (I sure do hope so) seem like a natural extension of what's already going on and you're just glad that someone has finally come along to do it. Yet we know that a lot of financiers wouldn't see it that way. Indeed since the Federal goverment (I have heard) has recently stopped letting loans happen even for people with excellent credit, a guy like me with poor credit because of a past before the knowledge I have now wouldn't have a chance with financial institutions. So I have to be creative. Fairly easy for a writer even if I'm unpublished.

So my idea goes like this: Find a way to seek out private investors or givers and come up with a reasonable plan with a basic outline that we all could follow.

Although I'll accept help from anyone (and any combination of people) by posting here I'm trying to target a specific audience. That would be the authors that have already been published that this book store would directly help to further promote.

I can send you more details upon request, and in projects like this details are always working themselves out as the project moves along, but for now let me say this: I have some basic amounts in mind to work with that I need which I feel are reasonable for what they can do for the project that can come from individuals and add up to the complete amount needed.

A quick run through of what I would be doing to ensure the success of this venture:

As I stated previously, there are a lot of details to think about and as a very green beginner I know I haven't thought of everything myself, so when I have money I'll be hiring professionals to help me start and get organized including a lawyer, an accountant and an administrative assisitant as well as whoever they recommend be added to my team including a website designer. I intend to have a second store opened before the end of the first year of the first store being opened with three more opened the next year and having exponential growth to a plateau level in the ten years or so after that. I see no reason at this time not to have this happen. I intend to have an online website for those areas that do not yet have a store can order safely and securely and get their products in a reasonable amount of time. I intend to contact a major network marketing group to become one of their Partner Stores they have on their website to tap into that vast market.

Anything else I can dream up in the meantime I intend to do as well if it will ensure stability and bring success. All of these will take different amounts of time to come up with and some will start before others, yet all will be in place as more stores open.

I close with two final thoughts:

One, I know times are tough right now for everyone, yet enough spiritual people in my life I've shared this with that isn't remotely interested in the kinds of books I read or the music I listen to have told me to go for it. One person even said it was urgent that I did this and that person is from a completely different culture and has no understanding of this on a negative or a positive outlook. Not to mention that burning desire inside of me to see it come to pass. Contact me for more info. All help here would be appreciated.

Two, Any questions you think others might benefit from, please post on the message board. As donations and investments are promised, I'll post them on the board. As they are filled I'll post that on the board too. This way you can see how close I am to my goal.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

David James

P.S. I'm talking with Jeff about doing something special once I get the store going by actually offering Marcher Lord Press merchandise in my stores and thus being the exclusive store for it. Even though Jeff wasn't seeking this with MLP, I offered it to him and we've got ideas for it that we discussed, so if this project can get on its feet and running soon, you just might be able to go into a store and get your favorite MLP author too. How about that? ;-)

[Jeff Gerke]

Hey, David. It will be interesting to see what people think of your idea.

Jeff

[dizzyjam]

Thanks, Jeff. You're right it will be interesting. Hopefully they won't throw tomatoes my way. But if they have to throw, I've got plenty of lettuce for a salad so we can all have lunch. Just no crutons. Looking forward to see what happens.

[torainfor]

So, you're proposing a bookstore with only the books that I want to read? That's a horrible idea.

(BTW, I suffer from acute sarcastitis. It's painful, but mostly just to my husband.)

One thing strikes me (and don't take it as discouragement, just something to think about). The visual I get when I think of a just-starting speculative bookstore with t-shirts and figurines and comic books is a small, dark storefront in a low-rent stripmall. I can see how that would appeal to fanboys of vampires and lovers of Skillet. (Of which I am one. Lover of Skillet, that is, not a fanboy.) But it's gotta be welcoming to the other side of Christian spec: 13-yo home-schooled girls who inhale Donita Paul's dragon books as soon as they're published. And then, there's the other-other side: 38-yo moms who grew up on Anne McCaffrey.

It can totally be done, I'm sure. Just something to ponder.

[dizzyjam]

torainfor,

Thanks for the kind words.

Although I do intend to find some sort of strip mall at first in the area I live, the area is growing and a Super Wal-Mart is coming, so it won't have to be too dark to hopefully pull in a few less suspecting. Plus I figure with a local newspaper, a local theater and many huge parking lots to put flyers in, business can definitely be generated through advertisement alone, never mind that once I have a location I'll just go around to all the churches and those that allow me to I'll make announcements for an upcoming store in college and career classes as well as youth classes.

It won't just be "Christian" books and music, yet that will be the main thrust. My ultimate goal is to win the lost. If only one person that's lost comes in the bookstore and picks up a book that leads them to Christ while they are reading it (even if it's allegorical in nature) then the real goal of this project will be complete while sales in my favorite genres of books and music continue.

By the way, ever listen to the harder edgier music? Although I have a passing familiarity with Skillet and will probably carry them too (if it's who I think it is), have you heard of Tourniquet, Saviour Machine, Mortification, Virgin Black, Bride, Antestor, Metanoia and many more? Also, did you know Ken Tamplin (formerly of Shout) is still making albums as is Rob Rock?

There's a lot of great music out there that people that know where to look can find them, but I'd rather just have a store so people can look at them like they would other albums and artists and not have to worry about possible fakes or damaged goods like you sometimes risk when ordering from some people. (Like Borat - har-har!) Not that there aren't some great places to get it online, but we're talking a walk-in store and an online experience.

Can't beat a choice like that.

Ultimate thought: the way I figure it, if Barnes and Noble and Borders can carry Christian items to lure us in so that we might chance on buying something else, why can't turnaround be fair play? I want people to come in the Kingdom. I think providing a niche outlet to entertain saints is great as well, but my Number One goal will always be to reach the lost. If they like one band and happen to pick up another that either looks or sounds similar to who they like and the songs lead them to Christ (with allegorical lyrics no less for quite a number of these bands) or they pick up a Ted Dekker novel because I've shelved him beside Stephen King and Dean Koontz, then hopefully something in Ted's novel will touch their lives in a way to let God in. I don't know just when I'll be able to start this first store, but this is my main thrust for now and has been for some time and will continue for a longer time.

Hope to see you in one of them some time in the future. :-)

[Christian Soldier]

First of all: welcome to the Anomaly and congratulations on being sucked in... oh, and you're stuck here. I'm not sure if Jeff told you about that part . Your idea is awesome, and I've always thought much the same thing. It sounds like you've got a doable business model all set up! Now all that's left is to do it.

One thing I did not see in your previous posts is advertising. You should be advertising before your store even opens! You'll at least want to advertise on the net via forums, like this one, a website(Try Microsoft's Office Live small business, or even contact me in a year or so), search engines, etc. You can also sell your products via Amazon, E-Bay, and some others. Another thing you can do is sell some of the self-published novels right off your shelf. Although, I can't for the life of me figure out how to make that cost effective.

One last thing that I think you've already considered: location. It's everything. In a small community, chances are that you'll fail, but your start up costs would be so much lower. A suburb would be ideal, especially around Dallas, Colorado Springs, Atlanta, etc. Like I aid, you seem to have that covered, but I thought I'd say it anyway.

There's a lot going against you, but you have a lot more FOR you. How many of us have dreamed of just such a project as this? How many of us have fantasized about a store filled with all our favorite things(Add my wife to it and you've got everything I need to be happy right in one place)?

So I suppose what we should all be asking now is: What can we do to help? Where do we start? And who's bringing the donuts?

[dizzyjam]

Christian Soldier,

Thanks for your kind words. I'm not sure just how ready I am to start since there's always something unanticipated in any business venture, but I do know that once I can get financing I can move forward with it. I want to reply to the things you mentioned.

One is location. I have to be very careful with this. I live in the Northeast Georgian mountains and although that sounds like hicksville (and where I am it can be at times), the place is really growing and a lot of people have been moving in as of late. I meet people all the time that say they'd love having a store like what I want to have.

So even though I might could go down to Atlanta or a suburb, I've got to consider the gas prices and the fact that there are other people who might not want to travel so far to shop. But let's say that gas wasn't one of the issues. What else would keep me where I am? For one thing, even without gas, people tend to like something around the corner instead of an hour or two drive to get there.

Another thing is that the market is more competitive down in Atlanta. You have plenty of Christian bookstores that already carry some spec-fic and can order anything else you want, even if they look at you funny when you come to pick it up; chains like Family and Cokesbury are all over the place. Plus, comicbook gaming stores may be disappearing, but there are still enough to cause loyalty with those that go to them. A first store would have a hard time gaining a following until after the first year. Music stores that deal with rare and hard to find music are plentiful as well, especially at the Little Five Points area. There would just be too much competition even in a big area for a start up store to have the chance of survival.

Yet where I am, you have to travel a good ways to get to all of these places and although there are local bookstores where you can order any book you want, there isn't a store that regularly carries the type of books we like (Christian or secular). There hasn't been a comic book store in this county for about a decade because no one tries. Yet people I talk with say they would go to one if there was one available. There isn't a store for hard to find music (Christian or secular), yet people that I talk with would love a place like that here.

There's even talk of a mall being built. That would allow for a great future location to move my first location to after being well established. With proper advertising, I think I could start quite well where I am, even if it's still considered a "small" community.

And that brings me to that other topic you mentioned of advertising. In my original draft to post I had mentioned this and a lot of other things too. I showed it to Jeff and he recommended shortening the length. I'm glad he did because the original was twice as long as what I did post.

My goal with advertising is rather simple. We have a local paper that covers several counties, so once the financing is there I'll start with some quarter and half page ads to move up to full page ads the first couple of weeks before and after the opening then go back down to half page and keep regular quarter page ads running.

Add to that the fact that we actually have a local theater with stadium seating and huge screens that everyone goes to, I can run regular ads on the screen before the movies start and I've got a friend who does quality film and editing that can give me a break on costs that way.

Also, we have a local access channel that I can create a commercial for that can be run on certain of the cable networks as well.

These are all factored into the budget I currently have.

Besides all that, I can always blanket parking lots at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Ingles, Belks, and the Post Office whenever I have a daily or weekly special to promote.

I believe with all of this I can solidify the first store quite well to move onto putting a second store closer to Atlanta and a third store closer toward Greenville, SC.

So that brings us to the end where you asked, "What can we do to help? Where do we start?" Since you asked, I'll see what can be done to send you some information. I'll click on your ID name and see if you have an e-mail listed, if so I'll send you some more info. If not, then you can just e-mail me with your ID name in the subject bar and I'll send you some more info that way.

[J Jack]

I love it! Sounds like a place I would hang out in...now that seems depressing for some reason . Really though, a place that had the stuff I want, and the atmosphere of a Christian store...mind blowing. Love it.

As a former business student and honour roll graduate of my business courses (international business and accounting) I offer you my simple suggestion. Make a business plan that will sell anyone on it, you bring that and a solid date when you will have the investment paid back in full and any bank will give you money. Just has to be a solid plan, with a solid balance sheet and prediction of when you break even and you'll get it, hands down.

[dizzyjam]

sabre3030,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I seem to be finding people that like this idea. I am glad.

Sabre, perhaps we could e-mail each other. I could send you the information I'm currently working with and a basic outline for what you are suggesting and if it would be okay with you, you could let me know what I need to add, take away, or just change? Does that sound good? Send me a PM or e-mail me to get the ball rolling. Thanks again.

[dizzyjam]

gracebridges,

Sounds good. Go for it! I too am perturbed with Christian bookstores misuse of their fiction space thus why I want these novels in the store I want to do. Even Borders and Barnes and Noble do better than the run of the mill Christian book store does! Hope you're successful down there with that. :-)

David

[mongoose]

I want an internet cafe that will sell starbucks (only because my wife prefers it) and/or kaladi brothers (only because it's fair trade) and snacks, and obviously the internet and computer terminals. Those terminals should have shortcuts to the online outlet for your shop, and to MLP and Where the Map ends. I want comfortable seating with good light, not florescent, for viewing of materials. I want to be able to listen to complete albums (if that's legal or whatever) before choosing which one's to buy. I want the option of downloading purchased materials to my flash drive, PDA, laptop, MP3 player or other electronic device. I want to be able to place special orders to be delivered to the store, without having to ask customer service for help. I want to be able to search the computerized inventory of the store, the same way that employees do, to find the items I'm looking for or to see whether they're on order, or as I said, available for special order. And free shipping and handling if I do order it to be delivered to the store. It would be reserved for me for some length of time, and then I could purchase it or leave it for the next customer.

I may come up with some more ideas, but those are what I hope people will do with bookstores in the near future.

[dizzyjam]

Mongoose,

Some of those are actually great ideas I might have to consider. A few of them though I don't think would be feasible, but I'll keep them in mind.

David James

[dizzyjam]

I thought I'd post a comment to bring this back to the top for all those people who have joined since I had first posted this. Just in case they hadn't seen it yet.

David James

[dizzyjam]

Okay, here's a general update for this thread. I know some of this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I feel the official updates need to be on here. Thanks for everyone that prayed for me. Keep doing so, I've still got so much more to do.

About three weeks ago I went into an accountant's office and gave him information so I could apply to the State for my own LLC. A few days ago I got confirmation that it had been approved and on Thursday I received my papers that they had printed out with my numbers on them from both the State and the Federal offices. "Beyond the Charts, LLC" is now an official business entity and I'm one more step closer to fulfilling what I've set out to do.

Now I've got to get my initial business loan and get started by getting the location I've spotted and setting up a website and starting to take orders online while I model the location the way I want it to be and have a Grand Opening and all of that.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, yes, once I get started I will be offering Jeff's MLP products at my store as I had mentioned in my original post to start this thread. From my conversations with him, Jeff seems to be a real stand up guy and I'm more than happy to help him out with getting these books to more customers than his site alone can do. Although when the Library Journal is talking about his material before it's even published, that's a pretty good sign he's doing something right.

I'll keep you informed as this moves along. I think things will move along a lot quicker right now than they have been. A major milestone has happened. Let's see what else God can do.

David James

[Christian Soldier]

'Grats, DJ. God bless you in your enterprise.