Seven Months and Counting.

Now the hard work begins. I just reviewed my "Opening a Bookstore" time line to remind me of what lies ahead. It is a little mind boggling!!

In some places I am ahead of schedule and some items are wrapped up in the construction of my own building. In other areas I need to get busy, which is hard to do down here in "manana" land.

Yesterday Griff left to return to New York, so I should have time to get busy. With our strange lifestyle, when we are together, I like to spend time with him and it's hard to concentrate on business plans and stuff.

My list for six to nine months includes things like:

1. Everything that needs to be done to finalize my business name
2. Update business plan
3. Obtain a SAN number from R.R. Bowker
4. Create credit reference sheet
5. Contact vendors on products, services and computer systems
6. Store design and layout
7. Finalize product categories and inventory percentage

It sounds so simple yet each item can be broken down into a million little pieces. I am glad I have the American Bookseller's Association as a resource. And, yes, like everything else there are consultants that specialize in opening independent bookstores. I have been using materials from Paz and Associates.

Right now I am waiting for a call from a graphic designer who specializes in product branding and marketing. It took me ages to finally decide on a name for the shop - and I want a logo that will stand out and serve several functions:

1. Identify the store
2. Reflect our mission
3. Place the shop as to location, eliminate the need to look for street numbers - this is part of the reason I chose a distinctive architectural style
4. Be easily reproduced in all media from low-quality newsprint to glossy ad pieces
5. Be equally distinctive in color or black and white

I believe that a name and brand are an important part of meeting my goals for Paragraphs. I want to be more than a retail store but also a gathering place, a destination, a community institution - and I want my logo to reflect all of the above.