My Reflection

I have been thinking about what to do with the rest of my life for a while now. Becoming a bookstore owner to combine my love of books with my love of community seems like the perfect transition into retirement. The need exists for our community. There is no bookstore. We are lacking in community spaces. I just need to figure what will entice my community to come out and support my bookstore.

Before connecting with my community, I needed to decide how I was going to go about this. I shared my bookstore vision with my family. I told them that I want to sell new and used books. My granddaughter immediately began planning the opening of a boba tea cafe to accompany the bookstore. She also created music playlists for the bookstore. We discussed the types of events we could hold. My daughter weighed in with some marketing ideas. It was lovely to not only have their support but to enjoy their enthusiasm.

Next, I developed a name and a logo. Then I began to research the governmental regulations for starting a business. I applied for a business license as a sole proprietor with a Doing Business As (DBA) for the name of my bookstore with my state. Once that was approved, I applied for a business license in my city. I do not have a retail space yet. I used my home address as my business address and have decided to start with a pop-up bookstore.