A Bookseller's Strategy For Staying Competitive

A Bookseller's Strategy For Staying Competitive


By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG

"When Neil Van Uum opened an independent bookstore in Cleveland last year, he was bucking the odds. Thousands of bookstores have closed in recent years, ravaged by huge rivals with larger selection and lower prices. One of the biggest -- Borders -- has a store right across the street from Mr. Van Uum's Cleveland site."

- Another success in small business by thinking outside of the box. Notice the profit percentages. Net profit is in the 2%-3% range. This shows you the business is a mature business and the products are more of a commodity. This makes sense with books. The point is that you should be looking for a business that is not mature yet and not just newly starting but instead in a growth cycle. This is the time period when profits are maximized and competition is not so cut-throat. -ed.
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