Taking the plunge, soon

Okay.

Months ago I mentioned half-heartedly that I wanted to start a small business – my own independent bookstore. I thought about long and hard about it, blogged about it, and then promptly forgot about it.

Well, to be fair to myself, I didn’t forget about it. Still, I did nothing to further my plans. I mentioned it every once in a while, saying things like “well, when I open my bookstore…” but never actually made inquiries of research.

Now, thanks to a gentle shove from Kerrie (who, understandably, was tired of hearing “well, when I open my bookstore…” without any further perusal) and a recent stalling of my journalism career and lack of money in the blogging field, I’ve decided to take the plunge.

I’ve gotten the materials that I need and have started a notebook with my contacts, ideas, and expectations.

I’m a little scared about going forward, but I know this is something I can do. I’ve got the experience in management and in retail, and watched enough horrible business owners mess up and stay in business to know that I can learn from their mistakes and be even more successful.

The book business is not easy, I know. There’s a lot of money involved in starting up something like this, and with the perceived low literacy levels (as in “lack of interest” and not “lack of ability”) in Sioux Falls it could prove to be disastrous.

But you know what? I’ll never know until I try.

If anything, that’s the most important thing I’ve learned in the past year. I’ll never know what could have been unless I try. I’ll never gain if I don’t take necessary risks. I know I can run a business, I know I can successfully promote a business; I know I can sell at a retail level, manage at a retail level, and be a fair and understanding owner and boss. If the only thing holding me back is the money, then what the hell am I waiting for?

So, with this, you’ll notice a new subject popping up from time to time on this here blog – The creation of a bookstore. I feel like Todd Epp (SD Watch) with my numerous blog topics – writing, books, the Pacers, and now small business news.

Hopefully, in a few years, I’ll be making money off of one of these subjects.