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Sources Of Inventory For Your Online Bookstore
Author : Adam Bertram
Now that you've set expectations for your online bookstore, you need to handle the most important part: acquisition of your startup inventory. This is arguably the most important part because it is going to be the backbone of your entire online bookselling business. Every other aspect of the business will be for naught if you don't have any product or service to sell.
Luckily for you, books are very easy to come by. For starters, you can sell old books that you have accumulated in your home, or from your studies. College students usually accumulate used textbooks that can no longer be sold in bookstores because they're outdated, but can still be sold online and used by students who are limited by budget and can't buy newer revisions, or by people who don't have the means to go out and search brick and mortar stores for specific versions of a textbook.
Most people already have tons of used books at home, gathering dust and mildew. But for those who don't have used books at home or need more stock, there are other viable and reliable sources. Bookstores usually have bargain bin sales when they want to move around old stock, most of these books are priced way below SRP and would be ideal for your business. Some smalltime bookstores even offer discounts for bulk purchases, which is exactly what you should be doing. Flea markets and garage sales are also treasure troves for restocking. You can also visit friends and relatives and check if they have old books that they are willing to give away. Some of them will be more than happy to de-clutter their home and will give you their books for free, but try to buy it from them instead, at drastically reduced prices. This will entice them to contact you in the future in case they have more books they want to get rid of and will even refer other acquaintances. You should take note that building your business on top of goodwill and mutual benefits will be more profitable and sustainable than using subterfuge and dishonest practices.
Offline sources may prove to be limiting, and may incur invisible expenses such as food and transportation, so try to limit offline restocking trips and make each one worth all the trouble. For those days where you are unable to do offline restocking trips, you can spend your time trawling auction sites such as ebay and craigslist for sellers of used books, as well as online bookstores such as amazon. Always remember that your goal is to buy books in bulk, as this will save on shipping and transit time.
You should also make sure that you have a place to store your books in. You don't need a large warehouse yet, if at all. Even a basement or a shed is enough (or your bedroom, if you live alone or have a very understanding partner). The only thing you need to ensure is that the books be kept safe from environmental damage and pet damage, if you have one.
Keep close count of your inventory once you've set them up. Even if some of your books have no cost at all, the space that they take up in your "warehouse" can be considered cost too. Periodically check which books are not sold after quite sometime and know which books are selling like hotcakes. This way, you will know which titles are for keeps and which titles or genres you should avoid picking next time. Remember to keep a healthy inventory for more profitable online bookselling.
Author's Resource Box
If you are interested in finding out additional effective strategies for achieving profitability in the online bookselling business, please visit www.sellyourbooksonline.com. Here you will find helpful articles, proven techniques in selling books online, and daily updates with new tips and tricks of the trade.
Article Source:
Articlebliss
Tags: online bookselling, sell old books
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Submitted : 2010-07-21 Word Count : 681 Popularity: 76