ravenstalebooks
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Analog Books - Berkeley Bay Books - San Ramon Diesel Bookstore - Oakland Moe's Books - Berkeley Mrs. Dalloway's - Berkeley Rakestraw Books - Danville other independent | For several months we were two unemployed booksellers who started visiting bookstores in the East Bay, looking for work and leaving resumes. We were hoping someone would find valuable the expertise we've garnered over the last twenty-five years. This part of the website was our shot at self-promotion and we hoped it would help us in these dark times. (learn more about our expertise) Now, we are working in the world of books again, and this website is an opportunity for us to promote the things we love best ̶ books, bookstores, and grand booksellers. There will be reviews of the bookstores we visit. We'll use our trained eyes to give a fair critique of what we liked about the stores we visited. Our reviews will focus more on the positive, what these stores do well, what brings pleasure to two booklovers like us. Perhaps we'll introduce you to a great bookstore you haven't been to before, or highlight the strengths and charms of a store you've already visited. All we can do is try to give you a little more appreciation for what these independent booksellers are working so hard to achieve ̶ to create a good place for people to come together around books. Making an independent bookstore as good as it can be, takes an incredible amount of effort by its booksellers. And to keep these stores going and improving, requires a public that appreciates and strongly supports them. Every independent bookstore is different. Every store owner has a different look, feel, selection, bookstore, that they are striving for. It's exactly because of this reason that it so much fun to visit as many different independent bookstores as possible. (what's a review based on?) We may at any time, correct or add to any review. If you have any feedback or corrections (go ahead, correct us) - just send it to us. And, remember, this is how our eyes saw it and all opinions expressed are our own. As for any of the changes we might suggest, if these bookstores are happy with their stores and their bottom line ̶ more power to them.
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 What would that expertise amount to?design and build For 22 years, in 5 locations, in 3 cities, under 3 different store names, we owned and operated our own independent bookstore. The stores ranged in size from a little over 1,100 square feet, to two spaces over 5,000 square feet. Both of the larger locations also included a full coffeehouse. With each location, we had to envision a design for the best way to use the space for the shoppers pleasure, as well as to be efficient for our staff. After the design phase, came moving a wall or two, sometimes plumbing and flooring, always electrical work and painting. Oh, did we mention the paperwork? Any small business person has to know about all types of paperwork, be that leases, permits, all manner of approvals, banking, credit card, payroll, and tax and governmental reports ̶ local, state and federal. We did 90% of the work ourselves, and we also designed and built custom counters, shelves, displays, tables, other fixtures for all our spaces. There were never any consultants being paid for this or that advice. With many things, what we didn't know, we learned, and learned quickly. Another thing very important to all these efforts, was to keep a sense of humor. And with all those different locations, we learned how to organize, pack, move, unpack, setup support systems, shelve and decorate, while leading an army of friends, relatives, customers and sometimes strangers, to help with everything. We never closed the bookstore for more than a day for any move, and all those helpers always felt even more a part of the bookstore's family when it was all done. Once everything was built, and even before all the books were all on the shelves, we got our doors open and started doing what we love the most ̶ selling books history We both have a long history of working in the book world, be it in libraries, other independent bookstores, or for regional and national bookstore chains. We've done it all in the retail book world. All those bookseller and management jobs gave us many skills and talents. Managing a bookstore, with your eyes and mind open, teaches you a great deal about marketing, selection and inventory management, bookstore design and layout, staffing, and dealing with the many different kinds of people who are out there looking to buy or sell books. While we were learning how other people did things, it was always in our heads of how we would do it differently. The two of us met while working for the same national chain, in a bookstore in California, and when that situation became ugly, we simply thought ̶ let's try our own store. We got our first store together, from scratch, in a few short months, and kept it all going for 22 years. contact us - ravenstale@gmail.com |
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► overall feel & design ► staff ► the selection ► layout of sections ► display ► store events ► website
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