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10 Oct 2012 6 Comments
I have therapy on Tuesday nights and often, after I’m done, I swing by the liquor store for a six pack or a bottle of wine. An Indian, or possibly Pakistani, couple runs the place; it always smells of some lovely incense and there’s always an Indian soap opera playing on the television. The couple is always smiling and seem very happy to work alongside one another.
While I’m sure running a business isn’t all hearts and flowers, I always leave that place with my favourite fantasy running thru my head, of opening a small book shop somewhere, that I would run with my partner. It would specialize in something, probably Tudor history, but would carry all kinds of books, new and used. There would be warrens of bookshelves and comfy places to sit, in quirky little corners, where you could leaf through a book to see if it was something you really wanted to buy. There would be coffee and pastry that you could take with you as you wandered the shelves, and a few tables in a sunny window, where you could take your time and drink your drink as you perused your purchases. We would have tchotchkes and bibelots for sale, perhaps works by local artists and once a month we might do a showing or a reading or wine-tasting to bring in more people. There would definitely be a cat.
I don’t know why the thought of running a small business appeals to me so much. I don’t know a thing about it, other than a lot of them fail and fail quickly. But I’ve always wanted to run a book shop, since I was a small child. Something cozy and welcoming and interesting. A place, other than a bar, where locals could hang out and chat, maybe play chess or checkers, maybe host a book club meeting or two. And I’d love to do it with someone I cared about, who also loved the idea of running a shop like that, where we would play to our strengths and support each other and just make it all work.
Ah well. A girl can dream, right?
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Oct 10, 2012 @ 02:40:23
I can totally see you doing that! Or being an English professor at a university.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 04:33:32
Oh, I don’t think I could ever teach. Maybe at the university level, but that would require a lot more education than I currently have.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 17:33:16
There is a place like this in Southampton UK. Four people got together and took over an art cafe space. They moved to a larger space and expanded the cafe; they sell the art off the walls and change it often; they provide free/affordable meeting spaces; there are casual lessons in French and sign language; there are regular meetings of writers, knitters, life drawing and various musics; there are concerts and open mikes. It’s run by volunteers and the directors take a pittance because it’s a charity run by and for itself to promote the arts. The cafe just about covers running expenses; grants and donations fill in the rest. It’s still afloat after four years and growing, and a similar charity cafe-foreign awareness space here in Reading has been going for 10 years I think. Find someone who shares the dream; explore different ways to fund it (grants, loans, charity status) come up with a business plan and pester local art patrons and join entrepreneur groups. You can always start small in the corner of another business; there’s a florist who shares space with a cafe here, completely separate businesses but one big room. The places that seem to make it combine a great idea with practical planning and don’t figure in zoning, taxes, staffing etc. I would do something similar myself but I can’t do it alone, not physically possible and I haven’ found a co-crazy yet. Think, dream, write it all down, explore costs and sniff out locations. even when it doesn’t pan out, I meet people and explore why the idea means so much to me which had brought joy and insight.
Oct 14, 2012 @ 01:57:34
That sounds like a lovely fantasy. I think it would be amazing to own a little cozy book shop.
Oct 18, 2012 @ 13:43:24
I think it sounds cool. Well, I’m not a coffeeshop/book dude, but the idea of working with your spouse and being in this happy place sounds awesome. My wife and I have this dream of buying some rental buildings and then quitting our jobs and getting money from renters. I’d do all the fixing leaks/problems and she’d handle the money… it’s our dream. We could get to know the tenants and have a happy time with it. I think your dream is someting you can have one day. For sure! By the way, I have no idea what tchotchkes or bibelots are, haha!
Nov 08, 2012 @ 15:57:28
Greetings, Bedhead – followed you here from Sharon’s post. Tudor bookstore? Complete with cat and tchotchkes? Count me in!
I think all of us who are voracious readers imagine owning a bookstore at some point, although in reality, the kind of bookstore that would allow us to earn a decent living would probably be too busy to allow for the dreamy, read books and discuss with the occasional customer fantasy I carry in MY head.