Bookstores Have Enthusiastic Response to Free PBS Classes
Since its launch last week, twenty bookstores have already expressed an interest in the SIBA Free Subscription to classes from the Professional Booksellers School. The subscription, which includes six independent study classes and accompanying class material, is available to any bookseller who is a current SIBA member, including all bookstore staff. The collection of classes normally costs over $400 per person, but is offered free to SIBA member stores through SIBA's sponsorship of PBS.
What is available?
Bookseller Tools & Resources: This class from the Basic Bookselling Course introduces booksellers to the major companies and organizations, and the industry vocabulary, buzz words, and acronyms a new bookseller needs to know.
Bookstore Financial Literacy: These 3 mini-classes were created by Bookstore Finances Dean (and SIBA Membership Coordinator) Candice Huber as the best way to begin to understand your store's finances and how to manage them. It includes the three presentations Understanding Profit & Loss, Cost of Goods Sold, and Managing Cash Flow.
Budgeting for Buying: Also presented by Candice Huber, this class presents practical and actionable steps for budgeting for buying, even if you're starting from scratch. It is inclusive of a variety of business models.
The Power of Ingram: This class from the PBS Inventory Management Course shows book buyers all the ins and outs of ordering through Ingram. Learn Ingram terminology, Ingram Publisher Services, how to choose primary and secondary warehouses, and strategies to meet the minimum requirement for reduced shipping.
Frontlist Buying Through Edelweiss: Also from the PBS Inventory Management Course, this is designed to help book buyers learn to improve discounts and margins by shifting frontlist buying directly to publishers using Edelweiss in conjunction with a publisher rep. It includes Edelweiss terminology, using markup catalogs, and how to create Edelweiss export rules.
Establish Terms and Save Money: A bonus class from PBS sponsor MVB, this seminar will help you learn more about how your store could be saving money by switching to terms with publishers and with Ingram. Among the presenters is Jill Hendrix, past SIBA president and former owner of Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC.
Contact SIBA for your access code to get started.